Page 100 of Tiger's Destiny
“Why don’t you eat a bit more?” I pressed. “You need to keep up your strength.”
She turned to me with piercing eyes. “I will not. This food is more than most of my men get in a month. How can I eat more when they are starving?”
I paused in reaching for another piece of flatbread. “Your men are hungry?”
“Hunger is the most trivial of their sufferings. I have asked them to return home, but they refuse to desert me, and I cannot leave until I determine what has happened to my brother.”
With a pointed glare, she got up and thrust aside the sheer curtain dividing the sleeping area. Anamika lay down on the floor of the tent and wrapped a thin blanket around her body. Whispering hushed words, I used the Golden Fruit to refill the bowls of food and even add a few more. Then I asked the guard outside the tent if he would distribute the food to the men.
The bowls were quietly removed and a hush fell over the camp as the men sought their tents for warm blankets. I peered up at the bright stars and wondered which tent belonged to Ren and Kishan. Shivering, I closed the flap and rubbed my arms.
Finding my pile of blankets, I wiggled between them and attempted to sleep. I lay there thinking about how warm I’d be if I was nestled between my tigers and clutched my blankets tightly as the night cooled to freezing temperatures. Finally, I could no longer stand it. Glancing at Anamika’s inert form, I asked the Divine Scarf to make thick blankets and to soften the thin pallet I’d been given. I also made cozy mittens, cushioned socks, and a knit hat to cover my ears.
I was finally comfortable, but I still couldn’t rest knowing that Anamika had only a thin blanket and threadbare clothing. Commanding the Scarf once again, I hoped that she wouldn’t hear the whisper of threads as they covered her body. When the Scarf’s work was done, Anamika moaned and rolled in her newly made thick blankets. Her sore feet were now encased in cashmere socks, and a soft pillow cushioned her head. I risked a peek through the sheer curtain. She’d drawn the blankets up to her nose, and her long black hair spilled across the pillow.
Annoying as she was, Anamika was definitely gorgeous. The memory of her talking to Ren in Hindi disturbed me more than I liked to admit. I was jealous, but at the same time, I felt a connection, a kinship to the woman. She’d lost her brother, and she was in pain. I also couldn’t help but admire her strength and her dedication to her men.
Sighing softly, I snuggled under my blankets to finally sleep. I don’t know how long I’d been asleep—hours or mere minutes—when I awoke to the sound of Anamika’s scream.
25
sibling rivalry
Adark intruder wrestled with Anamika. I threw off my blankets and turned my backpack over, spilling out our golden weapons. Nocking an arrow and thrusting the curtain aside, I aimed at the shadows. The torch had gone out as we slept, and I couldn’t tell who was who. I heard Anamika let out her breath in a rush as the trespasser punched her.
Desperate for a better weapon, I ran my hands over my blanket and felt for thechakram,but then my hand brushed against Fanindra.
“Fanindra, I need your eyes,” I coaxed.
Immediately the snake’s jeweled emerald eyes glowed and a viridian light filled the room, casting an eerie shade of green. Now I could tell that the intruder was a man, and he had his arms around Anamika from behind. Her eyes were hard and alert, and they widened upon seeing me.
Thanks to Fanindra, I had a clear shot. I raised my bow and yelled, “Anamika, duck!” but I realized quickly by the small shake of her head that she didn’t understand. The man spun her around so she could look him in the eye.
She gasped. “Sunil?”
I was just about to release my arrow but hesitated at the name of Anamika’s brother.
“Youarealive!” she cried out.
He ignored her and turned his attention to me. Even in the low light I could see that he was tall, strong, muscled, and ready for war. Like his sister, his eyes were green and his hair was dark, but his had a curl to it. There was a little cleft in his unshaven chin. Even though he was attacking us, I could see that Sunil was very handsome.
After a brief assessment of me, a wide smile lit his face. In a cold voice, he said, “You! We’ve been waiting for you,” he said. “My master will be pleased.”
Sunil violently thrust Anamika aside and headed toward me. Brother or no brother, I let loose my arrow at close range. It sunk deeply into his thigh. Sunil didn’t even flinch, even with an arrow in his leg. Grabbing me roughly, he began wrestling me out the tent door.
Anamika shouted for the guards and commanded them to subdue her brother. I could tell from the tears in her voice that she begged them not to hurt him.
Wrenched from his clutches, I stumbled on the cold ground. Sunil seemed to acknowledge that he’d failed. With a shout, he threw aside the men holding him as if they were mere rag dolls and ran off into the forest. Anamika’s warriors followed but returned after a few moments. They told Anamika that her brother, once their leader, was faster than their quickest runners, even with his leg injury. They had lost him in the mist.
Ren and Kishan caught up to us and quickly positioned themselves alongside me.
“We heard shouts. What has happened?” Ren demanded.
“We were attacked by an unexpected adversary,” Anamika answered.
After she explained that an intruder had almost abducted me, Kishan stepped forward, volunteering to track the man.
Anamika waved him off. “I know where he is now,” she explained. “Sunil has fallen under the power of the demon. I have seen this power used on others. They forget themselves and those they care about.”
