Page 88 of Aru Shah and the Tree of Wishes

All three things you need to wield such power.

Wisdom must prevail for peace to flower.

“There’s something wrong with the eye,” said Mini, cutting through her thoughts.

“Huh?” asked Aru, looking down.

The eye, which previously had glowed brightly when serving as a portal from one trial to the next, looked noticeably dimmer.

“Is it broken?” asked Mini, moving closer.

“It doesn’t look broken…” said Aru, holding it up.

“Maybe it’s getting bad questing reception in here,” suggested Brynne, “and we need to move to the end of the tunnel?”

“Or maybe it’s just going to sit back and see what happens next,” said Aiden. “Kubera wasn’t sure he was going to let us use it as a portal the whole time.”

“So what, he’s just watching us fail?” asked Aru. She waved her hand in front of the eye. “Helloooo?”

It blinked lazily.

“What are we going to do?” asked Brynne. “We need to get to the next trialandfind some way to bring Kara back.”

“Maybe there’s a portal at the end of the tunnel?” suggested Mini.

They continued walking, each lost in their own thoughts. Aru kept glancing at the eye floating serenely beside them. Was it just her imagination, or did one of its faster blinks look a whole lot like a wink?

As they walked, a strand of hair blew across Kara’s face. Aiden reached forward and brushed it off her forehead. It was a tiny movement. It hardly lasted a second….

So why did it make Aru feel it as if a rug had been ripped out from beneath her?

Aiden had never touchedherhair. On the one hand, Aru was grateful for that. If he ever did, she’d probably end up electrocuting him by accident. But still…it would’ve been nice if he’d tried? It would’vemeantsomething. The thought made Aru go cold inside. Did Aiden like Kara?

“Stop,” called out Brynne, throwing out her arm. “There’s someone at the other end.”

Far away, a murky shadow stretched across the wall….

“Another demon?” asked Aru. She flicked her wrist and Vajra turned into a javelin.

“Let’s hope it’s just one,” said Mini, twirling her Death Danda. “I’m making us invisible.”

Brynne raised her wind mace. “I’ll keep us silent.”

Keeping one gust of air under Kara, Brynne directed a different vortex to swirl around the group. Mini whispered something under her breath, and a twinkling violet invisibility sheet stretched over them.

“Best to ambush, I think,” said Aru. “They won’t know what hit them.”

“Agreed,” said Aiden. He fell into step shoulder to shoulder with Aru.

“Uh, you’ve got something on your face,” said Aiden, pointing to his own cheek.

“If it’s a hair, you could just brush it off,” said Aru, angling her face a little toward his.

“I think it’s blood?” said Aiden, recoiling slightly.

“WHAT?!”

“Now!” yelled Brynne as they got within a few feet of the figure in the darkness.