Trying to get his bearings, Sunil stood and gaped openly at the grand piano, Ren’s guitars, and the giant stereo system gleaming before him.
“Welcome to our home,” Ren said. “We’ll put you in Kishan’s room for the time being.”
Sunil nodded distractedly as he stretched out his fingers to touch framed pictures and an antique lamp, but when Ren pulled Nilima into the room to make introductions, the stranger from centuries earlier ignored everything but the woman in front of him.
Sunil smiled disarmingly, and I was struck again by how handsome he was. His green eyes flashed as he took Nilima’s palm. Bowing, he pressed his forehead against her hand and said, “It is an honor to greet one so beautiful. Thank you for your hospitality.”
Nilima narrowed her eyes suspiciously and snatched her hand back. “You’re welcome.” Turning to Ren, she queried, “Who is he? And where is Kishan?”
“Kishan . . . won’t be returning,” Ren said softly.
Nilima turned questioning eyes to me. I swallowed and nodded as I felt the pain of leaving Kishan creep back up my throat.
“Tell me we haven’t lost him too,” she entreated.
“He has not passed on, dear lady,” Sunil explained. “He has stayed in the past to take care of my sister.”
“Who is your sister and why is she worthy enough to demand his attention?” Nilima asked hotly, tears in her eyes.
“My sister is the goddess Durga. Your brother Kishan has become the tiger Damon. He is to serve alongside her.”
“I see,” Nilima nodded and took a step backward, stumbling a bit.
Regret stole over Sunil’s face. “Forgive me. I am sorry to bear news that causes you pain.”
Ren put his arm around Nilima. “We have much to tell you.”
She wiped her eyes and straightened her shoulders. “Perhaps you’d better tell me everything that has happened over the last six months. It’s June already.”
Ren and I couldn’t believe so much time had passed. The four of us went to the Peacock room and spent all afternoon speaking of our travels. Sunil asked many questions about how we obtained the gifts for Durga and was fascinated by the Fire Realm. I sat next to Ren and didn’t say much. I just listened to his warm voice as he patiently answered question after question.
Later that night I called my foster family. Nilima had been sending them cards from me, but it was good to hear their voices. Mike and Sarah had a thousand questions and stories to tell. They weren’t my parents, but they too were part of what I’d come to call home and talking with them helped ease the ache of missing Kishan a little.
At sunset, Nilima brought in food, but I found I didn’t have much of an appetite. Ren kept me close by wrapping his arm around me. I fell asleep cuddled on Ren’s chest to the sound of the three of them quietly talking.
Waking abruptly in pitch darkness, I discovered I was lying in my bedroom upstairs. Automatically my hand shot out over the side of the mattress, searching for my tiger. He wasn’t there. Sleepily, I stumbled to the sliding balcony door and opened it.
“Kishan?” I called softly. But there was no black tail hanging lazily over the swinging bench.
Reality crashed into my brain: I’d never see my black tiger again. Tears slipped down, tickling my cheeks like soft fairy wings. I closed the door and pressed my forehead against the glass. “Ren?” I whispered, but there was no response.
Staggering back to bed, I grabbed my grandmother’s quilt and slid under the sheets. My hand hit fur, startling me, but I quickly realized that it was only the stuffed tiger I’d purchased in Oregon so long ago. I pulled him near, lay my head on his paws, and slept.
After a hot shower and putting on fresh clothes the next morning, I felt more human. I found Sunil at the kitchen counter, getting a lesson in how to use the microwave. A variety of breakfast items were spread across the counter.
I selected a plate of sliced fresh peaches over reheated waffles while I watched Sunil and Nilima, who was uncharacteristically flustered. She blushed often while he seemed not to mind a whit that he was in completely unfamiliar territory.
After the microwaving lesson, Sunil quickly picked up a glass and asked for another demonstration on how to get “icy cubes.”
I smiled, thinking that Nilima had better watch out; Sunil was a wily one. As she showed him how to work the refrigerator, I could see he was paying more attention to her than her teaching. Stirring my mug of chocolate, I wondered how Anamika would feel about her brother courting Nilima.
