(Tiger Saga #1) Tiger's Curse

by Colleen Houck

  He let us out and set up a mini-camp, assuring me that Ren would be able to find his way back. He also gave me a small flashlight, a copy of the prophecy, and then he included a warning: “Don’t use the flashlight unless you have to. Be sparing because there are security guards walking through the ruins at night. Be alert. Ren can smell them coming, so you should be alright. Also, I would suggest that Ren stay in tiger form as much as possible in case you should need him for something later.”

  He squeezed my shoulders and smiled. “Good luck, Miss Kelsey. Remember that you might not find anything at all. We might have to start all over again tomorrow night, but we have plenty of time. Don’t fret. There’s no pressure.”

  “Okay. Well, here goes nothing!”

  I began trailing after Ren. The moonless night allowed the stars to glisten with extra brilliance in the black, velvety sky. Beautiful though it was, I wished the moon were out. Fortunately, Ren’s white hide was easy to follow. Pits and holes dotted the terrain, and I had to be extra careful. It would be bad timing to trip and break my ankle. I didn’t even want to think about what kinds of creatures had made those holes.

  After a few minutes of stumbling, a greenish light began to softly glow in front of me. I looked around and finally figured out that the light was coming from Fanindra’s jeweled eyes. She lit the dark countryside for me, providing a special kind of night vision. Everything was clearly outlined, but it still felt creepy, like I was walking across alien terrain on some weird green planet.

  After almost an hour of walking, we arrived at the outskirts of the ruins. Ren slowed and smelled the air. A cool breeze wafted over the hills and freshened the warm evening. He must have decided the coast was clear because he continued forward quickly.

  We made our way through the ruins, striking a path toward the Ugra Narasimha statue. The ruins that had been stunning during the day now hovered over me, casting dark shadows. Beautiful archways and pillars that I had admired were now gaping black maws waiting to devour me. The gentle breeze I had appreciated earlier whistled and moaned as it wound through passageways and doors as if ancient ghosts were announcing our presence.

  Hair on the back of my neck prickled as I imagined eyes watching us and demons lurking in hazy hallways. When we finally neared the statue, Ren started investigating, sniffing, and searching out hidden crevices.

  After an hour of searching and finding nothing, I was ready to give up, head back to Mr. Kadam, and get some sleep.

  “I’m exhausted, Ren. Too bad we don’t have an offering and a bell. Maybe the statue would come alive. Hmm?”

  He sat next to me, and I patted his head for a moment. I looked up at the statue, and an idea popped into my head. I mumbled, “A bell. I wonder—”

  I got up and ran to the Vithala Temple with its musical columns. Guessing what to do, I lightly tapped on one three times hoping that no guards would hear it, and ran back to the statue. The eyes on the seven-headed snake were now glowing red, and a small carving of Durga had appeared on the side of the statue.

  “This is it! The sign of Durga! Okay, we’re doing something right. What do we do next? An offering?” I moaned in frustration. “But we don’t have anything to offer!”

  The mouth of the half-man, half-lion statue opened, and wispy, gray mist started pouring out of it. Puffs of the cold, smoky vapor rolled down the statue’s body, spilled over the ground, and began to expand in all directions. Red snake eyes were soon the only thing I could still make out. I kept my hand on Ren’s head for reassurance.

  I decided to climb the stone carving and search the head of the statue for some sign. Ren growled an objection, but I ignored him and began climbing up. It didn’t matter because I still found nothing to lead us further. As I hopped down from the statue, I misjudged the distance to the ground and tripped. Ren was at my side instantly. I wasn’t hurt except for a broken fingernail, but being encompassed by the swirling fog was chilling.

  Just then, as I stared at my fingernail, I remembered Mr. Kadam’s story about Ugra Narasimha. I thought for a minute.

  “Ren, maybe if we repeat Ugra Narasimha’s actions, the statue will lead us to the next step. Let’s try to reenact Ugra Narasimha’s famous task.”

  He brushed against my hand in the darkness.

