by Collen Houck
Kishan reached out his hand, and when I placed mine in it, he lifted it to his lips and kissed it, then bowed deeply with great aplomb.
“May I ask your name?”
“My name is Kelsey.”
“Kelsey. Well, I, for one, appreciate all the efforts you have made in our behalf. I apologize if I frightened you earlier. I am…out of practice in conversing with young ladies. These…gifts you will be offering to Durga. Would you kindly tell me more about it?”
Ren growled unhappily.
I said, “Kishan. Is that your given name?”
“Actually, it’s Sohan Kishan, but you can call me Kish if you like.”
He smiled a dazzling white smile, which was even more brilliant due to the contrast with his dark skin.
“Would you please sit and talk with me, Kelsey?”
There was something very charming about him. I surprised myself by finding I immediately trusted and liked him. He had a quality similar to his brother. Like Ren, he had the ability to set a person completely at ease. Maybe it was their diplomatic training. Maybe it was how their mother raised them. Whatever it was made me respond positively. I smiled at him. “I’d love to.”
He tucked my arm under his and walked with me over to the fire. Ren growled again, and Kishan shot a smirk in his direction. I noticed him wince when he sat, so I offered him some aspirin.
“Shouldn’t we be getting you two to a doctor? I really think you might need stitches and Ren—”
“Thank you, but no. You don’t need to worry about our minor pains.”
“I wouldn’t exactly call your wounds minor, Kishan…umm, Kish.”
“The curse helps us to heal quickly. You’ll see. We’ll both recover swiftly enough on our own. Still, it was nice to have such a lovely young woman tending to my injuries.”
Ren stood in front of us and looked like he was a tiger suffering from apoplexy.
I admonished, “Ren…be civil.”
Kishan smiled widely and waited for me to get comfortable, and then he scooted closer to me and rested his arm on the log behind my shoulders. Ren stepped right between us, nudged his brother roughly
aside with his furry head, creating a wider space, and maneuvered his body in the middle. He dropped heavily to the ground and rested his head in my lap.
Kishan frowned, but I started talking, sharing the story of what Ren and I had been through. I told him about meeting Ren at the circus and about how he tricked me to get me to India. I talked about Phet, the cave, and finding the prophecy, and I told him that we were on our way to Hampi. As I lost myself in our
story, I stroked Ren’s head. He shut his eyes and purred, and then he fell asleep. I talked for almost an hour, barely registering Kishan’s raised eyebrow and thoughtful expression as he watched the two of us together and didn’t even notice when he changed back into a tiger.
CHAPTER 15
The last thing I told Kishan was about the prophecy discovered on the monolith.
“There seem to be four parts of the prophecy, and Mr. Kadam has translated the first side, which describes where we’ll find the first gift. He thinks it’s in Hampi.”
I played with Ren’s soft ears. His eyes were still squeezed shut, and he was purring slightly…or perhaps snoring would be more accurate. I looked over at his brother, who had switched back into the black tiger during my story. He was sitting up and staring at me intently with his golden eyes.
Changing back into a man, he looked at me reflectively, and said, “It sounds very…interesting. I just hope you don’t end up getting hurt in the process. It would be smarter of you to return to your home and leave us to our fate.”
“Ren has protected me so far, and with two tigers watching over me, I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
He hesitated. “Even with two tigers, things can go wrong. And…I don’t plan on going with you, Kelsey.”
“What? Even after all I’ve told you?”
He shifted to make himself more comfortable.
“Kishan, I don’t get it. Why won’t you help us, to help yourself?”
“Two reasons. The first is that I won’t have any more deaths on my conscience. The second is because I don’t believe it will work. I think you two and Mr. Kadam are just…chasing ghosts.”
“Chasing ghosts? I don’t understand.”
He shrugged. “You see, Kelsey, I’ve become accustomed to life as a tiger. It’s not a bad existence, really. I’ve come to accept that this is my life now.” He trailed off and got lost in his thoughts.
