cool moist darkness of the jungle did not soothe her raging nerves. The night sky loomed over her as she raced back home, distant stars appearing like an array of diamonds set in vast obsidian emptiness. Maruti appeared, gibbering as she raced along the river’s banks. With a burst of maniacal strength, she grabbed him and hurled him into the water. The langur’s skull hit the side of a rock and he howled, disbelievingly, his furry hands covering his head as he stared at her in shock. She ran towards him, appalled, but now Maruti held back, his mouth opening in a snarl to keep her at bay—no longer could he trust his mad mistress.

Back in the temple, Ishvari fell into a nightmarish sleep as winds screamed across the valley. In the middle of the night, she rolled off the mat and on to the...

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