Dragon Fire (11 page)

“I forgot something,” June said when she arrived at the top of the stairs. “Well, no, not really. Are you okay now?”

“Yes, thank you,” Rakan said, bowing to her before realizing what he was doing and jerking himself back up. He had bowed as if she was a Kairök.

She smiled. “You were in too much pain for me to leave you like that.” She got the blank look his parents had when they spoke to each other mentally. “Erling’s worried,” she said, rolling her eyes. “See you tomorrow.” She turned and ran downstairs.

Rakan dropped his bag and slumped on a stair, watching the empty stairwell. Only dragons linked through their röks could mind-speak. But the void-trails weren’t dragons. He was sure of it now that he had felt the twins in action. And June still had her rök. Yet June and Erling could mind-speak.

Rakan was still sitting on the stairs when Dvara shifted next to him. She radiated peacefulness.

“You okay?” She sat down next to him and sent him a wave of warmth.

“Thanks,” he said, leaning against her shoulder. “I’m fine.”

Dvara gave him a look. “No you’re not. What’s wrong?”

Rakan groaned. What was he supposed to say? That Jing Mei had helped him? And that he had wanted to respond? That Anna wore his Firemark? Rakan put his head in his hands and dug his nails into his scalp. The pain was coming back. He couldn’t even tell Dvara that June and Erling could mind-speak since she’d just take it as proof that the void-trails were dragons and that Jing Mei was Paaliaq, their Kairök. When she couldn’t be, or she wouldn’t have helped him.

“Hey,” Dvara said, wrapping him in another wave of warmth. “Was resisting the Call to Rise that bad?”

“Have you ever noticed that you can see when a dragon still has their rök?” asked Rakan, changing the subject to something he could deal with.

“What are you talking about? You can feel it. But you can’t see it.”

“In our trails. Look. The three of us all have a thin stripe that glows.”

Dvara focused on the trails. “I don’t see anything different from usual. Nothing is glowing in any of them.”

“Look at yours, it might be easier,” Rakan said, pointing to the center of her trail. “It’s like a fine thread of vermillion silk that runs straight through your trail. See?”

“No.”

“Mine was the only one I could see before. I thought it was because it was my own.”

“Didn’t Yarlung explain it to you? Surely she would have seen it before since she was a Master Trailer before she started to go blind.”

“No. I asked her when she first started training me.” Rakan’s voice sank lower. “But she thought I was making it up.” She had locked him in solitary confinement as punishment.

Dvara snorted. “She never thinks anyone can do something she can’t. Ready to shift?”

“No. Let’s walk.” He wanted to follow the trail of June’s rök that he had finally been able to see. It was more complex than theirs. It had three strands instead of one. And it didn’t glow her cobalt blue, it shimmered like an opal with a multitude of colors. It was hard to see unless the trail was fresh.

“Alright, then. Let’s go,” Dvara said, sounding annoyed.

Rakan looked carefully at his half-sister. “Are you okay?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

He stood up slowly. “How did things go with T’eng Sten?”

“Fine,” said Dvara. She took off down the stairs. “But we have work to do. They haven’t tripped a single trigger, even though they’ve been totally wrapped up in each other. I don’t understand it.”

Rakan ran after her. “Dvara…”

“What?”

“Nothing,” he said, pulling back. She’d never tell him what had happened and he couldn’t read her at all. “Thank you.”

She looked at him questioningly.

“For Anna,” he said, unable to meet her eyes.

Dvara pushed him in the shoulder. “You’re welcome. And don’t worry, it wasn’t so bad.” A smile played on her lips and she turned away, blocking him off again.

They walked in silence until they neared the Tibetan House. “What do you think about the twins?” Dvara asked. “How can they can be identical like that? It can’t be natural.”

“They aren’t actually identical,” Rakan said, his eyes on the void-feeling trails that led to their home. “Sverd’s trail is sharper, like the edge of a blade, and Verje’s is harder. Or denser. His trail is more like a barrier or a shield.” Rakan stopped in front of the Tibetan House. “Look, they must have stood here. The trails are clearer.”

