Tiger's Voyage

by Colleen Houck

  We stormed into the wheelhouse where a frantic Mr. Kadam explained, “We’ve been discovered. I had no idea he had this kind of power.”

  Giant waves rushed toward us, one after another, each one threatening to founder us. Black clouds moved out of nowhere and darkened the bright Indian sky. Wind whipped the ship so hard the windows rattled.

  “It’s Lokesh?” I shouted over the noise.

  Mr. Kadam nodded. “My calculations were wrong! We arrived at the Shore Temple at dawn—sooner than expected. I decided to give the city a wide berth, just in case. But he was waiting at the temple and launched an attack! We’ve got to try to disable his ship before he destroys us!”

  He had found us.

  I headed for the roof of the wheelhouse with Ren. Kishan caught up to us. The first thing I did was secure the three of us to the railing using the Scarf. Then I told Ren to use the Scarf, Kishan the Fruit, and I would use my firepower if Lokesh’s ship came within range and try something with the Necklace.

  I focused on the black ship that was quickly gaining on us. It was still too far away for lightning power so I whispered to the Necklace, telling it to pummel their ship with rain and catch them in a whirlpool. Next, I asked for any creatures of the ocean that would heed the Necklace’s call to come to our aid. Ren created a giant tarp to drop down over Lokesh’s ship, and Kishan covered its decks with oil and weighted every free space in its hold with cream cheese.

  I grinned as I imagined the panic we’d caused, but frowned when the wind whipped off the canvas and screamed when I saw large fins rushing toward our boat. Ren touched my trembling hand.

  “What is it?”

  In a barely audible voice, I whispered, “Sharks.”

  His hand tightened over mine. “Don’t look at them.”

  But I couldn’t help it. I stared at them circling our boat and froze. I heard Ren speak to Kishan though I couldn’t process his words.

  Then Kishan answered back, “I dumped a thousand pounds of rare steaks nearby, but they won’t go for it.”

  Steaks? Oh. He was trying to distract the sharks. Of course it wasn’t going to work. They don’t care about food. They want us. Heavy raindrops plopped on my cheeks and head. The waves stopped, but Lokesh was whipping up a terrible storm. I snapped out of my shark fixation and directed the rain back to the other ship. That’s when I felt the power of Lokesh touch me. Rain met rain. His power nudged against mine, and I pushed back. It felt … intimate. Invasive.

  I pushed harder, and so did he. The rain caressed my cheek roughly as if he were physically touching me, and I could almost hear his laughter in the sounds it made hitting the decks.

  He pushed so hard, I whimpered, but Ren put his arm around me, and I felt renewed strength. I shoved the power of Lokesh away using all my mental energy and felt him break off, though a part of me knew he was delighted at my show of bravery and that he had let me win. Suddenly, the rain stopped, and the clouds broke. The sun streamed over us, and I tilted my head up, willing the warmth to strengthen me during our brief reprieve. Their ship broke free of the whirlpool to pursue us again.

  My thoughts flitted wildly as I tried to find a new course of action. I tried to sink him by flooding his decks with water, but he deflected it and sent it back into the ocean along with a few of his men. He gained on us, flying forward at an impossible speed. How could we beat him?

  Kishan checked in with Mr. Kadam and returned grim-faced.

  I touched his arm. “What is it?”

  “We’re almost out of fuel. We won’t be able to outrun them.”

  “How long have we got?” I asked.

  “Half an hour. Maybe an hour at best.”

  The three of us huddled together and discussed other options. Kishan wanted to ground the ship and fight him on land. Ren wanted to turn around and ram the yacht into his ship. I thought the land option might be better because at least we’d be rid of the sharks. Our quiet planning was interrupted by the sound of several erupting geysers. Whale spouts!

  I shaded my eyes and made out at least a dozen gray whale humps heading for the black ship. They surrounded it and pounded with their heavy bodies, effectively slowing the ship’s progress.

  “Let’s run for it,” I said. “The whales will slow them down. We go as far as our fuel takes us, and then take the jet boat ashore and disappear in the jungle.”

  They agreed, and Ren ran down to tell Mr. Kadam when something caught my attention.

  “The sharks! Kishan, where are they?”

