“Fine,” she said, raising her head to look at the hound straight on. “I see you.”
The nightmare hound started to whine.
“I see you for what you really are,” said Aru.
It lay down, putting its head on its paws, and blinked at her.
“You’re not a nightmare,” said Aru, raising her voice.
The hound rolled onto its back, tail wagging.
“You’re a floof.”
A second later, that’s exactly what it became. In the place of the nightmarish hound was a large, fluffy, somewhat dopey-looking white dog. It had badger markings around its eyes and a tail that looked like a feather duster.
“Wake them up,” said Aru sternly. She crossed her arms, even though what she really wanted to do was hug the dog and take it home.
Dutifully, the dream dog trotted over to Brynne and Aiden. It licked their faces, and the other nightmare hounds dissolved. Aiden and Brynne shook themselves, then stared at the pooch.
“Did we have a dog this whole time?” asked Brynne.
Aru felt a burst of relief when she heard Brynne’s voice. The sound of it almost banished the Nightmare-Sleeper’s voice still echoing in her head.
“Nope!” Aru scratched its ears, cooing, “Hello, former monster! You are the fluffiest monster!”
The dog’s tail went in a circle. Brynne reached out to scratch under its chin, and the big canine let out a contented sigh.
“Aru, you know you can’t keep it, right?” said Aiden. “It might switch back….”
“You’re not my mom!” said Aru, fluffing the dream dog’s ears. “You can’t tell me what to do.”
“But I can,” said a melodic voice.
The air shimmered, and the goddess Ratri appeared before them. She wore a black-and-purple salwar kameez that looked like evening fading to night. Her sable skin was star-spangled. Her hair ended in smoky black wisps and around her forehead shone a bright constellation crown.
Immediately, Brynne, Aiden, and Aru pressed their palms together and bowed low. The dog stretched its front legs out and bowed, too.
“It requires no small amount of skill to free oneself from one’s own demons,” said Ratri.
Brynne turned red. “Sorry I plucked the silver apple thing.”
Ratri laughed softly, then picked the fruit up off the ground. “It’s not an apple at all. This is a Dream Fruit.”
“So you eat it and have good dreams?” asked Aiden, staring at it longingly.
“Not quite,” said Ratri slowly. She knelt on the ground and dug a small hole in the earth, which inspired the white dog to do the same. With hands that were somehow still clean, Ratri placed the fruit in the cavity and covered it with dirt. “It shows you what you cannot normally see. That is one of the purposes of dreams: to help you see things in a different way. Sometimes a more truthful way.”
When she said this, her eyes went to Aru. “Dreams connect people,” said Ratri, getting to her feet.
“Wait…. Was it you who brought Mini to us in our dreams?” asked Brynne.
Ratri smiled and pushed a lock of hair behind one ear. “Perhaps,” she said gently. “I try to be subtle in the ways I provide assistance…unlike my dear sister, who is a bit more obvious.”
She gestured over the bridge to the shining Palace of Day. From here, the distance to it seemed like the length of a supermarket aisle, but when it came to the Otherworld, things that looked far could be near and things that looked near could be far.
The dream dog woofed.
“Why are you helping us?” asked Aru.
Ratri bowed her head. “I do it not for you, but out of memory for a friend who has lost their way…. It is my hope, Pandavas, that you always see well. Remember, in one light something may seem monstrous, and in another it is perhaps not so terrible after all.”
A friend who has lost their way? Was she talking about Boo? But he had tried to make up for his past by being their teacher.
“Go,” said Ratri, pointing to the bridge. “My sister will wake soon, and the protections of your sage will fade.”
Brynne and Aiden bowed again before heading to the bridge. Aru lingered a little longer…. The dream dog had cocked his head to one side, as if wondering why she hadn’t invited him to join her.
“I have seen your nightmares, Aru Shah,” said Ratri.
Aru startled. “What?”
“They grow in my land, after all,” said Ratri, pointing at the dark expanse of her realm. “They are seeded with moments of doubt, watered with the pain of tears not shed, and pruned by the ghosts of paths not taken. But that does not make them true.”
