10
Hired Guns
Kishan pulled back to have a good look at me. “I missed you. Has my idiot brother been treating you well?” In a stage whisper, he asked, “Did you have to use the tiger repellant?”
I laughed. “Ren’s been treating me very well despite my giving him a pretty lame Valentine’s gift.”
“Ah. He doesn’t deserve one anyway. What did he give you?”
I reached up to finger an earring. “These. But, they’re much too extravagant for me.”
Kishan stretched out his hand and touched an earring lightly. His rakish pirate about-to-make-off-with-your-woman-and-what-do-you-think-you’re-gonna-do-about look melted away to a soft smile that turned up the corner of his mouth. He said quietly, “Mother would have approved.”
“Do you mean these belonged to your mother?” I asked Ren, who nodded briefly. “Ren, why didn’t you tell me?”
He responded lightly, “I didn’t want you to feel pressured to wear them if you didn’t like them. They’re a bit out of date now.”
“You should have told me they were your mother’s.” I slipped my arms around his neck and kissed him softly. “Thank you for giving me something so precious to you.”
Ren hugged me close and kissed my cheek.
I heard a dramatic sigh behind us. “Ugh, I think I preferred him whiny and despondent. This is just sickening.”
Ren growled softly, “Who invited you here anyway?”
“You did.”
“Yes, but I didn’t invite you here. How did you find us?”
“We flew into Salem, and I found the invitation for the dance at the house. I thought if there was a party, I should be here. Figures that all the pretty girls would already be taken. Perhaps . . . I can borrow yours.”
Kishan held out a hand, but Ren stepped in front of me and threatened, “Over my dead body.”
Kishan pushed up the sleeves of his sweater. “Anytime, bro. Let’s see what you’ve got, Mr. Romance.”
Intervention time. In my sweetest voice, I said, “Kishan, we’re kind of in the middle of a date and, though I’m very happy to see you, I wonder if you’d mind heading home for now? As you can see, it’s not so much a party as it is a couple’s thing. We won’t be gone long, and there’s sandwich stuff and a giant plate of cookies back home. Do you mind? Please?”
“Fine. I’ll go. But only because you’re asking.”
Ren retorted, “And you’re asking for it.”
Kishan flicked Ren on the ear and mocked, “That’s right. And we’ll see if you can bring it to me later. Bye, Kelsey.”
I had a very strong feeling that my hand on his arm was the only thing holding Ren back from going after his brother. He watched until Kishan was out of sight, but even afterward, he couldn’t seem to relax. I tried to pull his attention back to me.
“Ren.”
“He takes too many liberties. Maybe it was a mistake to ask him here.”
“Do you trust him?”
“It depends. I trust him with most things. Except—”
“Except?”
“Except you.”
“Oh. Well, you don’t have to trust him with me. You just have to trust me.”
He scoffed, “Kells—”
“I’m serious.” I put my hands on the sides of his face so he would look at me. “I want you to understand something. Perhaps Yesubai chose him, but I chose you. You are the one I want. Not Kishan.”
I sighed. “I feel kind of sorry for Kishan, actually. He lost the person that he loved. That’s why we should make the most of our time. You never know when someone you love will be taken from you.”
He held me close for a minute and pressed his cheek to mine as we slow danced, knowing that I was no longer talking about Kishan.
“That won’t happen to us. I won’t leave you. I’m immortal, remember?”
I smiled halfheartedly. “That’s not what I meant.”
“I know what you meant.” He teased. “But I had to fight off three men to win your affection, and I don’t want to have to take on my brother too.”
I laughed. “You’re exaggerating, Tarzan. You didn’t really have to fight off anyone, well, except Li. You had my heart all along anyway, and you probably knew it.”
“Me knowing it and you knowing it are two different things. I was a lonely tiger for too long. I deserve to be happy with the woman I love. And I won’t let anyone take her from me, least of all Kishan.”
I gave him a look. He sighed and twirled me around. “I’ll try to be more patient with Kishan, but he knows how to push all my buttons. It’s extremely difficult to control myself around him, especially when he flirts with you.”
“Please try. For my sake?”
“For your sake, I’d undergo excruciating torture, but I can’t tolerate him flirting with you.”
“I love you. I’ll tell him to knock it off. But, try not to beat each other up while he’s in town, okay? No tiger fights. Don’t forget you need him here, remember?”
“Fine, but if he continues to throw himself at your feet, all bets are off.”
After a moment, I said softly, “You didn’t say it back . . . that you love me too.”
“Kelsey, ‘I am constant as the northern star, of whose true-fix’d and resting quality there is no fellow in the firmament.’”
“Caesar died, you know.”
“I was hoping you didn’t know that one.”
“I know them all, Shakespeare.”
“Okay, then I’ll just say I love you. There is nothing in this world more important to me than you. I’m only content when you’re near. My whole purpose is to be what you need me to be. It’s not poetry, but it’s from my heart. Will that do?”
I smiled lopsidedly. “I think so.”