  “Okay, there are five parts. The first thing we need is an animal/human, so that’s you. Here, stand next to me. You can be Ugra Narasimha, and I’ll be the demon king. Next, we need to stand somewhere that isn’t inside or outside, so let’s look for some steps or a doorway.”

  I felt around the statue. “I think there was a little doorway here, near the statue.” I stretched out my hand and felt the stone door frame. We both stepped under it.

  “The third part was neither day nor night. It’s too late for dusk or twilight. I guess I can try using my flashlight.” I clicked my little flashlight on and off, hoping that would be enough. “Then there was the part about claws. You do have those. Umm, I think you have to scratch me. The story says kill, but I think scratching me might work.”

  I flinched. “You might need to draw blood though.”

  I heard his chest rumble in protest.

  “It’s okay. Just do a small scratch. It’s no big deal.”

  He growled again softly, lifted his paw, and set it gently on my arm. I’d seen him hunt from a distance and had also seen his claws during his fight with Kishan. As the flashlight shined on his extended claws, I couldn’t help but feel a little scared. I closed my eyes and heard a soft grunt as he moved, but I didn’t feel anything.

  I shone the flashlight all over my legs and didn’t see any blood. I knew he’d done something, though, because I’d heard his claws tear through flesh. Immediately, I had a suspicion and aimed the flashlight on his white body, searching for where he’d hurt himself.

  “Ren! Let me see. How bad is it?”

  He lifted his leg, and I saw vicious rips where his claws had raked through his fur to the flesh. Blood was freely dripping on the ground.

  I was angry. “I know you can heal fast, but really, Ren. Did you have to wound yourself so deeply? You know it might not work anyway if I don’t bleed. I appreciate your sacrifice, but I still want you to slash me. I’m the one representing the demon king, so cut me . . . preferably not as deep as that.”

  He wouldn’t lift his paw. I had to bend over and actually lift his heavy paw myself. When I finally positioned it over my arm, he retracted his claws.

  I begged, “Ren. Please, please cooperate. This is hard enough as it is.”

  He allowed his claws to peek out halfway, and he lightly scratched my arm, barely leaving a mark at all.

  “Ren! Do it, please. Now would be good.”

  He growled softly in disapproval and scratched me harder. The scratch marks left angry red welts down the length of my forearm. Two of the scratches bled lightly.

  “Thanks.” I flinched. I adjusted my flashlight to see his scratches again, which were almost healed already. Satisfied, I moved on to the last item.

  “Now, the last one was that the demon king can’t stand either in heaven or on the earth. Ugra set the demon on his lap, which means I guess I’ll have to . . . sit on your back.”

  Awkward. Even though Ren was a big tiger and it would be like riding a small pony, I was still conscious that he was a man, and I didn’t feel right about turning him into a pack animal. I took off my backpack and set it down wondering what I could do to make this a bit less embarrassing. Mustering the courage to sit on his back, I’d just decided that it wouldn’t be too bad if I sat sidesaddle, when my feet flew out from under me.

  Ren had changed into a man and swept me up in his arms. I wiggled for a minute, protesting, but he just gave me a look—the don’t-even-bother-coming-up-with-an-argument look. I shut my mouth. He leaned over to pick up the backpack, let it dangle from his fingers, and then said, “What’s next?”

  “I don’t know. That’s all that Mr. Kadam told me.”

  He shifted me in
his arms, walked over to stand in the doorway again, then peered up at the statue. He murmured, “I don’t see any changes.”

  He held me securely while looking at the statue and, I have to admit, I totally stopped caring about what we were doing. The scratches on my arm that had been throbbing a moment ago didn’t bother me at all. I let myself enjoy the feeling of being cuddled up close to his muscular chest. What girl didn’t want to be swept up in the arms of a drop-dead gorgeous man? I allowed my gaze to drift up to his beautiful face. The thought occurred to me that if I were to carve a stone god, I’d pick Ren as my subject. This Ugra half-lion and half-man guy had nothing on Ren.

  Eventually, he realized I was watching him, and said, “Hello? Kells? Breaking a curse here, remember?”