Aru felt as if a great weight had been lifted from her heart. She didn’t think she’d ever feel okay with everything that had happened with the Sleeper, but at least her fears weren’t necessarily realities.
Ratri stroked the white dog’s head. “I think he has taken a bit of a shine to you. Perhaps he will help guard your dreams from nightmares, daughter of the gods.”
For years, Aru’s mom had told her she could get a dog “in her dreams.” Now that didn’t seem like such a bad thing.
“Bye, buddy,” she said, then she jogged off after Brynne and Aiden.
“One more thing, Pandavas!” called Ratri. “Beware the red cows, for once they cross the Bridge of Dawn and Dusk, you will be stuck here forever.”
And Then Came the Fiery Cows
Things that scared Aru Shah included the following:
1. Packets of only yellow Starbursts.
2. Butterflies. (Mini told her they’ve got really weird curly tongues…. That is not right.)
3. Mannequins. (Because obviously.)
At the top of the list of things that did not scare Aru were cows. First, cows were adorable. Second, cows were about as terrifying as a loaf of bread. Third, any animal that makes ice cream wins at being an animal.
But that was before Aru saw the red cows of Ushas.
The three of them had finally made it to the Bridge of Dawn and Dusk. From a distance, it had looked like a thin silver band because of how the light hit it. But now that they were close, they saw that the bridge was made of enchanted sky marble: clouds reinforced with thunderstorms. Aru willed her stomach not to lurch. She wondered if she would ever get used to the queasy feeling of walking thousands of feet above the earth on what was really just a thin puff of water vapor.
Far below them sprawled the twinkling Night Bazaar. Even from where they stood, Aru could see the great blue lotus where Urvashi taught them dance. She spotted the forest of chakora birds where Hanuman taught them strategy. Hovering above the forest floated the glass bubble in which Boo held his lectures. It was empty now. We’re going to free you, promised Aru silently. I swear it.
Across the center of the bridge fell a sparkling veil. And just on the other side, a familiar shadow caught Aru’s eye.
“MINI!” she shouted excitedly.
Mini didn’t respond.
They ran faster. Aru braced herself as they approached the veil. She’d learned to be more cautious about seemingly ordinary objects. She was half expecting the veil to go Surprise! I am actually a brick wall! But luckily, it remained quiet. Aru pulled it back gently.
“Woo-hoo!” yelled Brynne.
Mini was suspended in the air, hovering at eye level. Aru felt like sunshine had burst through her. Her best friend was safe! Mini was curled on her side, fast asleep. But the best part? Mini—daughter of the god of death, who could not only wield the fearsome Death Danda but also talk to bones—was sucking her thumb.
Aiden immediately snapped a picture.
“Aiden!” yelled Brynne. “How could you?!”
“Yeah!” said Aru. “What about us?”
“My bad.”
Aru jumped in front of the camera and made bunny ears with two fingers behind Mini’s head. Brynne crouched down and pretended she was carrying Mini. Aiden snapped another picture.
“She’s totally going to kill us,” sa
id Aiden.
“No selfie of all three?” asked Aru.
Brynne laughed and Aiden visibly recoiled.
“I don’t do selfies.”
“Snob,” said Aru.
“Troll,” said Aiden.
Now that they had ducked under the veil, they could more clearly see the Palace of Day on the other side of the bridge. Ushas, the goddess of the dawn and sister to Ratri, lived there. It was Ushas’s duty to drag the sun from her realm to the rest of the world, and her palace was so bright, it was difficult to make out details. Here and there Aru could discern the shapes of golden spires. And was that an enormous gate lifting? What were those moving red things?
Sharp light—the kind of morning glare that hurts your eyes—poured onto the bridge. But soon enough Aru could see dozens of red mounds as big as houses, with wicked sharp horns of molten gold, start to lumber in their direction.
“If Mini wants to kill us,” said Brynne, “she’s going to have competition from those cows.”
“Those are not cows!” squeaked Aru. “They’re ginormous!”
“Well, duh, they have to be that big if their whole job is to pull the sun into the sky,” said Brynne. “It’s not even out yet….”
“Do you think she keeps the sun in a garage?” asked Aiden thoughtfully.