We didn’t stay at the dance much longer because Ren’s mood had changed despite my teasing, kisses, and pronouncements of love. He danced with me, but his mind was elsewhere, and when I told him I’d like to head home, he didn’t protest.
When we pulled up the drive, I noticed that the lights were on in my house. Before we went in, Ren enfolded me in a soft embrace and kissed me tenderly.
He put his forehead against mine and said, “This is not exactly the ending to our romantic date that I had planned.”
“You still have another hour.” I grinned and put my arms around his neck. “What did you have in mind?”
He laughed softly. “Actually, I was planning to ad lib the rest, but that’s not going to happen with Kishan around.”
Ren kissed me again, and we heard a muffled comment too faint to understand. He ripped his lips away from mine and growled quietly, muttered something in Hindi, and opened the door with a scowl.
Kishan was watching television while scarfing down an incredible amount of snacks. Six different bags of pretzels, popcorn, cookies, chips, and assorted other goodies were strewn about the coffee table, all half-eaten.
“Just sickening,” Kishan groused. “Couldn’t you guys have finished kissing at the dance so I didn’t have to hear it?”
Ren helped me out of my coat with an irritated growl, before I headed upstairs. He said he’d be up as soon as he got Kishan settled in. The settled in part sounded ominous to me, but I nodded, hopeful that they would at least attempt to be civil to each other.
I was just slipping my pajama top over my head when I heard Ren bellow, “You ate all of my peanut . . . butter . . . cookies?”
I shook my head. Two tigers living this close to one another is going to be a major headache.
Not hearing Kishan’s reply, I decided to let them work it out for themselves. I carefully nestled the ruby earrings in my ribbon box for safekeeping and wondered about Ren and Kishan’s mother. I scrubbed off the makeup and pulled the jeweled combs out of my hair, letting the soft curls cascade down my back.
I found Ren resting on my bed, scooted against the headboard. His tuxedo jacket was thrown across a chair, and his tie was undone and hanging around his neck.
I climbed onto his lap and kissed his cheek. His arms wrapped around me, pulling me close, but he kept his eyes closed.
“I’m trying to deal with Kishan, Kelsey, but it’s going to be very, very hard.”
“I know. Where’s he going to sleep?”
“In my bed, in the other house.”
“And where are you going to sleep?”
He opened his eyes. “Here. With you. Like I always do.”
“Umm, Ren, don’t you think that Kishan will make assumptions about . . . you know, us being together. Together?”
“Well. Don’t worry. He knows we’re not.”
“Ren. Are you blushing?” I laughed.
“No. I just didn’t expect this topic of conversation.”
“You are definitely from a different time, Prince Charming. It’s kind of an important conversation to have.”
“What if I’m not ready to have this conversation yet?”
“Really? Three-hundred fifty years go by, and you aren’t ready to have that conversation?”
He growled softly. “Don’t misunderstand me, Kells. I’m more than ready to have that conversation, but we aren’t going to. At least, not until the curse has been broken.”
My mouth dropped open. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying? That we can’t be together until we get chased by immortal monkeys and demons at least three more times, which could take years!”
“I’m really hoping it doesn’t take that long. But, yes. That’s what I’m saying.”
“And you aren’t going to budge on this, are you?”
“No.”
“Fantastic! So I am going to be an old maid living with two very large cats!”
“You’re not going to be an old maid.”
“By the time you decide to be with me, I will be.”
“Kelsey, are you saying you’re ready for all that now?”
“Probably not, but what about a year from now? Or two years? Eventually, I’ll go crazy.”
“It won’t be easy for me either, Kells. Mr. Kadam agrees that it’s just too dangerous. His descendants live exceptionally long lives, and he feels that the amulet is responsible for that. It was an awkward conversation, but he told us both that it would be best if we didn’t take any . . . unnecessary chances. We don’t know how the amulet or curse works, and, until we’re men again, complete and whole, I can’t risk anything happening to you.”
I remarked dryly, “It’s not like Mr. Kadam killed his wife, Ren.”
“No. But he wasn’t a tiger, either.”
“Afraid we’d have kittens?” I teased.
“Don’t even joke about that,” Ren said stone-faced.
“Well then, what are you afraid of? Do you want to take a class?” I couldn’t help it. Mom’s sarcastic humor made an appearance.
“No!” he said with great consternation. I laughed. “Kelsey! You aren’t taking this seriously.”
“Sure I am. I just happen to be talking about something that makes me nervous, and I usually respond to nerves with humor and sarcasm. Seriously, Ren, you’re talking about years when I am almost to the point of attacking your rather attractive self now.” I sighed. “Do you really think it would be dangerous?”
“The truth is I don’t know. I don’t know how the curse will affect us. And, I won’t put you at risk. So can we delay having this conversation . . . at least for a while?”
I grumbled, “Yes. But you should know that I have a . . . difficult time thinking straight around you.”
“Hmm,” he pressed his lips against my neck.
“That doesn’t help by the way.” I sighed. “I guess a lot of very cold showers loom in my future.”
Ren mumbled against my throat, “You and me both. Did you have difficulty thinking straight around your other boyfriends?”
