e’re definitely not the delivery guys,” said Aru.

“Good!” said Shani, pocketing the coins. “So what are you doing here? Have you come to fix the sink?”

“What’s wrong with it?” asked Mini.

“Well, it’s making this strange growling noise—”

“We’re not here about the sink,” cut in Brynne. “We’re trying to get to the Door of New Day. We’re on urgent business on behalf of the heavens.”

“Urgent business?” asked Shani, perking up. “Do tell! I’ve been a bit out of the loop, unfortunately.”

“We’re in somewhat of a rush, sorry,” said Aru.

Shani paused. “Wait a moment. Young, female, high-pitched voices…access to the Otherworld and the heavens…urgent business…Are you…Are you the Pandavas?”

Brynne lifted her chin. “We are.”

“And there’s also me?” added Rudy resentfully. “A naga prince.”

“And me,” said Aiden, raising his hand. “Not a prince. Or a Pandava. Well, kinda, but it’s more of an ‘adjacent’ thing….” He trailed off, his face suddenly red.

Brynne took another step closer to the Door of New Day. “So perhaps you might let us pass?”

“Wow!” said Shani, clapping his hands excitedly and kicking out his duck-slippered feet. “Pandavas! Real Pandavas! How thrilling! Tell me, what news is there in the worlds below? I’d take a look myself, but that doesn’t tend to go very well.” He mournfully patted the top of his head.

“Apologies if this is rude, but…why can’t you look up?” asked Mini.

Shani’s eyebrows furrowed and he shook his head. “I got in a bit of a spat with my wife some time ago. One must never offend one’s wife. Especially if one’s wife happens to be a goddess of the arts exceptionally skilled in cursing.” He sighed. “I was consumed one day with reading a new book. It is, I believe, an ancient human tome called Twilight. I liked it very much. Anyway, my lady queen asked if she looked better wearing a gown with roses or a gown with stars, and I replied that I didn’t care, because I was learning about vampires. Since I could not take the time to look at her and thus ruined her day, she set a curse upon me that whatsoever I looked at would be blighted by my gaze.”

Mini looked appalled. “Always?”

Shani rubbed his temples. “Well, no, not always. She eventually relented and gave me a pair of glasses that allowed me to look at things, but I had to be very careful not to look outside the periphery of the lenses. One day I was reading in bed, and the glasses slipped down my nose and I incinerated our new duvet! It had a two-thousand-star thread count and was so comfy. Very unfortunate, and I was right in the middle of a new romantic thriller, too.”

“What happened to your glasses?” asked Brynne, taking another step toward the Door of New Day.

Shani followed. “Well, you might’ve noticed that there’s an awful lot of beetles running about.” He scowled. “It’s all because of Ratri! She refuses to use pesticides, going on and on about organic dreams in her grove.”

As he spoke, Aru noticed another silver beetle scuttling toward them. She elbowed Brynne in the ribs.

“I hate those bugs,” muttered Shani. “They’re vicious killers. They caused me to destroy my own purple roses!” He flailed a hand in the direction of an incinerated archway.

Aru elbowed Brynne again, keeping an eye on the silver beetle inching toward them, but Brynne didn’t notice. Aru tried to grab Mini’s attention next, but she was mournfully listening to Shani’s tale. Aru’s mind messages were still not working, either.

“They took me completely unawares, and I jumped. My glasses fell off, and then I stepped on them, and ugh.” Shani sighed. “Manda left a few days ago to buy me a new pair, but she needed to stop by and visit her sister, too, and these things take time! So now I’m deeply bored, and every time I try to read anything, it either bursts into flames or gives me a headache. And forget movies. I tried to watch The Avengers with a mirror and ended up burning my entire entertainment system.”

“You could try an audiobook,” suggested Aiden.

“Why would I want a book that eavesdrops on my conversations?” demanded Shani.

“No, the book is read to you,” said Aiden. “By a narrator.”

Shani cocked his head. “Fascinating witchcraft…”

Brynne cleared her throat, tilting her head toward the door. Aru took another step forward. Shani didn’t seem to notice. Aru chanced one more step. Just twenty more and they could throw open the Door of New Day and escape into the mortal realm.

“Yup, humanity is wild,” said Aru, hoping Shani wouldn’t see the bug. “Well, it was great talking to you!”

“Oh, but don’t go just yet!” pleaded Shani. “I’m so lonely. How about some tea? I can boil water with a glance, but the sugar will taste burnt, sadly.”

“No, but thank you,” said Aru. “We really have to be going.”

The bug scuttled closer. Aru finally caught Brynne’s eye, then made a fist and hit her own palm.

Brynne frowned at her. You want a mortar and pestle for grinding spices? she mouthed.

Behind them, Rudy squeaked, “Bug!”

“What?” asked Shani sharply. “Where?”

“He didn’t say bug!” said Aru.

“Then what’d he say?” demanded Shani.

“He…uh, he said…um—”

“Hug!” said Aiden brightly. “He wants to give you…a hug.”

“He does?” asked Shani.

“I do?” said Rudy.

Aru threw him a look. Rudy gulped.

“I do!” said Rudy fumbling for something to say. “You know, it’s hard not to see stuff clearly. I should know. I’m color-blind. But think of it as just experiencing reality…differently.”

“Oh, well, that’s lovely,” said Shani, clasping his hands. “And I do like hugs.” The planet extended his arms.

“We’ll hold the door for you, Rudy!” called Brynne, taking another step forward.

Meanwhile, the bug kept inching its way toward them. Aru pointed at it wildly. Finally Brynne noticed. She aimed her wind mace at it, trying to blast it out of the way. It flipped upside down, then righted itself. It seemed even more determined now. A glinting silver light emanated from its hard shell. It clicked its wings.

Uh-oh.

The bug charged forward. Aru realized it was heading straight for Shani’s duck-slippered feet.

Rudy gave Shani a quick and awkward side hug. Shani started talking about how terribly sad it was that no one seemed to read poetry anymore. Aiden darted forward, Nikita bouncing across his back, as he tried to stab at the bug with his scimitars, only for Mini to block him.

“It’s a living thing!” she said.

Shani said, “Quite right, child. Literature is a living thing, much like myth itself! Fairy tales gain new life with every retelling and such. Very wise of you—”

“That living thing could get us all killed!” shot back Aiden, trying to spear it once more with his blade.

Shani frowned. “Kill? Well, people have died for the right to make art….”

Time slowed as everything spiraled out of control. Mini tried to trap the bug in a force field, but her aim was off and she only ended up bouncing the beetle into the air. Aru spun Vajra in her hand, thinking she could net it…. Unfortunately, Brynne aimed her wind mace at the same time, which sent the beetle arcing through the air. Too late, Rudy spied it. He leaped up, his palm outstretched….

But instead of batting the beetle out of the air, he sent it flying right toward Shani’s face.

“I’ve been meaning to reread Twilight. I could never decide if I was on Team Edward or Team Jacob, and I— Oop!”

The beetle smacked into his forehead.

Aru froze.

The beetle froze.

Shani froze.

EVERYTHING FROZE.

Then the beetle scuttled over his nose, and the planet screamed, “IT’S ON MY FACE! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!”

“Keep your eyes shut!” called Aiden.

Brynne jumped to the side, frantically directing them all toward the Door of New Day. Aru started to run. Twenty steps, now fifteen…

But then the earth trembled. A tendril of ice wound through her heart as Aru realized that Shani had lifted his head.