Page 135 of Aru Shah and the Tree of Wishes

Aru’s heart lifted, and she grinned. “If you’re really with me, you have to say the thing.”

“Seriously, Aru?” sighed Brynne.

“Um,yeah,” said Aru, crossing her arms. “Plus, I’m calling today an extension of my birthday. Deal. This isit, Potatoes. This isthelast battle. So yeah, I want to hear you say the thing.”

Mini took a deep breath. Then she sighed and said in her best Aragorn impression, “If by my life or death I can protect you, I will….”

Mini looked pointedly at Aiden.

“You have my sword,” said Aiden.

Mini whispered to Rudy: “Say ‘And you have my bow.’”

“But I don’t have a bow?” whispered Rudy.

“Just say it. You know how Aru feels aboutLord of the Rings.”

“Can I have a bow after this?” asked Rudy. “No one else has one. I want my own weapon—”

“YES, Rudy, we will get you a bow,” said Aiden. “Now just say the line.”

“And you have my bow,” said Rudy smugly.

The Potatoes turned to Brynne, who scowled.

“Why am I always Gimli in this scenario? I’m literally the tallest person here—”

Mini elbowed her.

“Ugh,” said Brynne.“And my ax.”

Boo sleepily lifted his head, adding,Cheep.

Aru smiled. It was kinda like what Kara had said days ago, when she was talking about that poem. Hopewasthe thing with feathers. It lifted the part of her that had been stomped in the dirt. Hope made her look out the window to the sun rising higher in the sky. Hope might be all that they had left, but it was something she needed to cling to, because it meant that even though things were awful…

They were far from over.