Page 137 of Tiger's Quest

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Hovers within my gates,

And my divine Althea brings

To whisper at the grates;

When I lie tangled in her hair

And fetter’d to her eye,

The birds that wanton in the air

Know no such liberty.

Stone walls do not a prison make,

Nor iron bars a cage;

Minds innocent and quiet take

That for an hermitage;

If I have freedom in my love

And in my soul am free,

Angels alone, that soar above,

Enjoy such liberty.

He pressed his forehead to the bars. “The only thing I couldn’t bear is if he hurtyou. I won’t allow it. Iwon’tlet him find you, Kelsey. No matter what.”

“What do you mean?”

He smiled. “Nothing, my sweet. Don’t worry.” He moved back to rest his broken body against the wall of the cage. “It’s time to go,iadala.”

I got up to leave but paused at the door when he called out, “Kelsey?”

I turned.

“No matter what happens,pleaseremember that I love you,hridaya patni. Promise me that you’ll remember.”

“I’ll remember. I promise.Mujhe tumse pyarhai, Ren.”

“Go now.”

He smiled weakly, and then his eyes changed. The blue leeched out, and they became gray, flat, and lifeless. Perhaps it was a trick of the light, but it almost looked as if Ren had died. I took a hesitant step back.

“Ren?”

His soft voice replied, “Please go, Kelsey. Everything will be alright.”

“Ren?”

“Good-bye, my love.”

“Ren!”

Something was happening, and it wasn’t alright. I felt something snap. I gasped for air. Something was very wrong. The connection I felt between us was almost tangible, like a metal tether. The closer we’d become, the stronger the connection was. It rooted me, connected me to him like a telephone line, but something had severed the cable.

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