Page 166 of Tiger's Voyage
We entered another tunnel on the far side of the lake. It wasn’t long before we came into a carved-out room. The ice path ran in a circle around it; in the center was a tall stone fountain. Ren and Kishan stopped, and I asked the Scarf to make them clothes while I unbuckled them. When they were free, I turned my attention to the fountain, which was about twenty feet tall, had four basins, and was covered with ice.
Kishan shrugged into a thick coat and walked over to me. “It’s up to you now, Kells. Free the guardian.”
“What? What do I have to do?” I asked nervously, wondering what new kind of scariness I’d be facing next.
“Melt the ice,” Kishan replied, nodding to the fountain.
Relieved, I relaxed and smiled. “That I can do. Flowing water, coming right up.”
I peeled off my gloves and raised both hands. Starting at the top of the fountain, I slowly worked my way down. Each inch I melted uncovered the most beautifully detailed carvings of fish, dolphins, starfish, crabs, and turtles. My power started to wane when I was only a third of the way finished.
“What’s wrong?” Kishan asked.
“She’s cold,” a warm voice behind us responded.One that I trieddesperately to ignore.
Kishan took my hand and rubbed it between his palms. “Is that better? Try now.”
I did, but the heat soon sputtered again, and what was worse, the water I’d defrosted was glazing over.
“Maybe you just need to rest for a while,” Kishan suggested.
Ren walked up and silently held out his hand. I glanced at it and shook my head.
“Don’t be stubborn, Kelsey.”
I rubbed my palms vigorously. “I can do this myself, thanks.” I tapped my inner core of fire and threw everything I had into the blaze, determined not take Ren’s hand and allow myself to succumb to the burning I felt when he touched me. I could finish without him.
I pushed heat out until the cavern thrummed with it. The ice melted faster and faster. I started to sweat as the fire flamed down my arms. When I finally thawed the bottom of the fountain, I had about two seconds to marvel at the life-sized mermaid I’d uncovered before I collapsed at Kishan’s feet. He picked me up and set me on the lip of the fountain to rest. Ren scolded me, despite my verbal assurances that I was fine and my admonition to zip it.
Now that the water was moving freely, I saw how beautiful it was. The water wasn’t clear or even blue. It was milky white and sparkling. Dolphins at the top of the fountain shot water into the second basin while stone fish peeked out of the third tier and dribbled water into the next. Turtles lay as if sunning themselves on rocks, and the mermaid wriggled her tail and combed through her long hair with her fingers and …wait… the mermaid wasalive!
She giggled and twitched flirty fingers at Kishan. “Aren’t you a lucky girl to be carried around by such a handsome man?”
“Yep. My luck runneth over. Are you the guardian of the key?”
“That all depends,” she leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially. “Just between us girls, can I keep one of these two?”
I frowned. “What, exactly, would you do with one of them?”
The mermaid tittered. “I’m sure I could think of something.”
“They do have claws and tails, you know.”
“And I’ve got scales. So what?”
“Yes, indeed, you do have scales,” Kishan grunted appreciatively.
I slapped his arm lightly. “Stop looking.”
“Right.” He cleared his throat. “We really do need the key to the Seventh Pagoda. Umm … What is your name?”
She pouted prettily. “Kaeliora. Alright, you can have the key. But you’ll have to get it yourselves. If I can’t keep one of the men, then there’s no good reason for me to get my hair wet again.” She frowned and peered at her reflection in the water. “It’s been covered in ice so long all the roots are drying out,” she exclaimed. Picking up a comb made of coral, she began delicately combing out her mounds of long blonde hair.
When she picked up the section covering her right upper body, I gasped softly. She had scales alright. They were all over her. Her arms, face, and back were human, but the scales from her fish tail traveled up most of her torso and banded around her neck like a halter top. When she turned to look at her reflection in the water again, I saw that the whole front of her upper body was encased in cat-suit-style scales that seemed somehow more provocative than her being nude. Kaeliora’s scales were a kind of purplish-green and gray like those of a rainbow trout. She was gorgeous and seemed to be seeking Ren and Kishan’s attention.
Turning my eyes deliberately to the snapping turtle, I said, “So? The key? You won’t have to get your hair wet. I’ll do it.”
“Fine, but first, where’s my present?” She fluttered her fingers.