After a hearty breakfast, I wandered the house and found Ren in Mr. Kadam’s room, reading some notes.
Closing the book with a pop, he rose and took my hand. “Did you sleep well?” he asked.
I shrugged, not really knowing what to say. He frowned slightly and lowered his eyes.
“Do you,” he swallowed, “do you want to go home? To Oregon?”
“I . . . I don’t know. I’m not sure,” I admitted truthfully. Ren, Kishan, and I had had such a focused goal for so long. Now that our task was completed, I felt a bit directionless.
Nodding, he kissed my cheek. “Please let me know what you decide,” he said and then turned and left the room.
What was that about? I wondered.
On June twenty-fourth, one week after traveling through the vortex, I dressed with extra care and straightened my hair before heading downstairs. Nilima had left a note saying she was taking Sunil clothes shopping in town and that they were staying late to have dinner. I ate breakfast alone and then searched for Ren, but he wasn’t around either.
With not much else to do, I read most of the afternoon, took a call from Mike and Sarah, and then watched a series of movies in the theater room. I made kettle corn and fondly remembered how Ren, Kishan, and I liked to watch movies eating great big bowls of the stuff.
After the film ended, I was surprised at how late it had gotten. The kitchen was dark, and Nilima and Sunil still hadn’t returned.
“Well, happy birthday to me,” I muttered and headed up to my room. Not even bothering to turn on the light, I slid open the glass door and stepped out onto the dark veranda. Stars twinkled in the sky, and the fountain glistened below.
It had been two years since my birthday party back at the circus. Two years since I’d met dear Mr. Kadam and had been pulled into the incredible world of the tiger’s curse. I was twenty years old. What was I supposed to do now?
I’d fought kappa, dragons, and a kraken. I’d been bitten by a mega-shark, survived the burning of a Phoenix, dined with fairies, and killed a demon king intent on taking me for his own. I’d held limitless power, but that power was now stripped away. I rubbed my arms, but it didn’t make the feeling of vulnerability lessen.
I was back in my world, a world that should be familiar, and yet it wasn’t. For the first time in two years, I didn’t know what to do next. The feeling was not unlike the day my parents died. That experience changed me forever, and the things I’d gone through these past two years left scars behind as well.
My throat tightened as I wondered again why Ren was avoiding me. Does he blame me for his death? Does he wish he had been the one to stay behind? Does he feel obligated to take care of me?
I briefly entertained the idea of heading back to Oregon without him, but I’d already done that once before. Ren and I needed to talk before I made any big decisions. We owed each other that much.
I wiped a tear from my eye and heard a door opening.
Ren stepped out onto the veranda and approached me but stopped a few feet away, leaning his elbows on the railing. He looked out at the pool and said quietly, “Happy Birthday, Kells.”
“I thought you’d forgotten,” I replied softly without looking at him.
“I remembered. I just wasn’t sure if you wanted to celebrate.”
I shrugged. “I guess not.”
We stood there for a few silent moments. My pulse pounded as the seconds went by and the tension between us built. I waited for him to say s
omething, but he wouldn’t even look at me. Finally, I couldn’t stand it any longer. I turned to him and asked fervently, “Why have you been avoiding me? Do you regret being the one who brought me home?”
He stood up straight and looked at me with confusion. “Is that what you think?”
“I don’t know what to think. You’ve hardly spent more than two consecutive minutes with me since we arrived. If you don’t want me here, just say so.”
My eyes stung, and a fresh tear plopped onto my cheek.
Closing the gap between us, he nudged my jaw, tilting my face to look at him. His cobalt blue eyes were full of emotion. “You think that I don’t want you?” he asked, his face incredulous. “Kelsey, I want you more than I want to breathe. I just wanted to give you space. You loved Kishan. It tore you apart to leave him behind. Anyone could see that.”
My fingers slid over his wrist, and I admitted, “I promised Kishan that a piece of my heart would always be his.”
Ren lowered his eyes and nodded. “I understand.” He stepped away from me as if to leave.
