Kishan and Ren had gotten used to catching there own food. When they went on there hunting trips they would often bring back four kills usually some sort of deer that lasted them weeks.

Kelsey found it hard to stomach the sight of the carcasses as they were quietly piled onto the trailor of the Jeep and covered with a tarpaulin. They had to move quickly and at night incase they were spotted and accused of poaching. It discussed her so much the princes both often wondered why she tagged along.

Everytime they asked her heart thudded and she did her best not to meet Anik's eyes. She would usually say something like, "I didn't want to be left at the mansion alone" or "I'm always worried for you out there" never going into a lot of detail to stop her lies being unravelled.

But whether it was there suspicions growing or there hunting skills increasing Kelsey and Anik were left with less and less time alone together. It wasn't for the sex that Kelsey longed for the privacy, no just being able to talk freely about anything with out having to check there tone and get too drawn into a conversation, to be with out the constant stress and worry was all Kelsey wanted and she was sure Anik felt the same.

They had had to stop the self defence classes soon after Kishan had walked in on them, it was almost a miracle that they hadn't been seen, but now Ren liked to come in and watch them train often turning into a human to praise her technique or to comment on Anik's loss of agility over the years.

Kelsey had noticed Ren referencing Anik's age an awful lot lately, only in passing but noticeable, it would be things like "That book is nearly as old as Kadam" or "Kadam will probably remember I mean he's almost as old as time itself"

Kelsey's blood boiled at these remarks but she held her tongue, Anik would often just laugh with it, sometimes retorting with a quip. It was clear however this was all getting to him.

Years later she guessed the situation could have been handled better, they could have been open and honest, they could have done so many things differently but that was only made clear with hind sight.

It was only a matter of time until they were discovered and when it happened no one could have predicted the out come.

It was Kishan. He'd got bored and found it difficult to sleep so he decided to snoop around the house.

Kelsey and Anik tired and fed up of deciphering ruins had decided to watch a movie. These were the times Kelsey liked best, just being close to her lover enjoying one another's company. His arm draped around her shoulders and her head on his chest. Occasionally he would lean down to kiss her forehead and once or twice she had returned his attentions.

Kishan was intrigued by the sounds of the film and came into investigate, silently lying down at the side of the sofa wrapped up in the lord of the rings, he didn't initially notice the couple and they didn't notice him.

Kadam chuckled as lady Gladriel asked Gimli what gift he would like.

"He reminds me of myself when I first met you" he muttered in her ear. "I was so nervous and enamoured it's a wonder I could speak coherently"

Kelsey grinned. "Well I'm glad you could talk to me, we wouldn't have got very far other wise" and she gave him a kiss on the lips that he returned.

They only stopped when a shadow fell on them.

It felt like her insides were draining from her. She opened her eyes wide in horror at the sight of Kishan.

Anik's head whirled around so fast he cricked his neck.

Kishan didn't look angry or hurt or anything. His face was expressionless as he looked down on them.

"I thought as much" he said very quietly. "I thought there was something going on between you" he started to turn away "I knew I had next to no chance to have you with Dhiren around, but to compete with Kadam"

Anik stood up. "It was never a competition, Kelsey is not a prize to be won and shown off. That's the attitude that got you cursed and in this mess in the first place"

Kishan turned almost spitting "And she's the one who's got to get us out of it." He glared at Kelsey

"How can you be so selfish and deceitful" his anger w as apparent now. Kelsey stood up too.

"I can still help, but who I love is my choice"

Kishan rolled his eyes.

"You stupid little brat the whole point of the chosen one is for that person to fall in love with one of us only an act of a lover will have the power, I should never have trusted my brother's judgement"

his fingers were flexing and as his face contorted the tiger with in him threatening to burst through.

"It's not up to anyone to judge who I love-" she began but Kishan roared

"SILENCE! You of all people don't get to speak about this, you've betrayed us all, is that what you want! IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT!" he screeched the last words and leaped for Kelsey hands reaching for her throat. She broke his grasp by brining her arms up between them and with a downward thrust she hit the base of his neck. He fell back snarling.

"Run Kelsey" Anik shouted and he flung open the door. He was right behind her as she darted through the house at breakneck speed with out the vaguest idea of where she was headed the grunts of the tiger grunting in the distance it's claws scratching the mahogany floor . She found herself in her bedroom. The door slammed behind her.

"Anik" she breathed whipping around realising he wasn't there. She could hear him outside and the tiger's growl.

"Anik!" she yelled wrenching open the door. She saw him in the corridor wrestling with the black tiger. His arm around it's neck chocking it while the beasts claws raked him. The pair were locked together for a few horrid gut wrenching minutes until Kishan slumped to the ground his eyes rolled up into his head, he twitched and convulsed his mouth gaping drool cascading from it his tongue trying desperately to lap at the air.

Everything stopped.

The only sound was the victor's panting.
Kelsey was stood in the door way to her room transfixed on the body in front of her.

Anik stood up but had to lean on the wall for support.

"Anik you're hurt" Kelsey moved over to him to look at his wounds but he stood up strait.

