Tiger's Destiny

by Colleen Houck

  Kishan said, “Kells, I didn’t mean . . . I wasn’t trying to get rid of you. I just wanted you to be comfortable.”

  “I’m perfectly capable of making myself comfortable.”

  “I know, it’s just . . .”

  “Just what?”

  “It’s just that we don’t exactly fit in. Our clothes are different, our speech, our mannerisms. Kelsey, I announced our betrothal and made efforts to see to your comfort to protect you. A single woman doesn’t fend for herself. Not in this kind of environment.”

  “What about the Queen Bee over there? I don’t see a ring on her finger, and she seems to be fending for herself just fine.”

  “It’s different for royalty,” Kishan explained. “She is likely protected by her man-at-arms or even a group of bodyguards.”

  “But you’re forgetting that I can protect myself.”

  “It doesn’t hurt to keep up appearances.”

  As I stewed over his words, Ren added, “I apologize for leaving you out of our conversation. I was simply trying to assess who she is and what languages she speaks. It will help us to determine where we are and what point in history we are in without asking outright.” He took my hand. “I didn’t intend to brush you aside. I’m sorry.”

  “Oh,” I sighed. “Well, I don’t like her, and I don’t trust her. We should leave.”

  “Where else do you expect us to go, Kelsey?” Ren asked.

  “We should be looking for Lokesh.”

  “We don’t know where to find him,” Kishan stated. “I don’t like the harridan either, but our best option is find out what she knows.”

  The harridan? I raised my eyebrows. Kishan had never treated a woman with anything but respect.

  “What exactly does durbala mean?” I asked Ren as Kishan busied himself inspecting the tent.

  “It depends on how it’s used, but the word can mean ‘small,’ ‘sickly,’ or . . . ‘impotent.’”

  I clapped my hand over my mouth to stifle my giggle. “No wonder he’s mad.”

  Ren gave me a lopsided smile, retrieved our backpack, and sorted through everything to count all of our weapons.

  Picking up Anamika’s fallen hairbrush, I twirled it thoughtfully and remembered her blistered feet. “Well, she’s obviously not the goddess, so why does she look like Durga?” I wondered aloud.

  Ren took the trident from his belt and ran his fingertips down the length of it before placing it into the backpack. “I don’t know, Kells. But we were brought here for a reason. We just need time to figure out what that reason is.”

  “Are you hiding our weapons?”

  He nodded. “For now. They are of exceptional quality. I wouldn’t want someone to see the gold and make plans to take them. Speaking of which . . .” Ren rose and gently lifted the sleeve of my T-shirt. His fingers brushed against my skin, and I shivered as he slid Fanindra down my arm. Bright blue eyes sought mine, and a familiar lopsided smile appeared as he watched my reaction to his touch. Saying nothing, he let out a soft sigh and placed Fanindra into the backpack; then he moved on to retrieve Kishan’s weapons.

  Anamika returned, followed by several men carrying rugs, pillows, and platters of food. They positioned the bedding behind a curtain, set the food on a low table, and waited at the entrance.

  “Kelsey will stay in my tent,” Anamika announced.

  Kishan was about to protest when Anamika raised her hand.

  “I allow no impropriety among my men, and I won’t make any exceptions for you and your betrothed. I will, however, give you my vow that she will remain safe with me. The two of you will be assigned a tent to share and will be given proper clothing and . . . boots.”

  I had forgotten that Ren and Kishan had no shoes. They’d switched from tigers to leap through the vortex and wore only their loose shirts and pants.

  Anamika examined my jeans and T-shirt with a puzzled expression. “Perhaps some of my clothing can be cut down to accommodate your smallish stature,” she offered.

  No one had ever called me small before. I stood up as tall as I could. “Just because you’re freakishly large does not mean I am small. My height is considered slightly above average in my homeland, I’ll have you know.”

  “Indeed.” Her mouth twitched.

  I took the backpack from Ren and slammed it over my shoulders. “I have my own clothes anyway. There is no need to cut any of your precious warrior-Barbie outfits.”

