Aru Shah and the Tree of Wishes, page 25
“Let’s go,” he said. The door slid open, and he waited for everyone to go in before him.
“You okay?” asked Aru as she walked past.
“Yeah, um, I’m fine, Shah,” he said, hastily shoving the key inside its velvet pouch and returning it to her backpack.
Overhead, harsh fluorescent lights beamed down on them. Bright orange placards denoted aisles for everything from lamp fixtures to doorknobs. The silent cash registers looked like dormant guards stationed at the entrance.
Nikita shivered from the chill of the store’s air-conditioning. She snapped her fingers and a new dress swallowed her last outfit. It was made of sky-blue silk and patterned with daisies at the hem. Hope lit up her ice-blue eyes, and she pushed her dozens of tiny braids off her shoulder.
“Much better,” she said.
“Nice,” said Rudy appreciatively. “Could you make me a blue blazer? I want something with tassels—”
“Nope,” said Nikita.
“Why not?” Aru asked.
“’Cause she’s a life-ruiner,” said Rudy darkly. “She ruins people’s lives.”
“Because I think red is more your color,” said Nikita flatly.
Rudy perked up, then started preening again. “Oh. Well, obviously.”
Aiden snorted back a laugh, and they walked toward the plant nursery at the end of the huge floor.
“This place is…gross,” said Rudy, flicking an imaginary piece of lint from his shoulder. “Is this the best of human establishments?” He turned to Aiden and sighed. “I thought you said we were going to do fun tours of the human realm. What about Disneyland?”
“We’re a little busy with, you know, preventing the destruction of the world,” said Aiden.
“All the more reason to take a vacation,” said Rudy, rolling his eyes. “You must hate this place, Shah.”
The comment dug at Aru in a way she hadn’t expected. She looked down the aisles, feeling a pang of homesickness. She remembered all the times she’d come here with her mom, who was always in need of new storage containers for the museum objects, or different lightbulbs so the lobby looked “warmer,” whatever that meant. Aru used to love shopping with her. They’d wander around and talk, and even when Aru got too old for it, her mom never minded when Aru leaped onto the back of the cart and pretended she was sailing through the store.
But they hadn’t gone shopping together in a while. These days, if her mom needed something, Aru just picked it up in the Night Bazaar. Magic had replaced a lot of ordinary stuff, and there just wasn’t time anymore to lurk in the Home Depot aisle with all the doors and pop out at random strangers. There was a war coming and training to be completed. Not to mention eighth grade to survive.
Aru’s throat felt tight, and a moment passed before she realized she’d never answered Rudy.
“I don’t hate it,” she said.
He wrinkled his nose and said loftily, “Well, if you find this place remotely interesting, wait till you see my father’s palaces. You’re welcome to visit, you know.”
A couple of paces in front of them, Mini slowed. It looked as though she had been about to gaze over her shoulder but changed her mind. Aru felt her face grow hot with guilt. She hadn’t asked for Rudy’s attention, and she didn’t want it if it meant hurting Mini in the slightest.
“I’ll ask Brynne and Mini if they wanna go,” said Aru, and then she picked up her pace to join her sisters.
As Aru left the boys behind, she heard Rudy say, “I really thought she’d hate this place.”
Aru couldn’t see Aiden’s expression when he answered, but she imagined him shrugging and instinctively fiddling with his camera when he said, “Then you don’t really know her.”
Nikita stopped in front of the doorway to the nursery, which was strung with thick strips of cloudy plastic. She held open the curtain, and Aru could see familiar rows of black shelving holding budding plants. Ceramic pots were stacked in one corner, and overhead, the lights buzzed on automatically. It smelled like wet dirt, and Aru suspected the humidity was making her hair frizz. But this place didn’t have the usual sheen of portals to the Otherworld.
“Do you think any of these plants are magical?” Aru asked Nikita.
Brynne squinted. “They look pretty ordinary to me.”
“Yeah,” said Mini, with a guilty glance at Nikita. “I don’t think this is where we’re supposed to be….”
Nikita threw up her hands. “Fine,” she said. “Enjoy your lack of faith.”
