Dragon Fire (15 page)

Satisfied for the first time in weeks, he stretched his wings and circled above the plateau, angling down slowly. But then he remembered that Dvara was about to try her first morph alone. He folded his wings and plummeted. A writhing mass of vermillion and burgundy showed him he was too late. Khotan was struggling to restrain Dvara. She howled in rage and frustration at her captivity. She thrashed wildly, trying to kill Khotan just to get free. Rakan knocked his father to the side and flattened Dvara. If he could restrain her long enough for Khotan to reach her mentally, she’d be alright. But she wouldn’t calm down. Rakan had no choice but to claw into her to keep her from disappearing into the earth’s mantle and tunneling down to the molten rock that she craved with suicidal wrath.

She went limp. Rakan loosened his grip on her bloodied hide. She scrambled to her feet and slithered into the ground. Rakan morphed back to his human form and turned to his father, who was panting on his knees.

“She’ll be okay now,” Rakan said. “Are you alright?”

“I think so.” He pushed himself up. “But she’ll need some time alone for her pride to adjust.” Khotan stood still, majestic in his flowing dragon pants and shaved head in spite of the dust and blood spattered on him. “Just thank her for having brought you. I wouldn’t have been able to help you both, had you waited any longer.”

Rakan stared at his father. Dvara had only asked for Khotan’s help because Rakan needed to morph. She’d never have asked otherwise. Even if, given how her morph had gone, it was obvious that she had needed the help. He wished he had realized how bad a state she had been in, but he had been in too much pain. “You knew she asked because I needed to morph?”

“Rakan,” said Khotan gently. “I know Dvara even better than I know you. I’ve held her rök. She has no secrets – good or bad – for me. I just pretend not to know, for her sake. She needs time to learn that she has nothing to prove. Until then, it will be difficult for her to control her rök.” Khotan put a hand on Rakan’s shoulder and guided him towards the mineral hot spring that they always soaked in after sparring. “Let her be for now. She’ll come back when she’s ready.”

Rakan threw off his black pants and sank into the water, blissfully free until the thought of Anna soaking in the spring with him aroused something he didn’t want to feel. He groaned and leaned stiffly against the rock, wondering if he should morph again to let off some steam.

“I think you need some time alone too,” Khotan said. He hoisted himself out of the pool. “Do you remember what I told you when you came of age, and Yarlung decided that you would stay here and keep your rök instead of joining one of the other Cairns?”

“That I needed to learn to control my rök or it would kill me?”

Khotan smiled. “Yes. But that was only part of what I said, and I think you’ve taken it too literally. What’s even more important is that you need to be true to yourself. If you aren’t, a breach with your rök will appear. And as that breach increases, so will your difficulty in controlling your rök when you morph.” Khotan’s outline was visible against the pale evening sky. “There are only two possible outcomes. Either you learn to accept who you really are and you become one with your rök, or you don’t and your rök kills you.”

His father’s outline faded into the night. Rakan groaned and sank under the water until his lungs were on fire and he was forced to come up, gasping for air. He morphed out of the water in a bellowing rage. He wanted to fight. At least when he was fighting, he knew what to do.

* * *

Anna paced back and forth in the living room. She had a ton of homework, but couldn’t sit still to do it. Pemba hadn’t been at school for more than a week. Her phone rang, and she lunged for it. But it was only June.

“Hey – we’re going to watch the film on the snow screen, want to come?” June asked.

“Uh, I don’t know. It’s kind of late.”

“It’s only 8:00 – and Haakon says they can drop you off, it’s on their way back to campus. You coming?” June paused, waiting for an answer. “It’ll be fun. See you in ten?” she said when Anna didn’t respond.

“I guess so,” Anna said. Going out would be better than staying at home and checking her phone every few minutes. “Are you guys already there?”

“Almost. We’ll save you a place. Bye.”