“What boyfriends?”
“Jason or Li?”
“I don’t really think of Jason as more than a friend. Li was a good friend with potential. Mmm . . . that feels nice. They were people who were interesting and who I wanted to know better. But, not boyfriends. I didn’t love them like I love you, and they didn’t make me feel this way.” I groaned softly. “Not like this.”
He trailed kisses along the line of my jaw. “What about before them?”
“No. There was no one. You are my first . . . everything.”
He lifted his head and smiled his devastating smile. “I am exceptionally delighted and deliriously happy to hear you say that.” He gathered my hair over my shoulder and pressed kisses along the arch of my neck. “Just for the record, Kells, you’re my first everything too.”
I shivered. Sighing, he kissed me sweetly and snuggled me against his chest.
I played with the buttons on his shirt and spoke quietly, “You know, my mother talked with me about this right before she died. She and Dad really hoped that I would wait until marriage like they did.”
“For me, it was assumed. In my time, in my country, casual relationships didn’t exist.”
“Ah,” I teased, “so you think our relationship is casual?”
“No. Not for me, it isn’t.” He tilted his head and watched my expression carefully, “What about you?”
“Me neither.”
“That’s good to know.” He reached over, grabbed my blanket, and tucked it around us.
“Ren?”
“Hmm?”
“What would you say if I said I wanted to wait, you know, until.”
A smile lit his handsome face. “Until . . . what?”
I bit my lip nervously. “Until . . . you know.”
He grinned even wider. “Is this a proposal? Do you want Mr. Kadam’s phone number so you can ask for his approval?”
I snorted, “You wish, Romeo! But seriously, Ren, if I wanted to wait, would it . . . bother you?”
He put his hands on both sides of my face, looked into my eyes, and said simply, “I would wait for you forever, Kelsey.”
I sighed. “You always say the right thing.”
I was enjoying snuggling with him when a dormant thought popped in my head that made me sit up. “Wait a minute! Your first everything, huh? That’s not exactly true, is it? Mr. Kadam once told me that he broke into the Queen’s Bath in Hampi, which was a rite of passage for young men. Didn’t you accompany him to Hampi on several occasions?”
Ren froze. “Well, technically speaking—”
I smiled and raised an eyebrow mockingly. “Yes, Ren? My love? You were saying?”
“I was saying that, technically speaking, yes, Kadam, Kishan, and I broke in. But, we only made it to the front door, and everyone was sleeping. We didn’t see a thing.”
I poked him in the chest. “Are you telling me the truth, Lancelot?”
“I am absolutely, 100 percent, telling you the truth.”
“So, if I ask Kishan tomorrow, he will corroborate your story?”
“Of course he will.” He mumbled quietly, “And if he doesn’t, I’ll punch him in the face.”
“I heard that. You better be telling me the truth, Ren, and you will not punch Kishan in the face.”
“I’m just teasing you, Kells. I promise. I have never looked at anyone but you since the day you first read to me by my circus cage. You’re a swan among swallows.”
“Nice line, but I think you should consult your field guide again.”
He frowned at me and ignored my comment. “As far as Kishan goes, he deserves to be punched for eating my cookies anyway.”
“I’ll make you more tomorrow, so don’t give him grief over that.”
I laughed until he effectively shut me up with his lips.
The next day over Ren’s third omelet and Kishan’s fourth, Ren announced he wanted to take up wushu again. Kishan clapped his hands together, showing he couldn’t wait to clobber Ren.
The brothers rented a small studio where we could be alone, so he and Ren could tutor me. They didn’t teach me any fancy moves or forms, but instead gave me a crash course in Disabling Your Opponent 101. We all thought it best if I learn some defensive moves with the possibility of Lokesh hanging about, as well as who-knows-what lurking ahead of us on the next quest. We all stretched for a few minutes, and then Ren began his lessons using Kishan as a test subject.
“Lesson one. If your attacker is running toward you, bend your knees and wait for him to get closer. Then, grab his arm, swing yourself around him, and lock your arms around his throat. If he’s a big guy, then pull up into the top of his throat under the jaw.”
Kishan ran at Ren and attacked from behind. Then it was my turn. Ren ran toward me, and I grabbed his arm and jumped on his back. I threw my arms around his neck in a brief stranglehold but then pecked him on the cheek before hopping down.
“Good. Lesson two. If the attacker knows more martial arts than you do, don’t fight him. Just try to disable him. Go for the stomach or the groin, and punch or kick as hard as you can.”
Kishan attacked again and started a complicated martial arts assault. I recognized a jump kick to the face with his knee bent and a roundhouse, but he also did a lot of complicated moves I’d never seen done before. Ren kept backing away, moving out of Kishan’s range until he found an opening and punched Kishan hard in the stomach. Kishan got up right away and came back at him again. This time, he fought harder and threw Ren to the ground, which was when Ren punched upward, stopping just shy of debilitating his brother.
