Tiger's Dream (Tiger's Curse Book 5) by Colleen Houck (33)

Chapter 32

Shrine of Fire

The scroll. I had nothing with me. Ana had taken our pack back to our home and I didn’t think to retrieve anything. I literally only had the clothes on my back and the Damon Amulet.

“I don’t have it,” I said.

“Then you’d better hope you can find her without it.”

“Can’t you tell me?” I begged. “I know you know where she is.”

“I have my suspicions,” he admitted. “But you know I cannot help you. This is a part of your journey, Kishan. If I intervened, it would change the outcome, or even influence your future choices. I couldn’t live with myself knowing I set you on a path that would lead to unhappiness.”

“But what if my unhappiness is a result of screwing this up?”

Kadam pursed his lips. His stubbornness showed in his expression and I knew he’d be no help.

“Fine. Then tell me how to fix our broken link.”

“If you are meant to be bonded, it will repair itself,” he said cryptically. “Best be going now, son,” he said.

I sighed. “Will I see you again?” I asked.

“I guarantee it.” He turned away but then, before he disappeared, added, “By the way, I like what you’ve done with the place.”

Stupid. Stupid tiger. I berated myself after he vanished. Once again, I’d fallen short when it came to my duty in protecting Ana. Not that I disbelieved Kadam, but the first thing I did was call out mentally to the goddess. Ana? I thought. Ana! There was no reply. I tried closing my eyes and feeling where she was, but in the place where our familiar connection had settled inside me, the one I’d had ever since I became a tiger so many years ago, there was an echoing emptiness.

Clutching the amulet, I leapt through time and space at a jog and was running when my feet hit the grass of her rose garden. I tore into her room and found her weapons lying in their usual places. Even Fanindra was sunning herself in the window. I’d assumed she’d be with Kelsey from now on, but apparently, time worked differently for the snake. In a weird way, it made sense.

I searched her shelves and belongings for the bag or the scroll but couldn’t find either one. In my haste, I nearly knocked over her bottle of perfume. The stopper fell, and before I put it back, I lifted it to my nose. Roses and lotus blossoms. Where was she? If she’d been close, I could have tracked her by scent but she hadn’t been here recently. “Ana!” I shouted and headed out, looking for anyone who might know where she’d gone.

Coming across the young man she’d saved, I grabbed his shoulders and offered a hasty apology when he winced. “Xing-Xing, where is the goddess?” I demanded. “Tell me, quickly.”

He shrugged. “I haven’t seen her here in weeks.”

“Did anyone call for her? Summon her in the last month?”

The boy scratched his nose. “No. Nothing out of the ordinary, anyway.”

Though our connection to each other was gone, I could still hear the prayers and supplications offered by mortals. Letting those calls come to the forefront of my mind was like stepping into a hurricane, but it couldn’t be helped. Steeling myself, I opened the faucet and a century’s worth of pleas assaulted my mind. I worked to isolate one voice, one cry for the goddess, and then set off. I didn’t stay long enough to do anything to actually help, I just checked to see if Ana was there.

Over and over, I leapt through time but came up with nothing. One woman wanted her daughter to find a mate. Another wanted her husband healed from an injury. An entire village needed help with their crops. But no matter where I looked, I found no trace of her. After dozens and dozens of stops, I came up dry. Where is she?

Finally, an idea occurred to me. Heading back to her room, I located what I was seeking. “Fanindra?” I called. “I need your help.” The snake lifted her head and willingly glided onto my outstretched arm. “I can’t find your mistress,” I said. “Can you take me to her?”

Not sure what I’d find once we got there, I strapped on a leather belt and slid the sword that would split in two into the scabbard. Then I attached the brooch to my shirt and put the kamandal around my neck. At least I had some weapons other than teeth and claws. It worried me to see all the weapons accounted for. The only object missing, other than the ones we’d already given to Kelsey and Ren, was the Rope of Fire.

Fanindra wrapped her honey and alabaster coils around my arm and used her energy to open a portal. I worried that doing so would tax the creature to the point of death once again, but Fanindra had been reborn or, perhaps, born for the first time. She was full of life and untapped energy. I stepped inside and was transported.

Fire bloomed around us the moment the portal disappeared, and I held up an arm, flinching at the burst of flame. I quickly realized I wasn’t on fire and my clothes weren’t burning, so I took a step back and studied our surroundings.

The ground was as dark as coal and powdery like ash. Young trees with russet leaves shivered in a warm breeze that carried the scent of smoke and sulphur. Immediately, I knew where I was. Bodha—the city beneath the volcano in the Andaman Islands.

“Why would she come here?” I asked Fanindra. The snake didn’t answer but turned to metal on my arm. “Okay. I guess I’m on my own then.”

I stroked the full day’s growth of beard on my face. When I changed from tiger to man, I always ended up in my black clothing, the last thing I wore before the curse, and clean-shaven. But since the curse had been lifted, I could be a man for as long as I liked, which meant I needed to shave from time to time. It was quicker just switching to a tiger and back, but there was something human about taking the time to shave.

My mother often helped my father with the chore, and I remembered how happy they were to serve one another in such small ways. It was one of the reasons I liked lying in her lap or brushing her hair. It was my special time with her. I guess shaving was my father’s time.

I’d once asked Ana if it bothered her, me having a beard, and she’d just snorted as if the question was ridiculous. True, she’d commanded an army, each soldier having his own preferences regarding facial hair, but I was different than the typical soldier. I was hers. At least, I thought I could be. Would she have a different opinion now? Maybe I’d trim it in the way I’d seen men of Kelsey’s time do, with just a bit around the mouth and chin. If I kissed her with a beard, would she squirm away or would she enjoy it even more? I found I liked thinking about it, even if my fantasy was farfetched.

