Panic spiked in Aru’s chest, and she remembered Aiden’s hand reaching for hers. “Is everyone okay? What about the Sun Jewel?”
“It’s inside that lantern the poison maiden gave us,” said Brynne grimly. “But we still have to get the last piece.”
“How much time do you have left?” asked Nikita.
“Five days now according to Aiden’s watch,” said Brynne.
To Aru, that sounded like a lot, but she knew it wasn’t. Time in the Otherworld was slippery at best. But at least they had the second piece of the Sun Jewel. That had to count for something….
“I hate this, Shah,” said Brynne, staring at her hands as if they were strange things she’d never seen before. “I…I can’t do anything. Without Gogo, I’m just…weak. And useless.”
“Brynne, that’s not true,” said Mini, putting her arm around her. “You were great back there!”
“How do you know? You were unconscious the whole time!” said Brynne, shaking off her touch.
Mini looked stung.
“Brynne, we’re all struggling,” said Aru.
“I’mnot,” muttered Nikita.
“Okay, well,mostof us are,” said Aru, shooting a frown at the twin.
“What if this whole thingfailson us?” asked Brynne. “Sheela told us about her vision, the one where she literally sawnothing? You kept that from us, Shah. That’s messed up.”
“I’m sure Aru had a reason,” said Mini carefully. “Youdidhave a reason…didn’t you, Aru?”
“I didn’t like that vision,” said Sheela.
Nikita crossed her arms. “Me neither.”
Aru felt the weight of her sisters’ expectant gazes like a great wave threatening to break over her. She hadn’t told them because she wasn’t sure what it meant and she didn’t want to scare them. The truth was, she wasstillunsure. And yet, something about their encounter with Vasuki needled at her thoughts….
I am amused by the possibility that you will do something different with it. Let us see whether you succeed in surprising me….
Something different. Something other than the choice of destroy or be destroyed?
Aru was reminded of the vishakanyas—how there was so much more to them than what was on the surface. War was just as complicated. People fought for many different reasons. Up until now, Aru hadn’t considered the fact that there might be a third option. Maybe she had to get to the battlefield before she could see the whole situation properly.
“Well, Shah?” asked Brynne. “Why didn’t you tell us the truth?”
Aru took a deep breath. “Because I didn’t understand what it meant…until now.”
Nikita peered at her sharply.
“Look, the fact that no one can see what’s coming next isn’t necessarily bad,” said Aru. “It means the future can still be changed.Wecan still change it.”
Sheela tilted her head as if she were daydreaming about that idea.
“We may not understand it yet, but we’re also not done,” said Aru. “We have to focus on what we can do right now, which is getting the third part of the Sun Jewel. Lord Agni said himself that if we can prove we can get to the labyrinth on our own, there’s a good chance our weapons will come back.”
“Achance…” said Brynne darkly.
“It’s better than nothing,” said Aru.
Brynne looked at her for a long moment and then sighed. “Fine. I guess you’re right.”
“What was that?” asked Aru, cupping her ear. “I couldn’t hear you over the sound of your ego shattering….”