  “There.” He pointed to the ocean, and I saw several large fins heading back to the black ship. “He’s having them attack the whales.”

  “No!” The water quickly turned red as a baby was separated from its mother and killed. “Stop it!” I screamed. I touched the Pearl Necklace at my throat and sent the gentle creatures back to the depths of the ocean. It wasn’t long before the sharks returned to swim in the wake of the yacht. Ren returned and I told him dejectedly, “The whales are gone. I couldn’t allow them to be killed.”

  “I understand.” Ren gently squeezed my arm. “We’ll fight him hand to hand. It seems that’s what he wants.”

  I nodded. “He wants me alive.”

  “He’ll never take you.”

  We looked into each other’s eyes for a brief moment, and I nodded, praying that his determination was enough.

  “They’re coming fast!” Kishan shouted. “Get ready!”

  Lokesh’s ship was close enough now that I could make out figures on the deck. It wasn’t as big as ours, but it was still a ship of some power, and it was fast. A large harpoon was fitted on the upper decking. Men scrambled over rigging and around the decks and ducked down behind boxes for protection. Only Lokesh stood tall and unafraid as the boat approached. When he spotted me, his image blurred to show him younger again. Brash and bold, he grinned at me and held out a hand, beckoning me to come to him.

  I stepped between Ren and Kishan and shook my head. Lokesh frowned and issued a command. The boys were ready. Kishan threw the chakram, and Ren used the Scarf to tie up men and dangle them over the sides of their boat within chomping range of the sharks. Unfortunately, the sharks stayed focused on us. Their open jaws snapped as they breached the water. The chakram cut off a foe’s arm and sliced open a chest before it returned.

  Ren had eyes only for Lokesh, who smiled and invited him aboard with a flourish. I nocked and released a series of arrows, one imbued with lightning power. I hit two men and caused a minor explosion in the back of the ship, but I’d been aiming at Lokesh. He seemed to use the wind to divert the course of our weapons.

  Lokesh moved his arm, and his vessel surged forward. The yacht rocked violently as the black ship rammed into the back in an explosion of splintered wood and screeching metal. A ramp was quickly attached to our ship and a battle cry rose in the air as men streamed up onto our open deck.

  Ren leapt off the wheelhouse and dropped twenty feet to land in a crouch on the deck below. Kishan followed after, and another battle cry rang through the air—the battle cry of the house of Rajaram. I scrambled down the ladder and raced after them. Kishan used the chakram and claws, switching from tiger to man just in time to catch and throw between blows. As a tiger, his ears lay back flat and his teeth were bared as he roared. Seeing the ferocious black tiger, some of the men stumbled to a halt, deciding to confront Ren instead and moved to challenge him, but he was equally as dangerous.

  Ren separated the trident into Sai knives and leapt into the fray, slashing through bodies like a bull in a chicken coop. His knives spun so fast he looked like a man-sized blender, slicing through anything that came near. I hid behind some decking and took out men with either arrows or lightning. Lokesh was missing. I searched for him, but he was hiding somewhere.

  We’d taken down dozens of men and still more emerged from the ship. They weren’t armed with dart weapons this time, which puzzled me. Lokesh knew Ren and Kishan couldn’t be killed. And though these pirates were modern
, they fought with knives, machetes, and other older types of weapons. I didn’t see a gun anywhere. It wasn’t a battle so much as carnage. The sheer number of the pirates was the only reason we hadn’t won yet.

  Mr. Kadam and Nilima joined me on the deck. She was armed with a knife and he with a Samurai sword.

  “Who’s driving the boat?” I whispered as I let loose an arrow and smiled at the screech of pain from the pirate about to stick a knife into Kishan’s back.

  Mr. Kadam answered, “There is no need. We’re almost out of fuel anyway. We put down the anchor and decided that we will help to rid the ship of these brigands.”

  “But Nilima—”

  “Is fully trained in martial arts and weapons. She will be fine. And it’s about time this old man stopped sitting on the sidelines while the younger men have all the fun.” Mr. Kadam grinned.

  The three of us surged ahead into the fray. Nilima was lethal. Men actually stopped when she approached and smiled at the beautiful woman. She took down man after man as they fell dead at her lovely feet.