Dvara looked around. “I don’t see them. Have you tried to erase yours yet? Maybe that would help you figure it out. But they have to be dragons: Erling is wearing a Maii-a. I felt it on him this afternoon.”

Rakan shrugged. “Anyone can wear one.” An image of Anna wearing his and nothing else floated into his mind.

“Except that they can’t be made on Earth. The only Maii-as left are those that the Old Dragons were wearing when the Red Planet exploded. And both June and Erling have one. How could they have gotten them if they aren’t Old Dragons?”

“Maybe two Old Dragons gave them their Maii-as, like Yarlung and Khotan gave us theirs. Because otherwise they’d all have Maii-as.” Rakan tried to push the image of Anna wearing his away. But he couldn’t. It had felt too good when she had held his Maii-a at the café. Intimate and warm. And soft. So soft.

“You think they’re all New Dragons?” Dvara paused on the porch. “It’s true that they look like New Dragons if you forget about their coloring that they’ve transformed. But five of them? That Yarlung and Khotan never detected before?”

Rakan didn’t answer. He was struggling to control his desire to morph.

“I can’t do this on my own, Rakan. Okay?” Dvara said sharply, dousing him with a wave of cold energy. “Maybe you should stop with the human girl if it’s going to mess you up like this. You need to figure out how they’re blocking their trails so that we can figure out who they are. Now. The longer we stay here, the easier it’ll be for them to kill us first. Our only hope is to move fast and attack them before they attack us.”

“The void-trails aren’t hiding their trails,” Rakan said, flickering out of control. “For the very simple reason that they aren’t dragons. Only the Old Dragon is hiding his trail. And he’s not one of them.”

“Well what else can they be?” growled Dvara. Her eyes flashed vermillion.

“I don’t know,” Rakan growled back, ready to fight. “But we can’t attack anyone until you learn to control your rök.”

Dvara snorted. “Speak for yourself, playboy.” And slammed the door in his face.

A
NNA WALKED HOME SLOWLY AFTER HANDBALL
practice on Thursday. Pemba still hadn’t talked about getting together this weekend, and she wasn’t going to ask him. Not after he had refused to tell her what he and Dawa had been arguing about all week. Whatever it was, it made him impossible to be around. And didn’t help her like Dawa any better. How could she trust someone who behaved like two different people? Quiet and withdrawn at school and then so aggressive, even violent, on the court. And the coach seemed to have forgotten that handball was supposed to be a team sport. Even if one player was clearly a star. By the time Anna reached her apartment, she wasn’t sure if she was angrier with Pemba or Dawa.

“Hi, honey,” said her mom as Anna dumped her stuff in the hallway. “How was school?”

“Okay.”

“I know this is hard on you, Anna. And I’m sorry.” Her mom paused. “But can’t we make an effort? Maybe we can go see a movie together tomorrow, just the two of us…?”

Anna stared angrily at her mom. Why did she always think everything was about her? But her mom looked so hopeful, and so unsure, that Anna felt trapped. “Okay,” she mumbled. “Are you sure Ulf won’t mind?” She wanted her mom to be happy, but being at the movies with them both was more than she could handle.

Her mother laughed. “You’re so sweet. No, he won’t. He has to work. But even if he didn’t, he understands that girl time is important.”

Anna rolled her eyes and went up to her room. Girl time, not family time. Her mother never understood.

* * *

“Can I walk you home?” Rakan asked Anna after school the next day.

Anna looked at him, shrugged her shoulders and headed out of the schoolyard.

Rakan jogged after her. “I’ll take that as a yes?”

“Take it any way you want.”

Rakan grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him. “What’s wrong?”

“Maybe you should tell me.” She pulled her arm away. “You’ve been fighting with your sister all week and you won’t even tell me what it’s about. You never even told me what Draak meant.”

Rakan stared at her. Surprised that her anger stoked his desire to possess her. His rök lurched in frustration and Rakan struggled to force it back into submission. He couldn’t just throw her on the snow and take her. But he wanted to.

