I lifted my hand to examine the ring. “Do you mean the knife I used to kill the man who took you as a slave?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“Doesn’t it bring back bad memories?”
“No,” Ana said. “It does not. It is a reminder to me that you would descend into the darkest of places to find me. This ring will always serve as a beacon of hope to me.”
“And the gem?” On the outside of the ring, bordering both edges, was a glimmering stone.
“Do you not recognize it?” she asked.
I shook my head.
“It is comprised of fragments from the truth stone.”
“Ah.” Now that she’d said it, I felt the hum of the stone where it touched my finger.
“This way, you will always know I speak the truth. It is a sign of my fidelity.”
“Does marriage tempt you to lie to your husband already?” I teased.
Leaning closer, she murmured, “I am assuming, of course, that my husband will never give me cause to lie.”
I laughed. “It’s perfect. Thank you. Can I give you your gifts now?”
Her eyebrow raised. “You have more than one?”
“I do.”
Kadam assisted by taking the items I’d placed in a bag and handing them to me one by one. “The first,” I said, “is a belt woven from phoenix feathers. The new phoenix, Nightfall, offered them as a wedding present. It took me a while to get them to lie straight. It turns out that phoenix feathers are very unwieldy.”
Ana took the gift and stroked the feathers. She lifted her head, her face surprised. “There’s magic in them!” she exclaimed.
I nodded and smiled. “There’s a bit of magic in all my gifts.”
“What’s next?” she asked eagerly, handing the belt to one of the Silvanae women.
Kadam passed me a small seedling in a clay pot. It was only a few inches tall.
“What is it?” she asked, taking the plant.
“A mango tree, or at least it will be someday. It represents our new union, which will hopefully grow as tall and fruitful as this tree.”
She passed the little tree back after touching her fingertip to one of the three quivering leaves. Next, I gave her the gift Lady Silkworm had fashioned from the fabric Nilima had given her. The finely woven veil was the same color green as Ana’s eyes. She lifted it over her head and the fairies helped hold it in place. The fabric shimmered and sparkled with a power of its own. For a moment, I was distracted by the sight of her beautiful eyes framed by the veil.
I cleared my throat. “This one is to replace the traditional mangalsutra. I know it’s a simple thing but I’ll add to it later. The pearls are apparently incredibly hard to find.” Ana smiled and turned so I could fasten the thin chain around her neck. The one black pearl slid down, finding the center of her delicate neck.
“I love it,” Ana said, turning to me and touching the shiny pearl.
“I know none of these are traditional gifts.”
“Ours is not a traditional union,” she said, taking my hands and squeezing. “The greatest gift you will ever give me, Sohan, is the choice you made to stay by my side.”
Clearing my throat, I said, “Last is a ring.”
“But you have already given me one.”
“I’ve modified it.” Closing my hand, I whispered some words and light bloomed between my fingers. When it dimmed, I showed her what lay in my palm. It was the silver ring with vines entwined, but now brilliant emeralds rested between each loop with a large cut emerald in the center surrounded by diamonds. “It’s from the gem you gifted my parents when you visited. Kadam saved it all these years,” I said. “The green is the exact shade of your eyes.”
Ana held out her hand and I slid the ring onto her finger. “It’s perfect,” she said, grasping my hands.
“Right,” Kadam said. “Then, if the two of you are ready, I think it’s time we cap this most auspicious occasion with the groom kissing the bride.”
I gathered Ana close, a smile on my face as I lowered my head, but just as my lips touched hers, she spoke in my mind.
There is one more gift I need to give you, Sohan, she said.
And what is that, Hridaya Patni? I asked, more than a little distracted by our kiss.
She didn’t respond with words. Instead, her mind opened to me. Ana peeled back the layers of her soul, shining beautiful light on everything she had been, all she was, and all she would become. We embraced with all that we were, holding nothing back. With all the barriers stripped away, we discovered one another on levels so deep and so profound that nothing would ever be able to come between us again, sealing forever the bond that had its beginnings so long ago.
