Page 62 of Tiger's Curse
“My name is Kelsey. Kelsey Hayes.”
“Kelsey. Well, I, for one, appreciate all the efforts you have made on our behalf. I apologize if I frightened you earlier. I am,” he smiled, “out of practice in conversing with young ladies. These gifts you will be offering to Durga. Would you kindly tell me more about them?”
Ren growled unhappily.
I nodded. “Is Kishan your given name?”
“My full name is actually Sohan Kishan Rajaram, but you can call me Kishan if you like.” He smiled a dazzling white smile, which was even more brilliant due to the contrast with his dark skin. He offered an arm. “Would you please sit and talk with me, Kelsey?”
There was something very charming about Kishan. 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.”
“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. 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 into 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 of Kanheri, 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. I didn’t even notice when he’d changed back into a tiger.
15
the hunt
the sleek black tiger stared, its yellow eyes glittering with rapt attention, as I concluded my Cave of Kanheri highlights.
It was late into the night. The jungle, which had seemed so noisy during the day, was now silent except for the crackling of the logs on the fire. 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.
Changing back into a man, Kishan 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. This sounds like the start of a long mission and one rife with danger.”
“Ren has protected me so far, and with two tigers watching over me, I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
Kishan hesitated. “Even with two tigers, things can go wrong, Kelsey. And . . . I don’t plan on going with you.”
“What? What do you mean? We know how to break the curse. At least the first step, anyway. Kishan, I don’t get it. Why won’t you help us . . . help yourself?”
Kishan shifted his weight and explained, “Two reasons. The first is that I refuse to have any more deaths on my conscience. I’ve already caused too much pain in my life. The second is . . . well, I just don’t believe we will be successful. I think you two and Mr. Kadam are just chasing ghosts.”
“Chasing ghosts? I don’t understand.”
Kishan shrugged. “You see, Kelsey, I’ve become accustomed to life as a tiger. It’s not a bad existence, really. Plus, I’m used to it. I’ve come to accept that this is my life now.” He trailed off and got lost in his thoughts.
“Kishan, are you sure that it’s notyouwho’s chasing ghosts? You’re punishing yourself by staying out here in the wild, aren’t you?”
The younger prince stiffened. His golden eyes snapped back to me. His face grew cold and uncaring. I recognized shock and pain in his eyes. My abruptness hurt him deeply. It was as if I’d torn off a bandage carefully placed to cover the wounds of the past.
