Dragon Fire

by Dina von Lowenkraft

  Pemba nuzzled her neck and she felt a slow flame flicker deep within her. A moan escaped from her throat as Pemba’s mind-touch embraced her. Her mind-touch flew forward of its own accord, throwing itself around Pemba as if she could take him inside her. Her arms wound their way around his neck as she stretched the length of his body, wanting to feel every part of him merge with her own.

  “I trust you, Pemba,” she said, her voice husky with a mix of passion and fear. “Protect me.” She felt Pemba’s relief followed by a wild fervor that erupted around her in a dizzying array of sparks. He held her tightly and wove a net of entwined lines of energy that she couldn’t even begin to comprehend.

  When he had finally completed the shield he pulled his mind-touch back and leaned his forehead against hers. “You’ll be safe,” he said in a voice thick with emotion. His lips were so close to hers that she could almost feel them.

  Anna tingled in anticipation, her body alive with the contact. Her lips parted and she swayed in his arms, waiting for him to kiss her.

  “Let me get changed,” he said. “I’ll walk you home.”

  Anna stumbled back as Pemba padded silently to his bedroom, the tip of his long black braid swishing across his lower back. Her face burned with shame. He wasn’t attracted to her.

  * * *

  Ulf blew the whistle for the game to start again, tapping Dvara’s butt at the same time. Rakan growled in the bleachers. Ever since Dvara and T’eng Sten had had their discussion last week, she had been recklessly out of control. She had even sought the twins out for lunch, dropping her tray on the table between theirs. It was as if she no longer cared if she lived or died.

  Rakan felt the cool tingling of a void-trail appearing and turned to face it. Moments later Liv walked into the sport hall. Her pace was hurried as she approached Erling sitting on one of the lower bleachers. She stopped a few paces away and waited until Erling motioned for her to approach. Rakan sat up. He focused his sight on Liv and strained his ears to hear what they were saying, but it was too far. Erling said something and Liv nodded faintly, the way someone would if they were bowing to their Kairök in front of humans. And then Rakan knew. Erling was the leader of the void-trails.

  Abruptly, their attitudes changed and Liv sat down next to Erling, acting like they were just friends hanging out. Rakan looked around, wondering what had happened until he saw Haakon walk in with a big blond guy. He immediately recognized him as Red, Anna’s cousin. Rakan let his mind-touch slip forward, sensing the energy around both Red and the slender brown-haired girl on his arm to confirm what he already knew. They were unarmed humans.

  Rakan looked back at the court, his eyes going to Anna who was intently focused on the game. He wanted to wrap his mind around her and feel her as she ran across the court, giving her best shot at a first wave score. Rakan smiled. She wanted to win, and he liked that.

  Dvara pretended to bump into Ulf, rubbing against him as she lunged across the court. What was wrong with her? In frustration he turned back to Erling and Liv. Erling was watching the game, but the others were talking animatedly, interrupting each other and laughing. Rakan wondered if Haakon knew what Liv was, or if she had hidden her true identity from him even though they were living together on the University campus. He had trailed them once, just out of curiosity, and all their trails indicated that Liv never shifted in and out. She always stayed with Haakon. Acting like a human.

  Red turned to look around, running his eyes over the bleachers as if he was looking for someone. He caught Rakan’s eye.

  Rakan glanced back at the game. The score was 47-18 and most of the goals had been by Dvara. He watched as she made a fast break across the court, scoring yet another goal. She wished she would stop drawing attention to herself.

  Red appeared in front of him, as big as an Old Dragon but as blond as Anna. “You must be Pemba.”

  Rakan stood. “You must be Red.”

  “I see Anna’s spoken of me already. All bad, I’m sure.”

  “No. Actually, she was rather positive.”

  “That was a joke,” said Red, narrowing his pale blue eyes. “But my warning to you isn’t. If you hurt Anna, I’ll kill you.”

  “I doubt that,” Rakan said. No human could ever come close to killing him.

  “Never underestimate your opponent.”

  “I never have,” Rakan said coolly. “But if you’re so keen to protect her, why didn’t you teach her to fight?”

