Dragon Fire

by Dina von Lowenkraft

  Rakan glared at T’eng Sten, too angry to respond without exploding.

  T’eng Sten faced them both. “A Meet of Kairöks has been called to discuss the matter. And unless Yarlung can somehow get the majority, Earth will be ours. And her right to hunt Paaliaq will be over.” T’eng Sten bowed formally to Dvara. “I’ll be back to claim you after the Meet. And since I guard what is rightfully mine, I have protected your lair for you. No other dragon can enter without my approval. Until then, my fiery mate.”

  Dvara flung herself once again at T’eng Sten’s throat, but he just laughed and shifted out of the room in a swirl of indigo rimmed with the violet and fuchsia of his bodyguards.

  Dvara howled and punched the air where T’eng Sten had been.

  Rakan let his mind-touch run over T’eng Sten’s shields. “How many shields did he place?” Their rooms had been turned into a sound-proofed fortress.

  “He’ll know every time we go in or out,” Dvara said, exploring the shields with her mind-touch. “And no other dragon can enter. Not Yarlung, not Khotan, not Jing Mei. No one. Just us. And T’eng Sten. Whenever he wants.” Dvara sank to the couch. “I can’t undo it. If I do, the house will explode. And so will we.”

  Chapter 4

  Pressure

  A SLOW SHADOW SLIPPED ACROSS LAKE LHANG-TSO as Yarlung circled around Dvara, taking in her crisp scent of a mineral spring. “Perhaps the time differential and the fact that you have come of age to breed can be used to our advantage.” The corner of Yarlung’s mouth twitched up. “Yes. I’m sure that several of the male Kairöks would give me their vote in exchange for the chance to breed with you. And I only need one more vote to have the majority.”

  “That won’t be necessary,” Khotan said. “Kairök T’eng Sten—”

  “—can’t be trusted,” interrupted Yarlung with a snarl. “Dvara, however,” Yarlung said, tilting Dvara’s chin up, “will bring several of them to me groveling.” Yarlung smoothed back her daughter’s pitch black hair. “The Dwarf Jewel. Your name suits you, Dvara Azura.” Yarlung smiled. “Perhaps you will be useful to me after all.”

  Dvara stood stiffly, trying not to show any reaction, but Rakan felt her rage.

  “That still doesn’t excuse your incompetence,” continued Yarlung, her voice scathing. “How can you not know where Haakaramanoth is? He would never leave Paaliaq alone with two unknown dragons even if they are New Dragons. Especially not after T’eng Sten showed up in your rooms and turned them into a real dragon lair.”

  “But T’eng Sten is on their side. He said Kraal was the traitor not—” Dvara began.

  “—enough,” Yarlung said, cutting her off. “T’eng Sten would change the color of his hide if he thought it would gain him more power. Everyone knows that.” Yarlung turned to Rakan. “You’re a trailer. I trained you myself. Where is Haakaramanoth?”

  “I don’t know. He disappeared when we arrived.”

  Yarlung hissed and sent a shock wave through the lake. “That makes no difference. All you have to do is follow the trails to his lair. And then you’d know.”

  “I tried. But he’s brushed out most of his trails – except for a few in public places and up in the mountains. There’s no house or place where the trail is stronger.”

  “That’s not possible. No one can erase their tracks. I said tread carefully, not do nothing. The trails will fade. Or have you forgotten even that?”

  Rakan didn’t answer. He hadn’t been doing much else, but he still couldn’t find anything distinct enough to know where the male dragon’s lair was. And there were some faint trails of… void. He had never come across anything like it and had no idea what else to call it. The energy of the void trails vibrated in a weird way. Like it was there and not there at the same time. So he had come to the inexplicable conclusion that the dragon had somehow learned to erase his tracks.

  “And you haven’t found a single trigger, trap or any other detecting device in spite of being Khotan’s apprentice?” Yarlung snarled at Dvara.

  “No. Nothing.”

  “You’re both useless. How can you find nothing? No dragon would live unprotected. Not even Paaliaq and Haakaramanoth would be so foolish.”