Though to the others, the kiss was over in a relatively appropriate time, we’d spun in each other’s arms, drifting through time and space, lost in each other so completely that not even a goddess or her tiger could have found us.
Chapter 38
Wanderer
When we finally broke apart, we looked in each other’s eyes, and there was a knowing between us that hadn’t been there before. We were more than married then. We were grafted together and undoing one would undo us both.
Congratulations came then, and both of us were surprised to see the trees of the Silvanae had woven their roots together. They’d exploded from the ground, fashioning a great wedding arbor over us. Flowers sprung from the wood and rained petals down upon us. Skimming my hands down her waist, I picked Ana up, spinning her as she threw her head back, lifted her arms, and laughed in delight.
That night we feasted with the Silvanae, dining on sweet honey cakes, rich cream, lemon and lavender tarts, stewed fruits, and salads sprinkled with edible flowers. Kadam was delighted with the fare, and I laughed when I saw he’d asked for a bag full of treats to take home with him. Ana and I sat as close together as two birds in a nest, and we took turns feeding each other succulent berries and rich bites of pastry.
When I became more interested in nibbling on her ear than on the food, she stood, reaching for my hand. “Thank you, my friends, you have favored us with this meal and your company. We must take leave of you now, but I promise that we will visit again, often.”
“But where will you go?” the queen of the Silvanae asked.
“It’s time we began our honeymoon,” I said, kissing Ana’s fingers and smiling at the quiver in her delicate limb.
“Ah, of course. But you do not have to leave,” the queen said.
Ana looked at me, eyebrows raised in question.
I answered, “The Grove of Dreams is comfortable, but I don’t want to be focusing on anything except the goddess.”
“We understand,” the queen said. “That is why we’ve prepared a bungalow for you. It’s hidden away in a lovely part of the forest. The fairies have been working tirelessly to make it ready for you. There is plenty of food, a waterfall with a large pool to swim in, and the loveliest garden. It would honor us to have you remain for a time. We promise you will be left alone unless you summon us.”
“This is a gift we did not expect,” Ana said.
The queen replied, “And you have given us a great gift by marrying here. Our lands now heal and nourish us. Any being that steps foot in this part of Shangri-La will feel the power of the goddess wash over and refresh them. Please accept our small offering in exchange.”
Ana looked to me.
I don’t care, I said. I just want you. I could feel the shiver of excitement and nervousness that ran through her and rubbed my thumb gently over her knuckles.
She turned back, inclining her head graciously. “Thank you. We will accept your generous offer. If one of the fairies could guide us?”
“There is no need. The stones will mark the path.”
“Stones?”
They pointed and sure enough the stones that lined the dirt trail leading west from the village glowed a soft green color in the darkness.
We rose and Kadam stood also. He clapped my shoulder. “I
’ll see you soon, son.” He hugged Ana, kissed both of her cheeks, and said, “I’m so happy to have you officially join my family.” Then, he added, “Take care of one another.”
“We will,” I promised him.
Together, Ana and I started down the path. With my tiger eyes, I could see her clearly even in the darkness. I played with her fingers as she led the way and allowed my eyes to rove over her lovely form, admiring the curve of her hips, her small waist, and the way her long hair brushed against my arm.
The Silvanae were true to their word. The small house they’d built for us was lovely. Ana was delighted by the garden, dappled with moonlight. I was personally more enraptured by the woman. The night-blooming flowers had opened, wafting their scent, but they were not nearly as intoxicating as Ana.
Now that we were alone and our minds were open to one another, I sensed her sudden shyness. The last thing I wanted to do was remind her of the terrible things that had happened to her in the past.
“Can we sit by the waterfall for a while?” I asked. “That is, if you aren’t tired.”
She agreed and I called upon the power of the scarf to make a thick blanket and dozens of fluffy pillows. After I sat, I drew her down to me and kissed her softly but briefly. “You look beautiful,” I said, then frowned. “We didn’t get any pictures.”
