Page 40 of Aru Shah and the Tree of Wishes

Ravana has stolen my queen,Rama said to Sugriva.Help me find my wife, and I will help you win back yours.

The image shifted once more, showing Sugriva and Vali locked in combat.

Tears ran down Tara’s cheeks. “I told Vali to make amends with his brother, to join Rama in his quest for Sita…but he did not listen. Anger over his brother taking sides against him clouded his heart. And for that he lost his crown…and his life.”

As Sugriva and Vali battled each other, an arrow flew out from behind one of the trees, piercing Vali straight through his heart. He fell to the ground, and Tara, who had been watching from a distance, ran to his side. Rama stepped out from his hiding place, lowering his bow.

Tara pointed a trembling finger at Rama and said,Just as you have separated me from my husband, I curse you, Rama, that soon after you find your Sita, you shall be separated from her, too.

The mirror melted back into the air.

“Happiness destroyed only begets more destruction,” said Tara.

Aru’s chest felt heavy with sorrow. Why was everything so tangled? The Sleeper had tried to avoid his fate, only to end up making it come true. Aru had hurt Shukra long ago on that snowy bridge in the Kingdom of Death, and his curse had come true the moment when she’d needed the truth the most. So much of the world was out of her control that Aru felt dizzy even sitting there.

Beside Aru, Mini swiped at her cheeks, barely hiding a sniffle. Kara looked thoughtful, while Brynne was stony-faced, and Aiden stared down at his feet.

“I was angry for a long time,” said Tara. “But my anger did nothing but cause another’s pain. Remember my story before you rush into war. If you fight with poison in your heart, you will lose sight of what it is you are fighting for.”

The queen rose to her feet and gestured to the door. “Now come with me. It is time for me to show you why you cannot cross our sea.”

At night, the ocean looked like spilled ink. The soft white beach curved around the water in a crescent. Aru liked it here. The air smelled like salt and the citrus trees that grew out of the nearby cliffside.

Beside them, Queen Tara inhaled deeply. “After his city was burned to the ground, the Lord of Lanka declared that no one from our kingdom could ever again cross these waters,” she said. “The sea knows his wishes and refuses to carry anyone from our shores. It even denied passage to Rama. The only reason the rocks we threw into the ocean were not rejected was because each one was inscribed with the name of Lord Vishnu himself. The sea would never insult the heavens by presuming to be above them.”

“Can’t we just try that again?” asked Aru.

Tara shook her head. “What was done once cannot be done again. The sea takes no counsel but its own.”

Hmpf, thought Aru.

“Oh yeah?” Brynne rolled up her sleeves and stretched her neck from side to side. “Let’s see about that. This ocean can’t stop me.”

Brynne stretched out her arms. In a flash of blue light, she shape-shifted into a turquoise-colored seagull. She whooped, then soared off the beach and toward the water.

“Aiden, document my victory!” she cawed happily.

“Brynne, I don’t think—” started Mini.

Aiden sighed, lifting his camera. Aru held her breath as Brynne skimmed over the first wave.

“She’s doing it!” said Kara. “How—”

But then things changed pretty fast.

All of a sudden, the ocean seemed to contort. The water rippled and rose up, taking a strange shape, almost like a—

“Is it just me or does that wave look like a fist?” asked Mini.

The fist reared back and punched Brynne straight out of the sky. She went tumbling backward. Tara shot up in size so she could reach out and catch Brynne in her hand like she was a baseball.

When the queen shifted back into human size, Brynne was cradled in her arms, passed out. Mini rushed over to Brynne, snapping her fingers in front of her closed eyes and checking her pulse. Meanwhile, the sea smugly settled back into serene flatness. Aru imagined it was sayingWho, me? I did nothing.

“Well,” said Mini. “She’s definitely out. I’m worried about a concussion…. Will she be okay?”

“She’ll be fine,” said Aiden. “I once saw her get knocked out by a skyscraper. She woke up a couple of hours later with a craving for pickles. That’s about it.”

“I regret to say that I told you it would be so,” said Tara. “I shall take her inside. You all are welcome to rest in the palace until you are ready to return home.”