  Dvara didn’t answer. They both knew that when Yarlung was angry it was best to say as little as possible. And especially not to try to explain a failure.

  “Are they using any of the humans?”

  “No,” Rakan said.

  “Yes,” Dvara said at the same time.

  The howling wind stopped abruptly, leaving behind the painful void of silence.

  “Show me,” Yarlung commanded.

  Rakan stopped Dvara from coming forward and bent his head down for Yarlung to put her hands on so that she could see some of his memories of Anna. Better to be the one to choose the images their mother would see.

  Yarlung smiled. “A female. So you must seduce her and find out what she knows. That will be easy, the females never resist very long.”

  Rakan stared at his mother, forcing his anger to remain bolted in place. He couldn’t play with Anna, but he couldn’t defy a direct order from Yarlung either.

  “Nima’kor and Yuli will arrive shortly so that we can prepare for the Meet,” Yarlung said, naming the two dragons who were in charge of her Cairn on the Fragments. “I would have preferred to have confirmed Paaliaq’s identity before their arrival. Your further presence is unnecessary.”

  Yarlung spun on her heel and walked back to her lake. “Make sure you bring me more satisfying news next time.” She morphed back into her water dragon form and disappeared into the lake.

  Dismissed, Rakan and Dvara shifted back to Tromso.

  “Don’t disappoint me with the human, Rakan’dzor,” Yarlung said in his mind as he and Dvara collapsed onto the couch in their rooms. “Make her believe you care and she’ll give you everything you desire.” The sun lurked below the horizon, creating a cobalt blue twilight that lingered for hours. “And then she’ll show you everything I need to know.”

  * * *

  “But Mom, I don’t want to,” Anna said for the third time.

  “Why not?” asked Ingrid, exasperated. “You love being outdoors.”

  “Because I don’t want to be alone with Ulf, okay?”

  Ingrid took a deep breath. “I really don’t understand your reaction.”

  Anna hesitated. “He’s always… touching me. And I don’t like it.”

  “Ulf’s a friendly and affectionate person. That’s all.” Ingrid sat next to her on the couch. “You’re being over-sensitive.”

  Anna rolled her eyes. She hated it when her mom went into denial. “Ulf isn’t being ‘friendly’, he’s hitting on me. There’s a difference.”

  Ingrid didn’t say anything for a long time. “Are you attracted to him?”

  “Mom!” Anna said, jumping up. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

  “Why not? He’s not too old for you. And he is a handsome man.”

  “Stop,” Anna said, shaking with revulsion. “I don’t like Ulf. That’s all there is to it.”

  Ingrid pushed back an imaginary strand of pale blonde hair. “Okay. So then we need to figure out why you don’t like him. Is it because he goes out all the time? I mean, I know you don’t like going out very much yourself, but that doesn’t mean that people who do can’t have a stable relationship.”

  Anna didn’t answer. When her mom put on her reasonable tone of voice, there was no possibility of discussing anything.

  “Well, maybe I should talk to Ulf about it. We can start having regular at-home evenings. Yes, that would be a good idea. That way we can have more of a family feeling and then you’ll understand how kind and caring he is. Or maybe we can find a way for you to train with him sometimes? He is one of Tromso’s best handball players, after all. Maybe that’s something the two of you can do together without you feeling uncomfortable?”

  Ingrid stopped and waited for an answer.

  “No.”

  “Anna, you’re going to
have to make an effort to at least accept him into our life. I know that I’ve dated a lot of men since your father… had some difficulties… but Ulf is different. We really care about each other.” Ingrid twisted her wedding band. “I know you feel like he’s taking me away from you, but he isn’t. You just need to give him a chance.”

  “Mom, that’s enough,” Anna exploded. “I don’t like Ulf and I never will. He’s a freak. I don’t want to go on the glacier with him, I don’t want to play handball with him, and to be honest, I hope you guys break up.”

  There was an uncomfortable silence in the room as Ulf walked in with his gym bag. “Hello darling,” he said to Ingrid, giving her a kiss. “Good afternoon, Anna. Any plans for the evening, or would you like to join us?” he asked as if he hadn’t overheard the end of their argument. “I have three VIP passes for the music festival.”