She flicked her braids over her shoulder once again and slipped into the nursery. It took a moment for the curtain to settle behind her, and when it did, Nikita was…gone.
“Where’d she go?” asked Mini.
Aru frowned, then went through the plastic. Again, no sense of magic. Just a mundane plant nursery in a typical Home Depot.
But when Aru took another step forward, she was drenched in a sudden downpour of magic. Like she was on one of those tube rides at a waterpark and had gone through an unexpected waterfall.
She spluttered loudly, shaking her head as if she could rid herself of the sensation.
Aru looked up, and her jaw dropped as she took in the new room. She was in the middle of a huge fancy greenhouse with a wide sign fluttering just above her head.
ARANYANI’S GARDEN SUPPLIES
FOR ALL YOUR MAGICAL LABYRINTH,
CRYPT, AND LAWN NEEDS
Nikita popped up beside her and said, “Told ya so.”
Shh! The Baby Is Sleeping!
The magical plant nursery shared some traits with the ordinary one. There were still rows of budding plants under fluorescent lights. There was still a concrete floor and the humid smell of piled leaves and muddy rainwater.
But that was where the similarities ended.
Along the shelves, Aru caught sight of a familiar green container of Miracle-Gro. Only this one sparkled, and when she looked closer, she saw that it read GROW MIRACLES! ADD A TOUCH OF WONDER TO YOUR GARDEN. Another one had been overturned and spread a gold puddle on the floor, which was sprouting unnatural objects, such as a small tree with coins for leaves, a weed with butterfly wings, and miniature topiary creatures. A beetle made of flower petals scuttled beneath an overturned ceramic pot.
Flowers of every size and shape grew from the lattice ceiling, crowding out the early-morning light. Aru had never heard growing things make sounds, but in the magical plant nursery there was a kind of music, high and bright, that conjured images of roots pushing through damp ground and newly opened blooms turning their faces to capture the sunshine.
Six towering moss-covered statues lined the back wall. They reminded Aru of mongooses, those weaselly creatures with clever paws and sleek bodies. Except the statues were the Hulked-out versions: their stone muscles bulged, and their jaws opened wide, revealing teeth so sharp Aru wondered if the wind got hurt just blowing past them. Though their stone eyes were unseeing, the statues gave off a sense of waiting, like a creature holding itself still while stalking prey.
“Those are forest yalis,” said Rudy nervously, glancing up at the statues. “Guardians of whatever belongs to the forest goddess, Aranyani.”
“Yalis?” echoed Aru. “Yeah, no thank you.”
“They’re not whispering to us, at least…” said Brynne, but even she looked wary.
Aiden yelped and stomped the floor, which made the rest of them crowd together into a tight knot.
“Is a yali coming out of—?” asked Aru.
“Just a spider,” said Aiden, heaving a sigh of relief.
“For now,” said Brynne, stomping the floor herself for good measure.
“What’s wrong with you guys?” asked Nikita, tossing her hair. “They’re just statues.”
“Until they come alive and turn into freaking crocodile things that snap at your feet!” said Rudy.
Nikita turned in a circle, then cupped her hands to her mouth. “Helloooo?” she called.
The floor started bubbling. Aru, Mini, Brynne, and Aiden crowded together, and Rudy darted behind them. Aru tried to grab Nikita, but the twin shrugged her off. Rising from the concrete, a life-size holographic image of a yakshini with pepper-gray moth wings appeared. She had rich brown skin the color of tree bark, tightly coiled black hair, a small heart-shaped mouth, and wide, friendly eyes. On her bright orange apron was a name tag that read I’M LIZZIE! ASK ME ABOUT TODAY’S GREAT DEALS!
The hologram seemed to be prerecorded. She fixed them with a bright smile, even though her eyes were focused somewhere slightly above their heads, and said, “Welcome to Aranyani’s Garden Supplies, perfect for all your botanical needs! We are the world’s leading supplier of guard manticores, behemoth-fire-ant pest control, alchemical flowers, and more! Our hours of operation are Monday through Friday, eight a.m. Eastern Standard Time to ten p.m. Otherworld Standard Time.”
