Everything slowed down for Amaranth in the moments after she was shot. The pain felt distant, not quite a part of her, and she floated away…

Opal screamed. Before the sniper managed to strike again, four Komodo dragons fell upon him. Then his screams drowned out hers.

“No, Opal,” Jai implored, picking up Amaranth in two of his arms and holding Opal’s bicep in the third hand. The remaining hand clutched both the trident and the paper doll. “Call them off. Don’t let him be eaten alive. I love you too much for you to be a killer.”

“AHHH! AHHH! AHH!” shrieked the man.

Wailing incoherently, Opal sent the reptiles out towards the truck, leaving the guard maimed but alive. The robots were no longer following them. The company must have programmed them not to leave Dale property. Opal and Jai sprinted to the rendezvous point.

Taylor had just switched on the device to call the nearest police and ambulance services, and had to grab her ears against the squealing siren that accompanied the action. When she saw her eldest daughter bleeding and her other daughter falling to pieces, she shouted to Nat, “Help her! Please please please…Oh Heavenly Father…”

Nat leapt to Amaranth’s side. “Lay her out on the ground,” he commanded Jai, with a doctor’s concerned, calm panic. He took off his backpack and whipped out gauze, syringes, and disinfectant.

“She’s losing Internet access!” Opal cried, shivering. Then she curled up on the ground, rocked back and forth, and made primitive sounds.

Derrick weakly tugged her shirt. “No, dear, don’t do groaning, Opalescent. You haven’t done it in years.”

“Unh…argh…unh…unh…” Opal said, flapping her hands.

“What’s she doing? What’s wrong with her?” Jai asked.

“Autistic people do things like this when they’re overwhelmed,” Derrick said. “Nice to meet you, by the way. Opal, be strong for Daddy, okay? Opal? Opal?”

Ulanthor finally managed to gasp, “I have healing tears, as does my son. Would that do good?”

“We have to get the bullet out first,” Nat muttered. “Elf magic’s not good for modern weaponry. I’m not a trauma surgeon, and anyway she needs the ER. How soon will they get here? Taylor?”

Taylor sat motionless, pupils dilated. Nat cocked his head at her to Ulanthor, and he took her hands and sang a brief spell. She awoke then, and whispered, “I don’t know.”

“Unh…unh…”

“Daddy would hold you, Opal, but I’m really not well right now.” Derrick didn’t cry when all the animals in his pet shop were killed. He remained strong, jovial even; when he found out he had been kidnapped. He sang after being tortured. Only now did he weep.

“Malevolent forces coming towards us…please do not be angered that I pointed this out…” Ulanthor’s son said, and then buried his face in his arms. “I do not wish to die.”

Jai asked, “Nat, can you teleport us to a hospital?”

“I don’t have enough juice for that – it would take like a gallon of human blood to give me that power.”

“I can see our enemies regrouping and coming for us.”

“Unh…unh…unh…”

“You’re on your own, kid. I’m doing my damnedest to keep this girl from bleeding to death, and do you know how difficult the whole proposition is for a freaking vampire? Major doc self and friend self versus vamp self going on here. ”

“I see one solution then,” Jai said. He shrunk his trident and snapped it back onto his chain, appearing the ordinary young Thai again. Then he took out his magic paper doll and made the Monkey God dance. He chanted in Pali Sanskrit, Thai, and English the same few sentences over and over. “Hanuman, hanuman, my ancestor saved you in the Ramakien and you promised to assist his descendants thrice in their lives. This is the first time. Hanuman, hanuman, by the binding oath, by your father the wind, I call upon you now. Hanuman, COME!”

A white light flashed in the sky about ten feet from where they huddled. Derrick, Taylor, and the Elves stared in amazement, the other members of the party being otherwise occupied. Floating in the air was a tall, white creature in gold and jeweled clothing that seemed both monkey and man: the stature of a man, but the face, tail, and fur of a very large gibbon. He had fangs on both the upper jaws and lower, diamonds sparkling in his fur, and a booming voice. “Narai?”

Jai stood and gave him a deep wai. Armed men, some cursing, ran towards them, but he would not hurry pleasantries with a demigod. “Pud pasa thai reprau khrup?”

“Pud dai.” He spoke with unfamiliar precision, as if he was more used to older tongues.

“Pud pasa angrid dai mai khrup?”