If things went well with Ana, maybe I’d have reason to broach the subject and we could decide together. Maybe experiment with different possibilities. I smiled, imagining her reaction to such a suggestion, then frowned. Of course, before I could even think about trying to kiss her again, I’d have to find her.

Why would she be here? I wondered. Then it hit me. Ana must have continued working on the list while I was gone. But Bodha wasn’t until later. The City of the Seven Pagodas should have fallen next on the list. She was going out of order. Ana had the document, not me. I’d only jotted down a few things I could take care of on my own. She should have waited for me, and even if she hadn’t, it should have been clear to her which one was next.

I ticked off the items on my hand. We were to help Kells cross the barrier to meet Lady Silkworm, stop the car from killing Kells at the play, send the jellyfish to take Kelsey, Ren, and my old self to the surface of the ocean, then there was something about Mt. Fuji, then create the seventh pagoda, and greet Kells, Kadam, myself, and Ren at the Shrine of Water. Creating Bodha was way, way down the list.

Maybe she wasn’t creating Bodha, I thought as I walked through the trees. Maybe she was only visiting for a while. Why she’d go to Bodha, though, I had no idea. It wasn’t like there was anything of interest in that realm. I guess she could have talked with the phoenix, but surely she’d want to avoid the rakshasa demons and the volcano gods.

My heart fluttered when I considered the twin gods who’d captured Kelsey in the name of searching for their long-lost love. Did they have something to do with her disappearance? Maybe the rakshasa demons caught her. Or even worse, maybe she fell asleep in the Cave of Sleep and Death. I picked up the pace and started running.

There was no way to tell where I was going. I stopped when a familiar scent tickled my nostrils. Crouching down, I studied the ground but could find no tracks. Suddenly, a comet shot across the sky and the trees went out. It was nighttime in Bodha. The ferns, trees, and flowers that had been flickering dimmed suddenly. Putting my hand on a tree, I squinted through the dark forest ahead, trying to get a sense of where I should go.

The trees looked young. Much younger than they were when Ren, Kelsey, and I had been there. I stroked the trunk of a sapling and felt a vibration against my palm. That’s when I remembered that Kelsey was able to speak to the trees using the power of the fire amulet. I touched my palm to the trunk and then said, “Can you help me?”

A thin tendril at the end of a branch brushed against my neck. My first impulse was to bat it away, but I let it stay there, and though it wasn’t fully alert, it gave me a rough idea of where I should go to find Ana. Unfortunately, she’d traveled all the way across the forest. I had a long way to go to find her.

Instead of crossing Bodha old-school style like I had with Kelsey, I used the power of the amulet and gathered the winds. Rising above the trees, I soon came upon the mountain of the phoenix. I searched for signs of firefruit, eggs, or the glowing bird but found nothing. The cave either didn’t exist yet or was hidden.

Scaling the mountain was tricky as the winds buffeted me, but eventually, I rose above them and then headed down the other side. I stopped there to try to catch Ana’s scent or ask the trees for help. They confirmed my fears. Ana was at the diamond temple. I wasn’t sure if she had created the temple or if it had always been there, but I remembered the volcano gods well. They were hard to defeat, even with Ren at my side.

Dropping down at the edge of the tree line, I phased out of time and walked into the city. There was music, celebration, and dancing much as there had been the last time I’d visited. I knew what that meant. A girl somewhere on earth was being sacrificed to a volcano. I grimaced and began searching the crowds for Ana, but then I froze. Rakshasa demons were mingling freely with the Bodha.

Right before me a Bodha girl was running her palm up the bare chest of a rakshasa demon. His tattoos flared to life as she whispered in his ear. The two of them, holding hands, wandered off. Another couple, this time a rakshasa girl who looked a lot like Kelsey did when she took on the disguise of a queen, was surrounded by a group of men from both races.

I watched, dumbfounded, as the rakshasa sipped from goblets and nibbled on fruit, bread, and cheese. Where were the cold-blooded killers that I remembered? The ones who drank blood, devoured their injured, hunted the dead, and conjured poison from their fingertips? Where was the fear on the part of the Bodha? Turned out, I didn’t have a lot of time to ponder on the subject, as the men of the hour appeared at the opening of the pyramid.

“Welcome, citizens!” one of the creepy twins cried. They looked pretty much the same as they did when Kelsey and I had been there before. Their gold skin was enhanced by their white hair. One of them wore plumes of red and orange in his braids and the other had blue and green.

“As you all know, you’ve been brought to this realm by a very powerful and, I’ll add, very beautiful woman. And we’re happy to report that tonight she’ll become a bride!”

The crowd cheered raucously. My stomach sank. I had a very bad feeling. The last time I’d been here, the twin gods had captured a girl and given her a test to see if she was an incarnation of their beloved Lawala. Then they set their eyes on Kelsey. We’d barely escaped with our lives. I shook out my arms and cracked my neck. If they’d done something similar to Ana, I’d kill them. They weren’t dealing with the same tiger they fought in the past.

I started moving through the crowd, bumping some of them as I did. Though they couldn’t see me, several of the rakshasa stopped and lifted their noses in the air. I snapped my fingers to mask my scent, and the few that started trailing me stopped and looked around as if confused. I’d just made my way to the base of the temple when a rumbling shook the ground. Was it a volcano?

The wall on the far end of the temple cracked open, and one of the long-haired gods above shouted, “Behold, your queen!” Four men, two Bodha and two rakshasa, their bodies bare except for a small sarong tied about their waists, carried a litter strewn with fire flowers. Their arms bulged with muscle as they carried about the woman who lay on top.