"Stay here don't move" his voice was very very quiet so she could hardly hear him but what was unmistakable was the cold intensity. He started to walk off down the corridor the tattered remains of his shirt turning crimson.

"Where are you going?" she started running after him.

"Just stay here"

Kelsey grabbed his arm halting him.

"Anik, where are you going?" she demanded

Anik paused looking her dead in the eyes.

"Kelsey, I just-" his eyes darted to the slumped black heap behind her. "I can't- I...I need to"

She let go of his arm. He'd just killed a man, a man whom he had served faithfully for centuries, possibly one of his oldest friends.

"I won't be long, I will come back. I promise" he said turning away again.

She stepped back going into her room. She realized she was shaking. Not looking where she was going she fell and realised she had tripped over one of Kishan's paws. His eyes were still rolled up in his head and his tongue was lolling out, she saw some blood oozing from his throat.

It was too much she bolted into her room and into the en-suite throwing up.

She needed some air. Staggering to the window she opened it gasping trying not to think of Kishan attempting to do the same thing.

The sounds of the jungle at night soothed her just as much as the slight breeze.

A groan reached her ears and her eyes darted to the source. Ren was lounging by the pool still fast asleep.

He didn't know he had just lost his brother. He didn't know anything that had happened. A tear ran down her face.

How would he take the news? It was self defence after all, Anik had protected her, she knew some self defence but could never fend of a tiger, how had Anik managed? She looked down at Ren again.

She would have to explain everything. Kishan had been shocked and angry he hadn't been thinking right and he had allowed his anger to cloud his judgement, Ren she hoped she prayed would be less so.

There was a rushing sound and a thud followed by a piteous moan. An arrow had just flown through the air striking Ren as he slept.

Ren leaped up panic stricken the arrow deep in his side, his head was twisting around the the culprit then it stopped and he turned into a man, clutching his side with one hand but still trying to stand strait. He seemed to be saying something but was cut off by another arrow striking him.

He stumbled back from the force of it and into the pool as the water settled he floated to the top face down the water being turned red as she watched.

She backed away from the window. Her head in her hands, she could hear him coming up the stairs his bare feet slapping the wood slightly where his blood had dripped.

He came into her room the was a clatter of wood as he dropped the bow on the floor at the door.

"We're free" he panted. "Free Kelsey"

Kelsey said nothing. She didn't utter a word when he packed up some bags for them or as they got into the jeep and started to drive away from the hidden house. No one knew it existed, the jungle could reclaim it and what had happened there would never be found or understood.

As Kadam changed his shirt Kelsey could see he was still bleeding but now Kelsey saw the majority of his cuts were shallow. Kishan hadn't used his full force to make them until he realised he was going to be strangled...that's how Kadam had caught him. He'd turned back into a man to face Kadam, but when he was choked to defend himself he went into the tiger form. His cursed form.

The fuel tank sign lit up on the dash board. Kadam drove into the town and pulled into a gas station. The night had flown by and the start of the hustle and bustle of the morning had started. As he got out to fuel up Kelsey watched him carefully, when he went into a little side building to pay she took her chance.

She pulled her rucksack from the back and quietly opened the car door. Her heart in her mouth. She slipped out and started running for the town centre wishing it was busier.

She heard shouting behind her and the revving of the engine but she kept on running flat out. Darting down side streets.

But Kadam knew this town like the back of his hand and soon caught up with her. Using the car to block her into a dead end he got out. Catching her as she attempted to scramble over the scortching bonnet.

"Kelsey"

But Kelsey screamed.

"Let go! Get away from me!" a few passers by turned.

Kadam released her his face showing his heart break. But that didn't matter to Kelsey now.

"Kelsey, I did it for us"

Kelsey was still on the balls of her feet ready to run at a moments notice.

"Kelsey, we're free from them, we can be together now" he tried to take her hand but she backed into the car door.

"You Murdered them Mr Kadam"

Kadam's eyes widened and a panicked look entered them.

"I..I did it to protect us"

She shook her head.

"They didn't have to die"

She was tumbling behind her.

"I-I..Kelsey, it's not like that. I...I love you, that's why I did it. Please Kelsey"

He almost begging her.

"It's Miss Hayes" she said turning as she opened the car door and got inside.

She could see Kadam in the wing mirror standing in the middle of the road watching as she drove off.

Kelsey just shook her head, a few months ago she would have been sobbing her eyes out, a jibbering wreck but now she was just silent.

She never spoke about what had happened in India, never even mentioned going there till the day she died.

At the funeral her friends and family gathered to remember her as a strong woman, one of the best counsellors they had ever known. Her youngest daughter spoke of how she had always looked up to her mother and hoped that she and her own children would follow in her footsteps.

As the rest of the family piled into the black limo after the ceremony she glanced back to her mother's grave frowning at the strange man stood there paying his own respects, she watched as he placed something at the grave then turned away.

Curiosity overwhelmed her and she went back. The stranger had simply left a lotus flower and a note that read;

Miss Kelsey