The Chaos Curse (Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond #3) - Sayantani DasGupta Page 0,45

the frenzied expression on Nidhoggr’s face.

“No way, I’m just getting going! You must also know that dragon stories are really popular in England, where they drive on the left. And you brought that goblet around in your left hand, so I can obviously not choose the soda in front of you!” Nidhoggr’s eyes were getting a little glazed.

“This is super impressive. I’m sure you get really high scores on all your standardized villain tests,” I said in as patient a voice as I could manage.

“Aha! Your reference to standardized tests implies you’re a good student. So you know it’s wise to keep danger and death far away from you, so I obviously can’t choose the soda in front of me!” The dragon boy was panting now in agitation, shooting little flames out of his mouth and nose as he talked.

“You must be a blast at parties,” I muttered, hoping this wouldn’t go on all afternoon. I had friends to rescue and things to do!

Nidhoggr rambled on, “Being a good student, you must also have heard the expression ‘Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.’ And a deadly poison is the worst sort of enemy, so you would have kept it close. So I obviously can’t choose the soda in front of you!”

“You’re trying to trick me into giving something away!” I smirked, remembering the cute pirate boy from the other story. “It’s not going to work!”

“It’s already worked.” Nidhoggr’s eyes glowed yellow even as his skin was growing obviously scalier. “You’ve given everything away! I know where the poison is!”

“So choose already!” I pointed at the two soda-filled goblets.

“Of course! I’m ready! I choose …” Nidhoggr suddenly pointed behind me. Boy, he was a terrible actor. “Oh, look, it’s your friend Lal!” he said in a super-fake voice.

“Where?” I turned my head, pretending to believe him, but turned back fast enough to see the dragon boy’s hands on the two goblets. He’d obviously switched them yet again, but I didn’t let on that I knew that.

“Okay, drink up!” he said with a totally creepy smile. His sharp teeth glistened in the winter light.

I picked up my soda and made a little “cheers” motion, and then started to drink. I noticed that he didn’t put his lips to his goblet until I did. And then he downed his Thumpuchi with one long, loud slurp.

“Hah, you fool!” he yelled as soon as our goblets were down. “I switched the sodas when you weren’t looking! It’s such a classic mistake!”

“Oh, really?” I wiped my sticky lips with the back of my hand.

“Yes, the first being never get involved in a firefight with a bunch of plucky villagers who own a dragon-piercing crossbow! But only slightly well-known is this—never go in against a mythical Norse dragon masquerading as a middle schooler when death is on the line!” Nidhoggr laughed so hard, he almost choked.

When he fell off his stump, I looked over casually. “Hey, are you all right, dude?”

“Oh, my stomach feels terrible!” the dragon boy moaned. Then his face grew downright alarmed. “Oh no! I think I need an outhouse! And fast!”

“I’ll tell you where the park is with the public bathrooms if you untie these roots!” I said helpfully. I could hear his stomach churning even from where I was, loud and obnoxious like a washing machine.

“Fine, fine!” Nidhoggr moaned. He was doubled over, clutching his stomach, but he waved his hands, instructing Yggdrasil to let me go. “Now tell me where the park is!”

“How about you let my friends go too?” I said, studying my cuticles with an air of calm.

“Ohhhhh!” groaned Nidhoggr, clutching his stomach and bending over in two. “You drive a hard bargain, snake princess! Your father would be proud!”

With another wave of his hand, there was a groaning and popping noise, and the tree trunk popped open, depositing a dirty but otherwise okay-looking Jovi and Zuzu.

“What about Lal?” I was starting to feel a little bad about how miserable Nidhoggr looked, but comforted myself with the fact that the “poison” obviously wasn’t “poison” at all, and while he might need to live on the potty for a couple days, the dragon would eventually be fine.

“Oh, all right! All right!” yelped the green and moaning creature boy. With a flick of Ned’s hand, Yggdrasil deposited a very dirty and very confused-looking prince on the frozen ground. Lalkamal looked around, yawning and rubbing his eyes, as if he’d been asleep for a very long time.

“Lal!” I yelled, running