  I snorted. “At least they die with a smile on their faces.”

  Mr. Kadam fought as a master swordsman. He was dignified and graceful as he slid away from his attackers before they could touch him. He did not linger over a fight. He simply disabled a man as quickly as possible and moved on to the next one, his bright sword flashing in the sun.

  As we dispatched the pirates, I found myself back to back with Ren. Again, I puzzled over Lokesh and his plan. There was something I wasn’t seeing. The pirates had obviously been given instructions not to harm me, though several of them tried unsuccessfully to carry me off. Bodies lay piled at our feet. Why aren’t they using tranquilizers? This battle is almost child’s play.

  Ren defeated a huge opponent and hissed, “I don’t want you up here. We’re doing fine. Move back where you were before. It was out of visual range.”

  “You need me.”

  “I will always need you. That’s why I want you to be safe. Please move back.” He turned his back on the man attacking him and pleaded with his eyes. I sighed and blasted the man rushing at him then nodded my head. The battle would soon be over anyway. With Nilima and Mr. Kadam involved, there was little for me to do.

  “Alright, but save some for me.”

  Ren grinned. “No problem. And, Kelsey?”

  “What now?” I said exasperated as he elbow punched a guy in the face without even looking at him.

  “I love you.”

  My lips twitched into a lopsided smile. “I love you too.”

  Ren turned back with a whoop into the melee. I shouldered my bow and jogged back to my little alcove then pulled out an arrow and searched for another target. I relegated myself to being the backup, taking out men who came too close or were getting the edge on someone. I still felt involved with the battle though I stood apart. My golden arrows flew straight, and my lightning power was on target.

  Closing one eye, I sighted along the top of the black ship and gasped. I yelled, but it was too late. The man I’d been sighting had set the harpoon and fired. The giant shaft shot toward Nilima. It would kill her.

  Mr. Kadam saw it too. He shouted, “Nilima!” and stepped directly in front of her, hugging her to his chest.

  I screamed, “Look out!” and dropped my bow, staggering out of my hiding place.

  They were gone! I scanned the deck for their impaled bodies, but they weren’t there. The harpoon struck the deck and sunk deeply into the splintered wood, but Mr. Kadam and Nilima had vanished.

  A voice behind me said, “There she is!” Three pinpricks hit me. One in the shoulder, one in my thigh, and one on my arm.

  “No!” I staggered to the wall and pressed a shaky hand against it to balance myself.

  Angrily, I wrenched the darts from my body. Heavy arms picked me up and threw me over a beefy shoulder. I tried to call out, but my voice was a mere whisper in the windstorm of noise from the battle.

  Three stealthy pirates made off with me to the other side of the boat. The big man climbed, with me still over his shoulder, precariously down the makeshift ladder they’d used to board. I tried to blast him, but already my power had fizzled. I flailed, but he just laughed at my feeble struggles.

  Lokesh wasn’t with them, which was a relief, but I knew my relief would be short-lived. I would be seeing him soon. Now I knew why he’d disappeared and why the battle, though bloody, was a bit one-sided. It was a trap. He didn’t care if all those men died. My body felt heavy, and my eyes started to close. Time was running out.

  After shooting me with three tranquilizers, the men were smug enough not to tie me; instead, they busied themselves starting the boat and beating off sharks with oars. Apparently, the sharks were going to be my personal escorts. Trembling, I slowly raised my hand up to my neck and, when the boat jumped over a small wave, yanked the amulet off. I whimpered and turned to my side as if I was falling asleep and whispered instructions to the golden snake on my arm.

  Slowly, carefully, I slid Fanindra off my arm and wrapped the amulet’s chain around her neck several times. My arm was heavy and lifting her to the edge of the boat seemed impossible. I tried and failed; my deadened arm jerked.

  “Hey there! What are you doing?” A pirate twisted to investigate, grabbed my elbow and squeezed it painfully. His eyes lit up when he saw the flash of gold. He leaned closer, and Fanindra came alive, opened her hood, and hissed.

