Stole my heart (An Aruden au) [UNDER EDITING]

-Chapter 43-

Aru POV

They had the audacity to sneak out-

You know, fun fact......waking up at an ungodly hour only to realize the teenagers younger than you who feel like younger siblings vanish into nowhere is not a good start. Neither is being awoken my Mini and being screamed at to brush my teeth in my ear. Yep, amazing day...or night? My brain hurts.

I didn't realize I said the last part out loud until Brynne says, "You have a brain?"

She gets smacked with a pillow. Thrown by yours truly.

"The twins are gone!" Mini says walking into the room, frantic.

"WHICH ONES?" Annan jumps up from where he and Kara were practically cuddling.

"BOTH SETS!" Mini says, equally loud.

"Nikki and Sheela are gone??" Brynne asks and Mini nods. "Annan and Anish too."

"Shit." Aiden breathes, and the seven of us, Aiden, Kara, Annan, Mini, Rudy, Brynne and I are staring at each other as though it'll make them appear in the center of the room.

"Well, what do we do?" Brynne finally breaks the silence only to be greeted with more silence.

"I think the Sleeper took them." Kara adds, quietly, after a while. "I have an idea."

"I don't like it." Annan swiftly replies. Kara gives him a sad, determined smile.

"What if-" Kara starts

"No." Annan interrupts.

"-if I go to the Sleeper-"

"No."

"-and work from the inside-"

"No."

"-to get information and in the meantime bargain-"

"No.

Kara rushed the last part out "-for the twins safely returned."

"No."

Kara and Annan are the only ones who spoke, no one dared to utter another word until I finally sigh.

"No." I say, in support with Annan but for different reasons. "I'll go. He won't give all four of them for you but for me-"

"No." This time, it came from Aiden.

"But he might actually-" I argue.

"No." Aiden says, firmly.

"You aren't listening!" I exclaim.

"No."

"I didn't even-" I let out a frustrated sound as he interrupts again.

"No."

"Guys, I-"

"WHAT?" Aiden, Kara, Annan and I bark at the same time, our heads whipping to Rudy.

"That was the most frightening moment of my life." Brynne says.

"The twins are right there." Mini says, pointing out the window to the road in front of the museum.

"Those little shits." Annan scowls before heading down with all of us.

They were getting out and Nikki had her back to us, Aahan coming out right then.

"Ohhh now you appear!" I say and Nikki spins to us and visibly winces.

"Hey." Nikki says, her voice as firm as ever.

"Hey? HEY? THATS WHAT YOU SAY AFTER SNEAKING OUT TO-" I say.

"Umm stop, no. I didn't sneak out. None of us did. Krithika auntie knew, we called her and all." Nikki says.

We were all shocked to silence.

"We got Arya though." Sheela says, coming to stand next to her sister as Anish and Aahan get Arya out.

"Holy shit." Annan gets out and everyone seem to have a mixture of relief and mild anger at the twins.

But I get stuck on that one thing. Krithika auntie knew, we called her and all.

"Everyone inside the house. NOW!" I strangle out and no one questions it, we run inside, Annan and Aiden helping with Arya's wheelchair.

"What happened?" Mini asks, after everyone collapses on the sofa or the floor near the sofa.

"Nikki said that my mom allowed her to sneak out and help. But my mom is captive with the Sleeper." I choke out.

Mini eyes go wide, "How the hell did I forget?" Her reaction is understandable, this is out of character for Mini.

"Wait but she did help, it was her voice." Sheela argues, weakly. She knows there are so many possibilities that it wasn't my mom.

"So the question is.......who talked through the phone?" Anish says.

"And how the hell they got Nikki's number." Aahan adds.

"I don't remember giving you permission to call me that." Nikita turns to Aahan.

Aahan grins and responds, "Mmmm, but my mouth, my wish."

"I will shove a-"

Nikki's phone rings and she glares at Aahan as she picks it up without checking who called.

"Hello?" Nikki says. And visibly pales a second later but she says in a sweet voice, "Yes auntie, thanks for the help." She puts the phone on speaker.

"Just don't tell Aru." My Mom's voice comes through and tears sting my eyes.

It's not my mom though. It's not Mom.

"Of course." Nikita says, forcing a smile even though whoever is on the other side of the phone can't see her.

There was a low, dark chuckle from the other side now. One that didn't belong to my mom. "I know you figured out I wasn't Krithika, child. And by my voice, you know I am not the Sleeper either. So who am I?"

He hangs up on us.

BETCHA DIDNT SEE THAT COMING!

Like guys, did u rlly forget that Krithika was captured? Ya me too, I remembered it at the last moment and had to rewrite the whole chapter which is why its so short.

But another person who wants them dead (or do they want them alive?) Who could it be? An OC? Or......someone we know from the Aru Shah universe. Hmmmm........

Anyways, opinions? (as usual)

Thanks for reading!! Bye!!

~Aurora