Anna scrawled a note for her mom, even though she was working the nightshift. She didn’t like the idea of her mom worrying if she came home early for some reason. Anna jumped off the porch and embraced the winter air that wrapped her in its heavy mantle. She paused for a moment to enjoy the pristine beauty of the snow that scintillated in the moonlight and breathed in deeply, coughing once as the cold air hit her lungs.

By the time Anna reached the town’s main square and the huge outdoor movie screen made of snow, there were couples and families and groups of friends sprawled along the gentle slope that eased into the shimmering fjord. But she didn’t see June. Or Haakon, who was as massive as a bodybuilder and hard to miss. Her happiness at being outside disappeared. Being the only single person with two couples wasn’t going to be much fun either. The aching void that Anna had tried to push aside came back full force.

“Anna, we’re over here,” someone called. Anna turned around to see Erling, June and Lysa waving from makeshift seats carved out of a snowdrift. Haakon was spreading out some blankets for his girlfriend, Liv, to sit on. Anna made her way through the crowd to join them. Even the twins were there.

“Hey. Glad you could come,” June said. She gave Anna a quick hug and patted the snow bank next to her. “I saved you a seat.”

“You haven’t missed much,” Haakon said as Anna squeezed in between him and June.

“Want some coffee?” asked Liv. She leaned over Haakon and offered Anna a plastic cup.

“Ah, sure.” She felt the twins lurking behind them and looked their way. They were standing perfectly still, their faces like masks. As always, they reminded her of bodyguards and made her feel uncomfortable. She felt Haakon take her cup. “Oh, thanks,” she said, turning back to him as he poured her some coffee from a thermos.

“You’re welcome,” said Liv and Haakon together.

Anna smiled and shook her head. They were the only couple she knew who were always in synch. Maybe it was because they complemented each other – there was something aerial about Liv with her undulating blonde hair, blue eyes and pale skin. Haakon, on the other hand, looked like a rock with his square jaw and high cheekbones. Solid and stable. Or maybe it was because they had been dating for as long as she could remember.

Anna sipped her coffee and watched the movie. It was about two friends who couldn’t manage to communicate. The movie had been shot in the high mountains and the rugged beauty of the land underscored their estrangement, making the movie painfully difficult to watch. Especially when she would’ve loved to be in the high mountains with Pemba. But he wasn’t even in Tromso anymore. She wished she hadn’t come.

“You’re not alone,” June said, nudging her shoulder. “Remember that.”

Anna felt a wave of warmth surround her and she looked at June in surprise. “How do you do that?” It was just like something Pemba would do.

June laughed. “Ask Haakon. He’s much better at it than I am.”

“Later,” Anna said, looking back at the snow screen after a quick glance at Haakon and Liv confirmed that they were cuddled up in a ball.

But she couldn’t get back into the film, in spite of the majestic images of the mountains. Or maybe because of them. She ached to be there with Pemba, high above the treeline where the mountains were alive. She felt a ripple in the air and something tingled at the nape of her neck. A void was being filled. Her heart raced. Pemba. He was back. She could feel his whirling energy pulsing nearby. She jumped up and ran towards the feeling, blindly following it to the empty street that ran along the top of the square. “Pemba?” she called out, looking around. He wasn’t there. Confused, she closed her eyes and concentrated on the whirling energy that was throbbing nearby. She reached out to touch him, to let him know that she was there. A wave of warmth enveloped her. She floated in his touch. He was here. She smiled and opened her eyes, eager to throw herself into his arms, only to see a man who looked like a Mongolian prince striding towards her. His heavily brocaded overcoat flowed around him. Despite the biting cold he hadn’t even bothered to close it. Anna’s heart pounded. The feeling was his, and he wasn’t Pemba.

Petrified by her mistake, Anna stood still as the man approach. He had spiked black hair and long sideburns. Something flickered deep in her memory, as if she should recognize him but didn’t. And it terrified her even more.

He strode up to Anna. “You really know how to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, don’t you?” he hissed, his breath hot on her face.

Anna felt a wave of his anger rush over her. She wanted to turn and run away. But her legs wouldn’t respond. “I thought you were someone else,” she said, trying to keep her voice monotonous.