“Kishan…Kish, are you sure that it’s notyou who’s chasing ghosts?”
He stiffened.
“You’re punishing yourself by staying out here in the wild, aren’t you?”
His golden eyes snapped back to me. He quickly slipped a mask of uncaring over his face, but not fast enough to fool me. I recognized shock and deep pain in his eyes. My abruptness hurt him. It was as if I’d torn off a Band-Aid to expose the infected wound underneath.Time for some Neosporin.
I placed my hand over his and gently asked, “Kishan, don’t you want a future for yourself or a family? I know what it feels like when someone you love dies. It’s lonely. You feel broken like you can never be whole again. You feel like they took a piece of you with them when they left.
“But there are others. There are people you can care for who will care for you too. People who will give you a reason to go on living. Mr. Kadam is one of those. Your brother can be one again. And…I’d like to be one too. Theremay even be someone out there that you could love.”
He looked away and continued softly, “I gave up wishing for things that will never be a long, long time ago.”
I gripped his hand harder. “Kishan, are you sure you won’t come with us? Please reconsider.”
He squeezed my hand back and smiled. “I’m sure, Kelsey.” He stood up and stretched. “Now, if you and Ren insist on going on this long journey, Ren will have to hunt.”
“Hunt?” I cringed. Ren hadn’t been eating much from what I’d seen. “He hasn’t been eating, has he?”
“He might have been eating enough for a human, but definitely not enough for a tiger. He’s a tiger most of the time, and for him to be strong enough to protect you and to continue on this journey you both are determined to follow, he’ll have to eat more. Something big, like a nice boar or a water buffalo.”
I gulped. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. He’s very thin for a tiger. He needs to bulk up. Get some protein.”
I stroked Ren’s back. Icould feel his ribs.
“Okay, I’ll make sure he hunts before we leave.”
“Good.” He bowed his head and grinned at me. He grasped my fingers in his and seemed reluctant to let them go.
Finally, he said, “Thank you, Kelsey, for the very interesting chat.”
With that, he changed back into the black tiger and loped off into the jungle. Ren was still asleep with his
head on my lap, so I sat quietly for a bit longer. I traced the stripes on his back and looked at his scratches. Where gaping rips had been only an hour ago, the skin had almost completely healed. The long scratch across his face and eye was gone. Not even a scar remained.
When my legs were completely numb from having Ren’s weight on them, I shifted out from under his head and built up the fire again. He just rolled over on his side and continued sleeping.That fight must have taken a lot out of him. Kishan is right; he does need to hunt. He’s got to keep his strength up.
Ren slept the rest of the afternoon, so I puttered around the area reading and writing in my journal. I restocked the woodpile and ate dinner. Still, my tiger slept. After the sun went down, I grabbed my blanket, wrapped it around my body, and lay down near him. His chest rumbled, and he rolled closer to me. Using his back as a pillow, I fell asleep looking at the stars.
I woke up in the early morning. The sun hadn’t even come up yet. My head was cushioned on my arm, and my blanket was all twisted around me. I looked
around for Ren, but I didn’t see him anywhere. The fire was crackling, though, as if he’d just thrown logs on it. I rolled onto my stomach to try to wiggle out of the blanket, only to gasp in pain as a tremor rippled across my back.
Reaching around and trying to rub my sore muscles, I groaned, “Too many nights sleeping on the hard ground and you wind up an old lady before your time.”
I gave up trying to reach and rested my head on my arms.
I heard a soft footfall, and Ren stuck his nose into my face. “Oh…don’t mind me. I’m just going to lay here until my spine pops back into alignment.”
He turned and began kneading my back with his tiger paws. I laughed painfully as I tried to suck air back into my lungs. He was like an extremely heavy kitten sharpening its claws on a human couch. I squeaked out, “Thanks anyway, Ren, but you’re too heavy. You’re knocking the wind out of me.”
