Tiger's Curse

by Colleen Houck

  “Did your mother follow that tradition?”

  “No. First of all, we were royalty and had our baths drawn for us. Second, my mother didn’t believe in the story. She just shared it with us so we would understand the point, which was that all people and things needed to be treated with respect.”

  “I’d like to learn more about your mother sometime. She sounds like a very interesting woman.”

  He replied softly, “She was. I would’ve liked for her to know you as well.” He meticulously scanned the water and pointed out the waiting demon. “That one was grabbing for you, even though they’re supposed to attack only children. These might be assigned to protect the jewels. If you’d taken one, they probably would’ve pulled you under.”

  “Why pull me under? Why not just jump out at me?”

  “Kappa usually drown their victims before taking their blood. They stay in the water as much as possible to protect themselves.”

  I backed up putting Ren between me and the river. “So should we head for the trees again or stay by the creek bed?”

  He ran a hand through his hair and shouldered the gada again, keeping it ready for attack. “How about we stay somewhere in the middle. The Kappa seem content to stay in the water for the time being, but let’s try to avoid the branches of the trees too.”

  We walked along for another couple of hours. We were able to skirt both the Kappa and the trees, though the latter did try their best to reach out and grab us. The creek curved in a long bend that brought us a bit too close for comfort to the trees, but Ren had the gada ready, and a few blows on the close trunks took care of any wayward branches.

  Eventually, we came upon an enormous tree that was directly in our path. Its long, snaking branches stretched impossibly far out toward us, needles pricked forward. Ren crouched down. With an extraordinary burst of speed, ran ahead and leapt up toward the trunk. The tree’s leafy embrace immediately engulfed him.

  I heard a big thump, and the tree quivered and released him. He emerged all scratched but walked up to me with a grin on his face. His expression quickly changed into a look of concern, however, because my mouth was gaping open as I looked over his head. The tree had been blocking our view, and now that it had folded in on itself, I could see the ghostly gray kingdom of Kishkindha ahead.

  21

  kishkindha

  We moved past the giant needle tree’s reach and stared at the city. It was actually more the size of a medieval castle than a city. The river ran down to its wall and split into two directions, circling it like a moat. The walls were built of light gray stone tinged with blue flecks of mica, giving it a sparkling smoky periwinkle color.

  “We’re losing our light, Kelsey. And it’s been a hard day. Why don’t we set up camp here, get some sleep, and enter the city tomorrow.”

  “Sounds good to me, I’m beat.”

  Ren went off to collect some wood and came back, muttering, “Even the old dead branches can scratch you.”

  He threw several branches into the stone ring I’d created and started a fire. I tossed him a bottle of water. Pulling out the little pot, he filled it with water and left it to boil.

  He went off in search of more firewood while I bustled about setting up camp, which went rather quickly because I didn’t have the tent this time. All I could do was clear the space of rocks and branches.

  After the water was hot, I poured some into both of our dinner packets and waited for the freeze-dried food to rehydrate and become edible. He soon returned, grumbling about the wood, and sat down next to me. I handed him a dinner, and he stirred it quietly.

  Between bites of hot pasta, I asked, “Ren, do you think those Kappa things will come after us during the night?”

  “I don’t think so. They’ve stayed in the water this whole time and, if the story is accurate, they’re also afraid of fire. I’ll just make sure to keep the fire going all night.”

  “Well, maybe we should stand watch. Just in case.”

  The corner of his mouth quirked up as he took another bite of his dinner. “Okay, who gets the first watch?”

  “I do.”

  His eyes twinkled with mirth. “Ah, a brave volunteer?”

  I glared at him and took another bite. “Are you making fun of me?”

  He threw a hand over his heart, “No, ma’am! I already know you’re brave. You have nothing to prove to me.”

  Ren finished his meal, and then hunkered down by the woodpile and threw more of the strange branches on. The fire was bright. The flames licking the wood started burning with a greenish hue at first, then sputtered and crackled like fireworks. The flame changed to a bright reddish-orange tinged with green around the burning kindling.

