Page 24 of Aru Shah and the End of Time

Hanuman regarded them somberly. “The Daughter of Death speaks true.”

It took a moment for Aru to remember thatDaughter of Deathmeant Mini. So what would that make her?Daughter of Thunder, Aru noted grumpily, sounded like a fancy name for a horse.

“Before I tell you of your quest, show me what gifts the gods have given you,” said Urvashi. “Gods willing, they will ease the pain of your journey.”

Gifts?Then Aru remembered the golden ball that had appeared when Indra’s lightning net vanished. She drew it out of her pajama pocket. “You mean this?”

Urvashi’s lip curled in distaste.

Mini rummaged in her backpack and pulled out a small purple compact. “This showed up when”—she choked on the wordsDharma Raja—“claimed me.”

“A plaything…and a mirror…” observed Urvashi. She turned to Hanuman. “Didn’t heroes use to get fine steeds? Or battle armor? Swords, even?”

Was Aru overreacting, or was that a definite look of concern on Hanuman’s face?

“Lord Indra and the Dharma Raja are…enigmatic,” he said.

Mini frowned. “What’s that mean?”

“I think it means they’ve got flaky skin,” said Aru.

“You’re thinking ofeczema.”

“It means,” said Hanuman loudly, “that your fathers are mysterious, but always for a reason. These gifts from them are intended to help you in your quest.”

Aru felt ridiculous. What good was a ball against a demon? That was like trying to stop an avalanche with a spoon.

“There’s your proof,” said Urvashi. “Perhaps it means the gods do not wish the world to be saved.”

“Or,” squawked Boo, “it could mean that this time we need a different kind of hero.”

“Heroine,”corrected Mini under her breath.

Heroes. Heroines. Was that really what Aru was? Or was she just someone who made an epic mistake and had to do something epic to fix it?

Urvashi had a faraway look in her eye. Her mouth was pressed into a tight line. But a moment later, her shoulders dropped and she lifted her chin. “Very well. Come closer, children, to hear your quest.”

Aru and Mini shuffled forward. The air kept them aloft. Wind rushed up and wrapped around them, and Aru shivered.

This no longer felt like a fun roller coaster. The moment she’d seen that sparkling net cast by the god Indra, her heart had turned heavy. In theory, a quest sounded awesome. But in reality, a whole lot of lives hung in the balance.

Maybe that’s why superheroes wore capes. Maybe they weren’t actually capes at all, but safety blankets, like the one Aru kept at the bottom of her bed and pulled up under her chin before she went to sleep. Maybe superheroes just tied their blankies around their necks so they’d have a little bit of comfort wherever they went. Because honestly? Saving the world was scary. No harm admitting that. (And she could have done with her blankie right about then.)

Urvashi leaned out of her throne. “The Sleeper needs the celestial weapons to free the Lord of Destruction. You must awaken the weapons before he does. To do so, you must go to the Kingdom of Death. Within the Kingdom of Death lies the Pool of the Past. Look inside the pool, and you will discover how the Sleeper can be vanquished once and for all.”

“Scary kingdom, sleepy weapons, weird pool, got it. Okay, let’s get this over with,” said Aru. “So where’s the door to the kingdom? Is there an entrance here? Or maybe—”

“Normally, you get to the Kingdom of Death by dying,” said Urvashi.

Aru and Mini exchanged nervous glances.

“Eeny, meeny—” started Mini.

At the same moment, Aru shouted, “Nose goes!” She smacked her nose.

Mini turned pale. “Oh no…”

“Children,” said Urvashi, holding up her palm. “There is a way to open up the Door of Death without dying. You’ll need three keys. But they are hidden, and need to be found. The first key is a sprig of youth. The second key is a bite of adulthood. And the third key is a sip of old age.”