  Anamika made a noise suspiciously like a growl and signaled a guard. “Take the men to their tent.”

  As the brothers were being escorted away, she said to Kishan, “You may return to visit your little woman at the morning meal.”

  Kishan and Ren both paused at the tent opening to look at me. I jiggled the backpack to reassure them I could take care of myself. They nodded and disappeared.

  A servant entered and poured water into our goblets. Anamika sank onto the floor to make herself comfortable on the pillows. Placing my backpack as close as possible, I joined her and picked up my cup. The liquid was icy and fresh—the most delicious water I’d ever tasted.

  “It’s wonderful!” I remarked after draining my cup.

  Anamika grunted. “The water comes directly from the mountains. I also find it refreshing. Now, please, eat. I wouldn’t want your fiancé to accuse me of starving you.”

  There were several different dishes, including bowls of toasted almonds, spicy chickpeas, pickled potatoes, lentils, and a few small pieces of fire-roasted meat. Anamika nibbled on a fragrant white fruit called lychee.

  I picked up some flatbread and used it to scoop up chickpeas and the meat. “How did you hurt your feet?” I asked.

  “My feet are none of your affair.”

  “They looked pretty bad,” I remarked as I tried the potatoes.

  She grunted but didn’t say anything more. I watched her as I ate. Who is she and why does she look like Durga?

  After she pulled off a small piece of flatbread and ate it, she turned her body away from the table as if she couldn’t look at the food any longer.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked. “You don’t like the food? A woman like you probably doesn’t like to eat anything she didn’t hunt down and kill herself, right?”

  “I am no longer hungry.”

  I paused with a piece of plump lychee fruit pinched between my fingers. “You’re full?” I was confused, but only for a moment. I’d met women like her before, women like Ren’s annoying girlfriend, Randi. “Oh, you’ve got an Amazon figure to maintain.”

  “I do not understand ‘Amazon figure.’”

  “A figure is the shape of your body, and Amazons are these tall, beautiful women who live in South America. They are warriors who don’t need men to take care of them.”

  “I have no concern for the shape of my body as long as it is strong. An Amazon, as you call me, may be what I am now but I was not always so. I like men.”

  She’d said it with such sincerity that I couldn’t help laughing. “I understand. I like men too,” I said. “So why are you an Amazon now?”

  Anamika brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. “I was not always alone. I had a brother . . . Sunil. He was my twin.” The ghost of a smile appeared on her lips. “He was the senani, in command of our forces.”

  “What happened to him?”

  “He was taken. Captured by our enemy.” She paused. “He is likely dead or so my men would have me believe. You asked about my feet. I dreamed my brother called to me, and I left my tent to find him. His voice compelled me forward, and I pressed on, not caring that my feet were cut by sharp rocks and torn by thorns and brambles. When I woke, I found I had experienced a walking dream and was far from my camp.”

  “I’m sorry about your brother, Anamika.”

  “We came here with thirty thousand foot soldiers, twenty thousand chariots, and five thousand battle elephants, along with dozens of spies and messengers. In the last battle, my brother was lost and our sena, our army,
was struck down, hobbled. Hundreds of our elephants were overcome, and all that is now left of our proud warriors are a few thousand, most of whom are injured.”

  “Your enemy sounds formidable.”

  “He is a demon,” she said tiredly.

  “Why don’t you eat a bit more?” I pressed. “You need to keep up your strength.”

  She turned to me with piercing eyes. “I will not. This food is more than most of my men get in a month. How can I eat more when they are starving?”

  I paused in reaching for another piece of flatbread. “Your men are hungry?”

  “Hunger is the most trivial of their sufferings. I have asked them to return home, but they refuse to desert me, and I cannot leave until I determine what has happened to my brother.”

  With a pointed glare, she got up and thrust aside the sheer curtain dividing the sleeping area. Anamika lay down on the floor of the tent and wrapped a thin blanket around her body. Whispering hushed words, I used the Golden Fruit to refill the bowls of food and even add a few more. Then I asked the guard outside the tent if he would distribute the food to the men.

