The Serpent's Shadow

And—

Hanuman plunged His spear into the head of the Serpent—

As Rhadi sped toward the fading golden light above the altar—

The Serpent gave one, final, agonized lash of its

enormous tail. The tail whipped over Peter's head, and impacted the priestess, knocking her past the altar—

Allowing Rhadi to reach it just before the last of the golden light faded away.

There was a soundless explosion of light—exactly the light that had burst out the moment that Rhadi had appeared in the shop. Except that this time, for a single moment, Peter thought he saw, not a bird, but a handsome, smiling young Hindu man.

The light vanished.

There was no Shadow Serpent. And Rhadi, who was aglow with golden light, flitted to Peter's shoulder.

'Kiss,' he said, and touched his beak to Peter's lips.

The glow flowed into him, drying his tears of loss and anguish in a heartbeat, filling him with a loving and familiar presence, and a strange, slow, power that made him feel as if he were swimming in honey.

Maya? he thought, in disbelief.

Peter, she said, from within his heart. Oh, Peter!

'Take her home, for you do not have much time to restore her before Kama's power fades,' said Hanuman. 'It is over. The evil one has gotten her reward from her own Goddess and will trouble you no more on this turn of the Wheel.' Peter turned to see that Shivani, the priestess of Kali Durga, was, indeed, nestled among the many arms of Kali Durga, her head lolling sideways in a way that could only mean a broken neck—and if that wasn't enough to ensure that she was dead, two of the dagger-bearing arms had closed on Kali Durga's votary, driving the blades they held deep into her body.

The eyes of the statue were open again.

Peter turned again—but there was no Hanuman. Only Charan, who chittered and ran toward him, scampering up his leg to his arms, and from there to his shoulder.

'Home,' said Rhadi. 'Quickl'

Peter took one of the lanterns from the wall, and headed for the stairs in a kind of shock or daze. It felt as if he were floating, not walking; his head buzzed with confined power that was not his own, and he could hardly manage to put one thought after another. He went right past Gupta and Norrey as if he were sleepwalking. They stared at him and tried to stop him, but now he knew what he had to do, and he began to run. Strengthened and sustained beyond his own abilities by Earth magic that poured into him directly instead of through an intermediary, he felt he could run forever—

But there were faster feet than his, and he made for them. He leaped into the hansom of their faithful cab driver, then under silent urging from within, spread his arms and allowed the Earth Magic to engulf cab and horse and all. Without whip or orders, the horse surged forward into the traces and in moments was at the gallop again, but this time, the more the gallant beast strove, the more energy poured into him. He ran as he had never run in all of his life as a racehorse, ran as if he raced in freedom across the sweet, soft meadows of his colthood and not the hard pavements of the city. Charan clung to one shoulder, Rhadi to the other, and the cab scarcely seemed to touch the street as they flew onward.

When they stopped, Peter burst from the cab; Maya's door flew open at his touch. He sprinted into the surgery, shoved O'Reilly away with an absent push, and bent to place his lips on Maya's.

'Kissl' said Rhadi, joyfully, and the warm, golden presence left him in that kiss, flowed out of him and into her, leaving him. But not empty; never empty. And never alone again.

Her lips warmed beneath his. He opened his eyes and reluctantly ended the kiss, and as he did so, she opened her eyes, and smiled.

This time, she reached for him, and the kiss lasted as long as either of them could have wanted.