  “Oh, that’s wonderful,” Ingrid said. “What a nice idea. Don’t you think, Anna?”

  “No. I don’t. And I’m not going.”

  “Anna, what did we just agree—”

  Ulf put a hand on Ingrid’s shoulder. “It’s okay. If she has other plans, she doesn’t need to come with us. It was just an offer.”

  Ingrid looked up adoringly at Ulf. “You’re so understanding.”

  Anna snorted and stomped out of the room, blocking out their murmurings while she flipped open her computer in the little office space that no one else ever used. She scanned her e-mails, hoping that June had changed her mind and was staying in town for the weekend. But deep down Anna knew her friend was desperate to see her boyfriend even if she tried not to talk about it too much. Being apart from him was killing her.

  “Here,” Ulf said, catching Anna off guard. He dropped a VIP pass on the keyboard. “You can come join me after Ingrid goes to work at 11:00. The party won’t really start until then, anyhow.” He leaned against the desk, nearly sitting on her laptop. “And then I can begin your introduction to the wonderful world of nightlife. I have so much to teach you, my sweet little Anna. And it will be such a pleasure to do so.” He reached out to touch her cheek.

  Anna flew back, knocking the chair over. “Get away from me,” she hissed.

  “So much passion,” Ulf said with an appraising glance up and down her body. “I can’t wait to show you a better use for it.” He flashed his wolf-like smile. “See you tonight.”

  * * *

  Rakan paced back and forth in their living room. “No.”

  “You don’t have much choice, unless you want to go against Yarlung’s orders.”

  Rakan stopped pacing and growled. Dvara was enjoying the situation a little too much.

  “You read the minds of our herds all the time,” Dvara said. “What’s the difference?”

  Rakan exploded. “She’s a human. The herds are animals.” He took a deep breath. “When we read their minds it’s to help the herd as a whole. But if I were to read Anna’s mind it wouldn’t be to help her. It would just be to get information. And I’d have to pretend to have a relationship with her to get close enough to do it. It’s not like the herds whose minds I can read from far away. They project everything to each other. I just listen in. Humans aren’t like that. I’d need to…” get close enough to smell her skin, to taste her lips and to feel her energy pulse under my hands… Rakan turned and pummeled the punching bag that they had hung for training. The real problem was that he wanted to get closer to Anna. But humans couldn’t mind-speak. All they could do was be close physically. And that wasn’t what he wanted. It wasn’t enough.

  “Why are you so uptight?” interrupted Dvara. “She’d be willing.”

  “I’m not uptight.” He trembled with the effort it took to keep from yelling. “Using humans like that is wrong. It’s a violation of their being. It’s demeaning. And I won’t do it.”

  “Rakan,” Dvara said gently, “what if you could do it without sleeping with her? I mean… maybe if you just start talking to her and see if you can lead her to answer your questions, see if you can read the images she’s remembering while you’re holding her hand or something? Would that still seem like something unethical to you?”

  “I don’t know.” Rakan sank to the couch. “Do you really think it could work?”

  Dvara shrugged. “We’ll never know unless you try. But she seems more sensitive than most humans, so it might. Especially if the memory was a strong one – and seeing June manipulating matter or shifting would be for a human. If she’s seen her.”

  “What if she wants more? What if…” Rakan trailed off. What if I want more? His desire to take Anna in his arms was so intense that he’d probably lose control of his rök and explode in an involuntary morph if he did. And he didn’t want to imagine what would happen then.

  “Where is she, can you tell?” asked Dvara, softly interrupting his thoughts.

  Rakan shut his eyes and ran his mind over the maze of trails he knew by heart. His mind-touch ran up the hill behind the school, to where Anna lived on the top two floors of a three story building. She was running down the front stairs, agitated and angry. Something had happened. His eyes flew open as he jumped up, ready to fight.

  “Okay,” he said, unclenching his fists. “I’m going.”

  Dvara was silent for a moment. “Good luck, Rakan. You’re doing the right thing.”

  Rakan nodded and hoped he was.

