Page 23 of Tiger's Destiny
Sagely, Mr. Kadam inclined his head. “Ren will always jump to your defense. That is how he shows his love for you, Miss Kelsey.”
What if that’s not the kind of love I need?I thought.
Mr. Kadam continued. “Kishan was the opposite in battle. The win was more important to him than how he won. He would also protect those he loved and would also ride to the front lines, but his purpose was to challenge himself, to lead the other warriors and to inspire them.
“Both Ren and Kishan have changed much over the years. They have matured, becoming better men than they once were. Kishan has become more outwardly focused. He no longer tries to win at any cost, and he has learned that a victory for his team can also be a victory for himself, even if he doesn’t wield the sword.
“Ren’s dreams have turned inward. Once, he faced armies, fought for his people, and sought peace for his country, but now he yearns for a soul mate. He wants a family of his own and someone to love.” Mr. Kadam steepled his fingers, pausing to listen to the crackling of the burning wood. “Both men love you in their own manner, in the fullest way they are capable of. I believe the goddess Durga holds a certain fascination for Kishan, because he recognizes a kindred spirit. She is much the way that he used to be.
“Durga is a warrior in her own right, and she challenged him by holding the sword at his throat. The old Kishan would have immediately risen to that dare, but your hand on his arm held him back. I would not see this as a cause to doubt Kishan’s affection for you.”
“Thanks.” I smiled.
Mr. Kadam squeezed my fingers, just as the brothers approached.
Kishan sat down near the fire and pulled me into his arms. “Time for our bedtime story. What Greek god are we going to hear about tonight?”
I stroked his arm and smirked, teasing him. “I think tonight I’ll tell you about Zeus’s many affairs with mortal women and how his wife, Hera, punished them all.”
Ren snickered while Kishan winced. But he sat still, determined to get back into my good graces and said sweetly, “I will endeavor to treasure every word that passes fromyourlips, my goddess.”
I elbowed him, but he only chuckled.
“And don’t you forget it, my friend.”
Quietly, he whispered, “I won’t, love,” and kissed my ear.
Ren stopped laughing and grumbled, “Get on with the story.”
During my often embellished verbal chastisement about unfaithful men, Mr. Kadam retrieved his Samurai sword from its velvet case and polished it in the firelight.
The wooden logs had turned to glowing coals by the time my story neared its end. Mr. Kadam stared into the flames quietly, his sword resting on his lap. I finished with, “And that’s what happens when spouses cheat,” when we heard a familiar, twisted voice.
“I must say, your choice of bedtime stories proved most prophetic this evening. You are a woman of many gifts, my dear.”
My heart slammed into my throat, and I clutched Kishan’s arm. Thanks to Ren and Kishan, I had learned how to remain calm when confronting dangerous creatures, and I was proud of my ability to fight back without flinching. The only exception to the rule had just stepped into the light of the fire and stared at me hungrily.
Lokesh had found us.
Ren and Kishan immediately bound to their feet and grabbed their weapons. Mr. Kadam reached out to touch the three of us—and then all movement stopped. I felt my body lurch. I was being sucked into something from the inside out. My molecules were being squeezed tightly together, and my guts were rotating toward a vacuum. Suddenly, my body felt as if it was being compressed like a data file, pushing me toward a drain with a suction so strong, I couldn’t fight it. In a second, I was spinning in a black void. Then a tiny light penetrated the darkness.
With a disturbing pop, I materialized next to Kishan behind a line of thick shrubbery, about twenty-five feet from our campfire. Mr. Kadam smiled and removed his hand from my shoulder.
“What . . . what just happened? How did we get here?” I asked, disoriented.
Mr. Kadam replied, “I moved us through space. There isn’t much time to explain.” He squeezed Ren’s shoulder; then put his other hand on Kishan’s. “My princes, my sons, you have trusted me since you were young, and I ask you to trust me again. You must do something for me, and you must obey my exact instructions. Will you do this?”
Ren and Kishan nodded. Mr. Kadam continued, “Do not, under any circumstances, leave this spot until Lokesh is gone. No matter what you see and hear, youmust not interfere! Give me your warrior’s vow.”
Mr. Kadam clasped their hands. Together, they repeated a mantra I’d never heard before.
“Yours in life, yours in death. We vow to respect the wisdom of our leaders, remain ever vigilant in our duty, exhibit bravery in the face of death, and demonstrate compassion in the same way we would have it given to those we love.”
Then together, Kishan and then Ren touched their foreheads to Mr. Kadam’s.
Soberly, he said, “Your charge is Kelsey. Lokesh must not find her. Protect her at all costs. Think only of her and block out everything else. This is the only way to defeat him. No matter what happens, if you wish to honor me, you must do this.”
With that said, Mr. Kadam disappeared into thin air.