A righteous fury stole through my frame. “Alagan Dhiren Rajaram!” I yelled. “Don’t you dare walk away from me!”
Taking two giant steps forward, I circled him jabbed my finger at his chest. “You don’t understand anything!” I accused. “I have been in love with you for two years. If you haven’t figured that out yet, then I don’t know what else to tell you. I did love Kishan, but even he knew I was in love with you. Besides, you were the one who was willing to stay behind with Durga. If anyone should be feeling hesitant about our relationship, it should be me!”
Ren advanced toward me, and I swallowed, backing up until I hit the railing. Taking hold of my shoulders, he declared, “Let’s get one thing straight, Miss Hayes. I was absolutely unwilling to leave you. I told Phet that I couldn’t care less about protecting history or about Durga or her need for a tiger. All I wanted was to be with you. If that meant staying in the past, then I would stay in the past. If that meant coming home, then I’d come home. I would only serve Durga if you were with me. Kelsey, I never would have let you go.”
“Oh.” My voice cracked.
Ren slid his hands up to my neck, cupping it. “Kelsey, my beautiful, stubborn girl, if you are telling me that you’re ready to be with me, then you should know that I am damn sure ready to be with you.”
He wiped a tear from my cheek with his thumb and studied me intently with his mesmerizing eyes, waiting for my answer.
I reached up, brushed his silky hair away from his forehead and said simply, “Ren, you’re all I’ve ever wanted.”
A smile softened his chiseled lips, and he ducked his head to kiss me. The sweet kiss sparked into a blaze that sizzled and devoured. It had been so long since we kissed that I suddenly couldn’t get enough of him.
Running his hands down my back, he drew his palms slowly down my waist and over the curves of my hips, yanking me roughly against his chest. Our bodies were pressed close together but I wanted to be closer still. I wanted to be wrapped in him.
My hands gripped his waist and, growing braver, I slid them up the outside of his silk shirt. My fingers played along the length of his abdomen. Ren whispered my name, and I ran my palms up his broad chest and shoulders, around his neck, and into his hair. I wasn’t sure if the groan was from him or me.
Ren slowly drew his hands up my bare arms, caressing me with his fingertips and tickling the sensitive places along my collarbone and neck. He trailed kisses along my jaw to my ear, causing goose bumps to shoot down my arms.
Moving as one, we leaned back onto the couch, and I cuddled against his chest. My hand had been captured, clutched in his, and pressed against his beating heart. His passionate kisses softened and became sweet and tender, slow, velvety, and incredibly seductive. In each gentle caress, I felt his love for me as clearly as if I could hear his thoughts. When his lips found my ear, he murmured warm endearments and promises, and I was lost in the heady experience until something that he said made me pause.
My breath caught. “What did you say?” I asked.
His expression was full of warmth and love. He smiled hesitantly. “I asked if you would be my wife,” he said simply.
I looked into his cobalt blue eyes and grinned. “What would you do if I said, ‘If you have to ask, then the answer is no?’”
His eyes narrowed playfully. “Then I suppose I would have to seduce a yes from you.”
“In that case, my answer is definitely no.”
With a determined gleam in his eyes, he trailed his lips along my jaw and murmured a few lines from my favorite play. “Now, Kells, I am a husband for your turn. Thou must be married to no man but me. I must and will have Kelsey to my wife.”
Nuzzling his ear, I whispered enticingly, “Do you think me as stubborn as Katherine, Petruchio?”
He squeezed my waist. “I still haven’t heard a yes from you yet. That proves you to be not only stubborn but also uncompromising,” he said with a wry smile.
A few moments and some outstanding smoldering kisses later, he asked again, “Marry me, Kelsey. I want you . . .” I nodded and felt his lips smile against my neck. “. . . to be my bride.”
Mm-hmm was the only sound I could produce.
“That doesn’t count.” Ren pulled away to take both of my hands in his.
“Kelsey Hayes, I love you. I belong with you. I have been yours, body and soul, for two years. My destiny has always been you. Be my home, priya. Be my wife.”
