Page 69 of Aru Shah and the Tree of Wishes

“I’m sorry about how I acted earlier,” blurted Brynne.

Aru’s eyebrows shot up her forehead.Brynneadmitting she’d done somethingwrong? Maybe Mini’s concussion theory wasn’t that far off the mark. Brynne took a deep breath before turning to Aru.

“I really wanted you to be wrong about Subala, Aru,” said Brynne. “I think…I think Ineededyou to be wrong. Now it’s just…confusing. If the Sleeper isn’t totally evil, and Boo isn’t totally great, then what do we do? Whose side are we really on?”

Before Aru could answer, Mini chimed in.

“Our own,” she said.

There was something so simple andtrueabout it that Aru felt a weight lifting off her chest. Sometimes their enemies, like Lady M, had ended up being more like a person the Pandavas should help rather than a person they should hurt. Sometimes their allies, like Boo, had ended up hurting them when they should’ve helped. The only thing Aru could count on was her family.

“We will always be on the same side,” said Aru.

“And we’re all together, which is just as important,” said Mini, smiling at Aru, Brynne, and the twins.

Sheela paused in the middle of her practice and tilted her head, a faraway look in her eyes. “Not all.”

“I’m sure Wifey won’t feel too left out,” Mini said with a laugh.

The dream started to fade at the edges.

“Time to go back,” said Nikita sadly.

“Keep up those drills,” said Brynne. “Nikita, I want you to practice conjuring more thorns. Sheela, you need to work onbeingin the present. Your homework is to watch every Jason Statham movie.”

Nikita scowled.

“Wait!” called out Sheela, even as the dream world turned pale and started to dissolve. “I see something!”

Her eyes glowed:“Two trials before you; two friends will return. One you will welcome, the other you’ll spurn.”

By then, the tall silver trees looked like no more than twigs. The river of stars had dried up. Nikita blew them a kiss and then winked away. Sheela stayed longer, her eyes, bright as frost, pinned to Aru. Her voice had that prophetic layer to it, so she sounded both ancient and young. It raised the hairs on the back of Aru’s neck.

She awoke with Sheela’s voice ringing in her head:“Be careful what you wish for, Aru.”

“You weren’t kidding…. Shereallydrools when she’s asleep.”

Aru frowned as consciousness slowly returned. She threw an arm over her face. The light was so bright, she could feel it through her eyelids. Who was talking? Sounded like Kara.

“At least she’s not snoring.”

That was Mini.

“Wait a couple more minutes.”

That was Aiden.

“But Kubera gave us three days, and we’re on day two! We gotta keep it moving, team!”

Definitely Brynne.

An eerilyupbeatBrynne.

A different voice said, “Come now, child. It is time to wake up.”

The next second, Aru was hauled upright. She felt like there were cobwebs in her skull.

“That’s it,” said a soft, soothing voice. “You took quite a fall once you left the holding cell. More so than the others, I suspect.”