The holograph paused, its visage shimmering. “If you have arrived outside normal business hours, please record a message and our customer service representative will get back to you as soon as possible. And remember”—the holograph’s smile grew even wider and she raised her arms, gesturing to the statues—“we are watching! Do not attempt to steal, incinerate, or otherwise compromise our stock. Have a wonderful day, and thank you for your patronage!”
The holograph disappeared.
“See?” said Nikita, crossing her arms. “Nothing to worry about! We don’t steal, the yalis don’t wake up. Now let’s go.”
And with that, she stalked off toward a row of plants.
Brynne beamed proudly. “She’s so brave! She’s like me when I was ten. Definitely a Pandava.”
Mini shook her head. “When I was ten, I hid in the bathtub during thunderstorms.”
Aru did not volunteer what she was like at ten years old, mostly because it involved two straws, Pumbaa’s iconic line When I was a young WARTHOG!, and a very bad recess. Anyway.
“After you, Prince,” said Aiden, moving aside to let Rudy break through the pack.
Rudy was still staring up at the yali statues. “I’ll guard the exit?”
Brynne shoved him forward. “Nice try.”
They followed Nikita to a bed of seedlings. It sprawled the length of a narrow dining table and came up to Aru’s hip.
For the first time, Aru realized that what she thought was fluorescent lighting overhead was actually hardened beams of raw sunlight. On the underside of the floating beams, cramped black writing spelled out HARVESTED ON SEPTEMBER 24, 1993/EXPIRES ON APRIL 7, 2023.
“Light has an expiration date?” asked Aru.
“We’re going to have an expiration date if the plants get angry,” said Rudy, pointing at a sign hanging below the table.
KEEP QUIET! WE’RE GROWING!
Aru risked a glance at the nearest yali. These didn’t seem like the ones they’d met at the crypt, alive and slithering and snapping…they seemed like ordinary statues. But she didn’t like the dark moss clinging to their faces. Or the sharpness of their teeth.
Then she noticed that a white chalk circle outlined the small nursery.
“That’s definitely not good,” said Rudy, following Aru’s gaze. “I’ve seen enchantments like that in Naga-Loka. If a yali crossed that boundary, their kill mode would be activated.”
“Nothing bad is going to happen if you do what I say,” whispered Nikita.
She put her hands on top of the dirt, spreading her fingers as if she were pressing her palms into a soft blanket. She closed her eyes, humming, and then pulled her hands back.
“They’re fussy,” she said, rolling up her sleeves. “And full of magic. Very powerful.”
“They don’t look very powerful,” said Brynne, peering down at the bed.
Aru had to agree. The plants didn’t seem special, certainly not like they could reveal where the wish-granting tree was kept. The fifteen baby plants were arranged in three rows of five, their grass-green tops sticking barely three inches out of the dirt. It was only when she examined them close up that she saw some unusual qualities. There was touch of real gold in one plant’s leaves. There was a heady scent to another, which seemed to conjure visions. One whiff and Aru saw corpses hanging from trees and a greedy, lengthening shadow. She jerked back, her heart pounding.
“That one is a dream rose,” said Nikita, patting the top of its head.
“You mean nightmares?”
“Nightmares are just its defense mechanism,” said Nikita.
The plant seemed to snuggle a little deeper into the earth. When Nikita turned her back, Aru stuck her tongue out at the rose.
“I have to talk to all of them,” said Nikita. “Interview them one by one…But that means taking them out of the soil. Otherwise it’s hard to hear through all the dirt and stuff.”
Aru glanced again at the statues…so still.
Suspiciously still.
Nikita turned to look each of the Potatoes in the eye. “When I take them out, they’ll be loud and fussy. You’re going to have to keep them quiet, okay?”
“You want us to hush up some plants?” asked Brynne, rolling her eyes. “How hard can that be?”
I’m Not a Regular Mom, I’m a Cool Mom
One by one, Nikita lifted up the baby plants, whispering to them as a soft green glow enveloped her hands and face. And one by one, she put them back….
Only, the plants weren’t asleep anymore.
And they definitely weren’t happy.