“If you have to pick one or the other, choose the groin. It’s much more effective. Lesson three. Go for the sweet spots. These are the eyes, the Adam’s apple, the ears, the temple, and the nose. For the eyes—gouge with two fingers, like this. For the ears—use both hands and thump against both ears at once, as hard as you can. Everything else is a flat-handed, hard chop.”
Ren demonstrated each one then asked me to practice on him again. He wanted me to actually hurt him because he wanted it to be realistic. I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.
Kishan growled and got up, pushing Ren out of the way. “She’s never going to learn like this. She needs to feel a real attack.”
“No, you’re too rough. You’ll hurt her.”
“What do you think they’ll do to her?”
I put my arm on Ren’s. “He’s right. It’s okay. Let him try.”
Ren reluctantly agreed to stand back against the wall.
I stood nervously with my back to Kishan, waiting for the attack. He came up behind me, grabbed my arm hard, and twisted me around. His hands went around my throat; he was strangling me. I heard a vicious growl before Kishan was thrown against the far wall. Ren stood in front of me tenderly touching the red fingerprints on my throat.
He yelled at Kishan, “I told you! You’re too rough! She’s going to have bruises on her neck!”
“It needs to be rough to be realistic. She needs to be ready.”
“Ren, I’m okay. Let him try again. I need to prepare myself so I can think clearly in an attack. You might need me to save you someday.”
He stroked my neck softly and looked at me, undecided. Eventually, he nodded and moved out of the way again.
Kishan ran to the other side and hollered back, “Don’t think. Just react.”
I turned away to wait for the attack. Kishan was quiet. I listened hard for his footsteps but heard nothing. All of a sudden, his arms were wrapped tightly around me from behind, and he was dragging me. He was too strong. He was choking me. I wiggled, wrestled, and stomped against his feet, all to no avail.
Desperate, I sucked in a breath and popped my head up against his chin. It hurt. Bad. But, he loosened his grip enough that I slipped out of his grasp and to the floor. Then, I stood up suddenly, rammed my shoulder into his groin, and punched him as hard as I could in the stomach.
Kishan fell to the floor, rolling over. Ren barked a loud laugh and thumped his brother on the back before returning to me. “You asked for it! Don’t think. Just react. Oh, man! I wish I had a camera!”
I was shaking from my effort. I did it, but I seriously didn’t think I could handle more than one opponent. How would I be able to protect Ren if I could barely hold my own? “Is Kishan going to be okay?”
“He’ll be fine. Just give him a minute.”
Ren was thrilled with my small victory. Kishan stood up grimacing. “That was good, Kelsey. If I was a normal man, I would have been down for at least twenty minutes.”
I felt a little dizzy. “Uh, guys? Can we stop for today? My head is spinning. I think I need some aspirin. Remember, I don’t recover as quickly as you two.”
Ren sobered, felt my head, and found a big lump forming. He insisted on carrying me to the car, even though I could walk perfectly well. When we got home, he settled me on the couch, punched Kishan hard in the gut just to make a point, and went to the kitchen to get a bag full of ice for my head.
As we practiced for the next two weeks, I started to feel confident that I could maintain my composure during an attack. Kishan and Ren also started taking turns circling the grounds at night, making sure that nobody could slip in to surprise us.
I stowed an emergency backpack under the front seat of Kishan’s black GMC truck with clothes and other items I would need in a hurry. I put my quilt, traveling papers, the ruby earrings, and Fanindra in the bag. Ren and Kishan filled it with money from several different countries and added a bag of clothing for themselves as well. They parked the truck about a mile down the main road and covered it with branches to camouflage it.
I always wore my amulet and Ren’s locket bracelet, but I was worried about my ribbon box. If we had to leave town quickly, I didn’t want anything to happen to it. Ren suggested that we mail a package to Mr. Kadam for safekeeping. We shipped my ribbon box and several other irreplaceable personal items to India.
Keeping the mood light was difficult, because we all felt that something bad was coming our way. Kishan joined us now for movie nights and usually ate all the kettle corn, which annoyed Ren. We stayed home most nights and I cooked. Kishan easily ate twice as much as Ren, who ate a lot. The Safeway delivery guy probably thought we were running a bed and breakfast with the amount of food we had delivered each week.
One Saturday in March, I suggested a trip to Tillamook and the beach. The weather was supposed to be unseasonably warm and sunny. The likelihood of it actually being that way and staying that way was minimal, but the beaches of Oregon were beautiful, even in the rain. The minute I promised chocolate peanut butter ice cream, Ren became very supportive of the idea.
We packed ingredients for s’mores and a change of clothes in the back of the Hummer. I drove to Lincoln City and then turned right on Highway 101, which ran along the Oregon coast. It was a pretty drive, and both tigers stuck their noses up to smell the ocean when I cracked the windows. Later, I pulled in to the Tillamook Cheese Factory Visitor’s Center and parked in the spot farthest away from the crowds.
“Meet you guys inside.”
I slipped on a light jacket. Despite the warm weather forecast, the sky was a little overcast, with sunshine peeking through the gray clouds only occasionally. It was a bit windy, but rain didn’t seem likely until later that evening. I walked into the store and browsed through the variety of cheeses on display.
