Aru Shah Oneshots (requests!)

[6] • Bait

Yes, I'm reordering chapters. I just don't want to delete the other parts of this book.

You'll know if a chapter is part of the story by the number in the title, and if it is in [brackets]. Enjoy!

☆☆☆Aiden☆☆☆

Aiden's outgrown hair whooshed in front of his eyes as he stared at the sky in awe. The goddess---or whatever she was---descended gracefully onto the balcony. Aiden scooted back, as there was no space for three.

The woman's hair flowed back behind her like a river, though there was no wind. Despite the frigid temperature, she was dressed in a short top and a long, bejeweled skirt, both white. A translucent scarf wrapped around her dark, slender arms, as if it would shield her from the cold.

As for her face, Aiden recognized her from his dream. "Interrogator Boyle?" he blurted.

The woman looked pointedly at him. "Do I look like an interrogator?" she scoffed.

Aiden flushed. "I'm sorry... uh, I just---I had a dream about you."

"Me too," Hira peeped. She looked up, clenching her jaw. "You were that lady in the interrogation room. You were the one who told me to look outside."

So he and Hira had similar dreams. But why the two of them? They were such an odd pair, and after what Aiden did to the poor girl's father...

Could Hira stand to be near him?

"Why are you here?" Aiden sighed. "Please, I just need my sleep." It was true. The past months of searching for and hunting down Aru were hectic. As if to add to the nuisance, Aiden very intelligently crushed his walkie and tracker. He kept receiving phone calls from his team, and he decided to switch his phone off to avoid being tracked by the agency.

As if the woman read his mind, she said, "Klepton is looking for you."

Aiden's eyes widened. If Klepton was looking for him, he might as well jump off the balcony and let the man find Aiden's dead body.

Hira cocked her head. "Who's Klepton?"

"Oh, just his superior. Your little Aiden wasn't thinking at the moment when he decided to disappear off Klepton's radar," the woman laughed, dismissing the question with a flick of her hand. "The whole country's looking for you."

Hira covered her mouth in shock as Aiden nearly stumbled over as he took this information in. "Why?" he asked. Though, he knew the answer himself; it was a stupid question. He was last seen with Aru, a wanted assassin. As far as Klepton knew, Aiden joined forces with the young killer. The old man knew Aiden was once friends with her---he knew about a lot of things.

The rakshasi shook him out of his thoughts. "Um, why are you here? Why did you tell us to look outside? What do you want to tell us?"

The goddess's expression changed and her face softened. She smiled sadly. "Children, I'm here to warn you."

"Warn me? About Klepton?" Aiden's mind raced, thinking of different possibilities on how to run away. Should he leave the country?

"Leaving the country would do no good," the woman swooned, reading his mind again. "You'll have to escape to another world entirely."

Aiden was growing impatient. "Stop screwing with us and tell us what we should know already!" he yelled.

"Aiden---" Hira started, but the goddess stopped her, holding up her hand.

"Someone or something will come for the two of you. I don't know who or what, and I don't know when. I am here to warn you of that," she said with a scowl.

"What? Why us?"

The woman's silky hair moved more fluidly than ever, looking like pure water streams. She simply shrugged. "I was merely instructed to tell you this information."

Hira stepped forward. "Instructed by whom? What's in it for you?" she challenged.

"And why are you telling us this?" Aiden added.

The goddess's nostrils flared with impatience. "Children," she muttered sternly, trying to keep her cool. "I understand you have many questions. But be thankful I was here to tell you, or you would have never known." She glared at Aiden with slight aversion. "As for this one... your rude behavior insults me."

"I'm sorry?"

"Let it be that when the time is right, your greatest idea will work against your favor."

Aiden's throat went dry. Did this goddess just curse him? He didn't know what to do with that. Many years ago, Aru was cursed to forget something when she needed it most. It was terrible for her. If that went badly, how will the greatest idea working against his favor go?

The goddess turned to Hira. "And as for what's in it for me..." She flicked her water-like locks behind her back, revealing a crescent moon ornament just below the shoulder on her left arm. Underneath dangled a crocodile chain. "I am Ganga, river goddess and wife of Lord Shiva. You already may know that when a Hindu dies, their ashes get submerged in water, which eventually leads to my river.

"But---gods forbid---if you die, I cannot have rakshasa or apsara ashes in my river, for they are too powerful. If they mix with the mortal ashes, chaos could occur, and I would become impure."

Hira rubbed her arm and looked to the floor, shame clouding her face. Aiden had a strong urge to defend the young woman. "So, what? Rakshasa ashes are untouchable? I thought everyone deserved moksha. That can't be done without mixing ashes in the water, can it?"

Ganga shook her head. "I'm afraid that's not how it works. I don't mean to cause any offense to your friend. It's just that," she shrugged, "you don't want to die, and I don't want your ashes. So, I'm warning you to keep your guard up so that neither of these happens. It's a win-win."

Hira cradled her head in her hands. "What am I going to tell Brynne? How do I tell her someone is after us?"

Ganga raised her arm abruptly. "Oh, you're not going to tell anyone. Your lips must be sealed. Those dealing with visions must not be troubled by other things. Besides," Ganga breathed, looking up at the sky, "it is their fate."

And with that, the goddess of the Ganges river floated back into the sky and disappeared in a cloud of shimmery white dust, leaving Aiden more confused than ever.

What did Ganga mean, it is their fate? "So... we're about to get kidnapped?" Aiden remarked.

Hira ignored him. "Something doesn't add up," she mumbled. "If Gauri's after Aru and Brynne, what would this kidnapper want with us? It doesn't make sense." The rakshasi's eyes widened after a moment. "Unless..."

Understanding poured into Aiden. "Unless we're the bait."