“Yes. Any language that those who believe in me speak, I speak. What is your need?”

“I guess that means he doesn’t speak Yiddish,” Derrick whispered to nobody. He felt lightheaded. Taylor took his hand.

“My beloved’s sister is in urgent need of medical attention, and some men just behind you are very intent on either capturing or killing us. Could you please address both problems?”

Hanuman turned around, regarded the men shooting at him with a chuckle of amusement, and pointed his index finger each one in turn. White light streamed towards the attackers; as the light touched each man, it made each man disappear. “I stole the diamond finger from Tosakan. Wait. I will remedy your other problem in a flash.” He zoomed away like an extremely near shooting star.

“Tosakan was the villain of the Ramakien. In the Ramayana, the Indian version, he was known as Ravana, though I’m not sure if he had the finger in that one too,” Jai explained. “Let’s hope Hanuman is sensible about this. When Prince Lak was injured and needed a healing herb, Hanuman brought back the whole mountain on which the herb grew.”

“You can only call on Hanuman three times in your life?” Derrick asked.

“Yes, sir.”

“And you used up one of those tries for my other daughter. The one you’re not in love with.”

“Well, I needed him to help him destroy our enemies, too.”

“But you probably could have done that yourself.”

“Maybe.”

“Come here.”

Jai stepped over, and Derrick grabbed his shin. “I would shake hands with you, but I don’t think I can reach that high. If you want to marry Opal, I approve. If you wish, you are from now on a member of this family.”

“Unh…unh…unh…” Opal moaned.

“That means a lot, sir. Thank you.” Jai went to Opal. “Help is coming, Opal darling. May I kiss you?”

“No, not right now,” she whispered, the rocking now slowing.

“May I hold you?”

“Yes, please.” She sobbed into his chest, but felt safer in his arms than she had for a long time. Connie slithered over to her mistress and curled around her waist, tight enough to stay there, loose enough so Opal could breathe comfortably.

“I think I should get the remaining zoo animals together,” Derrick murmured.

“I will give you my strength,” Ulanthor said, touching him. Orange light shone and Derrick felt an increase of power. Elves were great for transferring energy.

“Okay, lizards, snakes, and birdies, come to Daddy,” Derrick said.

Hanuman came back with an entire ambulance in his hand, which was now the size of the side of a building though the rest of his body was its old proportions. “I once put a temple in my mouth. This is easy.” He set down the ambulance.

Medics shuddered their way out. “You’d think that Jangorals were involved in this business, it’s been so crazy,” a woman said. “This flying monkey-guy says he can get us to an injured girl faster than we can drive…”

“Jangorals are involved,” Taylor called to them as they rushed over. “All of us, in fact.”

“Thank goodness you’re here,” Nat said, running to them. “I did my best to staunch the bleeding. I’m a doctor, but this isn’t my specialty.”

“We’ll take care of her,” the nearest medic assured him. Two more came with a stretcher.

Opal waved at Derrick. “Hi, Dad.”

Only an hour later, in the waiting room of the hospital, did Opal nudge Taylor and say, “Mom, where did Nat go?”

Derrick requested that he be in the same private room as Amaranth, and the hospital fortunately had one room with two beds. Amaranth’s large, powerful fanbase learned about her injury, and by two days after the incident the hospital staff had to clear out day-old bouquets to make room for new ones. Taylor kept vigil while Jai and Opal finished some business.

“Just got back from the zoo,” Jai said. “It turns out its insured for magical warfare, so won’t be demanding any money, but would indeed like Amaranth’s patronage and will send someone over to negotiate when she’s feeling better.”

“Coverage has changed a bit since the Fantasy Coup,” Derrick remarked between bites of a cinnamon roll – his third since rescue. Having lost thirty pounds in two weeks, he enjoyed the luxury of eating whatever he wanted, so long as he also took vitamins and kept portions small to avoid overtaxing his shrunken stomach. “Hey, have you heard? I’m going to need to use a cane to walk for the rest of my life. I think I should get a sword cane.”

“Do you know how to use a sword?” Jai asked, taking a seat in one of the two remaining chairs. Then he flailed around and shrieked, “A bee! A bee! There’s a bee in here!”

“It’s a fly,” Opal said. “So that’s your flaw.”

Jai settled down. “Oh. Silly me. What were you saying?”