She was hunched over, her face hidden and her palms splayed out so her fingers touched the end of the woven bed. The bare skin of her back was painted with glowing tattoos, and her blue-black hair was untamed and wild though it was braided with lengths of flowers, feathers, and leaves. It hung over the sides, and the people who knelt as she passed reached up to touch it with their fingertips.

When the men came to a stop before Shala and Wyea, the twin gods raised their arms to hush the crowd. “We’ve kept her face hidden from you though all of you have heard her voice and responded to her call. She is our savior. Sent by the ancients who have gifted us with a new home. And now she has descended to this plane to serve and live among us. Meet our love. Our Lawala newly sprung.”

The woman didn’t move. The honey tone of her skin shone in the light of the temple with the same sheen of heat that dampened my own skin. I sucked in a breath and waited along with the crowd.

One of the gods, the sharp-eyed one known as Shala, looked down, his mouth a hard line that covered the gleaming white teeth of his politician’s smile from a moment before. “Dear one,” he said, his tone dripping with a false patience, “rise and greet your people.”

Groaning, the woman’s fingers dug into the fibers of the litter. The man above twitched his fingers, manipulating her like a puppet. Her arms shook as she lifted her body. As the crowd cheered, she swayed drunkenly, her emerald eyes bleary and unfocused.

Ana!

The men turned her in a circle so everyone could gaze upon the goddess.

What have they done to her? I was going to kill them all. Every last one of them.

Shoving people aside, I moved toward her, taking in her scanty outfit. The skirt of leaves barely covered her backside, let alone her long legs. And the ivory, cambric halter she wore on top left nothing to the imagination.

When I got closer, I noticed the ruddiness of her complexion, the lifelessness of her normally sinewy limbs. Had they poisoned her? I didn’t know what was wrong with Ana but there was no doubt they’d done something. Deciding it best to hold back and watch in case they had drugged her and I needed an antidote, I stayed close but remained invisible. I tried to reassure her by speaking to her mind, but if she heard me, she didn’t acknowledge it.

“Tonight, we will woo her and she will choose between us. Your queen will be wed come morning! We invite you to keep vigil and toast to our happiness. Until tomorrow!”

The crowd joined the gods in a toast, and the two men disappeared overhead while I quietly followed the guardsmen who carried Ana as they headed back into the temple.

Ana slumped back down on her bed as the people tossed beads, flowers, and feathers on her bower for luck. Once we were back inside, the men shuffled her down various passageways and into a large room I recognized. “Set her down there,” Wyea commanded, and after the men did, he dismissed them.

Shala rolled her over, repositioning her with her hands at her sides while his brother straightened her legs, his hands caressing them as he did.

My own limbs shook with the need to kill. How dare they touch her!

She slept on during that process though she moaned.

“Lawala,” one of the men said. “It is time to wake and choose. We beg you not to make us suffer any longer.”

Scrunching her face as if in pain, Ana shook her head. “No,” she whispered. “Please.”

“We must allow her to fully wake, brother. How can she pick one of us if she is not in her right mind?”

“I’ve told you before,” the other one said, his square face growing dark, “if we let her gain her full senses, she will escape. She almost left us once before when she tricked you. You’re far too soft.”

“She didn’t mean it,” his brother insisted. “Besides, you know how her words warm me. Her breath in my ear enflames my soul. She blows a kiss and it generates enough energy to summon our people here and bring new life. Ever since we heeded her call and came to this realm, I have needed to use all my power to generate heat enough for us to survive. With her bonded to us, our abilities will be limitless.”

“I’ll admit, I’ve grown weary here as well,” the other said and sighed. “I, too, long for the day when we can trust her, but we cannot. Do you not remember how she deceived us in the beginning? She promised that if we left first, forging a path, then she would follow. We’ve been waiting eons, brother, centuries, for her to join us. I will not allow her to make fools of us once again.”

“She is different this time. Can you not sense it? She loves us still. I know. Why else would she have beckoned us to this place?”

“Perhaps. Perhaps we can learn to trust her. Over time.” The brother touched Ana’s face and mine grew hot. “Very well,” he said. “We will not administer the sleeping draught tonight. She will awaken naturally within a few hours. Perhaps then she will confess her purpose in drawing us here and rouse herself enough to choose.” He looked up at his brother. “One thing is certain, Wyea, within the span of a few hours, she will be a bride.”

Bending over her, he lifted Ana’s hand to his mouth and touched his lips to it briefly. He massaged her fingers and said, “Sleep now, my dear one, and tomorrow we will sanctify the dawn by adorning our bridal chamber in the vivid hues of desire.”

I leaned back against the wall and folded my arms across my chest, livid at their audacity. Ren would have appreciated that poetic statement a lot more than I did. Then again, he might not have liked it so much if the Flaming Lord had put moves like that on Kelsey and drugged her while he was at it.

The one brother stood while the second approached Ana and smoothed back her hair, kissing her forehead. “The memories we will make, sweeting, will light a fire in Bodha such as has never seen before. If you choose me, our joining will be so powerful it will melt the blue ice that caps this lovely planet. Sleep now, while I go prepare our bower.”

After they left, I blew out a breath and shook my head. Are they kidding me? They must be pretty confident in their skills to make promises like that to a woman. Melting ice caps? Sanctifying the dawn? Unbelievable. After making sure we were alone, I knelt down next to Ana and touched the kamandal to her lips, trickling some of the mermaid’s elixir into her mouth.

