Kishan pulled me away from the spectacle, and we continued downward through the maze of tubes until we finally came to a dead end. I placed my hand onto the coarse surface of a rock wall.
“I don’t understand. This is the place,” I murmured.
Ren placed his hands on the wall and brushed them over the surface, dusting off the grit. Kishan and I helped. My fingers sank into a slight depression, and I swept my hand over it, digging out the powdery dust. Loose gravel fell at my feet, and a moment later I called out.
“It’s here. The handprint!”
I placed my hand into the depression and let the crackling sparks pour into the rock. My henna drawing surfaced and glowed, illuminating my hand from the inside out. The cavern shook, and the rock wall shifted. As dust rained down on us, Kishan grabbed me and pressed my head into his chest, covering me with his body. The stone groaned and rocked back and forth, then slowly rolled to the side and stopped. I wiped some feathery dust away that tickled my cheek and stepped through the opening.
We were standing on a ledge that overlooked a giant underground forest.
“Trees? How can there be trees here?” I asked in disbelief.
“I don’t think those are normal trees. This must be like Kishkindha,” Ren murmured, “an underground world.”
“Yeah, except this world is hotter than Hades.”
When Ren found a series of stone steps, we began to make our way down. As we moved along, I marveled at the beauty of the woodland. Thick, sooty trunks supported a vast canopy of limbs covered with leaves that softly flickered like the embers of a dying fire. Curly golden tendrils grew out of the branches and moved in our direction as we walked.
Ren watched them warily and removed the gada from his backpack, but I strode forward fearlessly and held out a finger. A small tendril stretched toward my hand almost hesitantly, and then slowly, gently, it wrapped around my finger and clung to me. Warmth reverberated through my body, and the amulet around my neck began to glow.
“Kelsey?” Ren stepped toward me.
I held out my hand to stop him. “It’s okay. It’s not hurting me.” I smiled. “It’s drawn to the power of the amulet.”
Another thin vine with two quivering leaves brushed against my cheek. Kishan approached the tree, but the leaves flickered colors of alarm. I stroked the trunk to reassure it.
“They won’t hurt you. You have nothing to fear from us.”
The tree seemed to recover and let Kishan touch a limb.
Shivering delicately, the fire tree stretched out another vine with tiny buds that sprang open into bright orange petals with gold leaves.
“It’s beautiful,” I exclaimed.
Kishan grunted, saying, “They seem to like you.”
The leaves trembled and turned toward us as we made our way down the slope.
We saw flickering ferns and fiery flowers that burst into radiant bloom as we walked by. Ren and Kishan found tracks and spied a red-orange animal that looked like a rabbit. The forest seemed to enclose us in warmth but spared us from the devastating heat of the volcano. The air was dry, and the ground was rich and dark like the most fertile potting soil. Thick glowing mosses in a variety of orange and red shades grew on black rocks and tree trunks.
We sat on a fallen trunk and ate a lunch made by the Golden Fruit, quietly talking of the strangeness of the place. Trees often stretched out curly vines to touch my hair or my arm. The amulet glowed upon contact, and warmth spread through my limbs. I felt as if they were recharging my batteries, and the heat no longer bothered me.
Though the forest was ablaze with light, the sky was dark and without stars. We started up a rise and, upon reaching the peak, Ren pointed at the distant horizon.
“Can you see them?”
“See what?” I asked.
“Over there. It’s a mountain range. It’s hard to see because the mountains are black on black.”
Kishan said he could make out the outline, but all I saw was blackness.
“Your tiger vision must help. I can’t see anything.”
Ren nodded and suggested we make camp in the valley below. We had just started down when a bright light shot across the sky and burst into a quiet cascade that reminded me of Fourth of July fireworks. Then, as if someone had flipped a switch, all the trees went dark. I couldn’t even see my hand in front of me.
“What happened?” I exclaimed nervously.
Ren took my hand and drew me to his side. “I’m not sure.”
