Page 25 of Tiger's Destiny
Mr. Kadam whipped the sword quickly forward and left a slash along Lokesh’s cheek. Astonished, Lokesh reached up to touch the wet blood dripping down his face. His surprise transformed to fury in an instant, and his fingertips crackled, unleashing a blast at Mr. Kadam. Mr. Kadam’s body blurred slightly as the power rolled ineffectually through him in waves.
Frustrated, Lokesh summoned an earthquake, but his opponent still remained standing. Lokesh raised his hands into the air and mumbled an odd chant. A rumbling shook the dirt in front of him, and after a moment, a black sword rose into the air.
“It would seem you get your gentleman’s death after all,” he sneered.
Mr. Kadam smiled, raised his sword, and attacked. Lokesh’s sword was thick and solid, and despite having the lighter and longer weapon, Mr. Kadam seemed to have difficulty maneuvering away from Lokesh’s blows. The clang of swords rang stridently through the crisp night air. I could see the foggy breath of both men as they clashed.
Mr. Kadam was the more elegant fighter and quickly dealt wounds to Lokesh’s arms and torso, but Lokesh played dirty and used his powers to try to break down his opponent. Lokesh swung a mighty blow that bit deeply into Mr. Kadam’s shoulder. As his arm sagged, he tossed his sword to his other hand.
I whimpered. Kishan wrapped his arms around me and pressed his cheek to mine.
“He can use both hands equally well in battle,” he whispered.
I itched to use my fire power to help, but as if reading my thoughts, Kishan purposefully threaded his fingers through mine. Minute by slow minute passed with neither man making headway. The minor wounds didn’t seem to affect Lokesh at all, and he blazed into battle like a bull that had been stuck several times. His murderous attention was focused on Mr. Kadam, who neither backed down nor seemed to be influenced by it. Instead, he lithely danced away from the beast and continued to poke and prod.
Ren and Kishan lifted their heads at the same time and sniffed the air.
“What is it?” I whispered.
“Cats,” Ren answered.
A moment later a pair of large snow leopards passed within a few feet of us. They paused and pricked their ears forward. With a hiss they continued through the brush and emerged from the tree line to creep behind Lokesh. A pack of wolves entered the clearing from the other side and a black bear ambled near the fire, stood up on his hind legs, and bawled ferociously at Mr. Kadam. The wolves snapped at his heels, and the cats crouched, waiting for a good time to pounce.
Lokesh laughed and welcomed his new friends. Mr. Kadam panted and constantly faded in and out of focus. A leopard jumped and landed on his back. He threw it off, and the creature fell awkwardly into the pack of wolves. The bear charged but passed right through Mr. Kadam’s body as if he were a ghost. Despite this newfound ability, when he turned, I saw bloody claw marks covering Mr. Kadam’s back.
“We have to help him,” I demanded quietly.
“No,” Kishan said.
“He’ll die.”
Ren touched my face. “He wants us to stay hidden. We have to trust that he has a plan.”
A wolf bit Mr. Kadam’s ankle. He ran it through with his sword, but he limped after that. Lokesh circled him gleefully.
“Do you surrender now, old man?”
“I will not,” Mr. Kadam responded.
“Very well.”
Lokesh advanced quickly, swinging his black blade in a fast series of thrusts that backed Mr. Kadam into the bear. The bear raked the back of Mr. Kadam’s thigh, and he staggered to the ground, crying out. I hissed through my teeth and gripped Kishan’s arm, feeling a sympathetic ache as I recalled the painful wounds a bear had given me in the same place.
With a grunt, I sucked in a breath, stood, and made a break for it. I’d been able to elude Kishan but not Ren. He yanked me off my feet. I wriggled and wrestled, pushing against him with all my might, but I couldn’t escape. Tears leaked from my eyes and I begged, but the brothers did not let me go.
Stinging with my failure and the betrayal of the men I loved, I wept. I couldn’t see what was happening anymore. I heard the growls of the wolves, a whimper of pain, the roar of the bear, and the clash of the swords. Distraught, Kishan wiped the tears from my eyes and stroked my hair out of my face but Ren was immovable. His hold on me was absolute.
I heard the spray of pebbles against a rock, the clatter of a sword, a howl of pain, and then Ren jolted as I heard the unmistakable sound of a body hitting the ground. Ren’s eyes filled with tears. He ducked his head and silently let them spill.
Kishan’s body was stiff, his expression frozen. I jerked when I heard Lokesh’s lecherous laugh.
“It pains me to see you brought to this, my friend. But I always win, you see. It’s too bad, really, that you won’t be around to give away the bride. I’m sure she would have liked that.”
I heard the low murmur of a response, then a wet cough.
Lokesh replied, “Obstinacy must run in the family. Even now, you believe you’re going to win. Given your current circumstances, your confidence is perhaps a bit excessive. I must give you some credit, however. You managed to bloody me more than I had anticipated.”
I balled Ren’s shirt in my fist and pulled myself up to see what was happening. Mr. Kadam was lying next to the fire, the sword pinning him to the ground through his chest. He was gasping for air, one hand reaching for the sword.