“I knew you couldn’t be perfect, so I was wondering what your fault was. Are you allergic to bees?” She took his hand.

Blushing, Jai shook his head. “It just hurts.”

“I know which end of a sword to hold. I think it would just be cool to have a sword cane. Amaranth thinks so too.”

“You’ve been talking?” Taylor said.

“We shared a dream,” Derrick replied. “And we talked a little this morning before she feel asleep again. My girl’s tired.”

“Lots of flowers,” Amaranth murmured.

“And there she is,” Derrick beamed.

“Jai?”

“Yes, Amaranth?”

“Dad told me what you did for me. I really appreciate it. If you want to move to the U.S, to be near Opal – I can pull some strings and get you a green card. Luther always wants me to help out in his store more often, but I’m going to be really busy with Junglelaughter’s Pet Pavilion. We’ll have to restock and everything. I’m sure Luther would be happy to give you a job.”

“That sounds like a great idea,” said the handsome, dark-skinned man who had just opened the door. He wore a green sweater, glasses, and jeans. Very much the bookish type.

Amaranth’s dark eyes lit up. “Luther!”

He ran to her, carefully dodging the flowers, and they kissed. “I hopped the first flight to Des Moines. I’m sorry about you losing Vivian. She was a good falcon, and I know how much she meant to you.”

“Dad’s more important,” Amaranth said, with a tinge of sadness.

“I was thinking of buying you a flamingo and naming it Placido Domingo, but that sounded rather corny. How about a peacock?” He turned to Jai and shook his hand. “I would be honored to employ the man who saved my fiance’s life, Voravee Narai.”

“Please, call me Jai. Nat saved her too, before he vanished.”

Taylor sighed. “He probably didn’t want us to beg him to go back to Laconia with us. That vampire seems absolutely determined to be a tragic figure.”

“A very goofy tragic figure,” Opal pointed out.

“He has layers,” Taylor said.

“Like an ogre. Has anyone proven that they’re real?” Derrick cleared his throat. “I think everyone but Opal should clear out, and I’m going to put on headphones and listen to music. My girls need to have a sisterly heart-to-heart.”

“DAD,” Opal protested.

Amaranth smiled. “It’s stupid, but I do have some things to say to you.”

“Okay, okay.”

Jai and Luther gave their respective lovers kisses and departed. “No bickering,” Taylor said before she left.

Amaranth handed Opal a bundle of sunflowers. “These are for you.”

“Why would anyone send me flowers? I’m not injured and pretty.”

“The flowers are from me.”

“Oh.” Opal looked at the card, which said, “I’m sorry.”

“Remember that big meltdown I had back in Beijing?”

Opal snorted. “Woo. That was profound.”

“I think I know why I had it. All my life, I’ve been the together sister. I’ve known what’s going on. I’ve been the one the boys wanted. I thought you didn’t have those things because you were different. Weird. And you didn’t seem to want them.”

“Amaranth, I have as many megahertz as you. I’m just bad at interfacing.”

With a catch in her voice, Amaranth replied, “I know that now. You showed it when I got shot. It devastated you, made you shut down in ways you hadn’t done since early teens.”

“I was surprised too. Sometimes I wished something bad would happen to you. There was this one situation I dreamed up, involving Gila monsters…”

“Opal…”

Opal giggled. “Sorry. This is touchy-feely stuff.”

“It’s like we switched places when we were looking for Dad. And I learned how awful you’ve felt all this time, how much I’ve treated you as an embarrassment and liability. It really messed up my ego. Will you please forgive me?”

“Yeah. You know, I’ve learned not to let you push me to the side. Jai makes me feel like beautiful woman.” Opal scratched her face, and dead skin flaked off. “Good thing he likes the scaly look.”

“May I hug you?”

“Yeah.”

Two years later…

“We have a very good story to tell our children,” Jai said when they closed the door behind them. He changed into his true self. “How we met and bonded, you know.”

“I can’t believe Mom made me wear the sissy white dress,” Opal said. “It’ll be good to get out of it. Um…”

“Yes, my dear?” He helped her with the zipper.

“I’m scared.”

“Can I do something about it?”

“Can you tell me beforehand what you’re going to do? Well, I know that, but…where?”

Pause, thought, consideration. “There, there, and there. Maybe there, too. After that you’ll just have to trust me.”

Deep breath. “Okay.”