Anna turned and walked away. “Forget it, Pemba.”

Why did she always turn her back to him? He could barely control himself as it was. He ran after her and stopped her again. “Draak means dragon,” he blurted out, so close to losing control that he didn’t even realize he was breaking an unspoken code. Draagsil was a secret language.

Anna didn’t say anything. She just crossed her arms and waited.

Rakan looked away, not wanting her to see his raging desire to chase her. “What else do you want to know?”

“Why you and Dawa are fighting since it’s all you think about,” she snapped. “Just tell me what’s wrong, Pemba,” she added more softly, taking a step toward him. “Let me in. Please.”

Anna’s closeness threw him off balance. He didn’t want to lie to her, but he didn’t know what to say either. “We don’t always agree. She…” she what? Wants to kill June and her boyfriend? And the other void-trails, too? Rakan looked at Anna, wishing she would turn and run so that he could chase her. “She doesn’t want to stay here very long,” he said, his voice rougher than he expected.

Anna dropped her eyes and turned away. “Do you?”

Rakan inched closer, pulled forward by the intoxicating scent of her skin. “Maybe.” Even if he shouldn’t.

Rakan felt Anna relax. She took his arm, and they walked slowly up the hill. He was relieved that her anger was gone, even if he didn’t know why.

* * *

Pemba and Anna sat on her apartment steps, shoulders touching every once in a while as they talked. Anna didn’t even notice Ulf coming up until he was in front of them.

“I thought you were working tonight,” Anna said, scrambling to her feet.

“I am. But I thought we could have dinner together first.” Ulf’s eyes narrowed on Pemba who had remained seated. “Who’s he?”

“It’s none of your business.”

Pemba stood slowly and placed himself between Ulf and Anna. “Stay away from her.”

“My, my. Aren’t you possessive,” Ulf said with a lift of his eyebrows. He walked around Pemba and up the stairs. “It just shows you’re unsure of her feelings for you. Because if you knew she cared, you wouldn’t feel threatened by me. Don’t be late for dinner,” he said to Anna and disappeared inside.

Anna reached for Pemba. “I hate him,” she said, curling up into his neck.

Pemba put his arms protectively around her. “Who is he?”

“My mother’s boyfriend.”

Pemba rubbed his cheek against hers. “And she doesn’t keep him in control?”

Anna laughed at the image of her mother being in control of anything. “No.”

“Then I will,” said Pemba solemnly.

Anna closed her eyes and leaned into him. Pemba’s energy wrapped around her and she relaxed. For the first time since her father died, she let herself be comforted by someone else.

* * *

Later, Anna sat next to her mom at the movie theatre wishing Pemba had asked her out earlier. Her mother’s incessant chatter was getting on her nerves. She handed her mom the popcorn. “Can you hold this while I go to the bathroom?” Her mom was in gossip mode and there was no point in trying for a real conversation.

“Oh sure, honey. Hurry up though, the movie will start soon.”

“Don’t worry.” She walked out with a sigh of relief. She’d make sure the movie had started before going back in. Anna wandered around the lobby. She stopped in front of the poster displays for the upcoming movies, her mind on Pemba.

“I knew you’d come looking for me,” said Ulf in her ear, making her jump. “You just can’t stay away. I feel you watching me all the time, even if you like to pretend you’re avoiding me.”

“I’m not pretending,” she snapped. “I don’t want to have anything to do with you.” She turned and walked away.

“Not so fast, my sweet little Anna.” He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her back. “So far I’m enjoying our little game of hide and seek, but at some point the foreplay will have to end.” His hand squeezed so hard it hurt. “And there are two things you should know. One, I always get what I want. And two, I hate being second.”

Anna yanked her arm away from his grip and pushed him away. “Get away from me.”

A security guard came over. “Everything okay?”

“My girlfriend’s daughter is going through a rebellious phase.” Ulf adjusted his silk scarf and buttoned his three-quarter length wool coat. “I said I’d try to help out, but it’s not easy.”