Ana said, “Now it is done. Sleep, white tiger, and dream of the girl you love one last time.” She wove magic in the air and used it to cushion Ren’s body as she lowered him down. Then she gave him fresh food, clean water, new straw, healed him, and summoned the power to bathe and dry his body. Ana scratched the ruff of his neck and touched her lips to his head, the bars melting away as she neared and reforming when she stood.
When she was satisfied, Ana let her glamour drop away, and we leapt through time, stopping at various points to ensure Ren’s memory block stayed in place. The first stop was Phet’s hut. The phony monk was rubbing globs of pink goo into Ren’s hair. We stopped time and everyone remained frozen in place except for Kadam. “It’s about time the two of you showed up,” he said. “I don’t know how much longer Ren was going to sit through this.”
Ana laughed, covering her mouth to stifle the giggles, and we reinforced the block.
Kadam as Phet waved us off. “Thank you. I’ll take the rest of it from here.”
The two of us zipped away to the Star Festival next. Ren nearly remembered everything when he took Kelsey to the tree he filled with paper wishes. Ana was transfixed by the idea and pulled a few notes from the tree, keeping them for herself. When I asked her to show them to me, she refused, and when he saw me and asked me who my new girl was, Ana smiled and worked her spell to remove our appearance from his mind once again and fortified his mind lapse so he couldn’t remember Kells.
Next, we went to his room at our home, where he pored over his pages of poetry, all of them about Kelsey. Ana froze time and peeled a page from his fingers. “This is very…effusive,” she said.
“You don’t know the half of it,” I replied. Ana reinforced the block and we moved to the next place.
Freezing time in the red dragon’s palace, Ana studied the golden light blooming on Kelsey’s palm. Ren stood behind her, the two of them harnessing enough energy to create a supernova. Tapping her lip with her fingers, Ana said, “When they use their power in such a way, it burns through the memory block. It’s similar to what happens when we…we embrace.”
“Ah,” I said. “That makes sense then, I suppose.”
“It comes from their bond as an incarnation of the goddess and her tiger. That’s also why she’s able to open all our locks and gateways. They’re channeling the same type of power.”
I frowned. “But, Ana, Kelsey tested out that power with me on the boat. Kells and I couldn’t generate that power together.”
“Perhaps that is because you are not her tiger,” Ana answered softly and held out her hand.
“No,” I said, sliding my palm over hers, relishing the familiar tingles associated with our touching. “I belong to someone else.”
Ana stepped into my arms and twirled her finger, letting time proceed naturally. We watched as Kelsey and Ren lit the star. When they were finished, both of us saw the moment he remembered.
“Kelsey,” he said, his entire being attuned to her. Emotion filled his face as he called to her again. But she was exhausted. She didn’t notice. I felt sorry for him then and might have been tempted to let him at least talk to her, but Ana, ever efficient, quickly swept the memories from his mind again.
“If I hadn’t thought to make Ren averse to touching her, we would spend a whole lifetime just trying to keep them apart,” Ana said. “How did you manage to betroth yourself to a girl who was besotted with your brother?”
“He was an idiot and broke up with her. She almost died because he couldn’t physically save her. It made him sick to be close. Ren decided she was better off with me. It broke both of their hearts.”
“Yours too,” she said quietly.
“Mine too,” I agreed.
We next went to the top of the wheelhouse on the Deschen, where Ren and Kelsey were reclining on pillows, eating popcorn. Ren stared at his bowl like it held the secrets to the universe. He mumbled something about a blue dress and Ana said, “He’s remembering something and it’s triggering more.” Lifting his head, he smiled and took a step toward Kelsey. As he did, Ana swept her hand over his face and he faltered.
In a flash, we were on the Deschen in a room I recognized as Kelsey’s. We heard her humming in the bathroom. “Are we healing her from the kraken bite?” I asked.
Ana shook her head and frowned. “That was not on the list. Did you use the kamandal?”
“We hadn’t filled it yet.”
“Perhaps Kadam healed her?” Ana suggested.
“No.” I shook my head. “She healed quickly on her own, like she did in Shangri-La.”
“She healed there? Interesting. And yet she needed the kamandal to heal from the bite of the shark?”
I nodded. “And Fanindra healed her from the Kappa bite in Kishkindha.”
Ana said, “Shangri-La is a special place indeed, but I did not create it to be a place of healing, nor did I fashion Kishkindha to be such. And this is a place where dragons rule. They created it themselves. I wonder if, like me, Kelsey draws upon the power of her connection to her tiger to heal. It is stronger between us, since our bond is permanent and the elixir enhances this power. But Kelsey and Ren also have this ability, albeit in a more limited fashion.”
“I suppose that makes sense. Her injuries were less severe in this case and her bond was stronger. Well, if we aren’t here to heal Kells, then why are we here? Is Ren’s memory block failing?”
“It is. But this time we want it to fail.”
“Ah. Then tonight is my first date with Kelsey.”
The door cracked open and Kelsey emerged from the bathroom wearing her beautiful dress. “Kishan?” she called and we immediately fell quiet. “Guess not,” Kells said. “Apparently, I’m hearing things now too.” Kelsey paced nervously back and forth, checking her appearance in the mirror.
Ana closed her eyes. She is praying.
To you? I asked, surprised.
No. To her mother. She…she wishes her mother were here to guide her and… Ana cocked her head.
What is it? I asked, urging her to go on.
She wants you to feel happy. That you belong to this world. She wants to love you as she does Ren.
She doesn’t though.
Her feelings for you are strong. They still are. Kelsey loves you but—
But she loves Ren more.
Turning toward me, Ana touched my arm.
It’s okay, I said. A part of me always knew. It’s why I agreed to stay behind with you.
There was a knock on the door and Ana leaned closer to catch a glimpse of my old self. You looked very handsome, she said.
I offered my hand and the two of us followed Kelsey and her date up to the deck, where I’d worked to arrange a romantic dinner.
You went to a lot of trouble, Ana said, admiring the table.
Yeah. I scrubbed the back of my neck, feeling guilty that I’d never done anything like that for Ana. I was pretty desperate to win her affection, I said.
She replied, Any affection won in such a way is fleeting. A woman should love a man for his character, not because he showers her with beautiful gifts and finery.
That’s true, I said, wrapping my arms around her waist from behind. I leaned down to speak softly in her ear. But a man should be courteous and thoughtful when wooing a woman. With Ana’s weight resting against me, we began to sway to the music. Will you dance with me, Ana?
She nodded and I turned her in my arms and pulled her close. The feel of her body, moving with mine, was intoxicating. Her hand stroked my chest and I captured it, pressing it over my heart. We were soon lost in a world of our own and I became so focused I nearly bumped arms with my old self as he began dancing with Kelsey. Instead of yanking me away, Ana froze time and we danced to a music of our own making.
Sliding her arms up around my neck, she drew closer and our lips met. My hands roved her back and the dip of her waist. I captured the length of her hair and tugged gently, so her face tilted up and I could kiss the soft skin of her neck. The world around us ignited and we finally broke apart when we heard a crash.
It seems time started without our help, Ana said.