Page 92 of Tiger's Destiny
“Maybe it won’t affect you if I take it instead.”
“I guess you could try.”
He put an arm around my waist to support me just in case and then stretched out his fingers to take the rope. After touching it, he peered at me but I was still in control of my faculties.
Braver, he took the Rope from the tree and smiled. “So that’s how we avoid the visions. You just won’t be allowed to touch it.”
I let out a pent-up breath and moved to the side as Kishan shook out the length of the Rope and snapped it in the clearing. The sharp crack it made proved it could be used like a whip.
“Wait,” I said. “Mr. Kadam’s letter said we were to use the Rope to time travel. We’re supposed to use it to open a vortex.”
Kishan swung the Rope of Fire over his head in a fast circle. Nothing happened. I heard Ren roar loudly and saw the Chimera chasing him again. Kishan tried making little circles and big circles, but nothing happened.
The Chimera was getting desperate. She didn’t understand why her mate was running from her. She growled plaintively and bit Ren hard enough on the shoulder to draw blood.
“We need to hurry,” I said.
Kishan whipped faster.
Frustrated, the Chimera shot a plume of fire from her mouth as Ren twisted away from her. That gave me an idea.
“Maybe the Rope of Fire needs to be on fire,” I suggested.
Kishan nodded but watched me warily. I used my hands to try to light the Rope without touching it. It sparked, but the flame didn’t stay lit no matter how long I blasted it and no matter how much power I used. It was like trying to light a burned out wick.
“It won’t stay lit.” Rubbing my hands together, I tapped them against my bottom lip as I thought about the problem. Somberly, I lowered my arms to my side as I realized I’d picked up the habit from watching Mr. Kadam, and then I sighed in resignation, knowing what I had to do.
“I’m going to have to hold it, Kishan.”
“No.”
“It’s only going to work if I’m touching it.”
“Kelsey, I don’t want—”
Squeezing his arm, I said, “I’ll be okay. He can’t hurt me. Not really. My body will be here with you.”
Kishan opened his hand, dropped the Rope, and was next to me in an instant. “I don’t care if it works or not, Kells.”
Taking my left hand, he fingered our engagement ring. As he touched the delicate lotus flower, he said quietly, “I don’t want you to have to go through any more of this,bilauta.” His golden eyes pierced mine with a fierce determination. “My only wish is to shield you. To protect your body and soul from fiends such as he.”
I grasped his hand and leaned forward to kiss him softly. My lips clung to his briefly, and I smiled.
“I know you do, and believe me, there’s nothing I’d like better but to stay in your arms and never face any of these things again but—”
“But nothing. We have the Rope now. Durga may grant us our freedom. We may be able to live as men all the time now.”
“But clearly Ren is still a tiger. Taking the Rope didn’t fix everything.”
“We’ve existed as tigers for centuries, Kells. I can live with six hours a day if that’s what this means and so can Ren. We can stop. Here. Now. We can just go home.” He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. “It’s not worth the risk. Ren would agree. I have no desire to seek Lokesh in the past. Not if it means losing you.”
I cupped his face with my hands. “But it’s our destiny, Kishan. Your destiny. You and Ren were chosen, given the power of the tiger to be able to defeat Lokesh. We are meant to do this. It’s not just about us. Mr. Kadam said we are to protect the lives of those Lokesh would harm.”
Kishan’s eyes glittered fiercely. “I don’t care about my destiny. I only care about you.”
“You don’t really mean that. Your destiny calls to you the same way mine calls to me. The Phoenix taught me that. It knew that its death would bring new life. Mr. Kadam sacrificed himself for this cause. How can I stand back and hide like a coward when he died for us?”
Pressing his forehead against mine, Kishan sighed. “I know that you are right and that we must press on, if for no other reason, than to honor Kadam’s death. But in my heart, Kelsey, all I want is to sweep you away from here and keep you in my heart and in my home forever.”
