Tiger’s Destiny (45 page)

“You are correct,” Phet said. “There is a similar power that connects you to your tiger as at the ends of a magnet. This bond will help you in battle. The metal will hold you together to prevent you from falling. In theory, you could even stand on his back and your boots will lock in place like an astronaut standing on a space ship.”

I nodded and snapped my feet onto the metal plate on either side of Ren’s body. Satisfied, Phet headed over to Kishan and my Durga twin.

The awkwardness of the past few weeks dissolved the second I felt the bond between Ren and me thrum through my body. Energy poured from my limbs into him and then back into me, and I realized that I could hear his thoughts.

Ren was . . . proud to carry me into battle, but I also sensed he was desperately afraid. He did not want me to face Lokesh, and he was prepared to sacrifice himself to save me. He also didn’t want to be a tiger in battle. My fists tightened involuntarily as he attempted to switch back into a man. Ren’s efforts were fruitless though, and he soon resigned himself to his tiger form.

Even though I had ridden the Qilin and was starting to get pretty good with the mare, I wasn’t all that sure how complicated riding
and
fighting at the same time would be. I raised the sword and swung it back and forth, trying to decide which hand worked best. I switched a few weapons around, rotating them from hand to hand quickly and then adjusted one of my eight forearm guards.

I must weight a ton
, I thought.
Poor Ren.

You’re not heavy at all.
Ren’s intoxicating voice slid into my consciousness, startling me. The sensation was like rich, velvety chocolate pouring into my soul. It completely filled and warmed me, making every square inch of my skin tingle with delight. My breath caught, and my heart raced. The feeling was intensely intimate.

You’re making me blush
, priyatama.

Hesitantly, I discovered that he was just as aware of me as I was of him. In his mind I was like liquid sunlight with the taste of ripe peaches. I felt heat warm my cheeks, and Ren guided me to a secret place deep within his mind where he opened himself to me completely. I swiftly became aware of everything: his isolation in captivity, his joy when I chose him over Li in Oregon, his self-recrimination when he broke up with me, and his utter despair when I became engaged to Kishan. The layers of loneliness almost smothered me. But woven through all of his thoughts was a constant hope coupled with waves of love. It tickled my toes and lapped gently at the edges of my heart.

Ren, I—

Unable to form a coherent thought in response, I wiped a tear from my cheek and stroked the white fur of his neck where it peeked through the armor.

His reaction to my touch was overwhelming. I felt his need for me. It twisted inside him like a tornado. Raw emotion swept through him, triggering my own. Memories circulated inside the storm, one after another.

Some of them I recognized, like the image of me snuggling on his lap after our Valentine’s dance, but some of them were new: Ren clenching his fists, ready to rip our diving instructor, Wes, to pieces when we danced on the beach; Ren holding other women in his arms and still feeling empty; Ren seeing me cry and knowing he was the reason.

Then Ren showed me how he felt when I touched him for the first time as a tiger, his memories of us kissing in the kitchen while cookies baked, of how perfectly my hand fit into his, and the utter abandon and wild joy he felt when he took me into his arms. This part of him had been locked away, restrained. His heart was indeed caged, and like in the poem, it paced, waiting to be set free.

You hold the key
, he told me.

Then that wonderful, beautiful, amazing man put his heart into my hands at that moment and waited to see what I would do with it.

I sucked in a breath and sensed his expectant tension. He didn’t care what happened in the war. Durga and the prophecy and all that pertained to it meant nothing to him. As far as he was concerned, this was the battle he was fighting. He was on a crusade, not to gain glory, secure a kingdom, or fight for a goddess. His campaign was to win
me
.

I crossed a set of arms over my heart and closed my eyes. Leaning down, I pressed my cheek to his soft ear and wrapped a couple sets of arms around his neck.

Ren.

At that mental whisper, a dam broke inside me and all of my feelings and thoughts poured out. I felt the impact of them hit Ren like a tidal wave. He stood quietly and absorbed everything. I let him experience all of it: the confusion, the heartbreak, the anguish, and now the happiness. I held nothing back—not even my feelings for Kishan. I sensed his acceptance and his understanding about my relationship with his brother. There was no feeling of vindictiveness or judgment, only a deep heartfelt regret, and I felt his surprise in at last understanding why I had kept him at a distance for so long.