  “What makes you think she can’t?”

  “She’s never fought in her life. And you know it as well as I do.”

  Red laughed. “You’re right.” Red’s voice dropped an octave. “But I don’t lose very often. And believe me, if you hurt her, I won’t lose.”

  Rakan smiled. He liked Red’s straightforward manner and his desire to protect his own. “I have no intention of hurting her.”

  “I don’t care about your intentions. I care about Anna.” Red leaned forward and arched his eyebrows. “Got it?”

  Rakan felt his rök respond with a fierceness that surprised him given that he was facing a human. He closed the remaining distance between them and said, his nose practically touching Red’s, “You’re not the only one who cares about her.”

  Red pulled back. “Good.” He looked at the game where Dvara was making yet another spectacular goal, hanging in the air just a fraction of a second longer than any human could ever do. “Your sister likes attention, doesn’t she?”

  Rakan gave Red a hard look, trying to figure out what he meant. “Dawa’s none of your business,” he said finally, not taking his eyes from Red’s.

  “Not unless she hurts someone I care about.”

  “You care about Ulf?” asked Rakan incredulously.

  Red exploded in laughter and tapped Rakan on the shoulder. “No. No. Not at all.”

  The game ended and Rakan felt Anna bound up the stairs, her deer-like movements once again triggering his increasingly volatile desires to chase her. His control was slipping.

  “When did you get here? Why didn’t you call me?” she said, flying into Red’s arms.

  Rakan stifled his urge to growl. Even though he knew Red was her cousin, he didn’t like seeing Anna in his arms. He forced himself to unclench his fists.

  “Be careful or you’re going to get us into a fight,” said Red, releasing her with a laugh.

  “Don’t be silly,” Anna said. She let go of Red and wrapped her arms around Rakan.

  Rakan held her close, not sure who she was telling not to be silly, but not really caring now that she was in his arms.

  “Why are you guys here?” Anna asked her cousin. “Did you come for the Salsa Festival?”

  Red gave Anna a look that clearly said, “Why else would we be here?”

  “That’s the big dance tonight, isn’t it?” Rakan had overheard June and Kristin talking about going. He had meant to ask Anna to come with him, so he could get closer to June. “We should go,” he said to Anna.

  “What? You haven’t planned it?” asked Red. “What’s wrong with you, Anna? How can you miss something like that?” Red turned to Rakan. “Have you ever danced salsa before?”

  Rakan shook his head. “No, but I’m sure I can pick it up.” Dancing wasn’t all that different from sparring.

  Red burst out laughing. “I like your spirit. But I can show you a few steps before we get there. Anna still hasn’t mastered it even though I’ve been trying to teach her for years.”

  Anna reached out and play-punched Red in the stomach, her fist uselessly loose. “That’s not my fault. Every time you say you’ll show me, you just dance with Ea instead.”

  “Well then, tonight’s the night,” said Red. “Ea can help you get ready while I show Pemba a few steps. And then we’ll pick you up and go there together, okay?” Red smiled mischievously. “That way we can see who the better teacher is.”

  Rakan laughed as he watched Red bounce down the stairs. He had the playful competitive edge of a dragon. “I like you
r cousin,” Rakan said. He could feel her blood throbbing through her still pumped up muscles and he pulled her in closer, sending jolts of electricity through his body. “But I think I’ll like dancing with you even better.”

  Rakan wrestled with his need to posses her, even with everyone around. He closed his eyes and forced his rök back into control until he could release her. He leaned his forehead against hers, wondering if he would be able to control himself when they danced together.

  * * *

  Rakan let Red ring the doorbell before answering it, even though he had already felt him arrive. Humans got surprised by that kind of thing, and Rakan knew they didn’t like it. Only Anna had ever reacted differently. But then again, she wasn’t like other humans.

  “You’re not planning on going like that?” asked Red, eyeing Rakan’s black jeans and body-hugging tee-shirt.

  “What?” asked Rakan, his mind still on Anna. “Why not?”