His heavy tiger paws lifted off my back and were replaced by hands. Ren began massaging my lower back. Feeling his warm hands on my back made me think about the kissing altercation. My face turned hot, and my body tensed, causing my back to spasm even more.
“Relax, Kelsey. Your back is full of knots. Let me work on it.”
I tried to not think abouthim , and instead conjured up an image of a middle-aged lady masseuse. I’d had a massage once before, but it was actually painful. The lady pushed too hard and dug her knuckles into my shoulder blades. I didn’t want to say anything negative to her that would make her feel like she was bad at her job, so I just suffered through it. Each minute was torture. With every rub I repeated the mantra—I hope it’s over…I hope it’s over—I never went back for another one.
Ren’s massage was completely different. He was gentle and applied only medium pressure with his palms. Rubbing in a circular pattern down my spine, he found the tight spots and worked the muscles until they were warm and loose. When he was finished with my back, he trailed his fingers up my spine, to the collar of my shirt, and began to massage my shoulders and neck, which shot tingly goose bumps all
over my body.
With warm fingers, he began at my hairline and pressed in little circles, working my neck. Then he increased the pressure using smooth strokes from my neck to my shoulders. Wrapping his fingers over the arch of my neck, he kneaded, squeezed, and compressed the muscles, easing away the aches and pains leisurely and methodically. Eventually, the pressure lightened until it was almost a caress. I sighed deeply, enjoying it immensely.
When he stopped, I carefully tested my back by sitting up. He got up and reached under my elbow to steady me as I stood up.
“Do you feel better, Kelsey?”
I smiled up at him. “Yes. Thank you so much.”
I reached my arms up around his neck and hugged him affectionately. His body seemed stiff, and he didn’t hug me back. I pulled away and saw that his lips were tight, and he wouldn’t make eye contact.
“Ren?”
He pulled my arms from around his neck, held my hands in front of him, and finally looked at me.
“I’m glad you feel better.”
He moved away from me to the other side of the fire and changed into a tiger. He’d never acted cold to me before.
What just happened? He must still be mad at me about the kissing thing. Or maybe he’s still upset about Kishan. I don’t know how to fix this. I’m not good at talking about relationship stuff. What can I say to make it right?
Instead of talking aboutus or ourrelationship or thekiss thing, which made me feel very nervous, I decided to talk about food.
I cleared my throat. “Uh, Ren? You need to go off on a hunt before we leave. Your brother said you needed to eat, and I think you’d be wise to consider it.”
He just huffed and rolled on his side.
“I’m serious. I promised him you would, and…I’m not leaving the jungle with you until you go out to hunt. Kishan said that you’re too thin for a tiger and that you need to eat a boar or something. You like hunting anyway, remember?”
He walked over to a tree and began rubbing his back against it.
I offered, “Do you have an itch on your back? I can scratch it for you. It’s the least I could do after the massage you gave me.”
He stopped twitching for a moment and looked at me, and then he dropped to the dirt and rolled over on his back, wrenching his body back and forth while his legs pawed the air.
Miffed, I said, “You’d rather rub your back in thedirt than to haveme scratch it for you?” Hurt that he would brush me off that way, I shouted, “Fine! Do it yourself then, but I’m still not leaving until you hunt!”
I spun around and grabbed the backpack, crawled into the tent, and zipped it up.
Half an hour later, I unzipped the tent and peeked out. Ren was gone. I sighed and began collecting firewood again to bulk up our supply.
I was dragging a heavy log over to the fire pit when I heard a voice coming from the trees.
Kishan was leaning against a tree watching me. He whistled, “Who knew such a small girl would have such big muscles.”
I ignored him and finished dragging the log, then dusted off my hands and sat down with a bottle of water.
He sat down beside me, a little too close, and stretched out his long legs in front of him. I offered him a bottle of water, and he took it.
“I don’t know what you said, Kelsey, but whatever it was, worked. Ren is out hunting.”
