Aru Shah and the Tree of Wishes (Pandava Quartet #3) - Roshani Chokshi Page 0,62

happened to her? The prophecy mentioned an untrue sister…. Could it be her, even though she had no intention of betraying anyone? All Aru wanted to do was save the Otherworld, save her friends and family…. But what if she still somehow ended up the villain? Opal’s taunting words flew back to her: The flesh-and-blood daughter of the Sleeper.

Maybe evil ran in her blood…. Like father, like daughter…

“Aru?”

She spun around and saw Brynne, Mini, and Aiden walking toward her.

“Talk to us,” said Mini.

“I’m fine—” started Aru, but her voice cracked, and she stood there shaking.

Mini went to her first, wrapping her arms around Aru in a tight hug before stepping away to search her face.

“I get it, you know,” said Brynne softly.

Aru looked up. Brynne’s arms were crossed and she was staring at the ground.

“It’s really tough to see the mom or dad you should’ve had,” she said. “Gunky and Funky used to tell me how nice Anila once was. I don’t know why she couldn’t be that way for me.” Brynne fiddled with her stack of melted-down-trophy bracelets, her mouth a grim line. “For a while, I thought it was because I wasn’t good enough, or that it was somehow my fault…but now I know that’s not it.”

A lump rose in Aru’s throat. That was exactly how she’d felt. As if the mere act of being born had somehow caused all this to happen.

“This isn’t about you, Shah,” said Aiden firmly. “And maybe you thought you lost someone great, but you don’t know how he would’ve been as a dad. People change. Trust me.”

Aru forced herself to nod. Maybe he was right. She’d never know.

“But the prophecy…” she said. “And Opal—”

“Forget Opal,” said Mini, throwing up her hands. “She doesn’t know everything! And just because what you saw back there made you upset, that doesn’t mean you’re sympathizing with the enemy and going to go rogue on us.”

Aru gaped at her. “How’d you know—?”

“Because we’re sisters,” said Mini, squeezing her arm.

Brynne looped her arm through Aru’s. “Now c’mon. We’ve got a tree to find and some sleep to catch, and I found everything we need for making s’mores in Aiden’s bag.”

“Good job, Wifey,” said Aru.

Aiden rolled his eyes.

But he still smiled.

In her dreams that night, Aru found that she, Brynne, and Mini were once more in the twins’ astral realm. It wasn’t a nightmare like last time. But it wasn’t exactly happy, either. The twins stood on a worn stage inside an abandoned theater. Glittering cobwebs hung from chandeliers made of hard candy. It was a dream, and so things were just standard weird—ten jellyfish bobbed in the air, patterned in purple polka dots. A stingray moved overhead, the underside of its wings plastered with sheet music.

Sheela ran to greet them, throwing her arms around Mini, who had clearly become her favorite.

Brynne awkwardly patted Sheela on the head, whispering to Aru, “Is this what you do with children?”

“She’s a human, not a puppy,” said Mini.

Nikita stood off to the side, wearing a silk turban and a velvet dress on which clouds slowly gusted across the fabric.

Aru walked over to her.

“How’d you like the outfits?” asked Nikita brusquely.

Aru grinned. “They were—”

“Fabulous? I know,” said Nikita, waving a hand. “Don’t tell me more. I don’t need to be bored with the details of my genius.”

Aru smirked. Before, she would’ve found Nikita rude and annoying, but she understood her a little better now.

Nikita must’ve found Aru’s silence unnerving, because she crossed her arms, pouting. “Don’t think just because you saw our nightmare that we’re going to be close or something,” she said. “We can take care of ourselves.”

“I know.”

“We’re used to people leaving,” said Nikita.

Aru’s voice softened. “I know.”

“Good,” added the scowling ten-year-old.

Aru nodded, then looked up at the dream chandeliers. “Trust me, I’d love to be rid of you, but you’re pretty useful. The outfits were amazing and probably saved our lives. Plus, I kinda like the novelty of having baby sisters.”

“I’m not a baby!”

“That’s what babies say.”

Nikita scowled. “I don’t like you, Shah.”

“Now you sound like family!”

A smile pulled at Nikita’s face, but then Sheela suddenly screamed.

“No!”

Aru and Nikita whirled around to find Sheela sitting on the floor, rocking back and forth. Her eyes glowed, and tears streamed down her face. Mini grabbed her shoulders, trying to help her up, but Sheela wouldn’t move.

“He’s making a terrible mistake….” Sheela turned her unfocused gaze on Aru. “And you will hate him for his love.”

Aru jolted awake to sounds of commotion outside