Aru Shah and the City of Gold - Roshani Chokshi Page 0,85

looked to her right, horror rising inside her.

Aiden.

She’d thrown him against the pillar of Prophecies Unheard and Unwanted. He groaned, shaking his head and forcing himself upright while clutching the only scimitar he had left.

Aru had never made her lightning bolt so powerful before. Boo had taught them that, as they grew and learned, so would their weapons, but Vajra had never done anything like this.

Aiden looked shocked…and then furious as he walked back to them.

“Didn’t the shadow lady say not to touch anything?” whispered Rudy.

Brynne swatted him upside the head. “Real helpful, Rudy.”

“Ow!”

“I’m so sorry,” said Aru quickly. “I saw my mom, and I just forgot about everything else—”

“She told you not to look!” yelled Aiden.

“I said I’m sorry!” said Aru.

“Why don’t you ever listen to anyone?” said Aiden.

“I do!” retorted Aru, her face growing hot. “You would’ve looked too if you saw what I did!”

“No, I wouldn’t have, because I know what we could lose,” said Aiden.

“Uh…guys?” said Rudy.

Aiden batted at the air. “Not now, Rudy—”

“Lose?” Aru barked out a scornful laugh. “What do you know about loss?”

“Plenty,” snarled Aiden.

“Um, guys?” said Brynne.

Aiden and Aru ignored her.

“How about losing your dad because he tried to avoid his terrible destiny?” shot back Aru. “Or losing your mom because she disappeared when you needed her most and now you have no idea where she is? Or losing all your trust in people, because they keep failing you!”

Aiden, still furious, closed and opened his mouth for a few seconds before speaking. “I know all that, and I’m sorry for you, but what we could lose if we don’t get back to Lanka in time is even worse, Shah,” he said, staring at her. “We’d lose hope. We’d lose hope that any of it could change, or that any of this awful stuff happened for a reason.”

“Guys!” shouted Mini. “Enough! We have to move—now!”

Aru spun around and stopped short. A tiny seam was now visible in the pillar of Prophecies Unheard and Unwanted. Smoky wisps snaked out of it, forming words that were spoken by a disembodied voice:

Those whom it does not concern shall not hear…. Who will hear us hear us hear ussssss…?

A giant crack! ripped through the air, and the pillar split open like an egg, exhaling a few more prophecies like a grievous sigh. One of the smoky ribbons coiled toward Aiden, growing brighter as if it recognized him.

Aiden Acharya…it said.

And then, at once, all the prophecies spilled out. A wave of them crashed into a nearby pillar, unleashing strange birdsongs. Another wave crashed into the pillar of politicians’ truths, and the voices of men and women clamored in the air.

“Run!” yelled Aru.

The Potatoes sprinted forward, Kubera’s eye zooming along with them. Brynne hauled Kara off the slow-moving cloud and carried her over the shoulder. Aru panted as the end of the hallway drew closer. She thought there’d be a hidden staircase there, or maybe a door would magically appear, but no. They stopped short at a sharp drop into nothing.

“Where do we go?” screamed Brynne.

Aru panicked. Even if she turned her lightning bolt into a hoverboard, they’d never make it back down to Lanka in time.

Right on their heels, the avalanche of prophecies swarmed toward them. Aru grabbed Kubera’s eye and shook it. “C’MON!” she yelled. “Help us! We’ve done everything you asked!”

But when she released the eye, it seemed to do nothing but glare at her.

“Chhaya!” said Mini, her eyes widening.

Aru turned to see the goddess of shadows smiling at them.

“Oops. Seems I forgot to tell you that only those who have the gods’ favor can get anywhere with this route.” Chhaya chuckled. “You want to know whether the gods are smiling upon your journey? Well, here’s one way to find out.”

Chhaya flicked her wrist. Shadows shot out from her fingertips and grabbed Aru and the others around their ankles.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” yelled Aru.

“My father will hear about this!” shouted Rudy.

Chhaya shrugged, then yanked. The group dangled over the edge of the room, barely held in place by the goddess’s ropy shadows.

“Wouldn’t want to be rude,” said Chhaya. “Looks like someone wants a word with you, boy.”

Aru craned her neck to see one prophetic ribbon of smoke wind its way to Aiden. It grew thicker and more solid, forming the barest suggestion of a woman’s face. Aiden’s eyes flew wide open.

“Beware, Aiden Acharya…. The girl you love will be the death of you.”

“Ooh…ominous,” said Chhaya.

Aru had barely wrapped her head around what she’d heard and all