Page 13 of Tiger's Voyage

“No.” Kishan stood and suggested we walk another hour or two then set up camp for the evening. He crouched down next to me and touched my shoulder. “It’s pretty hot now. Let me know when you get tired,” he said and walked off into the jungle to find the trail.

“Kishan’s right. I won’t run,” I affirmed as I sipped my lemonade.

Ren sighed. “That’s too bad. Most of the time the fun is in the chase, but I suspect withyouthe capture would be equally interesting.” He stretched out a finger and brushed it against my cheek. “Made you blush again.”

“I suspect it’s a sunburn,” I said and glared.

He stood and offered his hand to pull me up. Once upright, I let go immediately.

Grabbing the box of cookies, Ren said softly, “It’snota sunburn.”

He swung my backpack onto his shoulders and strode off after Kishan. With nothing to carry, I mentally instructed the Golden Fruit and the Divine Scarf to make our picnic scraps disappear and trotted after Ren.

We hiked another two hours before I had to call it quits. Ren leaned up against a tree a few feet away, and Kishan used the Scarf to create a small tent.

“That’s not big enough for two tigers, Kishan.”

“We don’t need to sleep next to you, Kells. It’s hot. We’ll just make you miserable.”

“I don’t mind it, really.”

Kishan wet a cloth and touched it to my face.

“That feels good,” I said gratefully.

“You’re overheated. I shouldn’t have made you walk so far in one day.”

“I’ll be fine. Maybe I should make up a magic milk bath with the Golden Fruit, huh?” I laughed.

Kishan considered and grinned. “A giant bowlful of milk with you in the middle might be a little too much for us cats to resist.”

I smiled but was too exhausted to come up with a flip response.

“I want you to relax now, Kelsey. Take a nap.”

“Okay.” I went into my tent to bathe my arms and the back of my neck with the wet cloth. The tent was so stifling, I was soon back outside. The two tigers—one black and one white—were resting in the shade of a tree nearby. I heard the soft gurgle of a stream. The heat was definitely making me drowsy.

I sat down between the tigers with my back to the tree. After my head dropped for the third time, I cushioned it on Kishan’s soft back and fell asleep.

Fur tickled my nose. I mumbled and turned my head. I heard the call of a bird, blinked open my eyes, and saw Kishan sitting with his back against the tree, watching me quietly. He was barefoot and wearing the black clothes that appeared every time he changed back from a tiger.

“Kishan?” I lifted my head, confused, knowing I had fallen asleep on his soft, sable fur. My hand was pressed against Ren’s white shoulder. “Ren?” I quickly scooted back next to Kishan, who put his arm around my shoulders. “Ren? I’m sorry! Did I hurt you?”

I watched as Ren’s tiger body morphed into his human frame. He pushed up from all fours into a crouch. The late afternoon sun glinted off his white shirt while he considered me musingly. “It didn’t hurt.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. You moved in your sleep. It didn’t burn or cause me any pain at all.”

“How long?”

“A little over two hours.”

“You didn’t feel the need to escape? To get away from me?”

“No. It felt … good. Maybe I need to be a tiger around you more often.”

He smiled, switched back into a tiger, walked up to me, and stuck his nose in my face. I laughed and awkwardly reached up behind his ear and scratched. He made a rumbling sound in his chest and collapsed at my side, twisting his neck so I could reach the other ear.