“What difference does that make?”
“The power is compounded the more pieces you have,” Lokesh explained. “The descendants of those who wore amulets live very long lives, even if they’d never worn it.”
I need to know more. It’s the only way to figure this whole puzzle out.
“Yes, Mr. Kadam mentioned that his children and his children’s children lived longer-than-average lives. Do you think that is why Ren and Kishan have lived so long even without wearing the amulet?”
“The amulet cursed them. In defying me, they suffer an eternity of life as beasts.”
The curse. I bit my lip and thought back on everything we had learned from our previous quests. Isn’t the amulet protecting Ren and Kishan? I need to know more.
“Does that expression mean that you still care for the beasts, my dear?”
“It’s not that. I just worry that they may return and try to take your amulet pieces,” I lied with a look of concern plastered on my face.
“Do not fret. Should they return, we can easily weave a trap for them from your magic threads, and obviously I know more of the power of the amulets than they.”
I smiled shyly, laying it on thickly through lying lips. “May I ask how you found the amulet pieces, my . . . liege? I’m sorry if it’s forward of me to designate you as such, but you were an emperor, and a man of your stature should be addressed properly.”
Smiling, he studied me shrewdly and then said, “I wandered for many years asking scholars, monks, and kings for information about a great battle that united the kingdoms of Asia. During that time, I began studying the black arts and witchcraft. I sought those rumored to be dark wizards and learned whatever they would willingly teach me and extracted whatever they held back. I followed many clues that led only to dead ends. But, one by one, I discovered all five parts of the amulet. Ren and Kishan were the last pieces of the puzzle. Even now it irritates me that they have eluded me this long.”
“Why didn’t you just kill Ren and Kishan from the start?” I asked.
Lokesh sat back and replied, “The short answer to that very shrewd question is that I wanted to savor the moment. When I first found the royal family, Dhiren was five and Kishan four. Their parents, Rajaram and his wife, Deschen, never wore their amulet pieces in public. They also surrounded themselves and their young princelings with honorable, trustworthy guards who made their palace impossible to infiltrate. I watched the royal family for several months.
“That was when I first became fascinated with Deschen. She participated in every aspect of running the kingdom. She was clever, beautiful, and had an alluring combination of strength and softness. Any fool could see her sons would grow to be the greatest leaders of their time. I found to my surprise that I wanted to reunite the amulet, but I also hungered for Deschen and for strong sons of my own.
“Pretending to be a wealthy merchant in the neighboring kingdom of Bhreenam, I stirred up enough talk to gain a position on the king’s council and through thievery, betrayal, and cunning I was appointed commander of his military. I siphoned money from the government, took goods from the common people, and worked to undermine the kingdom. I also sent spies to Rajaram’s land.
“During that time, a wealthy merchant offered his daughter in exchange for favorable treatment. She was beautiful—tall, lithe, and young. And she had the most striking violet eyes.”
“Yesubai’s mother.”
He nodded. “Later, when she confessed she was pregnant, I was pleased. I envisioned a strong son like Dhiren but with violet eyes. I coddled her and spoiled her—”
I suppressed a shiver as I wondered what Lokesh’s definition of coddling and spoiling might be.
He went on. “—and it was early during her pregnancy when we were married. The night she gave birth to Yesubai, I picked up the child. The baby’s eyes were indeed violet, and it took several seconds before I realized it was a girl. I put the child back into its cradle. I was enraged. I had wanted a son and now I had a worthless girl. Without regret or pity, I strangled the life from Yesubai’s mother.”
I swallowed, thinking about the poor girl and knew that her fate would likely be mine. “What was your wife’s name?” I asked softly.
“Yuvakshi.” He clicked his tongue. “Now, now. I know what you’re thinking. It’s been several hundred years since that happened. I promise you that my attitude about women has progressed with the times—at least somewhat. Besides, you are much more valuable to me than my first wife was and I had no control over my temper at the time. If we find out the child you carry is a girl, we’ll simply remove it and try again.”