Catching a bead that slowly slid down the side of her mouth, I lifted my finger and touched it to her bottom lip, making sure she got the advantage of every drop. Then, not being able to help myself, I ran my thumb across the soft flesh. What could I offer a girl like Ana? Not poetry like Ren or fantastic promises like the two clowns who just left. I opened my hands and considered them. They were big hands. Strong, but calloused and scarred by weapons and fighting.

I wasn’t gifted in matters of business or finance. Wealth and the accumulation of it didn’t matter to me. I was a soldier. A fighter. A hunter. I wasn’t the type to fawn over a girl with flowery words or romantic gestures. Of course, I’d make an effort to please, but I was what I was at heart. Even if I tried to change, I wasn’t certain it would stick. Could she love me for just me?

Ten minutes passed, and just as I was wondering if the elixir was going to work, Ana moved, stretching in a way I tried to ignore, especially when I noticed again her barely there clothing. She tucked her fist under her cheek and rolled on her side, her long lashes sweeping over her cheeks in dark half-moons. Then she began snoring softly. It made me smile.

“Ana?” I said, shaking her slightly. “Ana, it’s time to wake up.” She was obviously still groggy, but she stirred enough to recognize where she was if not who she was with.

“No!” She slapped at my hands and kicked as she struggled to get away from me.

“Ana,” I said, trying to wake her. “It’s me.”

“Stop. I won’t. You can’t force me. Never again.” Alarmed, she jerked away from me, scrambling backward, and then turning to run. Her limbs were still weak, and she stumbled back against the wall and sunk down into a heap, covering her head with her arms and crying. “Please,” she begged. “Please leave me alone.”

“Shh, shh, shh, Ana,” I said, moving slowly to her side. I didn’t touch her but held my hands out where she could see them. “They’re not here right now. It’s just you and me.” I sat down next to her, stretching out my legs. “Sohan?” she asked, her eyes still cloudy with whatever they’d given her.

“Yes, I’m here.”

She reached out and grabbed my arm, shaking it. “But you…you left me.”

“I shouldn’t have.”

“You wanted a…a break.” Weakly, she clawed her way closer.

“Do you want me to hold you?” I asked, wishing I knew her mind. When she nodded, I pulled her onto my lap and tucked her head against my neck. “I made a mistake, Ana. Can you forgive me?”

“Maybe.”

I ran my hand over her back to soothe her but quickly remembered it was bare when my fingers slid across the silken skin that teased me between locks of hair. I stopped moving then and just held her close, giving her time to wake up.

“Sohan?” she said, her voice still thick with whatever they’d given her.

“Mm hmm?” I replied, trying to ignore the feathery feeling of her lips and eyelashes tickling my neck.

“Have I told you I like how you smell?”

“What?” I laughed, my eyebrows drawing together.

“Yes. You smell like grass and trees and something…something warm like amber.”

“That’s, um…nice,” I replied.

She sighed deeply, her warm breath fanning out over my neck. “I find it very pleasing,” Ana said languidly. “Also, I like your eyes. I never know what color they’re going to be. I’ve decided it depends on your mood. When you’re angry, they’re brown as a mink’s coat. Sometimes they’re cinnamon or mahogany.” She touched the tip of my nose and giggled drunkenly. “But my favorite is when they’re a tawny sort of topaz. They sparkle then and I know it’s because you’re happy. I’ve only seen it a few times but I remember each one.”

I opened my mouth to reply, though I didn’t exactly know what to say, when the door burst open. The two brothers stormed into the room. Lifting Ana in my arms, I stood, preparing to shift us far away from the diamond temple.

“She’s gone!” one accused. “I told you we should take turns watching her.”

At first I was confused. I knew they couldn’t see me but they should be able to still see Ana. She’d look like a floating body to them. I looked down where she lay in my arms, and I found her staring at my face, her eyes a bit clearer. Gently, she cupped my cheek and I realized her body was blurred in time with mine. Whether she’d done that on her own or if it had just occurred by our proximity to one another, I didn’t know. I raised my brows, and she shook her head slightly, pushing against my chest so I’d set her down.

She twisted her fingers and I felt the fibers of the scarf envelop me. It changed me into a being that looked a lot like them but taller and much bigger. Long blond hair hung down my back and my arms and legs were bare and the skin gold. When she was satisfied with my appearance, she phased us back in their time.

“I am here, my lords,” she announced. “You have asked me to choose a mate and I have. My choice is my counterpart, my equal. He has come to fetch me and has roused me from the sleep you inflicted upon me in my mortal form.” She laid her hand against my bare chest and I placed mine on top.

Ana whispered using the power of the scarf. Threads wrapped around her, and it fashioned her a dress that sparkled with the light of a hundred stars. Stepping closer, she wrapped her arms around my waist, and I draped one across her shoulders, a sign of protection and possession.

The two men, who marveled at her power, sputtered in protest. “But…but you are Lawala born again.”

“No. I am not.” Ana shook her head sadly. “We are two of the ancients. I found you drifting among the stars and thought to offer you a new home. Sadly, you have taken advantage of my kindness and trapped me in this mortal realm. A realm where I flounder and do not belong. The one you seek did not heed my summons,” Ana said, stepping forward and offering her hand to Wyea.

He sank down at her feet. “Perhaps, she will come. You can seek out others,” he begged. “Try to find her. We implore you.”

“I am sorry,” she said. “I have brought as many as were willing and now it is time for me to leave.”

The man wrapped his arms around her legs and cried. “How can we survive without you?”

“I will gift you with the power to draw from the core of this world. There is a vast amount of heat there. More than enough to allow your people to flourish. But understand, you can never leave this realm. You will be happy here if you do not seek to expand your horizons, but if you do, I fear you will invite chaos. Because I have learned that I cannot fully trust you, I will place a guardian in your midst. He will report to me, and if I need to return, you will be removed from your position and stripped of your power. Do you understand?”