  I set down my finished dinner packet and stared into the weird flames. He sat down beside me again and picked up my hand.

  “Kells, I appreciate you volunteering to stand watch, but I want you to rest. This journey is harder on you than it is on me.”

  “You’re the one getting all scratched up. I just follow along behind.”

  “Yes, but I heal fast. Besides, I really don’t think there’s anything to worry about. Tell you what, I’ll take the first watch, and if nothing happens, we’ll both sleep. Agreed?”

  I frowned at him. He started playing with my fingers and turned my hand over so he could trace the lines of my palm. Firelight flickered across his handsome features. My eyes drifted to his lips.

  “Kelsey?” He made eye contact, and I quickly looked away.

  I wasn’t used to dealing with him when camping like this. I usually got to make all my own decisions, and he just followed me around. Er, or I guess I followed him most places. But, at least when he was a tiger he didn’t argue back. Or distract me with thoughts of being wrapped in his arms kissing him.

  He smiled an amazingly white smile and stroked the inside of my arm. “Your skin here is so soft.”

  He leaned over to nuzzle my ear. My blood started pounding thickly and fogged my brain. “Kells, tell me you agree with my plan.”

  I shook myself free from the spellbinding fog and set my jaw stubbornly. “Fine, you win. I agree,” I mumbled. “Even though you are coercing me.”

  He laughed and moved to look at me. “And how exactly am I coercing you?”

  “Well, first of all, you can’t expect me to have coherent thoughts when you’re touching me. Second, you always know how to get your way with me.”

  “Is that right?”

  “Sure. All you have to do is bat your eyes, or in your case smile and ask nicely, throw in a distracting touch, and then, before I know it, you get whatever it is you want.”

  “Really?” he teased quietly. “I had no idea I had that effect on you.”

  Reaching out a hand, he turned my face toward him. He trailed his fingers lightly from my jaw, down to the pulse at my throat, and then across my neckline. My pulse hammered as he touched the cord tied around my neck and followed its path down to the amulet; then he skimmed his fingers lightly back up to my neck, studying my face as he touched me. I swallowed thickly.

  He leaned in close and threatened playfully, “I’ll have to use it more to my advantage in the future.”

  I sucked in a breath, my skin tingled, and I quivered slightly, which seemed to make him even more pleased with himself. He went off to walk the perimeter of our camp one last time while I drew my knees up to my chin, wrapped my arms around them, and let my mind drift.

  My throat tingled where Ren had touched me. I lifted my hand to the hollow at the base of my neck and fingered the amulet. Briefly, I thought about Kishan and how formidable he appeared to be on the surface. Inside, he was as harmless as a kitten. The dangerous brother was Ren. Innocent though the blue-eyed tiger appeared to be, he was a compelling predator. Utterly irresistible—like a Venus flytrap. So alluring, so tempting, so deadly. Everything he did was seductive and quite possibly hazardous to my heart.

  He seemed much more intimidating to me than Kishan with his flirty and bl
atant comments. Both brothers were gorgeous and charming. They had old-fashioned chivalrous manners that any girl would swoon over. But the way they talked, the things they said were straightforward. It wasn’t just a game to them. It wasn’t just a way to pick up women. They were serious.

  Kishan was equal to Ren in many ways. In that regard, I could understand Yesubai’s choice, but what made Ren 100 percent more dangerous for me was that I had feelings for him—strong ones. I already loved the tiger part of him before I even knew he was a man. That bond made caring for the man that much easier.

  But being with the man was so much more complicated than being with the tiger. I had to constantly remind myself that they were two sides of the same coin—literally heads and tails. There were so many reasons I should let myself fall completely for Ren. There was a definite connection between us. I was undeniably attracted to him. We had a lot in common. I enjoyed my time with him. I liked talking to him and listening to his voice. And, I felt like I could tell him anything.