He gazed at my face earnestly, and my heart stilled. The time for teasing was past. I raised his hands to my lips and kissed each of his palms.
“My heart belongs to you, Alagan Dhiren. I would be honored to be your wife.”
He smiled triumphantly, and my heart leapt with joy as he scooped me into his arms. Ren’s happiness swept through me until I laughed, delighting in the knowledge that I hadn’t lost my tiger after all. Building a life with Ren would be an amazing journey, one perhaps even more magical than all of our quests. The future seemed at once bright and hopeful.
I twined my arms around his neck and between soft kisses he asked, “Would you . . . like . . . your birthday present now?”
“Can it wait until tomorrow?” I asked as I pressed my lips against his forehead.
He pulled me even closer, smiled, and said, “Definitely.”
I laughed until he took hold of my face and brought my lips back to meet his.
futami rope
To say Nilima was thrilled about our engagement was an understatement, and she helped organize the wedding in her usual efficient and elegant manner.
Ren put me in charge of the guest list, which was very short, considering there weren’t many people on either the bride’s or groom’s sides to invite.
Nilima was the one who suggested we have our wedding in Japan because the major headquarters of Rajaram Industries was located there. Mr. Kadam had made plans upon his death to bequeath the business to his young grandson, Dhiren Rajaram, with Nilima as the acting head until he finished school. Our wedding was the perfect time to introduce Ren as the new president of the company and, in a social setting, meet those who helped run the business.
Ren set the wedding date for August seventh. It was only six weeks away, but he romantically explained, “It’s when the stars come together this year.”
“Are you talking about the Star Festival?”
He stroked my hair and nodded. “The Sky King must have heard my wish last year.”
“Which one?” I teased. “You put hundreds of wishes on that tree.”
Leaning toward me, he cupped my cheek. “All of them,” he said softly.
After a very thorough kiss, I commented, “If we can’t arrange everything in time, how do you feel about eloping?”
Laughing, he hugged me close as Nilima bustled in, arms loaded with boxes, and leaned down to whisper in my ear, “Don’t tempt me.”
My foster family was flown to Japan a week before th
e wedding, and we both celebrated our happiness and mourned our losses together. We told them that Mr. Kadam and Kishan had died in a plane crash over the Andaman Islands a few months before. Sarah cried with me and expressed great sadness over Kishan especially, whose life had just begun. I nodded my head and felt the bitter pang in my heart whenever I thought of the golden-eyed prince.
Ren took my hand as I finished my story, and Sarah wiped her eyes and smiled at him. My brilliant diamond and sapphire ring sparkled in the light, catching her eye. Sarah gasped at its beauty. Smoothly exaggerating, Ren made up a story about negotiating with a private dealer, and I laughed as he described the gold dragon Jīnsèlóng’s human form and character in great detail.
Nervously, I twisted my ring and rubbed the bare spot directly below it where Kishan’s lotus shaped ruby used to sit. The night before, Ren had asked me for Kishan’s ring, which I reluctantly gave to him.
Knowing what I was thinking, Ren kissed my fingers and winked as he smoothly answered Sarah’s and Mike’s questions.
August seventh approached quickly and late that afternoon I found myself standing in front of a full-length mirror. A beautiful woman looked back at me. My brown eyes sparkled, and I could have sworn my jeweled-slipper-covered feet weren’t touching the ground.
Nilima had done an amazing job choosing my wedding dress. The tight beaded bodice cinched in my waist and was a perfect contrast to the dramatic and voluminous ball-gown skirt. I slid my hands over the ivory satin fabric and its intricate lace peek-a-boo underlay. The edges of the sweetheart neckline and dress’s split were lined with cascading champagne silk roses, and floral appliqués spilled over my shoulders onto the cap sleeves. It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.
Nilima fussed with my cathedral train and helped me to put on hair combs adorned with creamy pearls and champagne-colored diamonds. I slipped on a matching pair of dangling earrings next, followed by what Nilima called a traditional Indian slave bracelet. A chain of tiny pearls attached the thick, jeweled bracelet and ring set.
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