I sucked in a breath and tried to turn my grimace into a smile. “Of course, you are right. I’m not worried at all,” I choked out. When I noticed the gleam in his eye, I cleared my throat nervously. “So, when did you decide to use Yesubai to gain access to Rajaram’s kingdom?”
“How very clever of you, my dear,” Lokesh said, still looking at me in a very disturbing way. “Yesubai learned from a young age to obey me without question. She was beautiful, like her mother. By the time she was sixteen, I’d killed off the old king and taken the throne. I began expanding the military and attempted several infiltrations of Rajaram’s palace without success. He simply had the stronger military. I turned to diplomacy, which got the Rajaram family to open their arms to me, but every time I visited, one of the boys was missing.
“Yesubai reported that she’d seen the amulet worn by the younger one. In an attempt to bring both brothers to the palace at the same time, I negotiated a marriage between Yesubai and Dhiren, but planned for her to marry whichever brother was more easily influenced. Then I’d kill the other brother and Rajaram, take Deschen for my own, and claim their pieces of the amulet.
“It turned out there was no controlling Dhiren. His brother, Kishan, however, was more susceptible to a pretty face.”
I thought about what Kishan had told me of Yesubai. I couldn’t visualize her being so cold and deceitful. I decided to give Yesubai the benefit of the doubt. Whatever she had truly felt and done, she didn’t deserve the life she got.
“So you really didn’t want to kill Ren when he and Kishan changed into tigers?” I asked, trying to make sense of how and why the curse happened.
“No. I wanted to use him. Keep him under my thumb and cause him pain. Drag out his death slowly. I tried to control him through blood magic. I bought a medallion from a priest of the dark arts. Those I’d used it against had become mindless servants, willing to do anything I asked.
“But it didn’t seem to affect Dhiren or Kishan. The amulets they wore may have affected the spell and it changed them into tigers instead. It was not I who set the Tiger’s Curse into motion. In retrospect, I should have killed Dhiren when I had the chance, but I felt I had already won. Obviously, things didn’t go my way.”
With a flourish, Lokesh took my hand and put his mouth roughly against it—his version of a caress. His black eyes flashing menacingly, he held my gaze and said the words that made my blood run cold.
“Time’s up, my pet. Will you offer yourself to me freely in exchange for the tigers’ lives?”
shotgun
I swallowed thickly. I’d been planning on “offering myself freely” to someone I truly loved and who loved me. It wasn’t too long ago that I had the luxury of choosing whether that someone would be Ren or Kishan. I had chosen Kishan, but none of that mattered now. I was all out of options. If I didn’t agree to go through with Lokesh’s plans, we would all surely die.
Knowing there was nothing else I could say, I affixed a forced smile to my face. “Yes, I’ve decided to accept your offer. There’s something to be said for a mature man of the world. And your power . . . excites me.” Panicked, but trying desperately not to show it, I demurred, “But . . . I have one small request.”
Lokesh’s eyes glittered impatiently. “And what is that?”
My mind sifted through possible ways to put off his advances when sudden
ly the answer came to me. I quickly explained, “My parents died when I was young, and I was left alone. I don’t want that to happen to our son.”
“That will not happen.” Lokesh raised my wrist to his mouth and nibbled on it brusquely. “I fully intend to instruct my son in all aspects of my power as you will instruct him in yours. I intend to be a hands-on father.”
“I’m sure you will be,” I reassured him. “But what I’m trying to say is . . . I want him to have your name. I don’t want to bring an illegitimate child into the world. You suffered much because of that status, and I will not have my son be usurped. I want you to . . . to . . .” I gulped, not believing I was actually saying the words, “marry me.”
Lokesh took a step back and stared. “You wish to be my wife?”
“Surely you didn’t expect me to be your concubine? You offered as much to Yesubai’s mother. I wish the same. I want our union to be not only one of strategy, but also one that’s binding by tradition, if not legally. You can use whatever name you wish but I want to be married before we . . . try to have a child.” I lowered my gaze and took his hand, squeezing it lightly.
After a quiet moment he declared, “You are wise to bargain for this. It shows you are thinking of our son and his place in the world. I will do as you wish. We will marry and as a gift to you, I will allow you to remain chaste until you come to my marriage bed. Is this satisfactory?”
