Page 14 of Tiger's Destiny
He put his arm around me. “He shouldn’t be that mad anyway. He won the bet. He gets to ride with you all day tomorrow.”
I teased, “What happened to doing whatever it takes to win?”
Kishan grunted. “Apparently, he took my advice. He shoved me face-first into a boulder. It broke my nose.”
“What?” I gasped. He started laughing. “I don’t find anything funny about that,” I said.
“I do. Ren’s never cheated in his life. He must have been pretty desperate.”
“Hmm.”
That night, I dreamed of Mr. Kadam. He was standing in front of a movie screen studying various battle scenes that flashed by so fast I couldn’t make them out. When I touched his arm, he turned and smiled. There was something different about his eyes. He seemed much older and a little sad.
“What is it?” I asked. “Is something wrong?”
He patted my shoulder. “It’s nothing, Miss Kelsey. I’m just a bit weary.”
“Where are you? We can’t find you.”
“I’m much closer than you think. Try to relax your mind and go back to sleep.”
“But I am asleep. This is a dream.”
Mr. Kadam paused. “Of course it is. Just close your eyes and focus on your breathing. It will take all your strength to face what lies ahead, but for now, rest.”
When his voice began to fade, I felt the darkness gently engulf me. I wanted to nod but couldn’t. As his presence faded from my mind, I felt a light touch, a gesture of comfort and understanding.
Ren and Kishan were thrilled about my dream the next morning. They believed it was a vision and that the amulet had reconnected us with Mr. Kadam somehow.
When we finally pulled onto the pebbled drive of our Indian jungle mansion, I felt tears fill my eyes. As we stepped into the house, I breathed in the warmth and felt the spirit of the Rajaram family envelop me.
With Kishan and Ren flanking either side, I crossed the threshold and announced, “We’re home.”
5
putting the pieces together
While Ren and Kishan checked the house for signs of Mr. Kadam, Nilima, or intruders, I reacquainted myself with Fanindra, who had indeed swam through the waves near the shore of Mahabalipuram and found her way to my tigers. My golden pet blinked her jeweled emerald eyes and raised her head under my palm.
“I missed you too. How clever you were to have found the boys.” I stroked her head for a moment and then she lay on her top coil and froze.
A look through Mr. Kadam’s computer and security system told me that no one had entered the house or tried to contact us during our absence.
“What’s our next move?” Kishan wondered aloud. He perched on the arm of the couch and pulled me back against his chest, much to the disappointment of Ren.
As if in response, the air five feet away from us began to shimmer. Specks of light seemed to move, dancing and bouncing like scattered raindrops on a windshield. But then they coalesced toward the center and began to take form. The light became brighter, until two very real bodies materialized.
A familiar, beloved voice called out, “Hello, Miss Kelsey. We have much to talk about.”
“Mr. Kadam? Nilima!” I raced around the table and hugged both of them. “You’re all right? Where were you? Are you injured?”
Nilima smiled but staggered a bit under my embrace.
“Ren, Kishan, will one of you help Nilima to her room? She’s still weak from our journey and needs to sleep,” Mr. Kadam said.
Coming immediately to her aid, Ren carried Nilima upstairs to her room, and Mr. Kadam continued, “Miss Kelsey, shall we sit? If you can afford the time, we should speak.” He chuckled at a thought he didn’t bother to share, which made me wonder what could possibly be in store for us next.
Ren joined us on the couch, and I held Kishan’s hand, happy to have my little family reunited and hoping Durga’s fourth prophecy would be easier than what we had just gone through.