  I just smiled back stupidly. He quirked an eyebrow at me.

  “What were you thinking about just now?”

  “Nothing important.”

  He grinned. “May I remind you that you are in prime tickling position, and there’s no escape. Tell me.”

  Gads. His smile was brilliant, even in the fog. I laughed nervously.

  “If you tickle me, I’ll protest and struggle violently, which will cause you to drop me and ruin everything that we are trying to accomplish.”

  He grunted, leaned close to my ear, and then whispered, “That sounds like an interesting challenge, rajkumari. Perhaps we shall experiment with it later. And just for the record, Kelsey, I wouldn’t drop you.”

  The way he said my name made goose bumps rise all over my arms. When I looked down to quickly rub them, I noticed the flashlight had been turned off. I switched it on, but the statue remained the same. Giving up, I suggested, “Nothing’s happening. Maybe we need to wait till dawn.”

  He laughed throatily while nuzzling my ear and declared softly, “I’d say that something is happening, but not the something that will open the doorway.”

  He trailed soft, slow kisses from my ear down my neck. I sighed faintly and arched my neck to give him better access. With a last kiss, he groaned and reluctantly raised his head.

  Disappointed that he’d stopped, I asked, “What does rajkumari mean?”

  He laughed quietly, carefully set me down, and said, “It means princess. Let’s find a good place to sleep for a couple of hours, shall we? I’ll run back and tell Mr. Kadam that we’re planning to wait till dawn to try again.”

  He took my hand and led me to a grassy spot hidden from view. Once I was settled, he left. I bunched my quilt up under my head and attempted to sleep. Restless until Ren returned, I gratefully snuggled against his tiger back and fell asleep.

  I awoke to find myself moving, nestled in Ren’s arms. He was carrying me back to the doorway. I sleepily mumbled, “You don’t have to carry me. I can walk.”

  He smiled. “You were tired, and I didn’t have the heart to wake you. Besides, we’re here already.”

  It was still dark outside, but the eastern horizon was just starting to lighten. The statue was the same as we’d left it—with red snake eyes glowing and mist seeping out from the mouth. We stood in the doorway for a moment. I immediately felt something twist and move. It was Fanindra. She suddenly came alive, swelled to her normal size, and unwound herself from my arm.

  Ren lowered me closer to the ground so she could drop delicately to the dirt below. She wound her way toward the statue and found a way to climb up to the top where the snake heads were resting.

  We watched from the steps as she weaved over and under the seven snakes. As she passed them, they too came alive and writhed back and forth. We could see the coils that the statue was sitting on slowly change to scaly flesh.

  Fanindra made her way back down and slithered over to Ren and me. Winding her body into loops, she stiffened and shrunk back to her golden armlet form. Ren set me down and walked over to pick her up. He slid her carefully up my arm, smiled at me, then traced the scratches on my arm lightly and frowned. He brushed a light kiss on the tender skin and changed back into a tiger.

  We approached the statue where the wriggling snake torso was now moving and shifting. The snake coils lifted and slowly raised the statue higher and higher in the air, until a black void opened up underneath. It raised high enough that there was space for Ren and me to step down into the opening.

  Peering into the hole, I saw a series of stone steps that disappeared down into the darkness. The mouth of the statue suddenly stopped emitting fog, and, instead, began to draw it back in. Fog swept back toward us, up into the mouth of the statue, and dropped down into the pit below. I gulped and turned my flashlight toward the steps. We stepped between the thick snake coils, and Ren and I descended into a fog of nebulous shadow.

  We had found the entrance to Kishkindha.

  20

  trials

  We walked carefully down the stone steps, totally dependent on the weak illumination of my tiny flashlight. When we reached the bottom, Fanindra’s eyes began to glow and gave the tunnel an eerie, viridian illumination.

  I stopped Ren and reread Durga’s prophecy out loud.

  For protection, seek her temple

  And take hold of Durga’s blessing.

  Travel west and search Kishkindha

  Where simians rule the ground.

  Gada strike in Hanuman’s realm;

  And hunt the branch that’s bound.