“Okay, the cows of Ushas are officially cancelled,” said Aru. “Mini, WAKE UP! We gotta go! I am not becoming bovine roadkill.”
Brynne yanked on Mini’s arm, but the sleeping girl didn’t budge.
“It’s like she’s stuck,” said Brynne.
“She’s in the land of sleep—it’s not going to be easy to wake her up,” said Aiden.
“Shouldn’t Durvasa have told us what to do? What happened to the sage advice?”
“Hey, he got us here, didn’t he?” said Aiden as he walked all around Mini, examining the situation. “Hmm. I don’t think we can just pull her down from there, either.”
“Got any water?” asked Aru.
“Nope,” said Brynne. She lifted her wind mace. “Let’s try a gentle breeze.”
Brynne aimed the mace and said, “Gali.” It let out a sound like a blow-dryer being turned on right next to someone’s ear. Even Aiden jumped.
Mini’s hair went streaming behind her, but she simply batted at it, muttering, “No, I don’t want to be a fairy….” She sighed. “Don’t like heights.”
“Okay, new technique,” said Aru, bringing out Vajra. She gently touched Mini’s hand with the tip of the lightning bolt.
“I’m gonna tell her you tried to electrocute her,” said Aiden.
“Shh!”
Vajra pinged Mini, who just giggled and resumed sucking her thumb.
The cows began to moo. In the past, Aru had considered this a rather gentle and soothing sound. But when the cows were T. rex–size, every moo became supersonic, even when they were still fifty feet away. Aru wobbled and nearly lost her balance on the bridge. She glanced over her shoulder. One of the cows had begun to paw the ground like it was planning to charge.
Then there came an even more disturbing sound: a high-pitched giggle.
“GOOD MORNING, WORLD!”
The herd parted to allow the goddess Ushas through. As she passed her cows, she stroked each one on the forehead. Ushas wore a golden robe and fuzzy golden slippers. Bright orange flames danced through her black hair, creating dramatic highlights. To Aru, the red-skinned goddess looked like a rich teenage girl with an epic sunburn.
Ushas snapped her fingers and two attendants rolled out a chariot of pure gold. They began to harness the cows, adjusting each strap and checking each hoof.
“Hey!” shouted Aiden, frantically waving his arms. “Give us a minute here, will you?”
But Ushas didn’t hear him. Loud music started blasting from somewhere in the clouds—a remix of the Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun.” Ushas started singing along. The cows mooed louder. Mini’s foot tapped to the beat.
“Okay, okay. Focus, Shah!” said Aru, jumping up and down. “Mini can obviously hear.”
“Maybe she isn’t waking up because she doesn’t think all this is real,” offered Brynne. “What if we made her want to wake up? We could shout her favorite things.”
“That might work!”
“Does she have a celebrity crush?” asked Brynne. “Look, Mini! Dominique Crenn is right behind you!”
“Who—?” asked Aru.
“She’s a chef!” said Brynne.
Mini just frowned harder.
“I can’t think of anyone!” said Aru. The cows were all lined up now, ready to go. Ushas climbed into the cab of the chariot.
Aiden tugged on a lock of his hair. “Could we scare Mini awake?”
Now there was a thought….
The bridge beneath them shuddered and quaked. A sphere of white-hot light rolled through the gate, and flames appeared on the tips of the cows’ horns. It was so hot that Aru had to turn her face away.
“It’s the sun!” said Brynne, her eyes wide. “Mini, wake up. Monsters are coming!”
Mini just snorted and murmured, “I’m the daughter of the god of death, and I want cake.”
“Monsters don’t scare Mini,” said Aru.
“Then what does?” demanded Brynne.
Aiden snapped his fingers. He walked up to Mini and said, “Okay, Mini, you’re stuck in a public bathroom.”
Mini started to wail.
“They’re out of soap!”
Aru flashed Aiden a thumbs-up sign, then said, “Oh no, what’s happened to all the hand sanitizer in the world? It’s been…destroyed! In a huge fire. No more antibacterial anything. Ever.”
Mini tossed and turned. Aru could see her eyelids fluttering. It was working!
