“Who ishe?” asked Brynne.
It looked like The Lady was going to answer, but then she glanced at the hand and thought better of it. “When we are out of earshot, I shall tell his tale.”
She waved her hand, and some fifteen feet away, the dark trees parted to reveal a shadowed archway.
“This way,” she said, floating toward the opening.
The Lady whistled, and the five horses turned and fell into step behind her. Brynne was at the head of the group, Rudy and Mini followed her, and Aru and Aiden were at the rear. As the horses jostled into line, Aiden caught her eye. Aru realized she’d never given him the chance to finish his apology. But she couldn’t exactly turn around in her seat now and yell,WHAT WERE YOU TALKING ABOUT?
She could tell, though, that he hadn’t forgotten. And as the night mares trotted into the forest, she felt his eyes on her even in the dark.
Branches parted and the cool shadows slid aside to make a path. The only light came from the night mares’ burning-blue-inferno eyes. They snorted, stamping their feet against the undergrowth. It crunched like broken glass.
Where the horses stepped, puffs of smoke rose into the air, and Aru caught faint images in the tiny clouds—a man being greeted at the door by his children, an outdoor wedding, a rug beside a crackling fireplace. The pictures vanished within seconds.
“What is this place?” she asked.
Up ahead, The Lady looked over her shoulder. She was faintly illuminated, and her hair wavered in the air around her like a ghost’s, making Aru wonder if she was one.
“This is the burial ground of dead dreams,” said The Lady. “Dreams that were once held dear and then abandoned when the dreamer realized they would never come true.”
Aru felt a pang of sorrow as they moved through the trees. Though the forest was thick with brambles, she could see the last portal between the branches. The hand, bathed in the door’s golden glow, was more visible now, too. It towered over them like a roller coaster. Huge rings glinted on the sandy-colored fingers, and the nails were filed to a long, elegant taper. Aru couldn’t begin to imagine the size of the person the hand belonged to.
“So…whose hand is that?” she asked, darting a glance at The Lady.
“I thought the answer would be obvious by now,” said The Lady. “He made a poorly worded wish some eons ago…and a part of him will always pay the price.”
Aru felt a name squirming in the back of her thoughts. A rakshasa prince…brother of Ravana, the demon king. Aru opened her mouth, but Mini spoke first.
“Kumbhakarna?”
The Lady turned and smiled. “You know the tale?”
“Sorta?” said Mini.
The Lady waved her hand. The forest around them vanished and was replaced by a rocky field. A largeyagnafire burned at the center, the flames towering almost a dozen feet in the air. The demon king Ravana was seated before it, all ten pairs of his eyes shut tight in prayer. Behind him, looming taller than the flames, sat Kumbhakarna with his hands pressed together.
“They were very pious demons,” said The Lady. “And after they performed great penances, even the gods could not ignore their goodness.”
The air crackled with thunder and lightning. Aru startled, and the night mares pricked their ears, their heads swiveling as if unsure of this new landscape. Mini reached out and scratched Loose Teeth’s ears. The horse’s tail swished happily as she continued to walk.
Just reminding you that youcannotkeep a night mare as a pet, said Aru through the mind link.
I would never!said Mini.
Brynne made a snorting sound ofYeah, rightthrough the mind link.
Loose Teeth can’t exist outside the realm of sleep anyway, said Mini.I asked.
Before Aru could point out that this was thewrongquestion, Kumbhakarna’s voice boomed across the rocky field.
“I, Kumbhakarna, humbly ask for…for…” He paused.
At his massive height, Aru couldn’t see his face clearly. It was blurred by shadows. But she saw that the rakshasa prince listed to one side, as if he had suddenly become tired.
“The demon brothers had already agreed that Kumbhakarna would take the throne of the gods themselves by demandingIndraasana, or the seat of Indra,” said The Lady. “But instead he asked for—”
“I DEMANDNIDRAASANA!” boomed Kumbhakarna.
