“Irodea cow—”
“But first you fell. I saw it happen and was just about to retrieve you when Ushas snatched you up,” said Brynne. “Remember? You were curled into a ball—”
Aiden stuck hisfingers in his ears. “Can’t hear you! The sun’s rays have burned away your negativity!”
“Let him have this one,” Mini whispered to Aru and Brynne.
Aru might have grumbled out loud, but on the inside, she wasn’t grumbling at all. Because even though her hair was singed from being too close to the red cows of Ushas, and even though her brain was being tugged in a hundred different directions,thiswas all she wanted. This bunch, together again. Mini forcing sunblock on everyone. Brynne wondering when they were going to eat. Aiden herding them to the exit and helping Mini—whowasstill weak—walk to the door. Sure, they were an odd assortment, but whoever thought cookies would go so well with milk? Or macaroni with cheese? Some things just fit together. This group was one of them.
Themoment they left the Grove of Ratri behind, reality dropped on their heads again. They had the thief’s song, and they had Mini back, but there was still so much to do and barely three days left…. Already, the sun was beginning its trek across the world.
Sage Durvasa was waiting for them in the cosmic gallery, levitating above the ground as he scribbled in the air.
“We did it!” said Aru triumphantly,propping up Mini as proof.
Mini weakly pressed her palms together in greeting.
Durvasa didn’t even look their way. “What do you want? Congratulations?”
Aru’s shoulders dropped. “No. But we could use more of your help?”
“I didn’t help. That would be against the rules.”
“Fine, how about more of your not-help?” asked Brynne. “And some food.”
“Or a nap,” said Mini tiredly, but then she brightened.“Wait! I think I’ve got one in my backpack! From the warehouse!”
Aru, who had been carrying Mini’s backpack, dropped it and opened the zipper. Sure enough, a small bar labeledPOWER NAPshone at the bottom of her bag. It looked like a Hershey bar. Aru unwrapped it and handed it to Mini, who chomped it down in two bites. Instantly, the pallor of her skin improved and her eyes were more alert.
“Much better,” she said, patting her stomach.
Brynne’sstomach grumbled noticeably and she stared longingly at Mini’s bag.
“So …” started Aiden, “about thatnot-help?”
But the sage didn’t answer. Instead, he continued to write out petty curses, pondering aloud. “This fiendish girl cut up someone’s dress…. How to repay her, I wonder?”
Aru cleared her throat, trying to get the sage’s attention,but he was deep in thought. The only way to make Durvasa pay heed was, it seemed, to talk about whathewanted to talk about.
“What if you cursed her to have really itchy tags that she can’t take off without ruining her clothes?”
Durvasa paused for a second, then nodded. “Amateurish … but serviceable. And how about a person who put worms in someone else’s spaghetti as a prank?”
Brynne lookedappalled. “How wouldtheylike it if all their food was always too hot or too cold? I hate that.”
Durvasa grinned. “I suspect they would not like it at all…. And what curse would be appropriate for a person who tied someone else’s shoes together and laughed when they tripped?”
Aru had nothing to suggest, but Mini did. Her cheeks turned red, and Aru suspected that the exact same scenario hadhappened to her once.
“Maybe one shoe should always feel more tied than the other? They can never fix it.”
“Ah, how delightfully inconvenient!” said Durvasa, clapping merrily.
Only then did Aru notice that Aiden was looking at all three girls as if they’d sprouted horns.
“You guys are …”
“Clever?” suggested Aru.
