Page 73 of Tiger's Curse
Ren frowned, but I put my hand on his chest and interjected, “Ren, please.”
He shifted his gaze from his brother to me, and his expression softened. He let go of my hand, touched my cheek briefly, and moved off a few paces as Kishan approached me.
“Kelsey, I want you to take this,” Kishan said, reaching around his neck to remove a chain tucked into his black shirt. After he attached the clasp around my neck, he said, “I think you know that this amulet will protect you in the same way Ren’s protects Kadam.”
I fingered the chain and pulled the broken charm up to look at it more closely. “Kishan, are you sure you want me to wear it?”
He grinned rakishly. “My lovely, your enthusiasm is infectious. A man can’t be near you and remain aloof to your cause. And even though I will stay in the jungle, this will be my small contribution to your endeavors.”
His expression turned serious. “I want to keep you safe, Kelsey. All we know for sure is that the amulet is powerful and may give the wearer a long life. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t be hurt or even killed, so keep your guard up.”
He cupped my chin, and I looked into his golden eyes. “I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you,bilauta.”
“I’ll be careful. Thank you, Kishan.”
Kishan looked over at Ren, who inclined his head in a soft nod, and then Kishan turned back to me. He smiled, and said, “I’ll miss you, Kelsey. Come visit me again soon.”
I hugged him briefly and turned my cheek toward him for a kiss. At the last second, Kishan altered his stance and pecked me quickly on the lips.
I sputtered with shock, “You wily scoundrel!” Then I laughed and punched him lightly on the arm.
He just laughed and winked at me.
Ren clenched his fists and a dark expression stole across his handsome face, but Kishan ignored him and ran off toward the jungle. His laughter echoed back at us through the trees and became a gruff bark as he changed back into the black tiger.
Ren approached me, picked up the pendant, and rubbed it thoughtfully between his fingers. I put my hand on his arm, worried that he might still be angry about Kishan. He tugged on my braid, smiled, and pressed a warm kiss on my forehead.
Changing into a white tiger again, he led me through the jungle for another half hour until, with relief, I saw we’d finally reached the highway.
Waiting until there was no traffic, we hurried to the other side and disappeared into the verdant undergrowth. After following Ren’s nose for a short distance, we finally came upon a military-style tent, and I ran up to hug the man who emerged from it.
“Mr. Kadam! I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you!”
17
a beginning
miss Kelsey!” Mr. Kadam welcomed warmly. “I’m glad to see you, too! I hope the boys took good care of you.”
Ren snorted and found a shady spot to rest.
“Yes. They did. I’m fine.”
Mr. Kadam led me to a log near his campfire. “Here, sit down and rest while I break camp.”
I nibbled on a cookie as I watched Mr. Kadam shuffle around taking down his tent and packing up his books. His camp was as well organized as I expected it to be. He’d used the back of the Jeep to store his books and other study materials. A campfire was crackling merrily, and he had plenty of wood stacked alongside. His tent looked like something the United States military might house a general in if he were roughing it. It appeared to be expensive, heavy, and much more complicated to set up than mine. He even had a fancy fold-up writing desk covered with papers held down with smooth, clean river rocks.
I stood up and looked at the papers with curiosity. “Mr. Kadam, are these the translations of Durga’s prophecy?”
I heard a grunt and a slight ping as Mr. Kadam pulled a heavy stake out of the ground. The tent suddenly folded in on itself and collapsed in a pile of heavy green canvas. He stood up to answer my question.
“Yes. I’ve begun working on the translation of the monolith. I am quite sure that we need to go to Hampi. I also have a better idea of what we’re looking for.”
“Hmm.” I picked up his notes, most of which weren’t in English. As I sipped my water, my hand came up to finger the amulet Kishan had given me.
“Mr. Kadam, Kishan gave me his piece of the amulet, hoping it will protect me. Does yours protect you? Can you still be hurt?”
He walked over and stowed the wrapped tent into the Jeep. He leaned on the bumper, and said, “The amulet helps protect me from serious injury, but I can still cut myself or fall and sprain my ankle.”
