“In a manner of speaking, yes,” said Agni, closing his eyes. When he spoke, Aru felt as if his words sparked with heat. “I am…everywhere. I am the sacred flame. I am in homes and temples. I attend weddings and funerals. I purify all. I energize all.”
Agni opened his eyes and stared at them. “So, who are you and what do you want?”
Brynne and Mini looked at Aru expectantly.
Your coin, your move, Brynne said telepathically.
“We thought it was a good time for a family reunion!” said Aru, smiling so hard she thought her face would break. “Remember me? Daughter of Indra? And Mini, daughter of the Dharma Raja…”
Mini waved.
“And Brynne, daughter of Vayu.”
Brynne nodded.
“And then there’s…Aiden.”
“Another demigod?” asked Agni.
“No? More like a reincarnated former collective…wife?”
“Hi,” said Aiden flatly.
“Oh, it’syou!” said Agni to Aru, clapping his hands. “Almost didn’t recognize you with the new hair….”
Aru touched her hair. Minus the length, it was exactly the same.
“And height.”
Shehadgrown….Two inches.
“Were you always wingless?” asked Agni.
“Sadly,” said Aru.
“Hmm,” said Agni. “There’s something different about you lot—I can’t quite put my finger on it. How long has it been? A millennium?”
“Uh, two years?” said Mini.
“Ish?” added Aru.
Agni blinked a couple of times, then started laughing. “Ah, time. The best cosmic joke in the universe.”
“Yeah, so…Speaking of time,” said Aru. “We have, um,nine—”
“Eight,” muttered Aiden, glancing at his watch.
Aru’s heart sank. Traveling to the god of fire’s realm had robbed them of time. “Eightdays left to get to the nectar of immortality before the Sleeper finds it and basically declares war on existence. And right now, he and our sister—well, technicallymyhalf sister, but we don’t have to go into that today—are advancing through the labyrinth that’s hiding the nectar, and we can’t fight him without our celestial weapons.”
“Ooh,” said Agni. “Sounds dire! Do you think there will be a flame nearby so I can watch?”
Aru frowned. That was not the response she’d expected. “Maybe?”
“Awesome!”
“No,notawesome!” said Aru. “Look, a while ago you told us you have an arsenal of weapons that we’d need, and when the time came, we should call you. So…we have!”
Agni sucked in his breath. It was the kind of sound you make when you’re about to tell someone bad news. Panic surged through Aru, but she pushed it down.
