Aru Shah and the Tree of Wishes (Pandava Quartet #3) - Roshani Chokshi Page 0,71

chakora forests were places where humans sometimes accidentally stumbled into the Otherworld at night. They’d see a ton of strange things, and then, as soon as the sun came up, be tossed out.

The Irish loved their Otherworld experiences so much, they made a habit of getting lost in the forests just for the stories, Boo had said.

In the distance, finally, she saw it: a shaft of moonlight breaking through the trees, spreading into a puddle of molten silver on the ground. The hairs on Aru’s arm prickled, and she recognized something familiar in the air.

Magic.

“That has to be it!” said Brynne excitedly.

Aru tapped her Vajra bracelet, and the lightning bolt zoomed into her hand. Now they could see that they were entering a grove of birch trees. In the glow, the bark looked like it was covered in frost. The sky was still dark overhead, and there was no sign of wildlife anywhere. Aru raised Vajra and then heard a high-pitched gasp.

“What was that?” asked Aru, swiveling around.

Brynne, Aiden, and Rudy pointed at Mini, who stared back at them, her brown eyes huge behind her glasses.

“That was not me!” she said.

One of the branches beside them bounced, and the five of them jumped back and turned toward the sound.

It was a chakora bird.

Aru had never seen one up close. It was lovely—the size and shape of a dove, with a faint glimmer to its feathers as if someone had outlined each of them with a trail of glitter. Its crest ruffled up, each plume as long as Aru’s hand and white as snow.

“But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?” it declared.

That was…a strange thing to hear from a bird. Aru remembered the line from her Shakespeare unit in English class.

“You,” it said with a sigh, its black eyes fixed on Aru. “You’re the most wondrous thing I’ve ever beheld! Refulgence incarnate! What is your name, fair bird? For I must declare that you, and only you, possess my heart.”

It’s Not You, It’s Me. All Right, Fine, It’s Also You.

Aru was mortified.

Brynne burst out laughing. Aiden and Mini looked at the chakora bird with pity.

Rudy just shrugged. “You know, I had an aunt who married a bird. Huge family drama, actually. At the wedding—”

“But we just met?” blurted out Aru.

This was, probably, the least of her concerns about a bird professing its undying love to her.

“I know,” said the bird, shaking its head. “But you, O glowing one, complete me.”

“Or maybe you’re just missing a lot,” whispered Brynne, tapping her temple.

“I’ve never seen lights as electrifying as you!” declared the chakora.

“Uh, thanks?” said Aru, taking a step backward.

“The world is dimmed in your presence!”

“I—”

“You’ve shocked me!”

“You’re welcome?”

The bird flew toward Aru, and she instinctively raised her arms to shield herself. It alighted on her arm, and Aru was plagued with the thousand things she didn’t know about birds. First, did birds try to kiss people? Was that a thing? She really hoped not.

The bird bumped its forehead against her lightning bolt. Bird eyes are fairly dark and round in the first place, but if it were possible, this bird’s eyes got even rounder.

“Wrought from the heavens themselves,” whispered the bird adoringly.

Vajra shocked it, and a sheen of neon blue shirred over the bird’s feathers.

“Ah!” it declared. “A feisty thing, you are!”

Okay. So, the bird was not in love with her.

The bird was in love with her lightning bolt.

Aru was both relieved and, if she was being honest, a little insulted.

Vajra turned from a towering lightning bolt to a bracelet trying to inch its way up Aru’s sleeve and hide from the moon bird’s affections.

“I’ve been too forward,” mourned the chakora.

“A bit,” said Aru. “Listen, now that I’ve got your attention—”

The bird finally glanced at Aru. It hopped up her arm, looked her up and down, and declared, “Ew!”

“Thanks a lot,” said Aru.

“A mortal!”

Aru did jazz hands. “Surprise!”

“What are you doing here, frightful being?”

“I really don’t think adjectives are necessary—”

“Perhaps it’s a boon that the fair lightning bolt has dimmed so I might bear your visage.”

Mini frowned, then leaned over to Aru and whispered, “I think it’s calling you ugly….”

“Yes, okay, noted!” grumbled Aru. She gestured to Rudy to hold up the rectangle of moonlight. “We need you to decipher this.”

The bird hopped down her arm, tilting its head. “Ah! The Council will be able to read that. I am not yet permitted to learn the vernacular of moonlight, though I recently taught myself English.”

“How’d you do that?” asked Mini.

The bird