Fanindra’s emerald eyes glowed, casting a welcome glimpse of green onto this strange, dark world. Ren made his way down the hill, holding tightly onto my hand.
At the bottom, we set up camp and made a large tent with the Scarf. When I reached out to touch a tree limb, I felt nothing. It didn’t move or fill me with warmth. It seemed to be dead. I put my hand against the trunk and allowed some of my fire energy to seep into it. A faint thrumming confirmed the tree was alive, but I guessed that this was its version of sleeping.
When I crawled into the tent to join Ren and Kishan, they abruptly stopped talking.
“Keeping secrets, huh?” I teased. “I don’t want to know anyway. I only wanted to tell you that the trees are all asleep. I think it’s just a light’s out kind of thing.”
Ren nodded, “Fine. We’re going to keep watch tonight. We think . . . it’s possible you’re being manipulated, Kells.”
“What?” I laughed. “Are you serious?”
Neither of them made eye contact.
“You think the trees are leading me astray?”
Ren spoke softly. “We have to keep our minds open to the possibility.”
Kishan added, “And for that reason we’re keeping watch, and you are not allowed to participate in that.”
I folded my arms across my chest. “I think I know when I’m being manipulated. And why do you two tigers always think you know what’s best for me? You’re such, such . . . men!”
“Kells,” they both protested.
“Fine. Knock yourselves out. Go sit on a spark while you’re at it.”
I heard Kishan’s sigh and a soft, “Goodnight, Kelsey,” as I rolled over and stuffed my fist beneath my cheek. I twisted, kicking off my blanket in the heat, and fell asleep.
A bright flash penetrated the fabric tent and woke me. I heard a popping sound and a metallic hum, and suddenly everything was bathed in flickering firelight.
Ren was asleep. He had one arm raised over his head and the other resting on his stomach. I moved closer, and he sighed and angled his head better on his pillow.
I wanted to reach out to him, to touch him. I knew his golden skin would be smooth and warm, but instead I sat there listening to him quietly breathe and wondered how I could be engaged to one man and still long for another.
What a terrible person I am, I thought and stumbled out of the tent.
“Good morning, bilauta,” Kishan said, still keeping watch. “Are you still angry?”
“No.”
“Good.”
He wrapped me in a bear hug and kissed my head. A tiny vine as soft as a kitten’s paw touched the back of my hand. I let it curl around my pinky and felt its warmth.
Feeling sticky and grimy from the volcano, I walked off a ways and tried to set up a shower using the Necklace. But as soon as the drops of water touched them, the trees shook violently and their leaves turned brown and fell off.
Hmm . . . that’s strange, I thought and stopped the flow of water. Remembering the trees’ attraction to the fire amulet, I wondered if fire might be their energy source.
I tried to repair the damaged trees by warming them with my fire power. The first tree started to heal, but I could still feel the energy draining out of it. Heartbroken, I removed my hands from the trunk as silent tears ran down my face.
Ren found me a few minutes later, brushed away a tear, and asked, “Why are you crying?”
“I killed a tree,” I said through a sniffle. “I think these trees feed off of fire
and die when they come into contact with water. I tried to save them but I don’t have enough power.”
He studied the tree, and then picked up my hand and placed it onto the trunk. “Try again.”
I closed my eyes and let the fire build up until it began to flow into the tree. I sensed the feeble glow deep within it respond to me and reach out with weak fingers. We stretched toward each other, but I knew we’d never bridge the gap. In despair, I sobbed anew, but then I felt a burst of golden energy radiate out of my hands and travel from the tree’s roots to the once-fiery leaves. The liquid gold rushed through deadened limbs, invigorating dried, brown tendrils as it went.
Pulsing with new life, the tree reached toward me and softly stroked my hair and face. My tears dried in the warmth. A branch wrapped me into a leafy embrace, and I joyfully stood in its glow. Turning around, I realized that all the other trees had also been healed.
“How did one tree heal them all?” I asked out loud.
Ren answered, “Maybe their roots are connected.”
