Page 86 of Tiger's Destiny
“You have the power of the flame?” Shala murmured in wonder.
“It’s her!” Wyea declared. “It must be! Lawala has returned.” He waved his hand and all the remaining scorpions disappeared.
The Lords of the Flame leapt across pillars to reach me but were intercepted by Ren and Kishan, who knocked them over. The twin Lords’ skin began to glow, and fire and light swirled around Ren and Kishan in a cyclone. Ren and Kishan were lifted into the air and set on fire. They writhed in pain and screamed.
“Stop it! Put them down! Now!” I yelled.
“They are of no consequence. We must complete the ritual. You will come with us.” Shala threatened.
“I will not.” I summoned the water within and threatened, “I’m warning you. Let them go, or you will suffer greatly.”
Shala and Wyea smiled haughtily and moved closer. With a mighty push, I sent a huge wave of water toward them. A great hissing cloud of vapor rose around them when it hit their chests. They seemed unharmed but confused, as if they’d never seen water before.
I dropped my hands. “Let them go.”
Wyea straightened, tilted his head, and twirled his finger. Fire exploded around Ren and Kishan until they were completely enveloped. Desperate, I turned my power toward Ren and Kishan, trying to douse the flames.
The Lords of the Flame laughed. “Your power is not as strong as ours.”
“Oh yeah?”
I turned my inner valve on full blast. Water circled around the men I loved, but Ren and Kishan were still suffering. Every second that ticked by was agony. I needed to stop the Lords of the Flame before it was too late. The strength of my emotions turned the water ice cold. I couldn’t overcome the flames surrounding my tigers, so I turned my icy focus on the twins. They screamed when the freezing water hit them. The fire cyclone twirling around Ren and Kishan subsided, dropping them slowly to the tops of the pillars. Immediately, they switched into tigers to accelerate their healing process.
I could see that the fur was burned off their bodies. Pushing every drop of energy I could muster, I encased the fire Lords in ice and hurried as fast as I could to Ren and Kishan’s side. My tigers were panting in short bursts as they tried to breathe. I touched Kishan gently, and burned skin peeled away and clung to my fingertips. Crying, I gingerly took thekamandalfrom his neck and poured a few drops onto his tongue. Kishan licked his chops weakly, and I turned to Ren.
His fur was sloughing off in clumps too, but his black stripes were still prominent against the white of his skin. His whiskers and eyelashes were gone, and the sensitive hairs in his ears were missing as well.
“My poor tigers,” I gasped with a sob.
I gave Ren a few drops of the mermaid’s elixir as well and prayed it would lessen their pain. I sat with them, stroking their heads as their labored breathing eased. It wasn’t long before I touched soft fur again.
Mussing Ren’s head, I whispered, “Next time I fight with you.” I kissed Kishan’s head and said, “You got that?”
I heard a quiet huff from both brothers and then a mocking voice interrupted us. “Hiding behind a woman’s skirt, are we?”
I turned.Shala! He was standing a short distance away. He looked a bit blue, but he’d still had enough power to melt the ice I’d encased him in.
“Are you back for more?” I challenged.
Shala rubbed his jaw, and I saw little flames burst in his eyes. “Of you? No. We want no more of you. Lawala would never damage us like you did.”
“No kidding.”
“Unfortunately, we are the jealous type, and if we can’t be happy with our woman, nobody can.”
He raised his hands and pointed them at Ren and Kishan. Fire flew down his arms. I flung my hands at Shala, and a wall of water met his fire in a terrible hiss. Vapor billowed around us in waves.
A nagging thought invaded by mind.Where was Wyea?
Just then, I heard running footsteps and heard Ren shout, “Kelsey!No!”
Before I knew what was happening, Ren threw himself between me and Shala, who laughed gleefully. Ren fell heavily against me. I clutched him desperately as we collapsed in Kishan’s outstretched arms.
Kishan pulled Ren off me, and I cried out as Ren’s blood trickled over my hands. Quivering rigidly, deeply imbedded in the middle of Ren’s chest, was theGáe Bolga.
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chimera
