Roads And Maps - Aru Shah

Don't

Aru's POV

I held the now mace in my hand. It felt weird to have a weapon other than Vajra, but I quickly got used to it. I touched Gogo gently to the ground, and a ring of fire swarmed around my father and me. 

"Arundhati, I am still your father. Think about this," he said. This was one of the most vulnerable times I had ever seen him. 

"You stopped being my father when you tried to kill me. A real father wouldn't do that." He fought the shadows some more, and I eventually just laughed. "It's hard to believe you once called me weak. Now, look at you, all tied up and can't escape your daughter's grasp. How sad is that?"

With a flick of my wrist, the mace turned into a long stick. The wind gently blew through the air. I held the end of DeeDee up to his throat. 

"Just because I'm tied up doesn't mean I'm powerless," sneered the Sleeper. 

A tendril slowly snaked around my ankle, but I touched it and it withered away. "It just means you're weaker than me."

DeeDee slammed into the ground, and electricity, fire, and violet light all sent the Sleeper flying backward. 

"Wind," I whispered. DeeDee turned into a wind mace. I waved it in the air, and the fire went out. I walked over to where my father rested. Kara was already there. So were Ava and Aiden?

I looked behind me, and there was Kara with Rudy and Mini. How are there two Kara's?

I touched Kara and Aiden but my hand went through them.

Ok, that's good. They are all just illusions.

"How did I get here?" asked Ava.

"Wait. You're real?!"

"Why wouldn't I be?" She waved a hand through Aiden and Kara. "Oh. That's why."

I swung the wind mace and the illusions flickered away.

How are you almost better with that thing than I am? Brynne asked telepathically. 

Trust me. I don't want Gogo. I want Vajra, and only Vajra.

And Aiden, Mini teased.

I rolled my eyes and looked back at my dad. "Stop playing your stupid mind games. We all know that your life has come to an end."

He broke through the shadows and grabbed Ava. He held a sword to her neck.

"You hurt me, and I will kill her. You won't let an innocent person die, right Arjuna?"

"I'm not Arjuna!" I thought about Ava.

She wasn't innocent. She kidnapped me, blamed me, hurt everyone I knew and loved, manipulated Aiden, and probably more while I was away. I looked at her and I saw the fear in her face. Ava had the same look in her eyes as I did when I originally heard about the "untrue sister". 

"Let Ava go," I said.

What?! Brynne's scream bounced around in my head.

Aru, Ava isn't innocent. I know I'm always saying we should give people a chance but not Ava, Mini said. 

I shut them out. I needed to make my own decision.

"I knew you would make the right decision and not hurt your father," the Sleeper smirked. He let go of Ava and she rushed over to Kara. Kara pushed her away with Sunny then banged her on the head.

"Be gone demon," Kara said to Ava.

"Have you not been listening? I don't like you. You are not my father in any way. You are not my father, my father-figure, or my step-father. You are nothing to me!"