“Clean bathrooms or vacuum the house?”
“Vacuum,” said Brynne. “But what does this have to do with—”
“Final question!” said Tumburu, pressing his hands together. “Is cereal a soup?”
This time Aru did wince.
Brynne looked outraged. Wind began to gather around her ankles, ruffling the hem of her shirt and the ends of her hair. “Are you serious? What kind of gastronomic blasphemy—”
“For you, the backbone of the group, your instrument is…” said Tumburu, clapping, “THE TABLA!”
A dozen feet above them, the two-sided hand drum perked up at the sound of its name. It somersaulted in the air toward Brynne. She threw up her arms to block it, but the drum seemed to take that as an invitation and thudded against her palms. A pink light gloved Brynne’s hands, from the tips of her fingers to her wrists, before vanishing.
Brynne frowned. She rotated her wrists. The tabla hovered before her, quivering.
Tentatively, Brynne’s fingers tapped the drum skin—slowly at first, then faster. Her wrist flexed as the rhythm sped up. Aru found herself nodding along to the beat. Even the instruments above them began to sway happily.
“Whoa!” said Brynne, staring at her hands in awe.
The straps on the sides of the drums stretched as if they were grinning.
“Now someone will actually compliment your musical abilities!” said Tumburu.
“I said I could play the harp,” said Brynne.
Tumburu blinked, then repeated, “Now someone will actually compliment your musical abilities!”
Brynne opened her mouth to protest, but Tumburu was already waving his hand to usher her off the stage. “You there! Glasses! Let’s go!”
Mini startled. With a slighthmpfshe pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose and walked to the circular stage.
“Oh yes, I see it now,” said Tumburu, circling her. “You’re the enigma of the band. You’re the mystery! The girl with secrets behind her eyes!”
“Um—”
“It’s settled,” said Tumburu, pointing into the air.
An electric keyboard hovering just above Menaka zipped out a quick scale and snaked toward Mini. The moment her fingers brushed the keys, a bluish light surrounded her hands before sinking into her skin. Mini gasped. She closed her eyes and lifted her hands off the piano before slamming them down. Her digits flew over the ivory, and a wild, beautiful tune filled the air. Aru’s jaw dropped. Mini’s mom had made her take piano lessons, but until now, the only thing Aru had heard Mini play was “Chopsticks.”
“How long do these blessings last?” asked Aru enviously.
Brynne shrugged and looked at Aiden, but it wasn’t he who answered.
“A blessing given from the apsaras lasts forever,” said Menaka.
The whole time Tumburu was working his magic, the apsara hadn’t said much. She floated just shy ofcloseto Aiden. While Aiden was watching Tumburu and the instruments, Aru noticed that his grandmother looked like she wanted to start talking at any moment. In the end, though, Menaka stayed silent. Maybe she thought that would be the wiser thing to do.
The idea saddened Aru. She thought of all the times she’d wished that she and her mom had said things out loud. Maybe if they had, things would be different now. As a former (and rather excellent) liar herself, Aru knew that, sometimes, speaking the truth felt like wrenching a thorn out of your side. But doing the opposite meant pretending it wasn’t there. And that made every single step ache.
It was no way to live.
“Good, good,” said Tumburu, ushering Mini off the stage. He stretched his neck from one side to the other, tossing his mane behind him, and then pointed at Rudy. “I suppose you’re the next one in need of some musical talent?”
Rudy looked highly affronted. “I don’tneedmusical talent. I already have plenty.”
“I’ve heard that one before,” said Tumburu, rolling his eyes.
Aiden’s eyebrows rose a little. “Well, actually…”
