Queen Tara and half the vanara kingdom showed up on the beach with Aiden, Kara, Brynne, and Mini. By then, Aru had called back the mirror. If her entire group was going to cross the ocean, they’d need something much,muchlarger.
Brynne lumbered over to Aru first, grimacing a little. “Why am I craving pickles? Also, I’ve decided I hate the beach.”
“I’m sure the feeling’s mutual,” said Aru. She turned to Mini. “We’re going to need your compact to grow into something large enough for all five of us to fit on.”
Excitement flickered over Mini’s face. “One mirror board coming up!” she said.
Mini waved the danda over her head, and a swirl of violet light shot out of it. It rose in the air and then fell back onto the sand, flattening into liquid silver that spread in a circle until it was roughly the size of a large dining table.
“Okay, who wants to try it first?” asked Aru as they watched the disk harden before their eyes.
Aiden’s eyebrows shot up his forehead. “This seems like a Pandava decision, and as a Pandavaadjacent, I’m bowing out.”
“Um, me too,” said Kara, raising her hand.
Brynne took a gigantic step back. “I already got punched by the ocean, I’m not playing guinea pig.”
“C’mon,”said Aru. “I’ve already done an experiment, and it worked great.”
“Nope.”
“Maybe we should take a vote?” suggested Mini. “Or—”
“NOSE GOES!” hollered Aru.
Aru immediately smacked her hand to her nose. With a panicked squeak, Mini grabbed her nose so fast she knocked her glasses off her face. Which left Brynne…who moved to cover her nose afractionof a second too late.
“I hate you, Shah,” she growled.
“I promise it’s going to work,” said Aru.
“And if it doesn’t?”
“I’ll be your taste-testing guinea pig in the kitchen,” said Aru.
Brynne brightened. “Really? You can’t fake it. I know your food allergies, and—”
“Yes, I promise,” said Aru. “But if I’m right, you have to turn into an actual guinea pig.”
“My body will reject that form,” said Brynne, flexing.
“Just get onto the mirror?” pleaded Aru.
Brynne grunted, then stepped onto the disk. She created a blast of wind underneath the structure to propel it up and then forward. The reflective circle glided over the breakers, and Aru carefully scrutinized the water, holding her breath.
The ocean did not change.
At first, everyone was silent. But a moment later, they burst into thunderous screeching and shouts. Queen Tara clapped her hands over her mouth. Kara’s jaw dropped. Aiden watched with his hands in his pockets, his mouth quirked in a small smile.
“WE’RE FREE!” yelled a vanara, flinging sand into the air.
Brynne sent the disk back to the shore and jumped off it with a huge grin on her face.
Mini ran forward and threw her arms around Aru. “You did it!” she squealed.
Aru hugged her back.
“Nice, Shah,” said Brynne.