Ren slid his fingers through mine. He wore an ice blue hooded sweater with some kind of Asian dragon pattern running from shoulder to shoulder.
I reached up to trace a dragon. “Where did you get this?”
He shrugged. “Off the Internet. I’ve become an expert Internet shopper.”
“Hmm. I like it.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Do you?”
“Yep,” I sighed, “Hmm . . . we’d better keep you away from the ice cream.”
He looked offended. “Why would you keep me away from the ice cream?”
“Because you’re hot enough to melt it, and then Kishan would cry. The ice cream girls are checking you out already.”
“Well, perhaps you failed to notice the young gentleman behind the counter. He was very disgruntled when I walked over here.”
“You’re lying.”
“No . . . I’m not.”
I peeked at the guy behind the register. He was watching us. “He probably just wants to make sure we aren’t tasting too many free samples.”
“I don’t think so, Kelsey.”
We wandered to the ice cream counter where I inhaled the scent of freshly made waffle-cones. Kishan ordered a triple cone with blueberry cheesecake, chocolate orange, and root-beer-float flavors.
“That’s an interesting combo, Kishan.”
He grinned at me over his giant cone and took a huge bite of root-beer-float ice cream. Ren was up next, but he seemed to be having trouble.
“I’m torn.”
“Between what?”
“Chocolate peanut butter and peaches and cream.”
“You love chocolate peanut butter. It should be an easy choice.”
“Ah, true,” he leaned down to whisper, “but I love peaches and cream more.”
He kissed me on the cheek and ordered a double scoop of peaches and cream.
I ordered a double with chocolate peanut butter on the bottom and my favorite, Tillamook mudslide, on top and promised him he could eat the second half of my cone. I added a large square of chocolate peanut butter fudge to the order then paid the bill.
From there, it was just a short drive to the beach. Because it was overcast and still fairly cool, the beach was deserted. It was just the three of us, the seagulls, and the roar of the cold ocean.
The nippy rock-blue water crested, spilled over the pumice-gray sand, and sprayed the large black rocks. This was the ocean of the Northwest: beautiful, cool, and dark. Very different from the beaches of southern California or Florida. Far out on the water, a fishing boat drifted slowly by.
Ren spread out a large blanket and started building a fire. He soon had a crackling blaze going and joined me on the blanket. We ate, laughed, and talked about various styles of martial arts: karate, wushu, ninjutsu, kendo, aikido, Shaolin, Muay Thai, Tae Kwon Do, and Kempo.
Ren and Kishan argued about which form to use in which situation. Eventually they stopped, and Ren invited me to walk along the beach with him. We kicked off our shoes, held hands, and let the cold water lap over our bare feet as we walked all the way to the black rocks, about a half a mile away.
“Do you like the ocean?” he asked.
“I like to look at it or cruise on it, but swimming in it scares me. Wading is fine, but that’s about it.”
“Why? I thought you loved stories about the ocean.”
“I do. There are some great books about the sea—Robinson Crusoe, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Treasure Island, and Moby Dick.”
“Then why are you afraid?”
“One word. Sharks.”
“Sharks?”
“Yes. Apparently, I need to introduce you to the movie Jaws.” I sighed. “I know, statistically speaking, that most beach swimmers aren’t eaten by sharks, but just the fact that I can’t see anything in the water freaks me out.”
“But swimming pools are fine?”
“Yes. I love swimming, but I’ve seen too many televised Shark Week specials to feel comfortable in the ocean.”
“Maybe you’d feel differently about diving.”
“Maybe, but I doubt it.”
“I’d like to try it sometime.”
“Be my guest.”
“You know, statistically speaking . . . you are much more likely to get eaten by a tiger.”
He tried to grab my arms, but I darted out of his range and laughed. “Not if the tiger can’t catch me.”
I took off running as fast as I could, and he laughed and chased me back across the sand trying to grab my heels.
He let me elude him for a while, even though I knew he could have overtaken me at any time. Eventually, he scooped me up and threw me over his shoulder.
I laughed. “Come on, Tiger, the water’s getting higher, and we’ve left Kishan to his own devices for too long.”
He carried me back to the blanket and set me down.
I got out the marshmallows to toast. Ren challenged Kishan to a race, going from the blanket to the rocks and back.
“Come on, Kishan, first one back wins.”
“What do I win?”
I suggested, “How about you get the first s’more.”
Kishan shook his head. “How about the prize is a kiss from Kelsey?”
Ren’s face darkened.
I ventured, “Uh, Kishan. I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Kishan persisted, “It’s fine, Kelsey. It’ll give him real motivation to try. Unless he thinks he’s going to lose.”
Ren growled. “I won’t lose.”
Kishan poked Ren’s chest. “On your best day, you wouldn’t even see my tail.”
“Fine. Let’s do this.”
“Guys, I don’t think—”
“Go!”