“Don’t ever reach out to touch someone unless you know who they are. There are those who would kill you for less. Is that clear?”

“Torsten, my old friend,” said Haakon, pushing Anna gently to the side. “We weren’t expecting you back so soon. Why don’t you go join the others, Anna? Torsten and I have a few things to discuss.”

Anna nodded. Torsten frightened her so much it made her bones hurt. But the tension that clung to the two men like a haze made her hesitate. She backed up a few steps before walking to the edge of the crowd. She’d get help if they started fighting.

Anna tried to listen to their argument, but they were too far away. All she could make out were harsh guttural sounds that reminded her of when Pemba and Dawa spoke together. Anna moved closer. It couldn’t be the same language. Haakon was her cousin’s best friend. She had known him all her life. Haakon was half Sámi and half Norwegian. He had always lived in Tromso.

But when Torsten raised his voice, she heard him say something that sounded like ‘Draak’. Her curiosity got the better of her and she took a few more steps towards them. She didn’t speak Sámi, but she had heard it. And whatever they were speaking, it wasn’t Sámi.

Another pulsing energy moved behind her. Anna spun around, ready to flee. But it was only June, running through the crowd. Why hadn’t she ever realized that June felt like that too? Anna watched as June jumped into Torsten’s arms as if he was her favorite uncle. But even more surprising, the tension between the two men dissolved as if it had never been there.

“When did you get back? Haakon didn’t tell me you were here,” June said with an accusing glance at Haakon.

Torsten laughed and twirled her around playfully. “It’s not his fault, little sister. He didn’t know that my plans had changed.” Torsten put her back down.

“I’m glad they did,” June said. She linked her arm through his. “Come join us.” She directed him towards the square and straight to Anna.

She backed up, but it was too late. June and Torsten were nearly upon her.

“Oh, let me introduce you to my friend, Anna. Anna, this is Torsten, an old friend of Haakon’s.” June cast a glare at Haakon as she linked her other arm through Anna’s. “You could’ve introduced them yourself.”

“I thought you’d prefer to do it,” said Haakon.

Anna didn’t say anything. She had no desire to ever speak to Torsten again. And June obviously hadn’t picked up on the tension between the two ‘friends’ that had dissipated upon her arrival. Relieved that Torsten took no further notice of her as they walked back to the others, she slid into her place on the snowbank and pretended to watch the movie.

When June finally sat back down she gave Anna a quick hug. “Torsten’s great,” she said. “I wish he was staying longer.”

“He doesn’t live here?” Anna asked, trying to sound casual.

“No. I wish he did. But his fiancée moved here recently, so he’ll probably be coming more often.”

“Great,” Anna said, thinking it was anything but. “Is he part Sámi?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think so. Why?”

“He looks like he could be Haakon’s brother.”

June laughed. “It’s true. And they’re a lot more alike than most siblings.”

Erling whispered something in June’s ear and she disappeared back into their bubble.

Anna sat numbly. She shouldn’t have come. And having thought Pemba was back when he wasn’t had made her feel even worse.

Liv reached over and touched her arm. “Are you okay?”

Anna nodded and fought against the tears that were stinging her eyes.

“You look cold. Come share my blanket. Haakon won’t be back for a while anyhow. And being cold is no fun.”

Anna accepted Liv’s offer silently, sliding over to join her.

Liv wrapped her electric blue blanket around Anna’s shoulders. It was light and warm, like the softest down. It felt like being in a cocoon.

“Life can be complicated,” Liv said quietly. “Or it can be quite simple. It all depends on you.”

“I can’t decide what will happen,” Anna said. “No one can.”

“But you can decide how you will react.” Liv’s eyes had an intensity that made them glow. “And how much you want to see.” The air around Liv shimmered and the sounds of the film and the crowd faded first into a humming background noise, and then into nothingness.

“How do you do that?” Anna sat up straight and took a deep breath. “It feels like being in the high mountains.”