  Red shook his head. “There’s more work to do than I thought,” he said. He followed Rakan inside and took off his coat, revealing a dark red shirt that was only half buttoned over his muscular chest. “Don’t you have a dress shirt?”

  Rakan looked again at Red’s shirt. It was a darker red than Dawa’s and seemed somehow more solid. Like a brick rather than a gem. It felt oddly like Red himself. Rakan let his mind run over Red once again, intrigued by his dragon-like qualities even though he was human. Rakan felt a faint reaction and pulled back. Red had definitely felt him, just like Anna had the first day in the schoolyard. “You and Anna are a lot alike,” Rakan said, wondering if it was something in their family. Or maybe humans had been changing and he hadn’t noticed before.

  Red burst out laughing. “Does she tell you to change your shirt, too? Go get changed while I set up the music.”

  Rakan walked up the stairs, wondering what he should do. He stopped on the landing and listened to Red start some music and begin to dance on his own. He looked at his black tee-shirt and transformed it into the same kind of button-down shirt as Red was wearing, but it didn’t feel right. He transformed his shirt again, changing it from black to his orange. It felt good. He headed back downstairs with a light step.

  “Much better,” said Red when he saw Rakan. “Salsa’s all about seduction, creating a give and take tension with your partner. But the basic step is this.” He moved forward and back and back and forward. “Do you play any instruments? Can you hear the beat?”

  Rakan laughed and mimicked Red’s movements. “You don’t need to play an instrument to be able to dance.”

  Red stopped, confused. “I thought you said you had never danced salsa before.”

  “I haven’t. But it isn’t that complicated.”

  Red didn’t look convinced. “Most people don’t pick it up so easily.”

  “Maybe the other steps are harder,” Rakan said. He’d forgotten that humans couldn’t feel movement with their bodies. “Go ahead. Show me what to do next.” He’d force himself to mess up.

  * * *

  The doorbell rang and Anna pulled at the pale blue dress Ea had brought for her to wear. It exposed too much cleavage and she felt naked in the feathery chiffon gown, even though it was more conservative than Ea’s amber-colored mini dress, with its psychedelic spirals of green, red and brown.

  “Stop worrying,” said Ea. Her light brown hair flowed around her shoulders in gentle waves. “You look beautiful.”

  “I still can’t dance like you do.”

  “You will when Pemba’s guiding you.”

  Anna heard her mother and the guys talking in the stairwell as they came up to join them in the living room. She turned away from the door, her hand hovering near her chest. Anna felt Pemba stop and turned slowly to face him. His face was blank and he stared at her. He didn’t even reach out with his mind-touch the way he usually did. Her cheeks flamed. She should never have agreed to wear the dress or let Ea pin her hair up in an elaborate mass of twisted braids. Anna dropped her eyes.

  Red waved his hand in front of Pemba’s face. “She’s not a museum piece. You’re supposed to talk to her, not stare at her.”

  For a split second Anna saw Pemba snarl and she almost thought he was going to punch Red, but instead he smiled stiffly. He walked over to where Anna was standing without saying anything, his face emotionless.

  “I can go get changed,” she mumbled, unable to look him in the eyes.

  “No.” He took her hands in his. “You’re beautiful.”

  Anna felt a flood of relief wash over her and she sank into him. “I’m not sure I want to go. I’m going to fall over in these shoes.”

  “Not if you stay in my arms,” Pemba said, sliding his hands around her waist.

  “Knock it off, guys,” said Red, whacking Pemba on the shoulder. “Time to go. And you can’t salsa like that – you’re way too close.”

  “Maybe we’ll just watch you guys,” Anna said. “We’ll never be able to salsa anyhow.”

  Red shook a finger at Anna. “Don’t underestimate your partner. He’s not too bad.”

  “What?” Pemba said, getting Red back with a thump on the arm. “I’ll take you on any day.”

  “Boys,” said Ea, shaking her head. But she looked amused. “Let’s go.”

  “Have fun, honey,” Ingrid said to Anna before turning to Red. “You promised me to bring her home.” She gave him a meaningful look.

  “Of course,” he answered with a little bow.

  Anna glared at her mom. “I don’t need a chaperone.”