“We will find her,” Shala said. “Nothing can keep us apart. Not even an ancient.”

I stepped forward. “That is enough,” I said. “The two of you should be punished for what you have done.”

“We won’t stop looking for her,” Shala warned, a crazed light flickering in his eyes. “Even if you can’t or won’t bring more of our people, she will come of her own will. She loves us.”

“For your sake,” Ana said, “I hope you are right. But your power will wane if you misuse it. You would have to stretch your fingers into the stars to seek her, and in doing so, you will leech the warmth from your city. The trees will die and there won’t be enough food. You will destroy this haven I’ve created. Think on it seriously before you act.”

Wyea nodded but Shala stood stiffly, his hands in fists.

“Come, my lady fair,” I said. “Let them take counsel one with another. They have already taken more than you offered and deserve no further blessing at this time.”

“You are right, my love,” she said, looking up at me with hooded eyes. “But still, there is work to be done in this place.” Lifting her arm, she closed her eyes and a golden rope materialized, coiled around it in loops. “You will take this,” she said, “and hide it in the fire forest. It will be guarded closely by one of my beloved pets. You are to safeguard its location until the two of you are defeated in battle. Do you understand my instructions?”

“Yes, ancient one.” They both inclined their heads, but I saw the glint of malice still lurking behind Shala’s wide-set eyes.

“Very well. We will take leave of you now. Please,” she said after taking my hand. “Please do not squander the gift I’ve given you.”

With that, she murmured the words to the rope that would take away the time limitations for me and Ren to be men, and handed the rope to Shala. Ana then gave a flourish of her hand, and the two of us rematerialized in the fire forest a good enough distance away that we wouldn’t be immediately found. The scarf wound around us and we were soon looking more like ourselves.

“I’m sorry,” I said immediately. “I never should have left you alone.”

“It is I who should apologize,” she said.

“What happened, Ana?” I asked. “Why didn’t you tell me where you were going?”

“I left you a letter,” she stammered.

“A letter?” A realization hit me at once. Folding my arms across my chest, I said, “Ana, where did you put Kadam’s scroll?”

She snapped her fingers and a bag appeared. She dug through it and pulled out a rolled parchment, then opened it. Her face flushed and she handed it to me. “This is my letter,” she stated flatly and handed it over.

I read through it quickly. It said,

“Apparently, Kadam wanted to make sure I got it and his efforts backfired. Did you wait the full week?” I asked.

“Yes. But then I felt a change. I no longer sensed your presence.”

“I had to save Kadam,” I explained. “In doing so, I severed our bond. I didn’t mean to but he was trapped. When I asked him if we could get it back, he said it might be possible…” I trailed off. “Were you trying to finish the list without me?”

“Not exactly.” She kicked her boot in the grass. “I…I was foolish,” Ana said, then looked away from me. “I was seeking a connection and the pull brought me here.”

“A connection?” I asked. “What do you mean?”

“What I mean is…” She wrung her hands and paced away and then came back. “I was searching for a…for a companion.”

“A compa… Oh. I see. This is my fault, Ana. This is more than just about duty, isn’t it? You thought I was abandoning not only our work but you as well.”

“Yes…no. I mean, not exactly.”

“No, this is on me. I screwed up everything.”

“What are you saying?” she asked as she summoned an animal.

I slapped a hand against the back of my neck as she did and explained everything that happened with Kadam. Her eyes grew wide, and she held up a finger as she bent down to the snake and the goat-like creature. “Will you serve?” she asked them.

They must have agreed because she smiled and soon a chimera stood before me. The animal dug her head into my gut and sniffed loudly. “Uh, yeah, can you make it so she’s attracted to Ren and not me?” I asked.

Ana laughed while the beast snorted, blowing hot breath over my legs.

“No, I’m serious,” I said, trotting behind her as she started walking off. The chimera followed behind me, nipping my heels. “This one has a thing for tigers.”

“Don’t we all,” she muttered under her breath.

“What was that?” I asked.

“Nothing.” Ana patted her thigh and the beast leapt over to the goddess, her snake tail wagging. “Will you guard the Rope of Fire?” she asked the reptilian cat creature. The animal gave me a sad sort of whine and then huffed and trotted off through the trees.

“You know we’re doing this out of order, right?”

“I know. I didn’t expect to come here. In fact, I wasn’t trying to create Bodha at all.”

“You weren’t?” I frowned. “Then what were you doing?”

“Like I said. I was trying to find a companion.”

“And you ended up with the Flaming Lords?”

“They are the Lords of the Flame.”

“Yeah, whatever. Considering that they drugged you, and you still haven’t explained how that happened, by the way, and almost forced you into marrying one of them, you were certainly lenient with them.”

Ana shrugged. “They did not mean to harm me. Not truly.”

“Uh, yeah, they did. I know them a little bit better than you do. They did something similar to Kelsey. They—”

“You don’t know them, Sohan. Not really. They are not human like us. The way they do things is different. They were born of stars. They aren’t used to being confined to the human bodies I’ve given them.”

“Even now they aren’t exactly human.”

“No. They once lived in crystal cities. They were beautiful; their bodies shone as bright as the stars. The place where they were born was destroyed and they were cast into the darkness of space. The one they loved stayed behind to make certain everyone escaped but I fear she is lost. Perhaps one day they will find her. I do not, however, hold out hope as they do.”

“Fine, but that’s no excuse to kidnap women.”