They both took off running so fast they became almost a blur on the sand. My marshmallows forgotten, I stood to watch them run. Kishan was lightning fast, but Ren was quick too. He was right behind Kishan. When they turned at the rock, Ren turned tighter, got a couple of feet ahead of Kishan, and was able to maintain his advantage on the run back. At the halfway mark, Kishan reached out, grabbed the blue hood on Ren’s sweater, yanked it hard, and pushed him into the sand.
Ren spun and fell, but quickly got back up and surged forward, running with a vengeance. His legs pumped even faster than seemed possible. Sand flew out from behind him several feet, as he came up neck and neck with Kishan. The race ended with Kishan winning by a foot.
Ren was angry. Kishan laughed and nudged Ren aside so he could claim his prize.
I stood up on my tiptoes and pecked Kishan on the cheek. Ren seemed appeased and started to relax. He picked up a rock and threw it out into the ocean.
He grumbled, “You only won because you cheated.”
Kishan said, “I won because I know how to win. Cheating is irrelevant. You have to learn to do whatever it takes to win. Speaking of which, that was not the prize I had in mind.”
He reached over and grabbed my elbow, then he spun me around and dipped me over in a dramatic kiss. It was much more drama than substance, but Ren went ballistic.
“Let. Her. Go.”
After Kishan stood me up, I moved back a step and Ren barreled into Kishan’s stomach, effectively cutting off his peals of laughter by shoving him into the sand. They rolled across the sand wrestling and growling at each other for the next ten minutes. I decided not to intervene. It seemed like fighting and wrestling with each other was a favorite pastime of theirs.
When they finally broke off fighting, we all ate s’mores. Smoothing Ren’s hair back from his forehead, I said, “You know he didn’t really mean anything by it. He’s just trying to bother you on purpose.”
“Oh, he meant it alright. I told you, if he keeps making plays for you, then all bets are off. Hey, these are really good. Hmm, they could use—”
“Peanut butter?” we both said at the same time.
He started planting sticky kisses all over my face. I laughed, rolled him off my lap, and jumped away. He’d just sprung to his feet to catch me when my phone rang. It was Jason.
“Hey, Jason. What’s up?”
“I just thought you’d like to know that there were a couple of guys on campus yesterday asking about you. They said they represent a legal firm, and they have news about your parents’ will.”
“I see. What did they look like?”
“Tall guys, expensive suits. They seemed legitimate, but I didn’t tell them anything. I figured I’d talk with you first.”
“Okay. Thanks for telling me, Jason. You were right not to tell them anything.”
“Are you in some kind of trouble, Kelsey? Is everything alright?”
“Everything’s fine. Don’t worry.”
“Okay, see ya.”
“See ya.”
I closed my phone and looked at Ren. He stared back, and we both knew. Lokesh had found me. I heard Kishan speaking quietly and turned to see he was on his phone, presumably with Mr. Kadam.
We started packing up immediately. Suddenly, the atmosphere at the beach had changed. It now seemed somber, dark, and sinister, when it once had felt friendly and safe. The sky appeared foreboding and ominous, and I shivered in the suddenly cool breeze.
Ren and Kishan agreed that if Jason hadn’t told the men anything, it was unlikely that they had found our home yet. We decided to drive home, tie up a few loose ends, and leave Oregon.
On the drive, I called Sarah and Mike and told them I was returning to India right away. “Mr. Kadam has made an important discovery and needs my help. Ren will be going with me. I’ll call as soon as I land.”
I called Jennifer and told her the same thing. She kept hinting that if I was eloping with Ren, I should just flat out tell her. Eventually, she believed the story and said she’d pass along the info to Li. I was careful not to mention the city or how long I’d be away. I tried to be as vague as possible.
When I hung up, Ren assured me that my family would be safe. He said that Mr. Kadam had arranged a surprise vacation for Sarah, Mike, and the kids. They were getting a three-week, all-expenses-paid trip to Hawaii, but only if they left immediately. They would be told that the trip was a prize from their favorite running-shoe company.
I kept looking in the mirrors the entire drive home, expecting black sedans to come barreling down on me with shady men shooting at us. To say I was scared was an understatement. I’d faced demons and immortal monkeys, but, somehow, it felt totally different to face modern-world bad guys. I could rationalize that demons weren’t real; therefore, even though they were chasing me, they weren’t really a threat, but actual men who wanted to kidnap and torture or kill seemed much more menacing.
When we got home, I pulled into the garage and waited in the car until the brothers checked the house. Returning about ten minutes later, Ren put his fingers to his lips and quietly opened my door. He had changed into dark clothing, heavy boots, and a black jacket.
“What’s going on?” I mouthed.
Ren whispered back, “Someone’s been in the house, both houses actually. Their scents are everywhere, but nothing’s been taken. No one’s here now, so go upstairs, and quickly change into dark clothing and running shoes. Then meet us downstairs. Kishan’s watching the doors. We’ll go out the back of the house, take the long way to Kishan’s truck, and head for the airport.”
I nodded, hurried into the house, and ran up the stairs. I washed my face, pulled on dark jeans, a long-sleeved black sweater, and sneakers. I grabbed my jacket and met them downstairs. Kishan led the way as we crept through my house and into Ren’s.