“Yes, thank you, my . . . husband.”
Lokesh smiled like a cat cornering a mouse. “Then I will leave you to create a bridal gown while I arrange the wedding and a feast. I will send a servant to retrieve you tomorrow for our wedding supper. I’d escort you myself but there is much to do and I still do not trust you enough to leave you to your own devices. You understand, of course?”
“Of course,” I answered, relieved that I’d bought myself another twenty-four hours to come up with an escape plan.
Kissing me before he left, Lokesh pulled and pushed and bit and shoved as if I was a piece of clay being molded into whatever shape he desired. When he finally drew away, I managed a shy smile, though it hurt.
Patting my shoulder roughly, he said, “By this time tomorrow, you will be my wife. Sleep well, my pet. You’ll need your rest.”
“Good night,” I replied woodenly and returned to the freedom of my empty prison.
I didn’t sleep much at all that night. Through closed eyes, I silently prayed that Ren or Kishan, Mr. Kadam, or even Durga would help me. I was running out of time.
During the brief moments I did sleep, I dreamt I was sitting up in bed holding a precious baby boy. It was Kishan’s vision in the Grove of Dreams. The baby slept, and I couldn’t help but wonder if his eyes were the color of a vibrant ocean or sparkled like a golden desert.
I smoothed his dark hair and kissed his baby-soft forehead. Little fingers wrapped around mine as the baby stirred. When he yawned and blinked, I recoiled in horror. My baby’s eyes were pitch black. Slowly his sweet baby expression melted and his lips twisted cruelly. Then I heard the words of a pitiless young boy whisper, “Hello, Mother.”
I woke up with a scream. Quickly, I composed myself and rolled over, stuffing a pillow under my cheek. Escape was too much to hope for, but death, either Lokesh’s or mine, would be my goal. I would not allow him to touch me, let alone consider bearing his child. He was a deadly predator and when a predator wants to devour you, you can run, you can hide, or you can kill him first. I had no choice but to fight for my life.
But how could I kill my captor? All I had for weapons were the Pearl Necklace and the Scarf, which meant I could try to hang him or drown him in his bathtub. That wasn’t exactly a foolproof plan. I knew I wouldn’t be able to access the bow and arrows, and I had no fire power.
I tossed and turned, considering strategy after strategy until I heard a noise at my window. In the predawn darkness, I looked out on the empty, snow-covered landscape. Then I felt the whisper of material on the ledge. The Scarf had embroidered a message:
Kelsey?
Are you there?
It’s Kishan.
Kishan is here! I might still have to kill Lokesh, but I won’t have to do it alone! I wondered if Mr. Kadam and Ren were also nearby.
If it weren’t for Lokesh’s prying eyes, I would have jumped for joy. Instead, I asked the Scarf to stitch a reply and pressed the cloth to the window.
Am okay.
Lokesh marrying me tomorrow night.
Cameras and guards everywhere.
I stifled a sob as the cloth twitched and the Scarf obeyed Kishan’s instructions. Flipping it over, I read:
Stall him as long as possible.
We have a plan.
We’re coming for you.
I pressed my hands against the glass and nodded. Staring through my window, I watched the woods for the longest time, searching for a flash of black or white.
The next morning, I anxiously rose from my bed and headed to the shower. I was exhausted in every way possible. I’d kept my emotions under such a tight rein; knowing that my imprisonment was almost over, one way or another, overwhelmed me to the point that I couldn’t hold them back anymore.
I worried about Ren and Kishan challenging Lokesh. I wondered if I would remain locked in my room while they fought and perhaps died. I thought about what would happen if they failed, and I ended up having to marry a monster.
Standing in a scalding shower, I cried quietly, hoping the steam that shrouded the mirror would also fog up any hidden cameras. Spent, I sank down until I sat back in the tub and let the hot water pummel my body until it turned cold.
Today could be the day I die.
With that morbid thought, I prepared for my wedding.