“No, you are right. But in their hearts, they do not wish to harm.”

I folded my arms across my chest and leaned against a fire tree. “Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“Then why were you scrambling away when you thought I was them? Why were you begging them to stop?”

“They were…they were touching me.”

“Did they hurt you?” I asked quietly, my voice cold.

Ana shook her head. “Not in the way you are thinking, but I feared it would come to that.” She kicked her booted foot in the dark soil. “You know I do not like being forced into an embrace.”

“Yes,” I said softly. “I know.”

“And you know the reason now.”

I nodded.

“I am a leader of men,” she said abruptly. “Sunil protected me until I learned how to defend myself. I was always careful and surrounded myself with those I considered trustworthy. Any soldier thinking I was a simple girl, playacting as a warrior, or someone to be toyed with quickly learned to change his opinion. I earned their respect and did my best to make them forget they were being led by a female.”

My lip twitched and I raised an eyebrow at that but didn’t comment. No man in his right mind would fail to notice Anamika. Even swathed in fabric and layered with armor, Ana was breathtaking.

She went on. “I never wanted to encourage intimate relationships. Firstly, because I wasn’t sure I could be with a man and not feel like I was trapped in a nightmare. Secondly, marriage means children. How can a mother head into battle? How would a husband feel about seeing his wife lead an army? I made peace with what I was. With who I was. That is, until you.”

“Me?” I said. “What have I done?”

“It’s not what you did. It’s…” She glanced up at me and then scowled darkly. “Can you stop looking at me when I say this?”

I laughed. “You want me to turn around?”

“It would help.”

Peering into her large, sincere eyes and then sighing, I turned around. “Fine. I’m not looking at you. If I recall, you were talking about why I’ve derailed your life.”

“Sohan,” she said with a soft exhale. “You haven’t derailed my life. You’ve given me the gift of possibility.”

“Possibility?”

“Yes. I now believe that it is possible for me to live as both a woman and a warrior, as a wife and as a goddess. When I slept in the Grove of Dreams, I saw what could be.”

My pulse jumped. Was she saying what I thought she was?

“Do you not see?” she asked. “That is why I sought out the Lords of the Flame.”

Ah. Of course. “I think I do see,” I said slowly. “You were wanting one of them to fill the empty place in your life.”

“Well, yes. I thought that—”

“No. I get it,” I said, spinning around. “You wanted a husband and only a god will do. So, you searched the heavens until you found not one but two. It makes sense. I totally understand.”

“Sohan, I do not think that you do. What I am trying to say is—”

I held up a hand. “I don’t want to hear any more, Ana. If it’s all the same to you, I’d like to finish Kadam’s list and then we can really take a long, long break from each other. Without our bond, it should be easy. After that, we can go our separate ways. You can go find what you’re looking for and I…I’ll finally have some peace.”

A sort of sharp pain knit in my chest as I stood there, and I was acutely aware of my deep inhales and exhales as we studied each other quietly. Finally, she nodded and said, “As you wish, Sohan.”

She turned away from me and only spoke when she needed to clarify something. I told her of the firefruit trees and of the qilin, and she used the amulet to create an entire forest of the trees beloved by the phoenix. Ana also made vineyards full of glowing globes that looked like a mix between a nectarine and a grape, fields of ripening grain that burst at the top with small flowers that looked like popcorn.

Ana created fire flowers of all kinds and tall waving grasses. Red mushrooms bloomed on trees and rocks. A heavy kind of moth lifted from a tree, and she wove her arms until a thousand of the creatures exploded from a flaming shrub. They made a kind of golden sap and quickly began constructing hives. Everything she touched leaned toward her and swelled with life.

Next, she fashioned hundreds of creatures both large and small. Some looked like rabbits or deer, but others I’d never seen before, even when we’d traveled the forest. Perhaps they had been hunted to extinction by the rakshasa or the Bodha. The idea of it made me sad. She drew up different-colored crystals from the ground and summoned small, long-legged animals. After asking if they would serve her, the animals accepted the gift of the goddess.

The crystals wrapped around their bodies, and soon we were surrounded by a herd of gleaming qilin. They nickered and kicked up their heels as they sped off through the forest, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. They were as stunning as I remembered. I’d thought Shangri-La was beautiful, but the fire forest was equally lovely. If it hadn’t been for the rakshasa, I wouldn’t have minded staying longer.

When I told her of the cave and of the rakshasa, she tilted her head, listening carefully. After I was done, she said, “The rakshasa are with the Bodha now. They will break away at some point, but that time has not yet occurred. We will allow them to progress naturally over the centuries. Perhaps it is the Lords of the Flame who will one day drive them away. Perhaps they will indeed go against my counsel and damage this land, leaving the people suffering. In that case, it would make sense that those who break off will become eaters of flesh.”

After we created a handprint inside the lava tube where Kelsey would enter the City of Light, I touched her shoulder. “Ana,” I began, “I just want to say…”

“There is no need to speak of it further,” she said. “Come. It is time to find a phoenix.”

We spun out of the fire realm and rematerialized atop a great mountain. There was a cave not too far up. “Does he live in there?” I asked.

“I believe so,” she answered.

I placed a hand on her back as we climbed to make sure she didn’t fall, but she moved away from me. Her raven hair whipped in the wind and she growled in frustration as it got in her eyes. When we made it to the lip of the cave, I offered to help her up but she ignored me again. I knew what I said was harsh, but even if I could go back, I’d still say the same thing. If she was going to get married to the first guy who came along, I didn’t want to be anywhere near. Just the idea of it made me want to crush something.