Both Kishan and Ren had armed themselves with weapons from my wushu box. The three-section-staff was folded and threaded through Kishan’s belt at his lower back, and Ren had tucked a pair of Sai knives through his belt loop. Ren and I continued to follow Kishan as he led the way outside and into the trees.
He stopped often to smell the air and look at the ground. We had about a mile to hike to the truck. Every noise, every pop and crack in the forest startled me, and I whipped around often, expecting an attack. I felt an itch between my shoulder blades like we were being watched.
After about five minutes, Kishan froze. He gestured for us to get down, and we sank behind some ferns. There was someone in the trees moving quietly, following in our tracks. Even I could hear him, which meant he was close. Kishan whispered, “We need to get out of here. When I say ‘now,’ go.” A few tense seconds passed. “Now,” he whispered.
He led us deeper in the forest at a faster pace. I was trying to move as silently as I could, but I was afraid whoever was behind us could hear me. My feet couldn’t seem to find the right places to step, and I often cracked branches and skidded on wet spots as I ran. We came upon a clearing, and Kishan froze and hissed back, “Ambush!”
We turned back. The man who was following us caught up and blocked our path. Kishan ran at him, closing the distance quickly. When he was just a few feet away, Kishan pulled out the staff, and whipped it overhead to gain momentum. I’d thought the weapon unwieldy, but in Kishan’s hands it spun like the blades of a helicopter. With a snap he swept the man’s legs out from under him, and then, he took a giant leap, twirled the weapon, and cracked the staff across the fallen man’s back and head. With a flick of his wrist, the weapon folded into his palm and he shoved it back into his belt. The man didn’t get up.
Ren grabbed my hand and yanked me behind him as he ran. Stopping at a copse of trees, he pushed me behind a fallen log and told me not to move, then he ran back to join Kishan. He took a ready stance not far from his brother. I saw the flash of Sai knives as he took them out and twirled them skillfully while Kishan once again wielded the staff. Both brothers peered into the forest and waited.
The other men had caught up to us. What happened next was no fight in a dojo. This was battle. War. Ren and Kishan looked like two uber-soldiers. Their faces showed no emotion. They moved sharply, efficiently. They wasted no energy. They moved in harmony like a pair of lethal dancers, Ren with the Sai knives and Kishan with the staff. Between them, they took down at least a dozen men, but dozens more shot out from the trees.
Ren punched one man in the neck with his elbow, probably crushing his windpipe. When the man bent over, Ren cartwheeled over his back, flipped around, and kicked the next guy in the face. Kishan was brutal. He broke a guy’s arm and then kicked another guy’s knee at the same time. I could hear the sickening snap and the scream as both of his opponents slumped to the ground. It was like being in the middle of one of Li’s martial arts films, only here the blood and the danger were real.
When none of the men could stand, the brothers ran back to me.
“More are coming,” Kishan said flatly.
We ran. Ren picked me up and threw me over his shoulder. Even with my weight slowing him down, he still moved faster than I could. The brothers were running at top speed. Fast, but silent. Somehow, they knew where to step to avoid making noise. Kishan slowed and started running behind us, taking up a flank position. We continued this way for at least ten minutes. I figured we were far away from the men, but, suddenly, I heard pings and pops as something hit the trunks of the trees around us.
Immediately, Ren and Kishan doubled their speed, leapt behind a fallen log, and took cover. “Are they shooting at us?” I whispered.
“No,” Kishan whispered back. “Not with bullets anyway. Bullets sound different.”
We sat quietly. I was breathing harder than they were, even though they were the ones who had been running. We waited. The brothers were both listening very carefully. I was about to ask a question, but Ren pressed a finger to his lips indicating that I should keep silent. They used some kind of hand signals to communicate with each other. I watched carefully, but I couldn’t figure out what they meant. Ren rolled his finger in a circle and Kishan handed Ren his staff, morphed into the black tiger, and slunk off into the trees.
I pointed toward where Kishan had left. Ren pressed his mouth next to my ear and whispered in a barely audible voice, “He’s drawing them off.”
He positioned me in the hollow of the tree and moved so that his body covered mine.
I sat there, tense, my face pressed against Ren’s chest for a long time. I heard a terrible roar. Ren wrapped his arms around me and whispered, “They’ve followed him. They’re about a half mile away now. Let’s go.”
He took my hand and began leading me toward the hidden truck again. I tried to be as quiet as I could. After several minutes, a dark shape leapt in front of us. It was Kishan. He switched back to a man. “They’re everywhere. I led them as far off as I could, but it looks like a whole regiment was sent after us.”
Ten minutes later, Kishan froze and sniffed the air. Ren did too. Men jumped down on us from the trees; several of them descended from harnesses and ropes. Two men grabbed me, pulled me away from Ren, and held me tightly, while five men attacked him. He roared in fury and switched to a tiger. The men didn’t seem surprised by this. Kishan had already changed to a tiger and had taken down several of his opponents.