“Pictures?”
“Yes, remember? They’re like paintings but created instantly.”
“Ah, yes. Do you mean like this?”
She twirled her hand and threads stitched together, fashioning a tapestry of the two of us kissing as flower petals rained down upon our heads.
I laughed. “I suppose that will work,” I said.
As she snapped her fingers, the tapestry rolled itself up and she used the wind to send it into the little cottage. A flower petal drifted down from her hair and landed in her lap. She pointed up to her head and asked, “Are there more?”
Leaning closer, I whispered, “I’m actually a bit afraid the bees might attack you while we sleep.”
The corner of Ana’s mouth lifted. “Will you help?”
“Absolutely.” I plucked out one petal and another, and then gently removed one twisted flower after another, threading my fingers through the strands of her hair to loosen them from the tight braids. It was a slow process but it was what both of us needed. When her hair was free of flowers, I massaged her neck and shoulders through the layers of gauzy fabric.
Ana used her magic to unmake the threads halfway down her back so my hands were now touching her bare skin. I inhaled deeply and tried to keep my focus on what I was doing and not on her smooth-as-satin skin or the delicate curve of her neck. When her hair got in my way, I scooted closer, brushing the mass of it over her shoulder, touched my lips to the spot just behind her ear, and worked my slow way down her neck.
She twisted around, and as her hands twined around my neck, I wrapped her in my arms and drew her onto my lap, touching my forehead to hers. “There’s no rush, Ana. I am content to be your husband.”
Pulling back slightly, Ana studied me. Her dress, half dissolved in the back, gaped at the front in such a way that was intensely distracting.
I stumbled through the words, knowing they needed to be said and willing them to be true. “We have a lifetime together, maybe even several of them. There is time for us to go slowly.”
Ana touched my face. “You do not frighten me, Sohan. I won’t deny that I might feel apprehension at times, but I know your heart. You do not wish to harm me.”
“I would protect you with my life,” I affirmed. “You are my lady fair, my treasure, my prēmikā.” I kissed both of her cheeks. “For the rest of my days, my greatest wish will be to please you.”
Pressing her supple body closer, she said, “Then let’s begin the first day now.”
Ana kissed me and I let her take the lead, lying back on the blanket with her stretched out on top of me. I was hesitant at first, keeping my hands still even though the threads whispered around her, unmaking her lovely wedding dress inch by provocative inch. The long train transformed into a second blanket that covered us, and with the golden energy humming between us, heightening each caress and touch, I didn’t realize until her hands roamed my bare chest that she’d unmade my clothing as well.
Stroking her back, I kissed her ear and murmured, “Tuma mere sapanom ki aurata ho.”
She raised her head, her long hair spilling around us in a curtain. Ana’s green eyes flashed as she smiled. “Would you like to see what I dreamed about?” she asked.
I lifted my body up, supporting my weight on my elbows, and kissed her, linking my mind to hers, and the two of us were soon wrapped in her dream. That night we made a few more come true as well.
***
The next day or, actually, afternoon, we realized that a new mountain range had risen in Shangri-La. I laughed but Ana bit her lip, concerned with the potential damage to the world she’d come to love. When a villager appeared after her summons with a basket filled with food, Ana asked about the changes to the landscape but he assured us that everyone was fine.
After we ate, we swam in the pool and bathed beneath the waterfall. I combed out Ana’s long hair, and then we lay next to each other as it dried in the sun, fingers entwined as we talked of the future. We made a pact then not to try to peek into our own. With a bit more practice, we soon discovered that the physical affection we showed to one another didn’t affect the world around us when we were phased out of time.
We developed a habit of using this power every time we wanted to be alone, a fact our children teased us about frequently later on. Ana and I both wanted a large family, especially after I shared the dream I’d had of hunting with our sons. We had nine children together. Seven boys and two girls. Though, in actuality, we ended up adopting dozens more as Ana took in lost children everywhere we went. After Ana gave birth to our seventh child together, our first daughter, Arundati, Ana began to show signs that she was losing her power.
