“Thanks,” she said.
Aiden took a deep breath. “Listen, I know that—”
“THE TIME OF THE POTATOES HAS COME!” hollered Rudy, as he hopped across the threshold.
Mini and Brynne walked behind him, wearing matching somber expressions.
Where were you guys?asked Aru through the mind link.
Rudy had a change of heart about his outfit ten different times and said he required our opinions, said Brynne.Of course he finally chose the first one he put on.
Mini merely nodded.
You feeling okay, Mini?
I’m tachycardic, perspiring, and think I have angina, said Mini through the mind link.
I don’t think that’s a surprise to most girls….
It’s a heart attack, Aru.
Oh.
Brynne snorted, which was almost a laugh, and therefore a victory to Aru.
“When you guys get your powers back and win the battle and all that, we can totally use these elevators to go on cool trips,” said Rudy.
“And all that?”echoed Aiden weakly.
“Where’s the first place you’d go?” asked Rudy.
“The beach,” said Brynne.
“Mountain cabin,” said Aiden.
“Beach, all the way,” said Aru.
“I want to see the plague pits of London and the bone-filled catacombs beneath Paris,” said Mini thoughtfully.
Aiden, Brynne, and Aru stared in horror at Mini.
Rudy clapped and pointed at her. “I can take you!” he said. “It’ll be great! You can tell me all about diseases!”
Normally this would’ve brightened Mini’s mood exponentially. But this time she only shrugged. Rudy didn’t seem to notice. He gestured excitedly at the palanquin at the far end of the chamber, the one that was covered in frost and cloaked in shadows.
“Aiden, help me out,” said Rudy as he went over to fuss with the wooden beams of the conveyance. “I’ve got to get it into the right position.”
The Pandava sisters hung back, and Aru knew she wasn’t alone in feeling miserable.
Kinda thought you’d be excited that Rudy clearly worships at the altar of Yamini Kapoor-Mercado-Lopez, said Aru to Mini through their mind link.
Me too,said Brynne.
He doesn’t know what he’s saying, said Mini.He thinks my powers are going to come back and I’ll be the cool daughter of the god of death again.
You still are, said Aru.That hasn’t changed?
It’s not the same, said Mini.
