Page 26 of Tiger's Destiny
My lungs seized, and I began to hyperventilate.
Bored with the proceedings, Lokesh violently kicked Mr. Kadam in his wounded leg.
“That is for distracting me from my purpose.”
He bent over Mr. Kadam’s body and twisted the sword cruelly. An evil smile spread over his face as Mr. Kadam cried out in pain. “And that . . . is for mussing my suit.”
Mr. Kadam panted and said between wet coughs, “Then . . . take . . . what you . . . came for.”
His words trailed off, and he lifted a bloody hand to his collar. With a savage jerk, he tore the amulet from his neck and held it out to Lokesh, whose eyes fixed on the piece with delight. “She will be your doom,” he proclaimed.
The moment Lokesh’s hand closed around the stone, he and the amulet disappeared in a flash, and the beasts slunk off into the brush. Mr. Kadam slumped back to the ground. Together, the three of us ran into the clearing and slid to our knees next to our beloved mentor and father.
“Kadam! Kadam!” Ren and Kishan shouted in desperation.
Blood trickled out of Mr. Kadam’s mouth. I ripped off one of my many shirts and wrapped it around the sword to try and staunch the blood that was gushing from his wound.
I yelled, “Kishan, where’s thekamandal?”
Kishan reached for the shell that usually hung at his throat—only to find it missing. “I don’t understand. I never take it off!”
As he tore through the tent, ripping bedding apart in a frantic search for the mermaid’s gift, I wished up a cup of water, gently lifted Mr. Kadam’s head, and pressed it to his lips.
I had the Necklace fill the cup again but Ren wrapped his hand around my wrist and stopped me.
“The sword has pierced his lung, Kelsey, and he’s lost too much blood. Without thekamandal. . . we can’t save him.”
Kishan returned and sunk to his knees at my side. “It’s gone. I can’t find it,” he mumbled desperately.
I heard a cough and a whisper. “Miss Kelsey.”
“Please don’t leave me,” I begged. “I can help you. Just tell me what to do.”
Mr. Kadam lifted a trembling hand and caressed my cheek. “There is nothing . . . you can do. Don’t cry. I was . . . prepared for this. I took thekamandal. I knew it would happen. Was . . . nec . . . necessary.”
“What? How can it be necessary that you die? We could have helped you, fought with you! Why did you hold us back?”
“If you had been here, the fight would . . . have changed. This was . . . the only way to . . . to defeat him.”
I closed my eyes, and fat drops squeezed through the tight lids. I exhaled shallowly, and then Mr. Kadam whispered painfully again.
“I need to tell you—I . . . love you. So much.”
“I love you too,” I wept.
“I’m so proud of you. All of you,” he wheezed and looked at Ren. “You must press on. Fin . . . finish what we started.” Feebly, he gripped Ren’s arm. “Ren, you must . . . find him,” Mr. Kadam said. “Find him in the . . . past.”
Ren nodded and sobbed openly. Tears ran down Kishan’s face.
Mr. Kadam closed his eyes. His hand dropped to the ground, and he smiled at me faintly. I listened to the wet rattling in his lungs as he breathed in and out, once, twice, and then no more. The man who was our friend, advisor, mentor, and father slipped away. His life forfeited for a cause we didn’t understand.
8
a farewell
Piercing grief swelled inside me and burst, leaving me empty, hollow, a collapsed version of myself. All of my questions about our quest and Mr. Kadam’s strange words melted away into the shadowy recesses of my consciousness.
I picked up Mr. Kadam’s limp hand and stroked it over and over, willing his fingers to clasp mine. But they didn’t move. Gently, Kishan put his arms around me and tried to offer me comfort, but I sat stiffly, staring blankly at Mr. Kadam’s body.