Ren brushed the hair away from my neck and ran his thumb lightly across the sensitive place just behind my ear. I shivered, and my eyes met his.
“Maybe they responded to your touch,” he said quietly, his lips just inches from mine.
“Why do you have to look at me like that?” I asked while stepping away and lowering my eyes.
His hand dropped from my neck. “How am I looking at you?”
“Like I’m an antelope. Same as before.”
Ren smiled slightly, but then his expression became serious as he pulled me into his arms. “Maybe it’s because I’m starving.”
“Didn’t you eat this morning?” My attempt to diffuse the tension with humor failed.
“I don’t want food, Kelsey. I’m starving for you.”
I was about to protest when he pressed his finger against my lips. “Shh . . . Just let me enjoy this moment. I get precious few of them. I promise I won’t kiss you. I just want to hold you and not think of anything or anyone else.”
Sighing, I let my head drop against his chest.
A minute or two later, an annoyed Kishan asked, “Are you done hugging my fiancée?”
Ren stiffened and backed away, saying nothing.
“We were healing the . . .”
Kishan spun on his heels and stormed off.
“. . . trees,” I said to his back as he retreated.
Clearly it was time to get moving again, and after an hour’s hike made mostly in silence, we came upon a meadow full of glowing flowers bobbing on thin black stalks. The undergrowth was layered with golden hedges, vermillion bushes, crimson shrubs, and dead copper bracken, while the surrounding thicket burned with trees in lightning yellow, sunset orange, and scarlet.
We stopped to take in the beauty of the forest around us, and that’s when I heard the thump of wings on the air. Kishan unhooked his chakram and Ren drew the golden sword, separated it into two, and tossed one to Kishan. He also twisted the Sai knife hanging at his side until it lengthened into the familiar form of the trident. He raised his arm, ready to throw it like a javelin.
We heard the unmistakable sound of a bird screeching. I swallowed and searched the dark sky, hoping it wasn’t another set of iron birds. The creature shot toward us like a flaming comet, blackened around the edges but burning from within.
It circled in the sky, tilting its head to look at us with one white eye scanning the ground like a searchlight. The bird opened its curved eagle’s beak and screeched again, then it flapped its wings quickly as it descended straight for us.
The flight feathers lining the bird’s wings were soft—part angel hair and part flame. Broad wings ended in defined wingtips that were candlelight yellow nearer the body but ended in a red so dark, it was almost black.
Its beak was golden, and its feet were covered with dark orange feathers, ending with powerful, sharp talons. A fiery crest lifted from its head, and long crimson plumage protected its nape and reflected the flaming light. It had a long tail that fanned out behind it as it flew. The flickering colors matched the flora of the land, and as the wings, tail, and crest rippled in the wind, the bird truly looked as if it were on fire.
It landed on a fallen log and gripped the wood tightly with its talons. Dancing back and forth until it was balanced, the bird folded its wings and peered at the three of us. A masculine voice penetrated the meadow. Warm and musical, it seemed to shimmer like the world around us.
“Why have you come to my realm?” the bird asked.
Ren stepped forward. “We’re looking for the Rope of Fire.”
“What is your reason for seeking this?”
“We want to end our quest, bring Durga her prize, and regain our humanity,” Kishan answered.
“To enter my realm, you must make a sacrifice to prove you are worthy.”
“Tell us what to do, and we will see to it,” Ren pledged.
A peal of soft laughter echoed around us. “This sacrifice is not yours to offer, white tiger. No, the sacrifice I require is that of a Sati wife. There is only one person here who is able to fulfill my request.”
Ren and Kishan both leapt forward in front of me, lifted their weapons, and shouted, “No! You will not take her!”
Confused, I peered between their broad shoulders and was soon captivated by the bright eyes of the Phoenix.
sati wife
Ren and Kishan barred my way, keeping a safe distance between the Phoenix and me.
“Why are you two acting this way?” I asked, trying to get past. “We’re here to negotiate, aren’t we? We have plenty of things we can sacrifice. I can summon fruit or golden cloth or whatever it wants.”