  “Snake!” he bellowed and scooted to the far side of the boat. Taking advantage of his distance, I focused my eyes on Fanindra and swallowed thickly, trying to clear the waves of blackness lapping at my consciousness. With a monumental effort, I pushed her golden body over the lip of the boat and smiled as I heard the splash she made when she hit the water.

  “The boss isn’t going to like that,” one man said.

  “Then we won’t tell him, will we? I don’t have a mind to be shark bait.”

  “Agreed. Let’s keep this to ourselves.” The man leaned over and a cloud of his stale breath washed over my face. “No more tricks, little missy. The boss told us all about you.”

  I couldn’t reply though I thought of a few choice words to share. We went over a wave, and my paralyzed body slammed hard against the bottom of the boat, yet it felt like the softest of pillows to me. I couldn’t even begin to understand what had happened to Mr. Kadam and Nilima; so instead, my last thoughts were of Ren and Kishan.

  I knew they’d survive the battle, and they’d probably be wily enough to get away. At least I’d helped to give them back eighteen hours. A tear squeezed out from my closed eyes and spilled over my cheek. Another fell on the other side. I thought it was only right that I shed one tear for each of my tigers, for I loved them both.

  Phet said that I had to choose. Something I’d agonized over for months. But I didn’t understand then. Now I knew what he’d meant. I didn’t have to choose between them. I could just choose to save them. Both of them. They would live if I offered myself to Lokesh. Not that I wouldn’t struggle or try my best to escape, but if escape wasn’t an option, it was the last gift I could give my tigers.

  Durga had said, “Regrets are only felt by those who do not understand life’s purpose.”

  I know my purpose now, and I have no regrets. If they live, my sacrifice will have been worth it. Somehow my lips twisted into a smile, and I relinquished myself, sinking into oblivion.

  EPILOGUE

  Taken

  The two men sped across India, stopping to rest only when necessary to refuel and eat. They slept only when the beast took over. They were relentless, both desperate to save the woman they loved. Both knowing it was unlikely they’d be able to save her in time. Still, they had to push on. They had to try.

  By mutual decision, they pulled off the road and parked their motorcycles in the brush, far enough away that passersby wouldn’t see them. Ren pulled bread from a knapsack, tore the loaf in half, and threw a section to his brother. They chewed in silence, and it wasn�
��t long before they both reached for their cell phones, looking for the GPS dot that was all they had left of Kelsey.

  “He’s moving her again,” Kishan said. “She’s traveling fast. Maybe by plane.”

  Ren grunted in agreement. “Can you see Kadam?”

  “No. Still nothing on him.”

  With a sigh Ren slipped his cell phone into his bag and shrugged out of his racing jacket. His brother secured his helmet to the bike and kicked off his heavy boots. With his clothing neatly folded and placed in the motorcycle’s leather satchel, Ren finally allowed the tiger to take over his body.

  The burning started in the pit of his stomach and spread to his limbs. Tremors shot down his arms. As his center of gravity shifted, his upper torso fell heavily to the ground. At the same time, his fingers curled up into his palms. Fur covered his body, and his whiskers emerged. The feeling always made him want to sneeze.

  His claws were always the hardest change. They emerged like daggers from the skin between his knuckles—a weapon that was always a part of him, embedded in his tissue. Though he’d used and trained with weapons all of his life, Ren didn’t relish war or fighting like Kishan. He’d rather wage war verbally, around a table of advisers. He enjoyed games of strategy and clever battle tactics, but in his heart he craved peace. He longed for the life his parents had had before Lokesh. He wanted to make a home with the woman he loved and finally raise a family.

  Ren circled the ground, pacing, as his restless mind worried about his lost woman. For the white tiger, it was simple. She was his mate. She belonged to him, and he wouldn’t rest until he found her and destroyed the threat that had taken her from him. For the man, the situation was more complicated. Despite her admitted love for him, she had decided to be with another. He couldn’t wrap his head around it, and it wearied him.

  With a sigh he dropped to the ground and rested his head on his paws. He thought back to the time when they were together in Oregon. It seemed so long ago. She loved him then without reserve, without complication. So much had happened to them since. Ren closed his eyes and let his thoughts drift to her. He could still feel her though she was far away. The connection to her heart called to him as it always did across the long, lonely miles.