Aru Shah 3.5 (DISCONTINUED)

Sacrifices

ARU'S POV

Aru didn't even bother to raise her head when someone walked into the cave. She kept her eyes closed, even when the Sleeper spoke in a voice that could have been warm. A voice that was once warm. "Your mother gave you this."

She finally looked up. He stood sheltered in darkness, as always. In his hands he held her mother's sapphire pendant. The memory beads of the Sleeper glistened, even in the darkness. The memories that had failed to stop him. No. She had failed to stop him. She would not make that mistake again.

"Yes," he said, slinking closer. She could feel his presence now, chilling and dark. "She told you of my travels, then. Did she tell you how she lied? How she gave up my future without knowing what it was? How she trusted the devas' word over her own husband's?"

"Stop," Aru said, her voice echoing through the cavern. "What happened to you...maybe it wasn't right. Maybe the devas aren't right. I don't know. But that doesn't make you right."

The Sleeper paused, briefly. Then he smiled again. "You may change your mind." He breathed a command to the shadows around him. They grew spindly fingers and picked up the necklace, carrying it over to her. Aru flinched, but she was kept firmly in place by the steel bands around her wrists. "You have much to learn about what is right, daughter. Perhaps if you watch my secrets again you will believe them."

He turned and left as the necklace cinched around her neck again with a decisive snap. A tendril of shadow reached forward. She tried to twist away, but it simply moved closer and pressed the centermost hollow on her necklace.

Abruptly the vision of the Sleeper before the chakora birds sprang up in front of her eyes. She squeezed them shut, but she could still hear Suyodhana's exhausted voice, his haunted eyes. "I've given enough," he said hoarsely.

Aru wanted to scream. Haven't I given enough for the devas? For the Otherworld? When will it ever be enough?

No. She could not continue this line of thinking. It was the one the Sleeper had followed. Instead, she let a single tear slip down her cheek. It slid off her chin and made a strange hissing sound. Looking down, Aru saw it had landed on the pendant's second hollow. The bead inside turned a strange amber color, a soft, muted shade that lessened her emotions just the tiniest bit. And then she knew that she had merged a memory with the Sleeper's. She touched the bead and felt rage and grief grip her heart. It had recorded the knowledge of the betrayals.

Aru closed her eyes and heard only silence. The vision had stopped when she had transformed the bead. She fell asleep to merciful silence.

- - -

In her dream, Aru walked through a forest like the one she had first met the twins in. She suddenly missed her sisters so much, it felt like a knife had been driven into her lungs. Her mind messages hadn't been working for some reason, and she'd had trouble falling asleep except in fitful dozes. She scaled a hill and paused at the behind a tree to catch her breath. Then she saw her sisters, standing only a short distance away. Mini talked to Nikita. "Are you sure she's around here?"

"Positive," Nikita replied, fiddling with her flower crown. "I can sense her magical residue." But she didn't sound certain, glancing around nervously.

"Mini! Nikita!" Aru shouted, running toward the two of them.

Mini's eyes lit up when she saw Aru. Nikita let out an uncharacteristic squeak. "Aru!" they shouted in unison.

Aru nearly tackled them with the weight of her hug. "I've missed you guys so much," she whispered. She wasn't sure words could convey her love for them.

"Oh, Aru," Mini said, pulling back to look at her face. "What have they done to you?"

Tears started to well up in her eyes. "Nothing really."

Mini didn't look convinced, but she nodded. "Brynne and Sheela are on the other side of the forest--we split up. Come on, let's--"

The ground suddenly quaked under their feet, making them stumble. Nikita's eyes widened. "We don't have much time. Someone's working against the dream." As she spoke, the ground trembled again.

"No!" Mini cried, gripping Aru's arm tightly. "I can't lose you again!"

"You never lost me," Aru said, blinking away tears. "I've always been with you. I love you. Tell the others I love them too. And I'll see all of you again."

She was abruptly thrown back from her friends as a chasm opened in the earth below them. Nikita raised her arms, vine ropes materializing around her wrists. She thrust them outwards like a rocket, mouth tight with the effort. They landed just short of the other side and slowly fell into the chasm.

"Go!" Aru shouted, stepping backwards. "Next time, meet me in Home Depot!" It was the first thing that popped into her head. She didn't know if they'd heard. One minute they were screaming something inaudible. The next, they were out of sight as the crack widened.

Aru sat heavily at the base of a tree and put her head in her hands as the dream splintered around her.