I took a long time drying and brushing my hair. Spending hours in the sun, hiking the jungles, and swimming in the ocean had bleached my brown hair, which now had champagne-blond highlights. Mom would have liked it. I wondered what she would have thought of my upcoming nuptials. It certainly wasn’t the wedding I’d envisioned for myself.
I had asked the Scarf to create a wedding dress befitting an ancient Chinese princess. I ignored it as long as I possibly could, but finally slid open the closet. I gasped at the silky red dress, which looked similar to the one the bride had worn at the wedding Li and I attended.
The gown was elaborate, and I was glad it would take me at least twenty minutes to put it on. It was trimmed in beads and elaborate gold stitching. There was a Mandarin style ruff attached to a golden tunic adorned with a large lotus blossom. Strings of beads crossed back and forth over the tunic, and its thick, embellished sleeves draped over my hands while the silky under sleeves extended at least a foot beyond my fingertips. On the thin apron of the tunic’s top layer, the Scarf had stitched a gorgeous fiery phoenix.
A long, golden scarf wrapped around my back and draped to the floor. I stepped into red silk slippers embroidered with golden flowers and fastened the pièce de résistance—a magnificent hairpiece with golden feathers and flowers, intricate braids, beads, and ornaments woven throughout.
I turned to gaze at my reflection. I looked like an exotic bird, a phoenix, in fact. Like the great bird, I was beautiful and vibrant, but I was also deadly; and soon, I would be consumed by fire.
I tucked the Scarf into one of my long sleeves, concealing it for later use. After dabbing a flowery perfume on my wrists and behind my ears, I sat down to await my groom.
Too soon, one of Lokesh’s servants came to collect me. He ogled my costume with a shocked expression, then quickly ducked his head and stayed as far away from me as he could.
Is he afraid of me? I wish Lokesh felt the same way.
The servant guided me to what looked like a small library and handed me a note and a box on his way out. I heard the click of the lock behind him and then silence.
I let out a pent-up breath and hoped that whatever plan Ren and Kishan had dreamed up would be put into motion before the wedding ceremony. Closing my eyes, I made a wish that
we would all make it out alive.
I sat stiffly before opening Lokesh’s note, which said that we were to dine before a magistrate performed the ceremony. Tugging the white ribbon off, I opened the gift from my husband-to-be.
It was the biggest diamond I’d ever set eyes on. The stone was round, multifaceted, and pink. Two smaller pink diamonds were set on either side. It might have been my imagination, but the five prongs holding the large diamond into place looked like thick fingers. I imagined Lokesh’s own grasp—so strong there would be no hope for escape. I slipped the ring on my middle finger just as the doors opened.
“Ah, there you are, my dear. And what do you think of my gift?”
“It’s lovely.” I managed to give him a smile.
Something flashed in his black eyes, and he took a sudden step toward me. I stood proudly but inwardly cringed. He grabbed my chin and murmured softly with a repellent smile, “I shall enjoy tearing your pretty dress to pieces tonight. I do hope you’ll have enough spirit to make the evening interesting, Kelsey. I wouldn’t want to be disappointed.”
I jerked my chin away and leveled my eyes on him. “Believe me when I say that all my energies will be focused upon you tonight, my liege.”
Leering with anticipation, Lokesh took my arm and led me into the ballroom, which sparkled with the light of hundreds of candles and was perfumed by dozens of white flower arrangements. If it had been anyone else’s wedding, I might have appreciated the setting more.
We sat at a small, intimate table, and though my face was frozen into a plastic smile, beneath the many layers of sleeves, my hands were clenched into fists.
Lokesh clapped his hands to begin a traditional ten-course Chinese wedding feast, not unlike the one I ate with Li at his cousin’s wedding. There was shark’s fin soup, stuffed melon, two whole lobsters in garlic-butter sauce, five-spice beef, squab with noodles, roasted suckling pig with fried rice, sautéed prawns with honeyed peas, Peking duck, scallion-and-ginger fish, and pink buns filled with sweet lotus paste.
I tried to stretch out the meal by talking about the symbolism of each course, but Lokesh remained silent. In fact, all he seemed to be in the mood for was scrutinizing me. His dark gaze studied me like a hawk watching a rabbit.