  * * *

  Anna hadn’t planned on where she was going, she just knew she needed out when Ulf had gone up and joined her mother in the shower. She sat at the counter in the window of Helmersen’s café and flipped through her contact list, wondering which of her friends wouldn’t already have plans for a Saturday night. If June had been in town, it would have been so much easier. June’s boyfriend played in a band and Anna was always welcome to come with.

  “May I join you?” asked Pemba.

  Anna almost knocked her coffee over before she realized it wasn’t Ulf hunting her down. “You surprised me.”

  “I’m sorry.” He hesitated. “Do you want to be alone? You seem upset.”

  “Yes. No. It’s okay,” she said. “Do you come here often?” she asked as he slid onto the stool next to hers.

  “It’s on the way to school.” He pointed at her phone. “Were you waiting for someone who’s late?”

  “No.” She tucked her phone away, hoping he hadn’t seen her searching her contacts. “You can take your coat off,” she added, noticing that he was still bundled up.

  “You’re letting me stay?”

  “No, I’m chasing you away,” she said, laughing.

  “Are you?” Pemba unzipped his coat, revealing a body hugging black tee-shirt that molded to his chest. Anna hadn’t realized that he was in such good physical condition since she had always seen him wearing baggy sweatshirts.

  “No, I guess not.” Anna forced her eyes back up to his face. But she got stuck on the pear-drop piece of coral that he wore on a black chain. “Where’s your necklace from?” she asked before realizing that it was a bit direct. “I mean, it’s pretty. I like it.” But more than that, it was the same color as the stone that had marked her hand.

  “You’re curious.”

  “Sorry,” she said, looking away.

  “It’s okay. It was a gift from my parents. Dawa has one, too. It’s called a Maii-a.”

  “It’s beautiful,” she said. She wanted to touch it. To know if it felt like her stone.

  He took it off and handed it to her. “Here.”

  She hesitated, wondering if it would react like her stone had. But when she saw that he was looking at her questioningly she braced herself and took it. It throbbed wildly in her hand. It was her stone. Only stronger. “It’s the same.” She smiled and closed her eyes. She had missed being able to hold onto it, even if she still felt its trace in her palm.

  “The same as what?” asked Pemba, eyeing her with curiosity.

  “As the ones that June and her boyfriend wear,” she said quickly. She didn’t want to reveal what
had happened with her stone. “It feels alive.”

  Pemba sat perfectly still, his eyes riveted to hers.

  She handed back the Maii-a with her unmarked hand. “Did I say something weird?”

  “No,” he said, looking away.

  “Maybe it’s not the same. It just looks similar.” She hadn’t actually ever touched June’s necklace. Anna glanced at his again. “Is it from Tibet?”

  “The Maii-a?” asked Pemba looking at her sharply. “No. Why?”

  “I don’t know. Just wondering.” Anna squeezed her left fist over the star. How could it feel the same as the stone she had found in the mountains? “Are they common?”

  Pemba faced her. “How many have you seen?”

  “Not many.” Anna fiddled with her empty cup. “How do you like it here?” she asked, trying to break the uncomfortable silence that had settled between them.

  “In the café?” he said with a smile. “Not bad.”

  “You know what I mean,” she said, returning the smile. “Here. In Tromso.”

  The smile slipped from his face. “I don’t know yet.”

  “Why did you come in the middle of the year?” she asked before realizing that it might sound rude.

  Pemba didn’t answer right away. “My parents have a research project here.”

  “Oh.” That didn’t sound too permanent. “How long are you staying?”

  “Don’t know,” he said, examining his cup.

  Anna just sat there, watching him.

  “What?” he said, finally looking up.

  “Is that why you act the way you do at school?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You pretend to be… I don’t know, different. You hide behind the image of someone who doesn’t care about what’s happening. When you do.”

  Pemba looked away and Anna rubbed her Firemark, worried that she had offended him. “Pemba?”

  He didn’t answer. He just sat there, frozen in place.

  “Are you okay?” Anna asked, leaning closer. A faint smell of incense clung to him. She closed her eyes and breathed the smell in, letting it wrap around her. She felt a sudden urge to bite him and pulled back, shocked by her reaction.