Ren stood on his hind legs, thrust his paws on a man’s shoulders, and roared in his face. He bit the man’s neck and shoulder, pushed him to the ground, and used his body as a jumping off point. He leapt in the air, claws extended, and swiped two men across the chest. His ears lay flat against his head, his fur bristled, and blood dripped from his jaws. His tail raised and lowered like a lever just before he hurtled himself into the air again. He landed on the back of a man attacking Kishan, and the weight of his body alone disabled the attacker.
I struggled but couldn’t even move because the men held me so tightly. Kishan roared. One of the men had used a pronged weapon that had some kind of electric Taser attached to the end. The black tiger whirled, knocked the weapon to the ground with a paw, and snapped it in half with the weight of his body.
Quickly, Kishan jumped on top of the man who had fallen to the ground and bit into the man’s shoulder. Kishan lifted the man off the ground with his powerful jaws, and jerked his head violently until the man stopped moving. Kishan dragged the limp body several feet, and with a fling of his head, threw the man into the bushes. Then, he raised himself up on his haunches like a bear and swiped at other men who came near. His jaws dripped blood as he snarled viciously.
Ren kept trying to get back to me, but men always stepped between us. I took advantage of the momentary distraction when Ren dropped a man at our feet to kick one of my attackers in the groin as hard as I could and elbow the other one in the stomach. He doubled over but kept a tight grip on my arm. Then, he cuffed me at my temple and my vision got blurry.
I heard Ren’s terrible roar. I kept struggling, but I felt dizzy. The man held me in front of him as if I was bait. He taunted the tigers by handling me roughly. I knew it was to distract the brothers, and unfortunately, it worked. Ren and Kishan kept trying to clear a path to me and frequently looked my way, which allowed more men to get behind them.
Other men arrived. Apparently, reinforcements had been called, and these men had more weapons. One of the men pulled out a gun and fired at Ren. A dart hit him in the neck, and he briefly staggered. I saw red and suddenly my vision cleared. I felt power sizzle through my limbs. I popped the back of my head into my captor’s nose and gratifyingly felt the cartilage break. The man screamed and loosened his hold enough for me to jump away. I ran to Ren. He changed into a man. Another dart hit. He was still on his feet, but he was moving much slower. I yanked the darts from his body.
He tried to push me behind him, “Kelsey! Move back! Now!”
A third dart hit him in his thigh. He staggered once more and fell to one knee. Men surrounded him, and, knowing I was near, he began fighting again to keep them away from me. Kishan was enraged, mauling man after man while trying to get to us, but more kept coming. He was too busy to help me with Ren. He was barely holding his own ground. I tried to pull the men off Ren, but they were big. They were also professional fighters, maybe military, so they mostly ignored me and focused on the two more dangerous targets. I was just an annoying fly they swatted away. If only I had a weapon.
I felt desperate. There had to be something I could do to protect Ren. He finished off the last man near us and fell to his knees panting forcefully. Bodies were piled in groups around us. Some dead, some wounded. But, more men were coming. There were so many! I could see them creeping closer, eyes trained on the weary man at my side.
Fear for Ren’s life steeled my resolve. Like a mother bear protecting her young, I stood in front of Ren, determined to somehow stop the men from advancing, or at least give them a different target to shoot at. There were more than a dozen men stalking toward us, most of whom had guns. A fire burned in me, a need to protect the man I loved.
My frame shook with energy, with power. I faced the man closest to me and stared at him darkly. He raised his weapon, and I raised my hand in defense. My body burned hot, and I felt a molten inferno travel down my arm and into my hand. The flames ignited, and the symbols Phet had once drawn on my hand reappeared and blazed crimson. A lightning bolt exploded from my hand to the body of my attacker. It lifted his body into the air and slammed him into a tree hard enough to make it shake. He fell in a crumpled mass at the base.
Not having time to question or figure out what had happened, I turned to face the next attacker and the next. I was overcome with rage; a furious wrath bubbled through me. My mind screamed that no one would hurt those that I loved. Euphoric in my power, I took them down one after another.
A pinprick struck my arm and another one hit my shoulder. They felt like bee stings, but, instead of burning, numbness spread. The fire in my hand sputtered and went out, and I stumbled to the ground in front of Ren. He shoved an attacker back, still fighting, though he had been shot with darts several times. My vision was getting dark, and my eyes were closing.
Ren picked me up, and I heard him yell, “Kishan! Take her!”
“No,” I mumbled incoherently.
The whisper of his lips brushed against my cheek, and then I felt iron arms lock around my body.
Ren shouted, “Go! Now!”
I was being carried swiftly through the trees, but Ren wasn’t following. He was still fighting, as the attackers closed in on him. He switched to a tiger again. I heard him roar with outrage and pain, and I knew in the soft fuzziness of my mind that it wasn’t the physical hurt that caused him to cry out. It couldn’t have been, because I felt it too. The horrible, ripping pain was because I had been taken from him. I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I reached out a hand and grasped feebly at the air.
I pleaded hazily, “Ren! No!” before falling into darkness.