Aru Shah 3.5 (DISCONTINUED)

The Next Step

AIDEN'S POV

Aiden paced beside the false wishing tree at the Nandana Gardens, where he was meeting the Potatoes. He'd bought the twins an hour to come out. It was kind of impressive what an offer of a free picture would make someone do.

The early morning was the only time he could think of to meet without a lot of people noticing them. Aiden ran a hand through his hair and glanced at the sun, barely risen above the horizon. Normally he would have taken a picture of it. But since Aru's capture, he couldn't bring himself to capture the beauty he saw. It was like his perception of it had faded once she had vanished.

"Hey."

Mini strode up to Aiden, Dee Dee in her hand as a staff. Her eyes looked slightly bloodshot, but her jaw had a determined set. It reminded him of Aru. He looked away, blinking away the stinging in his eyes. "Hey."

Behind her, Brynne walked in, arms crossed. She looked her usual ferocious self, but her eyebrows had a faint tilt that he knew meant fatigue. She'd never been one for early starts.

The twins arrived behind her, walking side by side. Nikita's flower crown had grown yellow roses and thorns. Her face was shadowed by grief. Sheela looked tired, much older than a ten-year-old should look. Her eyes no longer had a prophetic sheen to them. The five of them stood in a circle with a gap between him and Mini. Neither made an attempt to close it.

"So--" Aiden started.

Brynne's hand drifted to the choker at her throat, and she darted glances around them. "Hold on." She turned Gogo into a wind mace and spun it in the air, creating a semitransparent whirling blue vortex around the group. "No one can hear us now."

"Good thinking," Aiden said, impressed. "So--did you guys try astral traveling last night?"

"Yes," Nikita answered. "Aru wasn't there."

Wings of panic fluttered in Aiden's stomach. "What do you mean? Weren't you in her dream?"

"No," Sheela said. "We can see the place she last went to, but if she is not dreaming, we can only walk in it for a limited amount of time."

The morning air was cool on his face, but he didn't think it was the cause of the chill running down his spine. "Did you...find anything?"

Sheela shook her head solemnly.

Aiden fought the urge to put his head in his hands. A heavy stone sank inside his stomach. "Is she--alive?" he asked quietly.

The twins shared a wary glance, but Brynne spoke up. "I know she is. Aru's stronger than that. We will find her, astral traveling or not. And when we do--" she thudded Gogo against her palm, "--there's going to be hell to pay."

Her words instilled a new confidence in Aiden and he clung to the new hope it had given him. He could not afford to think Aru was dead. He was sure that she would, and could, hold out. "So what should we do for now?" he asked.

"Keep astral traveling," Mini said.

"Research the Sleeper's hideout," Brynne chimed in.

Sheela looked at him. A new shine entered her eyes. "Locate her."

"We will," Aiden said.

"I mean with the Pandava tracking ability."

He would have been less surprised if she had hit him between the eyes with an arrow. "What?"

"You don't have it?" Sheela glanced at Mini and Brynne.

Mini shook her head. Curiosity and hope entered her eyes.

"Never heard of that," said Brynne, frowning.

"I can teach you how to use the ability," Nikita piped up. "I've used it before." She scowled suddenly, glancing at the horizon. That was the direction of the "safe building" the twins were kept in rose above the others. "I can do it in our dreams."

Aiden's heart felt lighter. They had a battle plan to follow. He looked at all of them, new warmth spreading through his body. New hope. "Then let's do it. For Aru."

"For Aru," the group chorused.

They had started to leave when Mini called, "Wait. Shouldn't we tell Boo?"

"He's at some meeting or other, as always," Brynne said. "And we can't waste any time. We can tell him some other time." She looked at the sunrise. "See you tonight, Mini, Nikita, Sheela. And bye, Aiden."