Finally, I showed him the depth of what I felt for him and how desperate I had been without him.

Ren, I love you more than anything in this world, and I don’t know how I can possibly live without you.

You’ll never have to
, iadala.

His thoughts were hushed for a few seconds, and then our souls twisted together like clinging vines and both of us rested, our thoughts content, peaceful, and calm. Tingling bubbles of power coursed lazily between us. At that moment, all was right with the world. The one I loved was woven tightly into my soul, and I hoped we would never let go of each other again.

A loud voice interrupted our thoughts.

“I apologize. I didn’t mean to treat you like a pack animal,” Anamika said, bringing both me and Ren back to the battle looming before us.

It was time to go. Time to end this thing, once and for all.

She kicked Kishan in the ribs lightly, and Kishan moved forward grumpily. A thoughtful expression crossed her face, and then Kishan picked up speed and began running. We followed suit, and I felt Ren’s exhilaration as he stretched his tiger legs, traversing the countryside, eating up the distance in great leaps and bounds.

Ren was all muscle and endless energy, and as I clung to his sides, I found the rhythm of his gait. We moved together as one. His tiger lungs worked like powerful bellows, and I realized that we were breathing in concert. When I looked behind us, Phet was nowhere in sight.

We arrived back at the center of camp. Men of five different nations knelt all around us, touching their heads to the ground in deference. They were awed by the presence of not one but two goddesses in their midst. My twin took the lead and asked the generals to approach. She told them of a new plan, one that did not involve animals that the demons could turn against us. This battle would be waged on foot.

She then turned to me and indicated that I should say something inspiring. Ren’s thoughts flowed through my mind.

They need a symbol to look to on the battlefield.

In the loudest voice I could muster, I shouted, “As of this moment, you are no longer the armies of China, Macedonia, Myanmar, Tibet, or India. You are now the warriors of Durga! We have already fought and overcome many fierce creatures. Now we give you the symbol of their power.”

I borrowed the Scarf and touched it to my Pearl Necklace. The silken material sped through the air, fragmenting and spinning off, touching down on each and every solder to cloak them in the most brilliant red, blue, green, gold, and white. Even the flag bearers were not left out and now held banners depicting Durga riding her tiger into battle.

“Red for the heart of a Phoenix that sees through falsehood!” I cheered and raised the trident. “Blue for the Monsters of the Deep that rip apart those who dare to cross their domain! Gold for Metal Birds that cut their enemies with razor beaks! Green for the Horde of Hanuman that comes alive to protect that which is most precious! And White for the Dragons of the Five Oceans, whose cunning and power has no equal!”

Ren reared up on his hind legs briefly and roared. The men all marveled at the power we displayed.

I handed the Scarf back to Durga, who pledged, “This battle and your valiant service will be remembered for generations. As you honor us this day, we will honor you in the days to come.”

Soldiers were sent to prepare, and they hurried off to obey the instructions of their goddesses. Everyone’s spirits had lifted. Men who had despaired the day before now looked confident that we could accomplish the impossible. I knew we looked like we could handle a lot, but there was a part of me that was still very afraid. It was only Ren’s conviction that gave me courage.

A devoted heart can overcome any obstacle
, rajkumari.
Believe that I will keep you safe.

I gulped, wondering if I had it in me to do what must be done. I would need every bit of my training and every drop of courage in me to come out on top today.

When everything was ready, Durga smiled benevolently at our troops and called out, “I vow to you that if you fight alongside me, I will protect you with every power at my disposal, and together, we will win. We
will
defeat the demon. Warriors red, blue, green, gold, and white, will you follow us into battle?”

A resounding cheer echoed through the camp, and we all headed toward Mt. Kailash.