Ten down, five to go. All ten of the uprooted baby plants threatened to summon the statues. One plant hiccupped loudly, and Aru felt her blood run cold as a mongoose statue started to creak. It wouldn’t take much noise for the yali to peel off from the wall and take a step toward them.
“Shh, shh,” said Aru to her two plants.
They were the color of dusty roses with chubby roots and squinty eyes beneath a riot of petals on their heads. Aru wasn’t sure if plants even made expressions, but these two were definitely glaring at her.
“Be quiet or we’ll die!” she said in a singsong voice.
One of the plants burped loudly in response, and dirt sprayed from its roots. The sound of stone grinding on stone echoed behind Aru. She snuck another glance at the yalis. The statues had halfway detached from the walls. It would take them ten steps to cross the room and reach the magical white-chalked boundary.
Once Nikita spoke to a plant, it was up to the Potatoes to shush them. But Aru’s plants weren’t cooperating. She tried to squish them back into the dirt, but they kept climbing out, making strange gurgling sounds, and sometimes wrapping their roots around her wrist.
“Stop that!” she scolded.
One of them began to cry, then the other. Why did she end up with the worst plant babies? Aru glanced around the table to see how everyone else was managing.
Mini was crouched over her pile of plants, diligently tucking them into the soft dirt. The fronded tops of their heads wilted in sleep…or maybe it was boredom. Mini seemed to be muttering something to the plants as she worked.
“What are you doing?” Aru asked.
Mini blinked up at her. “I’m telling them about the human anatomy! They’re finding it so fascinating they’re keeping quiet.”
A low hum broke through the wailing of Aru’s plants.
“They’re snoring,” said Aru.
Mini looked down and sighed. “I really thought they liked hearing about the endocrine system….”
Aru gathered her plants back in her arms, shivering when the cold dirt touched her skin. “Be quiet!” she said, trying to clamp a hand over a little plant mouth, which seemed to work until…
“OW!” she yelped, shaking out a bitten finger.
Aru felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. A creak sounded behind her. She risked a glance over her shoulder. The yalis were now seven steps away.
“What happened?” asked Brynne from the other side of her.
“It bit me!” hissed Aru in a low voice.
“Then bite back!”
Aru had zero desire to do that.
“Why aren’t yours yelling?” Aru demanded.
Brynne dangled a packet of sugar. “Mixed some sugar and water and sprinkled it on them. Bam! Instant sleep.”
“Do you have any more?” asked Aru, feeling frazzled. She tried bouncing the plants a little, but that shook some of the petals off their heads and they cried even louder.
“Nope, all out.”
Behind her, Aru could hear the groans of the approaching statues. Five steps away.
“Get it together, Shah!” whisper-hissed Brynne.
Aru tried to cover the baby plants with more dirt when they suddenly quieted, their wrinkled faces upturned at the sight of…Vajra? Her lightning bolt shone softly on her wrist, and the plants reached their leaves toward it curiously.
“That’s right,” crooned Aru, piling dirt onto their roots. “Look at the shiny thing! Shiny, shiny, shiny.”
At the front of the table, Nikita continued murmuring to the plants. The one cupped in her hands was now violet, and its ink-black roots waved around like the tentacles of an octopus. Nikita raised her head, grinning.
“This one knows!” she said. “But it has trouble talking…bit of a root lisp, so keep it quiet.”
Aru was severely offended.
HELLO, she wanted to say, did you not see the miraculous feat I just performed? Well, probably not. Aru continued to move her hand back and forth over the baby plants, who kept turning their heads to watch Vajra, hypnotized by the light. It was now totally silent in the plant nursery. Behind her, the mongoose statues took a step back, and Aru’s heart rate slowed. Soon, they’d be against the wall again and—
“WAHHHHH!”
A huge piercing wail rose from Aiden and Rudy’s section. Nikita held her plant closer and glared at the boys. “I said quiet! You’re scaring this one!”
A squat green potato-plant baby with one orange spike on the top of its head sat between Rudy and Aiden, howling.
Rudy picked it up and bounced it in his hands. “It’s your fault!” he said to Aiden. “It liked chewing on the jewel, and you took it away!”