  Thorny dangers grasp above;

  Dazzling dangers lie below,

  Strangle, ensnare, the ones you love—

  And trap in brackish undertow.

  Lurid phantoms thwart your route

  And guardians wait to bar your way.

  Beware once they begin pursuit

  Or embrace their moldering decay.

  But all of this you can refute

  If serpents find forbidden fruit

  And India’s hunger satisfy . . .

  Lest all her people surely die.

  At the bottom of the page were Mr. Kadam’s handwritten notes in his usual, neat script. I also read it aloud:

  Miss Kelsey,

  There are several trials you must face when you enter Kishkindha, so be wary. I have also included the warnings from Durga as you described them. She said that you should try to stay near Ren. If for some reason you get separated, there will be great danger. She also said do not trust your eyes. Your hearts and your souls will tell you the difference between fantasy and reality. The last thing she said was that when you obtain the fruit, hide it well.

  Bhagyashalin!

  May you be endowed with luck!

  Anik Kadam

  I mumbled, “I have no clue what these dangers might be. Hopefully the thorny ones are some kind of plant.”

  We started walking, and I babbled along the way about what kind of animals might have thorns.

  “Let’s see. There are stegosaurus. No, stegosauruses. Hmm, maybe it’s stegosauri. Well, however you say the plural, there are those kinds of dinosaurs. Then there are dragons, porcupines, and we can’t forget horny toads. If I had to pick a thorny animal, that would be my number one choice. Oh! But what if the horny toads are giant sized with huge gaping mouths? They could swallow us whole. Maybe we should get the gada out of the backpack, huh?”

  I stopped and took it out. The hiking would probably be bad enough without hauling around the club but it made me feel better to have it in hand.

  The tunnel soon turned into a stony path, and the farther we walked, the brighter it became. Fanindra’s eyes dimmed and her light went out. Her eyes became mere glittering emeralds again. Something strange was going on. My weirdness meter had expanded considerably in the last few weeks, but this was weird even for me.

  I couldn’t really tell where the light was coming from. It seemed to filter in from ahead. Literally, we were following a light at the end of the tunnel. I felt like I was in one of my nightmares in which it wasn’t bright, but it wasn’t dark either. A lurking evil permeated my subconscious and a powerful force chased me, thwarted my progress, and hurt those I care
d about.

  The rolling mist seemed to follow us. As we walked, it surged slightly ahead to hinder our view of the path. When we stopped, it gathered itself and circulated around us like small nebulous clouds in orbit. The cold, gray mist explored our skin with icy fingers as if looking for an Achilles’ heel.

  The corridor began to feel different. Instead of walking on stone, my feet sunk slightly into moist ground, and I could hear the crunch my shoes made on stubby grass. The walls became mossy, then grassy, and soon were covered with small fern-like plants. I wondered how they could survive in this humid, dim environment.

  The walls grew farther apart, until I couldn’t make them out anymore. The ceiling opened up to a gray sky. There was no depth to it, and yet I couldn’t see an end. It reminded me of a biosphere dome, but it wasn’t manmade. It was like we’d stepped onto another planet.

  Our path turned downward, and I had to focus on my feet in front of me. We entered a forest full of strange plants and trees. They rocked on their roots as if the wind was pushing them, but I didn’t feel even a hint of a breeze. The trees were so close together and the brush was so thick that the path became difficult to see, and then it disappeared altogether.

  Ren stayed in front and tore a trail with his body. The trees had long branches that drooped to the ground like weeping willows. Their tendrils were feathery and tickled my skin as I passed. I reached up to scratch my neck and found it wet.

  I must be sweating. Strange, I don’t feel overworked. Maybe water fell from the branch. Something was smeared on my hand. The greenish light gave the liquid a brown appearance. What is that? Tree sap? No! Blood!

  I plucked a feathery leaf to get a closer look. When I examined it, I was surprised to find tiny needles lining the underbelly. I reached out a finger to touch one, and the needles swelled out toward my finger. I moved my finger back and forth, and the needles shifted, following my finger like a magnet.