Page 95 of Aru Shah and the Tree of Wishes

Was it Aru’s imagination, or did the goddess inhale sharply? Something flickered in her eyes—a sheen of silver, like how Sheela’s eyes shifted color when she saw something far in the future.

“How intriguing…” said the goddess. Her voice was so relaxing Aru suspected she could take a nap on the pure sound of it.

“Granddaughter?” asked Mini.

“You are the daughter of the Lord of Death, are you not, child?” asked the goddess.

“I am,” said Mini.

“Then you alone may address me with your request,” said the goddess loftily.

Mini’s eyes widened. “Um…We come here to humbly ask for your help in reviving our friend…and, uh, we also need the eye in your hand? You see, there’s a war coming to Lanka, and we need to finish this trial today to earn Lord Kubera’s army. Could you please help us?”

Mini swallowed hard and then gestured to the rest of them. They each bent over to touch the ground in respect. Aru looked up to see the twin goddesses studying them coolly. To Rudy, the cloud-dressed goddess gave a small bow. To Brynne and Aiden, she granted a smile.

When it came to Aru, she…

…scowled.

“You,”she said, and this time her voice was not so kind.

“I was wondering when you’d notice that one,” said the goddess wearing shadows. She’d been silent the whole time, but now she rubbed her hands together a touch too gleefully.

The cloud goddess ignored her twin and stepped toward Aru. “Do you know who I am?”

“Mini’s grandmother?” asked Aru. “And so, therefore, kinda adjacent-related to…me?”

“Nice try,” muttered Aiden.

“I am Saranyu, goddess of clouds and chief queen of the Sun Lord, Surya,” she said, drawing herself up. “Mother of Yama, the Lord of Death, and Yamuna, the river goddess, and the Ashvin twins, Lords of Health and Medicine and Sunrise and Sunset, and Revanta, Lord of Horses.”

Aru stared at her. Was she supposed to clap or something? Ask to see a résumé? Tell her that sounded a lot cooler than Mother of Dragons?

“That’s…good?” said Aru.

“Andyouare the daughter of the god of thunder,” spat Saranyu. “The god responsible for the death of my brother.”

“That’s…not good,” said Aru. She took a step back, raising her hands and hoping Vajra decided to stay in its very humble bracelet form.

“Maybe it was an accident?” ventured Aru.

“Your father, Indra, cut off hishead.”

“Oh,” said Aru, in a smaller voice. “Yeah, that sounds kinda intentional.”

“And then he hired a carpenter to carve off each of my brother’s other three heads, and he threw them across the earth so my poor Tsiras could never be revived!”

“Well, that just sounds like overkill and paranoia to me,” said Aru.

“And now you dare to make demands of me?” asked Saranyu. The clouds around her bubbled up.

“Technically,Iam making the demand?” said Mini, raising her hand. “If that helps?”

“And you stroll intomyhome?” continued Saranyu, as if she hadn’t heard Mini at all.

“Ourhome,” said the shadow goddess.

At her twin’s words, Saranyu’s face darkened. “Not by choice.”