I grimaced. “Did he say anything to you?”
“Just that I was supposed to watch you while he was gone. A hunt can take several days.”
“Really? I had no idea it would take that long.” I hesitated, “So…he doesn’t mind you staying here while
he’s gone?”
“Oh, heminds ,” he chuckled, “but he wants to make sure you’re safe. At least he trusts methat much.”
“Well, I think he’s mad atboth of us right now.”
Kishan looked at me curiously with a raised eyebrow. “How so?”
“Um…let’s just say we had a misunderstanding.”
Kishan’s face turned hard. “Don’t worry, Kelsey. I’m sure that whatever he’s upset about is foolish.
He’s very argumentative.”
I sighed and shook my head sadly. “No, it’s really all my fault. I’m difficult, a hindrance, and I’m a pain to have around sometimes. He’s probably used to being around sophisticated, more experienced women who are much more…more…well, more than I am.”
Kishan quirked an eyebrow. “Dhiren hasn’t been aroundany women as far as I know. I must confess that I’m now exceedingly curious as to what your argument was about. Whether you tell me or not, I won’t tolerate anymore derogatory comments about yourself. He’s lucky to have you, and he’dbetter realize it.” He grinned. “Of course, if you did have a falling-out, you’re always welcome to stay with me.”
“Thanks for the offer, but I don’t really want to live in the jungle.”
He laughed. “Foryou …I may even consider a change of residence. You, my lovely, are a prize worth fighting for.”
I laughed and punched him lightly on the arm. “You, sir, are a major flirt. Worth fighting for? I think you
two have been tigers for too long. I’m no great beauty, especially when I’m stuck out here in the jungle.
I
haven’t even picked a major yet. What have I ever done that would make someone want to fight overme
?”
Kishan apparently took my rhetorical questions seriously. He reflected for a moment, then answered,
“For one thing, I’ve never met a woman so dedicated to helping others. You put your own life at risk for a person you met only a few weeks ago. You are confident, feisty, intelligent, and full of empathy. I find you charming and, yes, beautiful.”
He fingered a strand of my hair. I blushed at his assessment and sipped my water.
I said softly, “I don’t like him being angry with me.”
He shrugged and dropped his hand,
looking slightly annoyed that I’d steered the conversation back to Ren. “Yes. I’ve been on the receiving side of his anger, and I’ve learned not to underestimate his ability to hold a grudge.”
“Kishan, can I ask you something…personal?”
He chuckled and rubbed his jaw. “I am at your service.”
“It’s about Ren’s fiancée.”
His countenance darkened, and he murmured tightly, “What is your question?”
I faltered for a moment. “Was she…beautiful?”
“Yes. She was.”
“Will you tell me a little about her?”
His face relaxed a little, and he stared off into the jungle. He ran a hand through his hair and mused,
“Yesubai was very…bewitching . She was the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen.”
He spoke quietly, “The last day I saw her, she wore a beautiful sparkling gold sharara with a tinkling jeweled belt, and her hair was coiled and twisted up with a golden chain. She always dressed elegantly, befitting her station, and she was arrayed as a bride in all her finery that day. That last image of her is something I have remembered all these hundreds of years.”
“What did she look like?”
“She had a lovely, oval-shaped face, full pink lips, dark lashes and eyebrows, and the most amazing violet eyes. She was petite and only came up to my shoulder. When her hair was down, she often covered it with a scarf, but it was smooth, silky, and black as a raven’s wing. It was long and cascaded down her back to her knees.”
I closed my eyes and pictured this perfect woman with Ren. The idea of it punctured my heart, ripped a gaping hole right through the center, and pierced me with an emotion I didn’t know I could feel.
He continued, “The minute I saw her, I knew that I wanted her. I would have no other but her.”
I asked, “How did you two meet?”
“Ren and I were not allowed to engage in battle at the same time for fear that both of us would be killed,