Kishan lowered his chakram, but kept his eyes on the bird. “The Phoenix doesn’t want just any sacrifice, Kells. It wants a Sati wife.”
“And what does that mean?”
Ren tightened his jaw and glanced at me in a way I’d never seen before. His bright eyes filled with the deepest of sorrows. He shook his head, refusing to answer me, tightened his grip on his weapons, and took a step forward, angling his body so he stood between me and the bird.
I turned to Kishan and spoke softly, “Tell me.”
In a deadened tone, Kishan replied, “In ancient times, women were taught to devote themselves, body and soul, to their husbands. A Sati wife is a widow. She is stricken with such overwhelming grief at the death of her husband that she will not be separated from him. When his body is cremated, she throws herself onto his funeral pyre to show her dedication and love in this final, flatal act.”
Ren added with disgust, “It’s been outlawed in India for some time, and my parents had forbidden the ceremony in our kingdom.”
I whispered quietly, “I see.”
I turned to face the Phoenix and felt Ren’s lips brush my ear.
“Iadala, we will not give you up.”
I placed my hand on his rock-hard forearm and squeezed it lightly. Then I gripped Kishan’s wrist with my other hand and asked the Phoenix with as much bravery as I could muster, “What is it you want from me?”
The bird tilted its head to study me and replied, “You said you seek the Rope of Fire. Only those who are worthy may pass through my mountains to find it. To deem your worthiness, I ask a sacrifice.”
“If I offered myself up for this, would I die?”
“Perhaps. Perhaps not. The true test of a Sati wife lies in her heart, not in her flesh. If your heart is pure and your love is true then your flesh will not burn. If your heart deceives, then your body cannot pass through the flame.”
My gut clenched as my heart beat double time. I registered Kishan protesting softly beside me, saying we’d find another way, but a part of me already knew that there was no other way. My mind flashed back to conversations I’d had with Mr. Kadam. I could almost hear his voice whispering in my mind.
“Do not fear the flame, Miss Kelsey, for if you are prepared, it will not hurt you.”
But what if I die
?
His voice came to me again. “Reincarnation is an old spirit giving rise to a new one, like a dying flame igniting a new candle. The two candles are different but the flame comes from those who have gone before.”
But I don’t believe in reincarnation. My eyes filled with tears that spilled over onto my cheeks despite the dryness of my surroundings, and memories of another conversation with Mr. Kadam flickered to mind. “What if your child was trapped in a house of burning flame?”
“I would run in and save him.”
I knew then what my answer to the Phoenix must be. I lifted my head and said softly, “I will be the sacrifice.”
The Phoenix raised its wings and called out a mournful cry. Kishan pleaded with me not to do this and threw the chakram at the bird, but the weapon simply circled around the Phoenix and returned to him.
Ren trembled next to me and tried to barter with the immortal guardian. The anguish he felt was obvious in his voice. “Please, I beg you to reconsider. Take me instead. There is precedent.”
The Phoenix replied, “You are correct that the sacrifice was not always the Sati wife. Loved ones of all ages, both male and female, have given their lives in grief and suffering, but your heart has already been given.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
The wise Phoenix explained, “The white tiger was given a choice to forget his love in order to save her. His heart is pure. His love, certain.”
“Then take me,” Kishan offered.
The fiery bird considered Kishan for a moment. “I cannot. Your time for sacrifice has not yet come, but rest assured, you will be tested as well, though not by me. Come forth, young woman.”
I took a hesitant step forward, which was pretty courageous, all things considered, but stopped to face Kishan.
He wrapped his arms around me and whispered, “The second it hurts you, its head comes off.”
“I’ll remember to duck,” I teased and kissed him quickly.
I heard a sob of protest behind me. Ren had fallen to his knees. He locked his arms around my waist and pressed his cheek against my belly.
“Please don’t go through with this, Kelsey. I’m begging you,” Ren pleaded.
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