“Someone has just sneezed into their hand and now you have to shake it,” said Brynne.
“Nooooo!” moaned Mini.
The bridge trembled even more furiously as the cows stamped their feet impatiently. Ushas put on sunglasses and a huge pair of headphones, then pretended to play the drums with her reins.
It’s now or never, thought Aru. She cupped her hand around Mini’s ear and whispered her soul sister’s most despised phrase:
“Five-second rule,” said Aru.
Mini jerked awake, shouting, “NO!” She immediately dropped to the ground, where she landed on her butt.
“Hooray!” said Aru. “You’re back!”
“W-what?” Mini asked with a yawn. And then her eyes lit up. “You did it! You rescued me!”
She tried to get to her feet, but she slipped. Mini rubbed her temples.
“I feel so…drained.” She groaned. “The naga women. They took my energy while I was sleeping.”
“I’ve got you,” said Brynne gently.
She picked up Mini as if she weighed as little as a feather. Mini thanked her with a weak smile, but then her eyes widened.
“Um…guys? Did you know there are cows charging toward us?”
“Unfortunately, yes,” said Aiden.
“Yeah, about that…” said Brynne. “We gotta go. Like, yesterday. Durvasa said we had to be back before daybreak.”
Aru didn’t even bother looking over her shoulder. She already knew what she’d see, because she could feel the oncoming heat. Beneath her feet, the slender bridge had begun to fade, melting beneath the sun’s rays.
“I’ll fly ahead to get the door to the DMV open,” said Brynne, setting down Mini and leaning her against Aiden. “Aru, can you take these guys?”
“Yup.”
In a flash of blue light, Brynne transformed into a hawk. She cawed once, then bent her head and lifted off. Aru threw Vajra to the ground and it transformed into a wide hoverboard.
“All aboard!” she hollered.
Aiden helped Mini sit on the hoverboard. Aru risked a glance back and saw that the red cows were gaining ground. Now they were barely twenty yards away. Their golden hooves pounded onto the bridge. In her chariot, Ushas was still pretending to play the drums, t
his time to “Good Day Sunshine.” Aru suspected that, behind her sunglasses, her eyes were closed.
Mini clutched the sides of the board, but she looked pale and sickly just from the effort.
“I feel like I haven’t slept in years,” she said miserably. “And I might possibly have hypoglycemia, too. I’m still so tired….”
“Don’t worry. You just need some food in you,” said Aiden, patting her back. “We’ll get you fixed up at the DMV.”
“Ready?” asked Aru from the front. “Everyone hold on tight.”
The lightning bolt lifted and flew over the bridge, back the way they had come. Behind them, Ushas let out a loud “Hi-ya!” and the red cows galloped, pulling the chariot and the sun. Wind blew against Aru’s face. Tendrils of electricity laced over the tops of her shoes and around her ankles, holding her in place as they zoomed toward the Grove of Ratri.
“Woo-hoo!” she yelped.
But then she felt a heavy hand clap her shoulder. Aru nearly stumbled as she turned her head. Aiden had one arm around Mini; his other hand was on Aru.
“Take it easy!” he shouted. “She’s too weak!”
Sure enough, Mini looked airsick. She was listing to one side even though Aiden was holding her.
Aru had one of those moments when she saw something before it happened. One second, Mini was upright. The next second…
She flopped over.
Aiden lost hold of her. He dove forward and Aru only just managed to grab Mini before she fell. Immediately, Vajra secured Mini with electrical strands around her ankles, but Aru’s lunge had been too sudden, and the hoverboard tipped…
…sending Aiden sprawling into the herd of fiery cows.
Cows Are Officially Cancelled
Aru and Mini both screamed.
“I don’t see him anywhere!” yelled Mini.
Aru had brought Vajra above the red cows. But the herd was moving so fast, it looked like nothing more than a blur of crimson. On top of that, the heat of the oncoming sun was becoming intolerable. The sage’s protection spell was waning.
“You don’t think he’s—” Mini started.
“No!” Aru said abruptly, cutting her off.
Maybe it was silly, but Aru thought she would’ve felt if Aiden had…died.
Aru Shah and the Song of Death Page 18