Ethan was on edge. He’d wanted to enjoy his time here. He really loved diving into ancient religions. But between the devastating disaster inadvertently caused by Billy’s and Charlotte’s utter stupidity and the knowledge that they were exploring a temple dedicated to demon worship rather than true Hinduism, that joy had dissipated.

As Paige took out her phone and discretely photographed some of the statues on an altar in the main worship space, he asked in a whisper, “When did you learn to speak Nepali?”

A small smile of pride quirked up the edge of her mouth. “Hinduism, Sikhism, and similar faiths always fascinated me, and I’ve wanted to come to Nepal since I was old enough to realize the saturation of the culture here. I spent a lot of time in high school teaching myself.”

Ethan was impressed. He doubted it was an easy language to learn, especially if you weren’t immersed in it. He scribbled some notes down on the tablet he carried, hoping he didn’t run out of power. He hadn’t brought a charger. But then, they’d figured on being here for five or six hours, not twenty-four.

“Do you think anyone else gets the gravity of the mistake that Billy and Charlotte made?” Paige’s question sounded aloof, but Ethan had known her long enough to recognize the anxiety she felt. And it made his head spin and his chest squeeze. He didn’t even know for sure how to process the consequences of Billy’s and Charlotte’s actions. How could anyone who didn’t know anything about religion at all?

He sighed. “Doubtful. Paige, this is the sort of thing that, even with our expertise, defies comprehension. I know who Kali is in Hindu culture and religion. I’ve studied the four Yugas. But the actual worship of a cultural demon is something beyond my knowledge.”

Paige scowled, still focused on the subject matter before them. “I don’t know that it’s necessarily something you can consider wrong or bad. I mean, there’s a vast misunderstanding of Satan worship back home. Most of that subculture just considers the devil to have led an uprising, like any other vigilante, and they think of him as the Lightbringer, the way he was created. It’s a difference in perspective.”

“Yeah, but if you cross the devil, there’s no fear of retribution,” Ethan pointed out quietly.

With a shrug, Paige argued, “Christians don’t believe in reincarnation, either. If you face karma over multiple lifetimes, it follows that you worry about punishment in your current life. It’s still just perspective. That’s why I chose this major. It’s not just about the spiritual values. It’s about the cultures that shape and are shaped by them.”

She finally turned to look at him. “I don’t know about you, but regardless of my personal faith, I believe in manifestation, and I know what I saw earlier. When enough people put faith into something, it can manifest. And this area of the world clings to spiritual beliefs to create a demon out of thin air.”