Aru Shah and the Tree of Wishes (Pandava Quartet #3) - Roshani Chokshi Page 0,34

you believe you are the only ones who’ve ever sought to change their fate? Foolish children! I’ve made this commission before….”

He waved his four hands and his view of the city skylines disappeared, replaced with a murky image of a young man victoriously holding up a golden key. Its glow illuminated his unusually colored eyes—one blue and one brown.

Aru’s heart twisted in recognition. It was him.

When Mr. V’s window returned to normal, Aru realized that Brynne and Mini had drawn closer to her. Mini’s shoulder touched hers; Brynne laid a hand on her arm. But as much as Aru wanted to draw strength from them, she couldn’t. At her throat, her mother’s pendant felt ice-cold against her skin.

“The Sleeper was here,” said Aru.

“He used the key, child,” said Head One.

“What did it unlock in him?” she forced herself to ask.

Head One hesitated before answering. His gaze became distant then, and a strange pearlescent sheen covered his eyes. “You shall find out, Pandavas. He unlocked as much of himself as he dared to in his pursuit, and the pieces still remain.”

Pieces? Aru felt her stomach churn uncomfortably. What did that mean? It reminded her of what her mother had said in the museum….

He came home an entirely different person, like something was missing from him.

“Are you saying the Sleeper left behind Horcruxes?” Aru demanded.

“Yeah, I didn’t sign up for a Horcrux hunt,” said Rudy, looking around for the exit.

Mini held out Dee Dee, blocking his way.

“I am merely saying there are pieces to find should you follow this path,” said Mr. V.

The key floated off the floor and transformed into a snake that coiled around Aru’s wrist, resting its silver head against her pulse. She couldn’t shake it off, even though she tried.

“It’s taken a liking to you, Aru Shah,” said Head One. “And that means that for its first use, only you may wield it.”

“But I—”

Mr. V slid a blue velvet pouch across the desk. “This will keep it from moving around. Now go. You’ve earned the key, but it may not bring what you desire.”

Aru took the bag and loosened its drawstring. Immediately, the key slid off her arm and toppled into the pouch. Aru hastily balled the whole thing up and shoved it into the bottom of her backpack. She felt the key’s phantom presence and imagined she could hear it purring contentedly. She wanted to feel a rush of accomplishment, of excitement, but all she felt was fear.

That thing had read little bits and pieces of her. What else would this quest demand? Would it cut slices from her, return her home an entirely different person? And what did it mean that the Sleeper had lost pieces of himself on his search for the wish-granting tree?

Sheela’s voice rose from beneath all those thoughts.

There’s lots more to find.

Florals for Spring? Groundbreaking.

The vimana took them to Brynne’s penthouse, where she lived with her uncles, to have a home-cooked meal and get some sleep before the next day’s journey.

Rudy trailed Gunky and Funky around the apartment, asking them important questions like:

“What’s a microwave? Is it like a bottled-up part of the ocean?”

“Does this remote open a portal?”

“Could you make me some lasagna?”

After a dinner of awkward small talk with the uncles, because the Pandavas couldn’t reveal anything about their mission, Aru wanted nothing more than to crash in Brynne’s room. The pullout bed was already made up, and luckily she didn’t have to share it with Mini, who had promptly passed out on the living room couch after lamenting that she’d forgotten to pack floss. Aiden had made a beeline to the guest bedroom.

Rudy paused outside Brynne’s room, leaning against the doorway like he owned it.

“First thing in the morning, we’re heading to the Crypt of Eclipses,” he said excitedly. “But that’s inside the House of Months, and there’s no way I can be seen with you guys there if you don’t level-up your outfits. I’m thinking you could—”

Brynne slammed the door in his face, growling, “Good NIGHT, Rudy.”

Moments later, Aru was fast asleep.

This wasn’t one of Aru’s usual dreams.

She knew that because her dreams typically started with her wandering through Home Depot only for the aisle to end up looking like her math classroom. This time she was in a fashion designer’s studio. One wall had panels of different color swatches. Another wall was covered with racks holding bolts of fabric. A third was all windows, and the last wall was a giant chalkboard with sketches of fashionably dressed