curled round the sheet and drew it tightly round itself. The creature faced Ash.
It was a girl. An Indian girl of similar height and age to Ash, long-limbed and elegantly graceful – inhumanly so. Her eyes were almond-shaped with pupils slit in half, amber and black. Her features were elongated, with highly arched eyebrows.
Features he recognised.
“Hold on. I know you,” said Ash. “You were at the Cyber Café.”
Her serpent tongue flickered, then retreated behind sharp teeth.
A rakshasa. He couldn’t believe it. He’d been planning to ask her out!
The girl blinked slowly, then snatched the All-Stars from Lucky. “That. Hurt,” she whispered. With a flick of her wrist, the shoes flew over the side of the building.
“Hey!” shouted Ash. “Those were my Doctor Who specials!”
“Reality check, Ash,” said Lucky. “Demon at twelve o’clock.”
“Yeah, right. Sorry.” He turned back to the problem at hand.
The snake-girl blinked again and her eyes shone with a green light. She slowly opened her jaws, and Ash stared, mesmerised, at the two wet venom-coated fangs.
“You’re scaring them, Parvati.” Rishi crossed the flat roof, swinging a small lantern. “And put some clothes on.”
Thank God. Rishi was here.
The rakshasa flicked her hair away from her face and smoothed it down. Then with one more scowl, she pulled up the sheet and skilfully wove it round her body. In seconds she’d arranged it into a crude sari. “She hit me,” muttered the rakshasa girl.
“Her?” Rishi pointed at Lucky. He patted Ash’s sister on the back. “Good for you.”
Rishi and the rakshasa? The old man knew her? Ash realised he was still holding his breath. He let it out and wiped the sweat off his face.
“She’s a demon,” he said.
“Rakshasa, if you don’t mind,” said the girl.
Oh, great, he’d hurt the demon’s feelings. Demon. Rakshasa. Or whatever she was. She began to plait her hair, but kept her weird snake eyes on them.
So Rishi was in league with the rakshasas too. How could Ash trust anyone?
Rishi nodded. “Yes, she is. But she is on our side. Rakshasas are like people. Some good. Some evil.” He glanced back at the girl, who pretended to ignore him. “Some a bit of both.”
“You were the cobra in the basket, weren’t you?” said Ash. “You tried to bite me!”
“Oh, please,” Parvati replied. “If I’d wanted to bite you, you’d be dead.”
“So you were spying on us even then?”
Rishi shrugged his shoulders in a sort of, but not quite, apology. “I needed to know what Savage wanted with your family.”
“Oh. That’s OK then.” Ash took his sister’s hand. “We’re leaving. Goodbye.”
He pushed past Rishi and kept well away from the rakshasa. Lucky scurried beside him and Ash didn’t look back. He and his sister got to the top of the steps. He could hear people below – the street kids were already up and about.
“Wait, Ashoka.” Rishi stepped up beside them. He had his stick, but it didn’t buzz with power now, and his eyes were plain blue. “Where would you go? You are safe here.”
“For how long? We can’t stay here for ever.”
He put his hand on Ash’s shoulder. “Long enough to be trained. I will help you, Ash, but you must learn—”
“—the ways of the Force?” Ash pushed Rishi’s hand away. “I’m sorry, but who died and made you Obi-Wan Kenobi?”
“Wait until I find out what Savage is planning.” The old man squatted down, leaning his stick over his shoulder. The lantern went on the floor in front of him. The rakshasa, Parvati, stayed a few metres back, just out of the light. But the moon shone on her jet-black hair and her skin glowed dimly, like a ghost’s.
“Let’s talk,” Rishi said.
“About what?”
“You. Savage. Why he hired your uncle.” He crossed his arms, leaning forward attentively. “Tell me everything.”
Ash sat down and crossed his legs. He told Rishi about the Savage Fortress, the study and the
It was a girl. An Indian girl of similar height and age to Ash, long-limbed and elegantly graceful – inhumanly so. Her eyes were almond-shaped with pupils slit in half, amber and black. Her features were elongated, with highly arched eyebrows.
Features he recognised.
“Hold on. I know you,” said Ash. “You were at the Cyber Café.”
Her serpent tongue flickered, then retreated behind sharp teeth.
A rakshasa. He couldn’t believe it. He’d been planning to ask her out!
The girl blinked slowly, then snatched the All-Stars from Lucky. “That. Hurt,” she whispered. With a flick of her wrist, the shoes flew over the side of the building.
“Hey!” shouted Ash. “Those were my Doctor Who specials!”
“Reality check, Ash,” said Lucky. “Demon at twelve o’clock.”
“Yeah, right. Sorry.” He turned back to the problem at hand.
The snake-girl blinked again and her eyes shone with a green light. She slowly opened her jaws, and Ash stared, mesmerised, at the two wet venom-coated fangs.
“You’re scaring them, Parvati.” Rishi crossed the flat roof, swinging a small lantern. “And put some clothes on.”
Thank God. Rishi was here.
The rakshasa flicked her hair away from her face and smoothed it down. Then with one more scowl, she pulled up the sheet and skilfully wove it round her body. In seconds she’d arranged it into a crude sari. “She hit me,” muttered the rakshasa girl.
“Her?” Rishi pointed at Lucky. He patted Ash’s sister on the back. “Good for you.”
Rishi and the rakshasa? The old man knew her? Ash realised he was still holding his breath. He let it out and wiped the sweat off his face.
“She’s a demon,” he said.
“Rakshasa, if you don’t mind,” said the girl.
Oh, great, he’d hurt the demon’s feelings. Demon. Rakshasa. Or whatever she was. She began to plait her hair, but kept her weird snake eyes on them.
So Rishi was in league with the rakshasas too. How could Ash trust anyone?
Rishi nodded. “Yes, she is. But she is on our side. Rakshasas are like people. Some good. Some evil.” He glanced back at the girl, who pretended to ignore him. “Some a bit of both.”
“You were the cobra in the basket, weren’t you?” said Ash. “You tried to bite me!”
“Oh, please,” Parvati replied. “If I’d wanted to bite you, you’d be dead.”
“So you were spying on us even then?”
Rishi shrugged his shoulders in a sort of, but not quite, apology. “I needed to know what Savage wanted with your family.”
“Oh. That’s OK then.” Ash took his sister’s hand. “We’re leaving. Goodbye.”
He pushed past Rishi and kept well away from the rakshasa. Lucky scurried beside him and Ash didn’t look back. He and his sister got to the top of the steps. He could hear people below – the street kids were already up and about.
“Wait, Ashoka.” Rishi stepped up beside them. He had his stick, but it didn’t buzz with power now, and his eyes were plain blue. “Where would you go? You are safe here.”
“For how long? We can’t stay here for ever.”
He put his hand on Ash’s shoulder. “Long enough to be trained. I will help you, Ash, but you must learn—”
“—the ways of the Force?” Ash pushed Rishi’s hand away. “I’m sorry, but who died and made you Obi-Wan Kenobi?”
“Wait until I find out what Savage is planning.” The old man squatted down, leaning his stick over his shoulder. The lantern went on the floor in front of him. The rakshasa, Parvati, stayed a few metres back, just out of the light. But the moon shone on her jet-black hair and her skin glowed dimly, like a ghost’s.
“Let’s talk,” Rishi said.
“About what?”
“You. Savage. Why he hired your uncle.” He crossed his arms, leaning forward attentively. “Tell me everything.”
Ash sat down and crossed his legs. He told Rishi about the Savage Fortress, the study and the
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