  The bowls were quietly removed and a hush fell over the camp as the men sought their tents for warm blankets. I peered up at the bright stars and wondered which tent belonged to Ren and Kishan. Shivering, I closed the flap and rubbed my arms.

  Finding my pile of blankets, I wiggled between them and attempted to sleep. I lay there thinking about how warm I’d be if I was nestled between my tigers and clutched my blankets tightly as the night cooled to freezing temperatures. Finally, I could no longer stand it. Glancing at Anamika’s inert form, I asked the Divine Scarf to make thick blankets and to soften the thin pallet I’d been given. I also made cozy mittens, cushioned socks, and a knit hat to cover my ears.

  I was finally comfortable, but I still couldn’t rest knowing that Anamika had only a thin blanket and threadbare clothing. Commanding the Scarf once again, I hoped that she wouldn’t hear the whisper of threads as they covered her body. When the Scarf’s work was done, Anamika moaned and rolled in her newly made thick blankets. Her sore feet were now encased in cashmere socks, and a soft pillow cushioned her head. I risked a peek through the sheer curtain. She’d drawn the blankets up to her nose, and her long black hair spilled across the pillow.

  Annoying as she was, Anamika was definitely gorgeous. The memory of her talking to Ren in Hindi disturbed me more than I liked to admit. I was jealous, but at the same time, I felt a connection, a kinship to the woman. She’d lost her brother, and she was in pain. I also couldn’t help but admire her strength and her dedication to her men.

  Sighing softly, I snuggled under my blankets to finally sleep. I don’t know how long I’d been asleep—hours or mere minutes—when I awoke to the sound of Anamika’s scream.

  25

  sibling rivalry

  A dark intruder wrestled with Anamika. I threw off my blankets and turned my backpack over, spilling out our golden weapons. Nocking an arrow and thrusting the curtain aside, I aimed at the shadows. The torch had gone out as we slept, and I couldn’t tell who was who. I heard Anamika let out her breath in a rush as the trespasser punched her.

  Desperate for a better weapon, I ran my hands over my blanket and felt for the chakram, but then my hand brushed against Fanindra.

  “Fanindra, I need your eyes,” I coaxed.

  Immediately the snake’s jeweled emerald eyes glowed and a viridian light filled the room, casting an eerie shade of green. Now I could tell that the intruder was a man, and he had his arms around Anamika from behind. Her eyes were hard and alert, and they widened upon seeing me.

  Thanks to Fanindra, I had a clear shot. I raised my bow and yelled, “Anamika, duck!” but I realized quickly by the small shake of her head that she didn’t understand. The man spun her around so she could look him in the eye.

  She gasped. “Sunil?”

  I was just about to release my arrow but hesitated at the name of Anamika’s brother.

  “You are alive!” she cried out.

  He ignored her and turned his attention to me. Even in the low light I could see that he was tall, strong, muscled, and ready for war. Like his sister, his eyes were green and his hair was dark, but his had a curl to it. There was a little cleft in his unshaven chin. Even though he was attacking us, I could see that Sunil was very handsome.

  After a brief assessment of me, a wide smile lit his face. In a cold voice, he said, “You! We’ve been waiting for you,” he said. “My master will be pleased.”

  Sunil violently thrust Anamika aside and headed toward me. Brother or no brother, I let loose my arrow at close range. It sunk deeply into his thigh. Sunil didn’t even flinch, even with an arrow in his leg. Grabbing me roughly, he began wrestling me out the tent door.

  Anamika shouted for the guards and commanded them to subdue her brother. I could tell from the tears in her voice that she begged them not to hurt him.

  Wrenched from his clutches, I stumbled on the cold ground. Sunil seemed to acknowledge that he’d failed. With a shout, he threw aside the men holding him as if they were mere rag dolls and ran off into the forest. Anamika’s warriors followed but returned after a few moments. They told Anamika that her brother, once their leader, was faster than their quickest runners, even with his leg injury. They had lost him in the mist.

  Ren and Kishan caught up to us and quickly positioned themselves alongside me.