Ana was out of my league. I knew it. I’d always known it. But my dream had meant something. That kiss had meant something. Hadn’t it? I guess it was forgettable to her, but I would certainly remember it. Till the day I died, I’d remember that kiss.

We stepped into the darkness of the cave and Ana created a fireball in her hand to light it. “Hello?” she called out.

I heard a distant tapping. “Over there,” I whispered, and we entered a yawning cavern on the right.

Lights of all colors danced on the sides of the cave, and as we turned the corner, we gasped as we saw thousands and thousands of phoenix eggs, each one gleaming with its own luster. We had to pick our way carefully across the floor so we wouldn’t accidentally step on any.

“Come closer,” a voice called. “I’ve been wondering when you would come.” We looked up and from a nest set high in the cave, a large phoenix peered down on us. “Well,” the bird said. “The two of you are slightly less impressive-looking than I’d hoped you be, but then again, aren’t we all?”

Lifting his great blue wings, he flapped them a few times and landed gently before us.

“Great phoenix,” Ana began. “We are—”

“I know who you are, Goddess,” he said. “We’ve had our eye on you for a while.”

“Have you?” she asked with a smile.

“Indeed. My name is Eventide. And before you ask, yes, I’ll go with you to the fire realm. Someone’s going to have to keep an eye on that place.”

“Thank you. May I ask a different question then?”

“You may,” he said to Ana.

“How did you know we were coming?”

The phoenix laughed. “I am also called the Knowledge of the Ages, the Watcher of Mankind, and the Fire Found in All Hearts. If I didn’t know of the goddess Durga or her tiger Damon, those titles wouldn’t mean much, now would they?”

“I suppose they would not.”

“Ah,” the bird said with a flap. “I suppose I can relax the rules of formality around the two of you.” He leaned closer as if whispering and said, “Fanindra told me.” I frowned and was about to ask another question when Eventide interrupted, “And speaking of hearts, I’d like to offer a blessing on your marriage.”

Ana sputtered, “I…I have not yet taken a mate.”

“Oh?” The bird blinked a knowing eye. “Your heart says differently.”

Scowling, I said, “We have many things to do, Eventide. Perhaps you can offer your blessing at a later time.”

“Perhaps,” he said. “Perhaps.” He shifted, ruffling his feathers, and then touched his beak to Fanindra. “Hello there,” he said.

The snake came to life and raised her head, opening her hood.

“Ah, yes,” the bird said as if speaking to the snake. “He is a bit thick-headed. He’s got a good heart though. How clever of you to utilize the truth stone.”

Ana, who had been carefully listening to Fanindra’s exchange with the phoenix, straightened. Her trim eyebrows shot up. “Is Fanindra related to you then, great bird?” she asked.

“In a way,” he chuckled. “In a way.”

“You do not mean to tell us, do you?” she asked.

“There are things yet for you two to discover,” Eventide said cryptically. “I wouldn’t want to deprive you of the surprises that await.” He clicked his beak and added, “We will go now.”

“Do you need assistance?” Ana asked.

“I think not.” The air around us shimmered and the eggs disappeared. “Until we meet again,” he said and flapped his wings. Each lift of his wings created wind that grew fainter and fainter along with his body. Soon we were left standing alone in a dark cave.

Ana turned to me and clenched her fist, putting out the ball of fire. I reached for her automatically and drew her to me. In the dark it was easy to pretend there was nothing standing between us. I closed my eyes and was soothed just by being near her. Can you still hear me? I asked her silently. If she did, she didn’t reply.

We appeared next inside a temple next to a wax statue of the goddess.

“There’s no tiger,” Ana said.

“No. Not at this temple. Don’t you think we should get things back on track and head for the City of the Seven Pagodas first?” I asked.

She shook her head. “The shrines must be paired with the realm. We’ve finished the fire realm so we need to gift Kelsey with those weapons now.”

“You’re sure?” I asked doubtfully.

Softly, she replied, “I am.”

Lifting a hand, she touched a garland hanging around the neck of the statue and pressed her nose into the jasmine. “An old grandmother gave me this,” she said. “Her knuckles are large and twisted with disease and yet she strung these flowers for me.”

“How do you know that?” I asked.

Ana turned to me. “I hear her call. There is much work to do when this is over, Sohan.”

“Yeah? Well, I’m sure your new husband will want to help out as much as he can.”

I heard her soft sigh. “They are coming,” she said. Quickly, we placed our hands, mine over hers, on the stone near the statue, and a glowing handprint appeared.

Touching the amulet, I phased out of time and Ana disappeared altogether.

Kelsey, Kadam, Ren, and my old self entered the temple.

“She’s beautiful,” Kelsey said.

“She is,” I murmured softly at the same time my other self did. I watched as they laid out their offering and began taking turns to ask favor of the goddess. My old self and Ren were posturing over Kelsey and I was surprised to note I didn’t feel an ounce of jealousy.

When my past self said, “We ask for an opportunity for a new life…” I wondered what she was thinking about that. I’d certainly gotten what I asked for. I had a new life now, serving the goddess as a tiger. It was one I had come to enjoy. Could I really give it up? Walk away from her without telling her…telling her what? That I liked being around her? That watching her sleep made me smile? That kissing her in Shangri-La was all I could think about? That I couldn’t imagine existing without her? That I…loved her?

The fire started and my heart clenched as I watched the statue melt. Ana?

I’m fine, was her mental reply. The relief I felt at knowing we hadn’t lost our mental connection was overwhelming. I let out a shaky breath and inhaled cinders.

