Tanvi hesitated. She hated the thought of rewarding Asha’s boasts about how she could use water to go anywhere nagas had set foot or tail. Apparently she only had to choose a location, and the water would transport her there.

But lying low after the other night was a good idea, especially if the guard who’d questioned Tanvi was on duty again. “Fine. But we have to leave right now.”

“What Nayan Uncle has not known all this time has not hurt him.” Asha transformed into her human aspect. Her fangs receded, and her forked tongue rounded out and turned pink. “Let us have some fun!”

“But how do we—?”

“Watch.” In one flowing motion, Asha tipped water from the pitcher onto the table, linked arms with Tanvi before she could protest, and swept her into the puddle.

They plunged into another dimension, teal and aquamarine and jade and cobalt—the conjunction of all the bodies of water in all the worlds. The colors were muffled, like Tanvi saw them from a remove. There was the Ganga River, which led to the domain of Princess Uloopi and her father, King Kauravya. There was the Kalyani River bordering King Maniakkhika’s realm. There was even the galactic Ocean of Milk, where the first nagaraja, Anant Shesha, served as Lord Vishnu’s floating couch while he dreamed.

Asha must have chosen the location, because then the two of them stood on a familiar street on Prithvi.

Philadelphia in soon-to-be twilight. Tanvi recognized the ritzy neighborhood—Society Hill. She’d just been here, hurrying by these same stores and homes. Her failure mocked her from every building, every sign. The sooner she could get out of here, the better.

Asha tapped the screen of a cell phone. “I have not yet glamoured you.” She pulled a small jar of vermilion from her bag. “You could be recognized in this neighborhood.”

Tanvi eyed her doubtfully. Was she trying to say that she did know about the other night?

If so, Asha didn’t let on. She dipped a fingertip into the vermilion, then dabbed it right between Tanvi’s eyebrows. A flush ran over her body as the illusion took hold. “Flawless. Now come; we are running late.”

“For what? I need to harvest!” Tanvi was already regretting letting Asha come along.

“I have a stop to make first.” Asha clamped her hand around Tanvi’s elbow. “It will not take long.”

Then Asha propelled her through a series of turns and alleys, finally stopping in front of a brick row house with a bronze pineapple knocker. Weird, Tanvi thought.

Asha pouted at herself in a compact mirror and blew her reflection a kiss before rapping the knocker against the door.

A human boy answered. At the sight of Asha, he broke into a huge grin.

So, Tanvi allowed, he really is real.