And there it was.
The others had to go. They had a world to save. There was nothing left for Aru to do.
“Go,” she said.
Mini put a hand on Aru’s arm. “We’ll find a way to send word, or maybe get you armor, or—”
“JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!” shouted Aru.
Brynne flinched. Mini dropped her hand. Rudy stared at the ground.
Brynne set her jaw. “Fine.”
Aru didn’t stay to watch them enter the labyrinth.
She gathered the firebird in her arms and stepped into the rain, hoping it would wash off all the ugliness she felt. It was a long walk back home, and she wasn’t sure how to make it without her mom’s guidance, but for now, Aru couldn’t care less. She just wanted to be away from everyone.
Aru trudged down the winding sidewalks, lost in her thoughts….So lost, in fact, that it took a good minute for her to realize that there was a car moving slowly beside her. She froze, every STRANGER DANGER! instinct lighting up her brain.
It was a shiny silver sedan. The wordUBERflashed across it—not on the windshield or any of the four windows, but in the air right above it. Like magic.
The passenger window rolled down and a smooth, melodious voice rang out:
“Hello! I’m here with U.B.E.R! The Underage Belligerent Emergency Response team for Otherworld youth? I was told to deliver you home safe and sound.”
Aru groaned. She looked over her shoulder. The iron gates to Lullwater Park looked small and toylike now. Rudy, Mini, and Brynne were nowhere to be seen. One of them must have called a car to make sure she’d be okay.
“I’m fine with walking,” said Aru.
“Oh, totally,” said the stranger. “Nothing says safe and sane like war brewing with immortal beings.”
Aru scowled. She tried to peer into the car, but she couldn’t see the driver’s face. All she caught was the suggestion of a warm, mischievous grin.
“Fine,” she said.
“Good choice!” said the driver. “Trust me, you’re in great company.Everybodyloves a talkative U.B.E.R. driver! And there’s not a single person in the world who wouldn’t want to talk to me.”
The car door swung open.
On the plus side, at least Aru was out of the rain. Her clothes felt damp and her hair was cold to the touch as she slid into the back of the car, shrugged off her backpack, and put on her seat belt. Almost immediately, the rain picked up, blurring the windows. Aru looked around. The inside of the car was neat as a pin and smelled sweet and kind of buttery. Soft flute music floated from the radio, and a single peacock feather hung from the rearview mirror.
“Want a mint?” asked the driver, reaching behind him to tap a bag of candy that was hanging from the back of his headrest.
“No.”
“How’s the temperature? Okay?”
“Fine.”
The driver settled in. “So…some weather we’re having, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Always love to hang around inside and play music on days like this. Do you play any instruments?”
“No.” She wasn’t going to tell him about the tambourine.
“Really?”asked the driver. “Music is amazing. It forces you to stay in the present, to tune out the outside world. Myself, I quite favor the flute.”
