Aru Shah and the City of Gold - Roshani Chokshi Page 0,90

that meant protecting the people she loved.

With that realization, Aru felt a strange sense of calm seep through her. It told her this was exactly where she needed to be. She glanced up at Urvashi and Hanuman for confirmation, and they nodded curtly. A grim look of understanding flashed across their faces.

The Sleeper’s massive army drew closer—rows of demons marching over the sea, each lumbering footstep sending waves crashing over Kubera’s golden throne.

“Fall into formation,” said Aru.

Brynne stood right behind Aru. Mini and Rudy paired up on the right, and Aiden and Kara took the left.

Hanuman leaped into the water, clapped once, and instantly shot up as tall as a skyscraper. He let out a roar so loud the breakers reared backward, revealing the pale sandy belly of the seafloor. Their opponents hesitated for a moment and then surged forward.

Urvashi rose into the air, her limbs held out in graceful stillness. She snapped her fingers, and music filled the air. Next she began to dance, her legs blurring beneath her. With each movement of her hands, the sky was imprinted with small stars that flashed mirror bright to confuse the enemy. The demons covered their eyes and carried on.

Aru scanned the approaching army. They numbered in the thousands, while there were exactly…eight…on her side.

“I still don’t know what a microwave does,” said Rudy mournfully. “And now I’m going to die not knowing….”

“Well, there’s always reincarnation,” said Mini brightly.

Rudy whimpered.

“I’m not afraid,” said Brynne, adjusting her grip on her wind mace. She bared her teeth at the vicious troops as their knives and blades and spears cut through the water.

Kara looked at Aru, and Aru smiled. Nothing was going to throw her off.

She closed her eyes. I’m ready, she thought. Against her skin, Vajra burned brighter, grew larger.

“Shah, I need to tell you something,” said Aiden quickly. “I think, I mean, I know that—”

Just then, it started to rain. But it wasn’t an ordinary rain. The heavens opened up and fat droplets of pure gold hit the floor with a sharp ding! The gold fell everywhere—on them, between them, and on the sea. Aru instinctively cowered, but it didn’t hurt like she’d thought it would.

Then, over the sound of the miraculous shower, Aru heard the deep rumble of Kubera’s laughter.

“Well, color me entertained…and impressed. As you have asked, you shall receive, for I always pay my debts.”

Aru watched, wide-eyed, as the golden droplets began to tremble, expand, and change shape. In a matter of seconds, each one stretched into a six-foot-high pillar. Then, in a blink, they morphed from pillars into soldiers. Each wore a helmet of gold that covered their face. Their muscled golden bodies were covered in armor etched in filigree, and their powerful hands held shining swords and shields.

The Nairrata army had arrived.

Aru felt the world holding its breath.

The Sleeper’s army was rushing toward them, but everything happened so slowly it seemed like time was melting. Aru thought she could hear the water parting around his soldiers’ knees. She could smell the sun-warmed metal of her golden army’s shining armor as they stood next to her. The two sides were hundreds of feet apart, but that space would be closed in a matter of minutes.

Energy surged through Aru. In her hand, Vajra twisted with a new feral strength…the same kind it had demonstrated against Aiden in Surya’s storage hallway. Aru felt her hair lift off her shoulders. She blinked. Her vision had changed, turning diamond sharp, and she was able to pick out electrical currents in the air, like threads in a powerful tapestry. All she had to do was reach for them.

“I feel…kinda funny,” said Mini.

Aru turned to look at her. Purple flashed in the depths of Mini’s eyes and violet-tinged shadows poured out of her Death Danda.

“Bad funny?”

Mini grinned. Her teeth looked pointier. “Intense funny.”

Beside Aru, Kara’s trident turned so bright, Aru could barely look at it. Brynne was changing, too. Her eyes looked ocean-tinted. In a matter of seconds, she blurred through a dozen menacing shapes—a growling panther, an azure bear, a sharp-clawed wolverine, and even a massive saltwater crocodile. Crocodile-Brynne snapped, and a cold wind blew around them.

“Uh, what’s going on with you guys?” asked Aiden.

“Is it puberty?” whispered Rudy nervously.

Aiden swatted him.

Brynne turned back into herself and smacked her lips. “Nope. It’s Pandava power.”

One of the Nairrata troops turned to study Aiden, who held a single scimitar instead of his usual two. The soldier swiveled its head to look at the golden sword