  But, there were also many reasons for me to be cautious. Our relationship felt so complex. Everything had happened so fast. I felt overwhelmed by him. We were from different cultures. Different countries. Different centuries. Until now, we were even from different species for most of each day.

  Falling for him would be like cliff diving. It would be either the most exhilarating thing that ever happened to me or the stupidest mistake I’d ever make. It would make my life worth living or it would crush me against stony rocks and break me utterly. Perhaps the wise thing to do would be to slow things down. Being friends would be so much simpler.

  Ren came back, picked up my empty dinner packet, and stowed it in the backpack. Sitting down across from me, he asked, “What are you thinking about?”

  I kept staring glassily at the fire. “Nothing much.”

  He tilted his head and considered me for a moment. He didn’t press me, for which I was grateful—another characteristic I could add to the pro relationship side of my mental list.

  Pressing his hands together palm to palm, he rubbed them slowly, mechanically, as if cleaning them of dust. I watched them move, mesmerized.

  “I’ll take the first watch, even though I really don’t think it’ll be necessary. I still have my tiger senses, you know. I’ll be able to hear or smell the Kappa if they decide to emerge from the water.

  “Fine.”

  “Are you alright?”

  I mentally shook myself. Sheesh! I needed a cold shower! He was like a drug, and what did you do with drugs? You pushed them as far away as possible.

  “I’m fine,” I said brusquely, then got up to dig through the backpack. “You let me know when your spidey-senses start to tingle.”

  “What?”

  I put my hand on my hip. “Can you also leap tall buildings in a single bound?”

  “Well, I still have my tiger strength, if that’s what you mean.”

  I grunted, “Fabulous. I’ll add superhero to your list of pros.”

  He frowned. “I’m no superhero, Kells. The most important consideration right now is that you get some rest. I’ll keep an eye out for a few hours. Then, if nothing happens,” he said with a grin, “I’ll join you.”

  I froze and suddenly became very nervous. Surely, he didn’t mean what that sounded like. I searched his face for a clue, but he didn’t seem to have any hidden agenda or be planning anything.

  I fished out my quilt, purposefully moved to the other side of the fire, and tried to get comfortable on the grass. I rolled around, twisting in my quilt until I was mummy-wrapped to keep out the bugs. Tucking my arm under my head, I stared up at the starless black canopy.

  Ren didn’t seem to mind my defection. He found a comfortable spot on the other side of the fire and virtually disappeared into the darkness.

  I murmured, “Ren? Where do you think we are? I don’t think that’s the sky up above us.”

  He replied softly, “I think we’re deep underground somewhere.”

  “It feels almost like we’ve crossed over into another world.” I shifted around, trying to find a soft piece of ground. After a restless half hour of wriggling, I sighed in frustration.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Before I could stop myself, I mumbled, “I’m used to resting my head on a warm tiger-fur pillow is what’s wrong.”

  He grunted, “Hmm, let me see what I can do.”

  Panicky, I squeaked out, “No, really. I’m okay. Don’t bother.”

  He ignored my protests, scooped up my mummy-wrapped self, and set me down again on his side of the fire. He turned me on my side so I faced the fire, lay down behind me, and slid an arm under my neck to cradle my head.

  “Is that more comfortable for you?”

  “Uh, yes and no. My head can definitely rest better in this position. Unfortunately, the rest of me is feeling the complete opposite of relaxed.”

  “What do you mean? Why can’t you relax?”

  “Because you’re too close for me to relax.”

  Bemused, he said, “Me being too close never bothered you when I was a tiger.”

  “The tiger you and the man you are two completely different things.”

  He put his arm around my waist and tugged me closer so we were spooned together. He sounded irritated and disappointed when he muttered, “It doesn’t feel different to me. Just close your eyes and imagine I’m still a tiger.”

  “It doesn’t exactly work like that.” I lay stiffly in his arms, nervous, especially when he began nuzzling the back of my neck.

  He said softly, “I like the smell of your hair.” His chest rumbled against my back, sending massaging vibrations through my body as he purred.