It alarmed me more than it did her. When Kadam appeared, as he had when all our children were born, I expressed my concern. He remained as tight-lipped as he always was and left us with the cryptic advice to look at each day as a blessing. We had our eighth child and our ninth, and I realized that with each baby, Ana had given a part of herself, of her power. As I held our ninth child in my arms, our little boy, Jayesh, I told her no more. We could adopt more if she wished, but I couldn’t lose her. I wouldn’t, even if it meant never touching her again.
Ana thought I would ultimately give in, but after a month of avoiding being alone with her, she reluctantly agreed with me, and I stole into the future to get from Kadam what she needed to prevent pregnancy. Our life seemed to settle into a routine then. The two of us were often gone, serving in the role of goddess and tiger. In some cases, she healed or provided answers to whispered pleas. Sometimes she came down like an avenging angel, destroying usurpers and bringing justice to those who needed her.
We spent the equivalent of many lifetimes lost in time, tending to our work and taking breaks just to be alone together, but we always returned home shortly after we left so we were never far from our family. They understood the need to heed the call of the goddess. Once our children asked why we both needed to go, and I told them I’d made a vow to always protect their mother. My sons understood and made vows of their own to serve at her side whenever and wherever possible.
Isha, Yesubai’s old nurse, finally died when our youngest was eight years of age. She’d been a nursemaid to all of our children and we’d grown to love her. The woman had recognized me immediately upon our return to our mountain home, and the three of us cried together over the loss of Yesubai. We spoke of Yesubai often, as we did of Ren and Kelsey, Nilima and Sunil, and of our parents. They were distant relatives we taught our children to honor.
The exception was Kadam. He visited on and off through the years, attending every birth and even helping me train my sons from time to time. He always appeare
d as himself and I wondered if Phet was gone for good. Sometimes he asked for our help. Though our list was long finished, he still had a great number of things to check off on his, and he’d recruit either me or Ana to help him.
I was with him when he gave Kelsey the henna tattoo. Kadam patted my back and smiled as the carefully wrought drawing came to life when I waved my hand over it, linking it to the power within her. I recognized the tattoo now for what it was—a physical manifestation of the love between a white tiger and the girl he eventually married, a means to reveal the bright golden light hidden beneath her skin.
Kadam also asked me to go with him to take away our healing power just before the battle with Lokesh. When I asked why, he said that Yesubai’s spirit was connected to ours, and with her father dead, it was time for her to rest at last. He added that the mermaid’s elixir and firefruit would sustain both me and Ana going forward.
I argued to wait another day until the battle was finished. That way, Ren wouldn’t have to die. But in his patient way, he explained that Ren had to perish so I would make the sacrifice. It was saving my brother that gave me the fortitude to stay behind.
Ana went with him to take the memories of being lost in time from Nilima. She also accompanied him to the time when Phet released the white tiger from service. The others didn’t see the tiger when he leapt from Ren’s body. Ana knelt next to him and stroked his head, thanking him for serving the goddess for so many years.
He turned and nuzzled Kelsey’s hand though she didn’t feel it and gave Ren a long, piercing look. Then, with long strides, he ran into the forest, his ethereal body becoming just a whisper in the grass. Once the tiger was gone, the golden magic lifted from Ren and Kelsey, her henna tattoo disappeared, and the golden light settled back into the amulet hanging around Ana’s neck.
Once, we found a note from Kadam left tacked to our door. He asked us to join him at a shrine in Japan and gave us specific instructions in how to dress and that we should disguise ourselves. To Ana’s delight, we found ourselves spectators at Ren and Kelsey’s wedding. We looked around for Kadam only to see the Shinto priest who was marrying them stop and wink at us. He placed a hand on his heart and nodded in our direction, and as Ren kissed his new bride, he clapped and cheered louder than anyone else, wiping away tears.
Tiger's Dream (Tiger's Curse Book 5) Page 63