Mr. Kadam once shared with me the story of the three hundred Spartans who held the vast Persian army at bay for seven days in the Battle of Thermopylae. He told me that this story had been remembered for centuries not only because it was a lesson in bravely standing your ground but also because it showed that even a small number of men who were well trained and who had a sound plan could thwart an enemy who was much more powerful.

These men were like the Spartans. They’d come here to fight the demon, and they would complete their mission or die trying. I’d have to do my best to be worthy of their faith in me.

When a bugle-like horn sounded and the wispy fog rolled in, hordes of demon soldiers materialized and began banging, stomping, and howling, waiting for their leader to release them. Durga’s men remained brave and steady, unflinching in the face of the enemy.

Durga struck first.

Three catapults whipped large barrels into the cold air. They hit the mountain with a bang. The barrels burst, spilling their contents over the demon army. The demons shook their arms and heads and watched as more barrels were launched. The wooden bang was accompanied by a heavy
thwap
of canvas as the payload whistled through the air and broke, showering oil over the heads of the enemy.

In retaliation, bird-men took to the sky, heading straight for the catapults. Every man who could string a bow launched arrows at the flying demons. Durga raised her arms and sent thousands of threads into the air that wove thick nets and captured the remaining demon birds. The creatures dropped heavily through the air.

The sounds of battle were replaced with cheers from Durga’s army, filling us with hope. It was a small victory but a victory nonetheless, and my men stirred impatiently, waiting for our turn to enter the fray. The demons doubled their speed and thundered across the field. When the bulk of them passed us, I gave the signal to torch the oil field that we had had created.

The demon army shrieked horribly before falling to the ground, succumbing to a final death. Those that passed through in safety were set upon by Durga and our men who sent up a volley of arrows that I lit with fire power. As the enemy fell, one by one, and the souls of the men and beasts were released, I murmured a last wish, “I hope you find peace.”

When the battle was too close for arrows, my men raised their swords and ran forward. I stayed behind using my fire power and was able to take out a large pack of canine-demons. I cremated them in large groups, but when my men got in the way I had to switch to weapons. Ren sped forward and leapt into the fray with me on his back. My tiger pounced, ripping demons apart with teeth and claws.

He stood on hind legs and raked a paw across a demon’s head. My armor held me tightly to Ren’s body, but I could no longer see our opponent. When Ren sunk to all fours again, the demon had wicked slashes that went from the back of his neck to over the top of his head and ended between his eyes. I finished him off while Ren lashed out at a second foe on the left.

Ren, this is horrible.

It’s how a tiger fights, Kells. Try to distance yourself. Read my thoughts.

I sunk arrows into creatures’ legs, pinning them to the ground while Ren ripped their chests apart. I targeted a demon with a raised ax and hit it with darts from the trident. When one attacked me, I blocked its claws on my forearm cuff, smacked its face with my shield, and then ran it through with my sword. Another came at me with a studded mace. It hit me hard, but my armor withstood the blow and my magnetized connection to Ren kept me upright. Ren swept its feet, and when the demon fell, Ren tore at its neck and crushed its windpipe.

Becoming Durga had somehow turned me into a superhuman fighting machine. Ren and I worked in a deadly symmetry, and nothing could stop us. I was able to borrow from Ren’s battle experience and shut off the part of myself that reacted in horror. Our minds came together as one, and I realized that when I fought with a sword or used the trident, it was as much Ren wielding the weapon as me. Likewise, every time Ren swiped the enemy with a paw or spotted a charging demon, it was as if I were also his claws and eyes.

When a new group headed toward us, I touched the trident to the Rope of Fire and shot jolts of electricity at the demons. The sound it made was like the crack of thunder or a hammer hitting sheet metal. The group exploded. Before one of the enemy died, it had managed to get off a poisoned dart. With preternatural speed, I caught the dart between two fingers and flipped it around, jamming it into the tough hide of a nearby cat-demon.

Others headed our way and when Ren jumped on top of one, I leaned over almost upside down. My boots locked onto the saddle, and I was able to zap two demons with fire power underneath Ren’s chest. Then as Ren landed, I flipped up and spun backward, slashing a demon with a sword in one hand and swinging the
gada
with another.