  “Ren, can you not do that right now?”

  He lifted his head. “You like it when I purr. It helps you sleep better.”

  “Yes, well, that only works with the tiger. How can you do that as a man anyway?

  He paused, said, “I don’t know. I just can,” then buried his face in my hair again and stroked my arm.

  “Uh, Ren? Explain to me how you plan to keep watch like this.”

  His lips grazed my neck. “I can hear and smell the Kappa, remember?”

  I twitched and shivered, with nerves, or anticipation, or something else, and he noticed. He stopped kissing my neck and lifted his head to peer at my face in the flickering firelight. His voice was solemn and calm, “Kelsey, I hope you know that I would never hurt you. You don’t need to be afraid of me.”

  Rolling toward him, I lifted my hand and touched his cheek. Looking into his blue eyes, I sighed. “I’m not afraid of you, Ren. I trust you with my life. I’ve just never been close to someone like this before.”

  He kissed me softly and smiled. “I haven’t either.”

  He shifted, lying down again. “Now, turn around and go to sleep. I’m warning you that I plan to sleep with you in my arms all night long. Who knows when, or if, I’ll ever get to do it again. So try to relax, and for heaven’s sake, don’t wiggle!”

  He pulled me back against his warm chest, and I closed my eyes. I ended up sleeping better than I had in weeks.

  When I woke, I was nestled on top of Ren’s chest. His arms were wrapped around me, and my legs were entwined with his. I was surprised I could breathe all night since my nose was smashed against his muscular torso. It had gotten cold, but my quilt covered both of us and his body, which maintained a warmer-than-average temperature, had kept me toasty all night.

  Ren was still asleep, so I took the rare opportunity to study him. His powerful frame was relaxed and his face was softened by sleep. His lips were full, smooth, and utterly kissable, and for the first time, I noticed how long his sooty lashes were. His glossy dark hair fell softly over his brow and was mussed in a way that made him look even more irresistable.

  So this is the real Ren. He doesn’t seem real. He looked like an archangel who fell to the earth. I’d been with Ren night and day for the past four weeks, but the time he was a man was such a
small fraction of each day that he seemed almost like a dream guy, a real life Prince Charming.

  I traced a black eyebrow, following its arch with my finger, and lightly brushed the silky dark hair away from his face. Hoping not to disturb him, I sighed, shifted slowly, and tried to move away, but his arms tensed, restraining me.

  He sleepily mumbled, “Don’t even think about moving” and pulled me back to snuggle me close again. I rested my cheek against his chest, felt his heartbeat, and contented myself with listening to its rhythm.

  After a few minutes, he stretched and rolled to his side, pulling me with him. He kissed my forehead, blinked open his eyes, and smiled at me. It was like watching the sun come up. The handsome, sleeping man was potent enough, but when he turned his dazzling white smile on me and blinked open his cobalt blue eyes, I was dumbstruck.

  I bit my lip. Alarm bells started going off in my head.

  Ren’s eyes fluttered open, and he tucked some loose hair behind my ear. “Good morning, rajkumari. Sleep well?”

  I stammered, “I . . . you . . . I . . . slept just fine, thank you.”

  I closed my eyes, rolled away from him, and stood up. I could deal with him a lot better if I didn’t think about him much, or look at him, or talk to him, or hear him.

  He wrapped his arms around me from behind, and I felt his smile as he pressed his lips to the soft spot behind my ear. “Best night of sleep I’ve had in about three hundred and fifty years.”

  He nuzzled my neck, and an image came to my mind of him beckoning me to jump off a cliff and then laughing as my body broke on the wet rocks below.

  I mumbled something akin to, “Good for you,” and pulled away from him. I wandered off to get myself ready for the day and ignored his puzzled expression.

  We broke camp and headed toward the city. We were both very quiet. He seemed to be mulling over something in his mind; and as for me, I was trying to stop nervous flutterings from overwhelming me every time I glanced in his direction.