  “We heard shouts. What has happened?” Ren demanded.

  “We were attacked by an unexpected adversary,” Anamika answered.

  After she explained that an intruder had almost abducted me, Kishan stepped forward, volunteering to track the man.

  Anamika waved him off. “I know where he is now,” she explained. “Sunil has fallen under the power of the demon. I have seen this power used on others. They forget themselves and those they care about.”

  “The demon you fight has powers?” Ren asked.

  Anamika glanced at her men and then pressed her finger to her lips and entered the tent. I followed, trailed by Ren and Kishan. The four of us sat around her table.

  “I do not wish my men to fear the enemy more than they already do,” she cautioned.

  She picked up a blanket and wrapped it around her body. Then she wiped away her tears with the corner. Stopping suddenly, Anamika pulled the soft blanket away from her face and stared at it. She tilted her head, considering me, before finally answering Ren.

  “He has many extraordinary powers. He’s used them to raise a demon army.”

  “A demon army?” Something was creeping around the edges of my brain. An old memory was leeching into my consciousness. My mouth suddenly went dry. I licked my chapped lips. “Anamika, what does your enemy look like?”

  “His skin is black, and he has long horns like a bull. He uses his power to shake the earth and rain destruction on all who oppose him.”

  Wheels turned in my mind and pieces of an ancient puzzle began to click into place.

  “A goddess arose,” I whispered, “to slay the demon Mahishasur.” I swallowed and looked at Ren and Kishan. “We need to talk.”

  Anamika stood. “You may converse at your leisure here. You should be safe enough. I must see to my men and send out the morning hunters.”

  “Hunters?” Kishan asked with piqued enthusiasm.

  “Yes.” She headed to the chair where she’d dropped her armor and boots. “The game has long since fled this land, but perhaps we will still find some food to fill the bellies of those under my care.”

  She removed the cozy socks I’d given her and set them aside while giving me a look that said we’ll-get-to-the-bottom-of-this-later. Then she pulled on her boots and gear and was gone.

  “I know why she looks like Durga,” I exclaimed the minute she was out of hearing range. “She is Durga or . . . she’s going to be once she slays Mahishasur. I read about how she killed him when I was studying the birth of Durga.”

  “But Durga was created by the g
ods,” Kishan said.

  “Yes, but remember, she was created to defeat Mahishasur. I think we were sent here to create Durga.”

  “We were sent here to defeat Lokesh,” Ren countered.

  I put my hand on his arm. “Ren, Lokesh is Mahishasur.”

  “I don’t follow,” Kishan said.

  “I never got the chance to tell you, but in my vision Lokesh had become a demon. He was as Anamika described. His body is huge and black. He shoots steam from his nostrils, and he has two sets of horns.” Something else clicked. “Wasn’t Mahishasur supposed to be half man and half bull?”

  Kishan nodded. “Buffalo, actually.”

  “Mr. Kadam said in his letter that Lokesh had become a demon in the past. This is it. This is why we’re here.”

  “Kelsey—” Kishan began.

  Absorbed in my theorizing, I interrupted, “Also, I think he used his tiger-making zombie charm on Anamika’s brother.”

  “She has a brother?” Ren asked.

  “Yes, a twin brother. His name is Sunil. He’s the one who attacked us this morning.”

  “She didn’t say he was her brother,” Ren said.

  “She thought he was dead.”

  “He hurt you.” Ren gently ran his fingers over the red marks on my arms.

  “I’ll be fine,” I mumbled distractedly. Clearing my throat to divert my attention from Ren’s touch, I went on, “When Sunil saw me, he said, ‘My master will be pleased.’ I think Lokesh has been keeping a lookout for me. But he originally wanted to take Anamika. That must mean that Lokesh is after her too.”

  Kishan grunted. “Then it’s simple. You and Anamika will stay here while we kill Lokesh.” He stood and went to the backpack to retrieve his weapons.

  “No,” I said as I scrambled to my feet. “The demon Mahishasur could not be killed by a man. Remember? Durga was created to defeat him.”

  “So what do we do now?” Ren asked.