As the others began coughing, I summoned a wind to blow the smoke away and kept the fire banked enough not to hurt them. Kelsey touched the handprint, the signal for Ana to emerge. I watched in fascination as the wax melted away from her. Her glorious hair was aflame and she smoothed it away from her head, dousing the blaze. She looked more like herself with only two arms and yet she was still magnificent in her fiery gown. She smiled and I saw the others react to her tinkling voice with a kind of reverence I also felt, but she didn’t turn her lovely gaze on me.

“It is good to see you all again,” she said.

Fanindra came alive in Kelsey’s hands, and I looked down at my arm, surprised to see the snake missing. I hadn’t even felt her go.

My old self made a noise.

Without looking up, Ana sighed and said to him, “You must learn to be patient where women and goddesses are concerned, my ebony one.”

I sensed in that moment she wasn’t only talking to him but to me.

“Forgive me, Goddess,” he replied.

“Learn to love the moment you are in,” Ana said softly. “Treasure your experiences, for precious moments too quickly pass you by, and if you are always rushing toward the future”—she glanced over at me briefly—“or pining for the past, you will forget to enjoy and appreciate the present.”

We locked eyes for the briefest of moments, and yet a thousand words seemed to pass between us during that time.

“I will endeavor to treasure every word that passes from your lips, my goddess,” my old self said.

Ana leaned down and touched his cheek fondly. “If only you were always so . . . devoted,” she said.

I frowned. What are you doing, Ana? I asked.

She ignored the question and began talking to Kelsey. I tuned it out until I heard Kelsey ask, “The tigers get to be men full time after we find the next prize, right?”

Ana paused for a long moment, then answered, “The form of the tiger was given to them for a purpose and soon that purpose will be realized. When this fourth task is completed, they will have the opportunity to separate themselves from the tiger. Come and take your last weapons.”

Pulling the sword from her belt, Ana twisted it, creating two blades, and then she spun them, distracting both Ren and my other self well enough that we didn’t even react. She could have killed us if she’d wanted to. It was embarrassing how easily we’d been transfixed by her. Ana gave Ren his weapon but kept the other sword at the throat of my old self. I knew it wasn’t really him she was challenging, but me.

She sparred with him for just a moment or two and still managed to beat him. I let out a sort of wistful sigh. I’d missed seeing her in action. “Not to worry, my dear Kelsey,” Ana said. “The black tiger’s heart is very hard to pierce.”

I moved around in her line of sight and she raised an eyebrow as if daring me to deny her claim. She didn’t even notice how my old self was looking at her. I did, though, and she grinned at me as she touched the tip of the sword to his chest again.

When he shoved it away, she twisted it, offering him the handle, then gave them the brooches and demonstrated how to use them. Clasping my hands behind my back, I walked around to the other side until I stood right behind the shoulder of my old self.

Ana, looking right at me, her voice a purr, ran her hand over the shoulder of my former self and said, “Perhaps it would be better for the time being for you to remain in these modern clothes.” Leaning closer and giving me a wink, she added, “I have a weakness for handsome men dressed in battle gear.”

My fists tightened. She was flirting. On purpose. With the man I used to be.

Stop it, I said.

Why? Does it bother you to see another man who is interested in me?

That’s not another man, Ana. That’s me.

Yes. Well, my choices are limited at the present.

What is that supposed to mean?

Shh, I’m busy right now. “These brooches were created especially for the two of you,” she said, her voice husky and mesmerizing. “Do you like my gift, ebony one?” she asked softly.

My old self was practically falling over his feet to reach her. He took her hand and I flinched, knowing she hated it, but she didn’t even bat an eye. Instead, she offered him a warm smile as he stumbled over his words. “I think you are . . . I mean, I think it is . . . incredible. Thank you, Goddess.” He kissed her fingers and she…she liked it.

“Hmm.” She smiled appreciatively. “You are welcome.”

Loudly, Kadam cleared his throat. “Perhaps we had best begin our journey. Unless you have more to tell us . . . Goddess?” he said, giving her a knowing look.

Ana fidgeted under the scrutiny of her teacher and immediately took a step back. But she looked back up at me with a taunt in her eyes. I lifted my chin, acknowledging it. If she wanted a fight, I’d be more than happy to give her one. Her chest heaved and her arms tightened as if she was going to spring. I suddenly remembered the blind chase through the forest and the girl who wanted me to catch her. My fingers twitched in anticipation. It was Ana. It had to have been.

I think we need to talk, Ana, I said.

She narrowed her eyes. “I have said all that is necessary.” Turning to the others, she smiled. “Until we meet again, my friends.”

Ana’s body stiffened and Kelsey quickly asked, “When will we meet again?”

But the goddess just gave her a quick wink and then she was a wax effigy once more.

I stared at the form of the goddess, waiting for her to appear, but it seemed she wanted me to wait. Ren shouted at my old self and punched him. I winced, feeling that punch all over again.

“If I ever see you treat Kelsey that way again, I’ll do a hell of a lot more than just knock some sense into you. I highly encourage you to apologize. Do I make myself clear, little brother?” Ren demanded.

He left with Kadam and I listened to myself apologize to Kells and ask if she was still my girl. Kelsey just nodded, but I could easily see she was nowhere near as mad as I had been just now seeing Ana flirting with my old self. If it had been Ren throwing himself at the goddess, she would have been livid. Or at least heartbroken. Regarding me, she was neither of those things. I missed Kells. But she was happy. She’d moved on. It was time for me to do the same.

After they were long gone and Ana still hadn’t made an appearance, I folded my arms across my chest and said, “Don’t you think you have some explaining to do?”

In answer to my question, I heard the snick of a blade being unsheathed, and before I could react, the tip was pressed against the back of my neck.

“Shall we pick up where we left off, tiger?” a smooth voice asked.