version of Durga was similar to the other statue I had seen. Her many arms were spread out in a fan around her, and her tiger sat at her feet. There was no boar this time. I heard the sweet tinkling of bells and a beautiful voice said, “Greetings, young one. Your offerings have been accepted.”
All of the items we had placed at her feet shimmered and then disappeared. Sand-colored stone began to shift as Durga’s arms swayed in the air. Stone lips became ruby red and smiled at us. The tiger growled and shook itself. The stone flew away from its form like dust. The creature sneezed and sat at her feet.
Kishan was captivated by the goddess. She shivered delicately, and a small breeze drifted through the building and blew all the dust away from her, uncovering her like a luminous gem buried beneath the sand. Instead of gold, Durga’s skin was soft, pale pink. She relaxed her arms and reached up with an empty hand to take off her golden cap. Luxurious black hair tumbled down her back and over her shoulders.
With a tinkling voice, she said, “Kelsey, my daughter, I’m so glad you were successful in finding the Golden Fruit.”
She turned to look at Kishan, tilted her head, and raised an eyebrow in beautiful confusion.
Lifting a delicate, pink limb, she gestured to Kishan. “But who is this? Where is your tiger, Kelsey?”
Kishan boldly took a step forward and bowed deeply over her outstretched hand. “Dear lady, I am also a tiger.”
He changed into his black tiger form and back. Durga laughed, a happy sound that echoed in the room. Kishan smiled at her. She looked back at me and noticed the snake wrapped around my arm.
“Ah, Fanindra, my pet.”
She gestured to come closer, so I took a few steps forward. Fanindra’s top half came alive, and she stretched her body out to the goddess’s hand. Durga patted the snake’s head fondly.
“There is more work for you to do yet, my dear one. I need you to stay with Kelsey for a little while longer.”
The snake hissed quietly and then relaxed on my arm and became inanimate again, but her green jeweled eyes glowed softly while we spoke.
Durga turned her attention to me. “I sense you are sad and troubled, daughter. Tell me what causes you pain.”
“Ren, the white tiger, has been taken prisoner, and we can’t find him. We were hoping you could help us locate him.”
She smiled at me sadly. “My power is . . . limited. I can counsel you on finding the next object, but I have little time for anything else.”
A tear dropped off my cheek. “But, without him, finding the objects would hold no meaning for me.”
She stretched out a soft hand to my cheek and caught a glistening teardrop. I watched as it hardened and became a twinkling diamond sitting on top of her fingertip. She gave it to Kishan, who was delighted with the gift.
“You must remember, Kelsey, that the quest I send you on doesn’t help only your tigers. It also helps all of India. It is vital that you retrieve the sacred objects.”
I sniffed and wiped my eyes on my sleeve.
She smiled at me sweetly, “Don’t fret, dear one. I promise you that I will watch over your white tiger and keep him from harm and . . . oh . . . I see.” She blinked and stared straight ahead as if she could see something we couldn’t. “Yes . . . the path you take now will help you save your tiger. Guard the object well, and don’t let it or the Golden Fruit fall into the wrong hands.”
“What should we do with the Golden Fruit?”
“For now, it is to help you on your journey. Take it with you and use it wisely.”
“What is the airy prize we seek?”
“To answer that question, there is someone I want you to meet.”
She raised a pink limb and pointed behind us to the back of the room. A rhythmic click-clacking noise drew our attention.
In the moonlit corner of the room sat an old, gnarled woman on a wooden stool. Wisps of her gray hair stuck out of a faded red handkerchief. She wore a simple homespun brown dress with a white apron. A small loom was set in front of her. I watched quietly as she pulled beautiful threads out of a large woven basket and twisted them around the shuttle. The shuttle pulled the threads back and forth