Page 89 of Tiger's Destiny
I felt the rumbling of a chest against my arm.
“She needs time to recover, to rest.”
Ren. Ren was holding me. But how? He was injured.
“I can take her. You’re still weak.”
“I’m strong enough.”
Ren had said it in a way that brooked no argument, but Kishan tried to protest anyway. Finally, Ren said quietly, “She’ll be yours for the rest of your life, brother. Let me hold her for now.”
There was no response from Kishan, and the quiet lulled me into a deeper sleep. I felt a brief burning sensation in my stomach, and then I was aware of nothing.
When I woke, I was ravenous. Ren and Kishan were sleeping on either side of me, and we were no longer atop the mountain. Instead, fire trees surrounded us.
Ren stirred first and touched my arm. “Kelsey? How do you feel?”
“Hungry,” I whispered. “And thirsty too. Where are we?”
“We called to the Lords of the Flame, and they set us down here, along with our weapons. Your bow and arrows were returned, and we have the Scarf and the Fruit as well.”
“Are you . . . healed?”
“I am well. And you?”
“I’m just really hungry.”
“Will you two be quiet?” a sleepy Kishan grumbled.
I patted his back and kissed his cheek. “I’m sorry. Go back to sleep.”
Kishan was soon dreaming again, but Ren watched me through cobalt blue eyes. We spent a long time just looking at each other. Neither of us spoke. I felt safe. We weren’t touching at all, but it felt as if he was cradling me in his arms. My hunger diminished, twisting into something else, a different need entirely and all I could do was return the gaze of my blue-eyed tiger.
Too soon, Kishan opened his eyes and decided it was time to break camp.
I was sore and stiff all over my body. Even my pinkies hurt. I tried to stretch out. “Ugh. I’m not at my best this morning,” I announced.
Ren started walking over to me but he hesitated when Kishan approached me instead.
Kishan hugged me close. “Are you strong enough to continue on today? There’s still a guardian to fight.”
Ren intervened. “There’s no rush. She expended a lot of energy yesterday. She may need more time.”
I grimaced. “Thereissort of a reason to rush. The Lords of the Flame made it pretty clear that we should vacate the premises before they get back to full strength.”
Kishan reassured, “We’ll take it slow. We’ll keep Kelsey on the sidelines while we battle the creature.”
Ren gave me a long look; then he turned and gathered our belongings.
I nodded to Kishan and wandered over to a fire tree. I felt guilty as I greedily lapped up whatever energy the trees were willing to share. If I’d had to choose between destroying them and saving Ren, there was no contest, but I would have grieved for the friendly trees later. The warm vines slithered around my arms and stroked me gently. It wasn’t long before I felt renewed and refreshed, but my mind was still tired.
I was exhausted from the constant battle, the stress of being in danger, and the monsters and villains who waited for us around every corner. I thought of my little home in Oregon. How content and happy I was. A deep longing for a lost dream swept through me. All I wanted was to be surrounded by those I loved. To know they were safe and nearby. One by one, the people who were the most important to me had been taken away.
I thought of the Phoenix again and the lessons it taught me. Sunrise had promised that I’d see my parents and Mr. Kadam again. It also said that I needed to follow the truths and the love in my heart. I stood up, brushed the dust from my jeans, and made my way back to camp.
Throwing my arms around the one I loved, I said, “I’m ready.”
Half an hour later, the three of us were crouched behind some bushes.