  As they shrugged into their winter coats, Red leaned forward. “I only promised to bring you home,” he whispered, “not to watch you all night.”

  * * *

  Rakan scanned the crowd at the dance hall where the band was already playing. The floor was filled with dancing couples. He tried to focus on June and Erling who were dancing on the opposite side of the room, but his mind kept slipping back to Anna. The pale blue dress that matched her eyes combined with her elaborate hairdo was reminiscent of how female dragons dressed. And it made him want to possess her. He groaned to himself. He wouldn’t be able to control himself if they danced. Or maybe even if they didn’t.

  Anna slipped her arm through his and tilted her head just enough to the side to expose her throat. He bared his teeth and dipped his head in response, only catching himself as he was about to bite her. He clenched his jaw and pulled back, but his eyes lingered on the upward swell of her breasts. Rakan ached to touch her, to feel her soft curves, to pull her in and – maybe they shouldn’t dance. He turned back to the dance floor only to be slammed by the rising passion of June and Erling, lost in their own world. Rakan’s rök lurched. June was a dragon and Erling wasn’t and it hadn’t stopped them. He looked back at Anna. Maybe there wasn’t any reason not to mate with her.

  Except that Anna didn’t know he was a dragon. She didn’t even know his name. Rakan turned away again. Erling wasn’t human. It was easier. Humans couldn’t accept them for what they were. But he wouldn’t live a lie, no matter how much he wanted her. His rök screeched in pain and Rakan pushed it back into submission.

  Anna’s mind-touch rubbed against him, jolting him with her gentle energy. “You okay?” she asked. “We don’t have to dance, you know.”

  Slowly, he turned to face her, struggling to tame his desire. She was so close, so willing. His eyes followed her throat down to the graceful swell of her breasts. He felt her skin flush with heat, sending him nearly over the edge. She wanted him. Or thought she did. But if she knew what he was, would she fear him instead?

  * * *

  As Pemba’s eyes slid down her throat, Anna spread her hands on his waist. The firm muscles under his silk shirt rippled under her touch. He leaned his forehead against hers, and his warmth spread through her. Her nails dug into him. He pulled back and turned away from her. Anna felt her cheeks burn and she looked away. What had she done wrong? Why didn’t he ever kiss her?

  Anna bit her lips and reached out to find Jun
e. “June and Erling are dancing.” At least they were happy together.

  “Be careful with your mind-touch.”

  “Even with June? She’s my best friend.”

  Pemba threw his arms around her with a violence that forced the breath out of her.

  “You’re hurting me,” she said, caught between a wild desire to give herself to him or to struggle out of his arms and run away.

  His hand pressed against her lower back and molded her body into his. His raw passion ignited hers. She tore at his shirt until she could feel his burning flesh under her hands.

  “Time to dance,” said Red, punching Pemba in the arm. “Remember: make me proud.”

  Pemba jerked away from Anna. She stood awkwardly, fixing her dress and checking her hair. Red bowed with an elaborate flourish to Ea, inviting her to dance. Ea placed her hand in his and they stepped seamlessly out onto the dance floor.

  “Maybe we should get a drink,” Pemba said.

  Anna glanced at his shirt where she had felt it rip, but it was impeccable. Had she imagined it?

  “You okay?” he asked.

  “Yeah, sure.”

  “Do you want to go home?”

  “Isn’t your shirt ripped?”

  Pemba looked away. “Not any more.”

  “Okay. That’s what I thought.”

  “Does it bother you?” he asked, his eyes challenging her.

  “No.” That he could fix it didn’t bother her. But that she had ripped it in the first place did.

  “Dance with me,” he said. He took her hand in his and placed his other one firmly on her shoulder blade.

  Anna placed her hand lightly on his shoulder, scared to touch him. He began to guide her out onto the dance floor, but she stumbled and fell against his chest.

  “Push against me,” he said, shaking her away from him.

  “I don’t know how to salsa.” She dropped her hands and looked away. Red and Ea glided by, their bodies vibrating with an intensity that felt like a drum. She should never have agreed to come.