Dragon Fire (6 page)

“That’s not my memory of it,” said T’eng Sten. He touched her cheek gently.

Dvara growled and threw a strike to his solar plexus. T’eng Sten grabbed her hand and twisted it behind her, pulling her against him.

Rakan moved to help his sister, but Kakivak and Angalaan stopped him.

“So much fire,” T’eng Sten crooned. “I like that in a dragon. Especially one I intend to mate with.”

“I’m not free to be claimed,” hissed Dvara, turning her face away from his.

“Ah, but you are,” T’eng Sten said. He released her but kept her hand in his. He passed his other hand above it, revealing her vermillion dragon form, her white claws flashing like diamonds. “This, my desirable mate, is all I need to know. Your white claws show that you are free. You no longer wear Khotan’s burgundy. You have been given back your rök.”

“I’m not free,” she said, yanking her hand back.

“Why not? Who else’s fire have you stood in?” He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her to his chest, his indigo Maii-a glowing. “I can take you right now, if I want to.” He leaned forward and bit her neck. “You’re so ripe. So ready for me.”

Dvara groaned and leaned into him, her black school clothes transforming into a long vermillion dress as she melted into his embrace.

“Give me your rök,” said T’eng Sten softly. His hands slid down to her hips.

“I can’t,” Dvara said, her respiration coming in short breaths.

T’eng Sten growled and flung her onto the couch. “I hate games, Dvara. I want you. Now.” He towered over her. “I’ve already waited too long.”

“I have no choice,” Dvara answered, without looking at T’eng Sten. “I won’t be free until my father’s death is avenged.”

T’eng Sten laughed. “Is that was this is all about? You think you can find Paaliaq and kill her? You barely even protected your lair and you didn’t feel us arrive. Anyone could have come in here. How can you two puppies be a match for Paaliaq, even if she were alive?”

“What we do, or intend to do, is none of your concern,” Rakan said, his voice flat and emotionless. “And if your intentions are honorable I see no reason to have your bodyguards flanking me. I am, as far as I know, still in my own home.”

“Release him,” said T’eng Sten with a dismissive wave of his hand. “He’s harmless until he can unleash the power of his rök.”

Rakan suppressed the boiling rage that flamed inside. He wouldn’t give T’eng Sten the satisfaction of rising to his bait. “My sister does not appear to accept your claim. Your business here is finished.”

“I am not so sure,” said T’eng Sten with a mocking smile before turning his attention back to Dvara. He walked slowly around her, appreciating the backless dress that clung to her body and revealed her curves.

“I don’t know what the two of you think you’re up to,” said T’eng Sten once he had finished examining Dvara, “but, you, my desirable mate, are proof that the ten cycles we granted Yarlung to find and kill Paaliaq are over. You are ready to breed.” He stood behind Dvara and unfastened her hair, letting it tumble down her back. “And you want to,” he whispered in her ear.

Dvara inhaled sharply and closed her eyes.

“What do you mean the ten cycles are over?” asked Rakan.

“Didn’t Yarlung tell you? She was granted ten cycles to find and kill Paaliaq. After which time Paaliaq would be assumed dead. And Earth free to be colonized.”

“Only four cycles have passed on the Fragments,” countered Rakan. “Everyone is aware of the time differential.”

“You are your mother’s son,” said T’eng Sten with a curt laugh. “She claims that the ten cycles of her sovereignty should be in Fragment time, not Earth time. But no one knew that we wouldn’t be able to breed on the Fragments.” T’eng Sten ran his hands through Dvara’s black hair and smelled it. “Although I have to admit I am pleased with the time differential.”

Dvara extracted herself from T’eng Sten’s arms. “Yarlung has every right to kill Paaliaq. She’s only honoring the Code.” She redid her hair with trembling hands.

“Yarlung is a fool,” said T’eng Sten vehemently. “Paaliaq isn’t alive. And even if she were, Kraal was the traitor who started the war, not Paaliaq.”

Dvara flung herself at T’eng Sten, wavering in and out of a partial morph. T’eng Sten raised his hands and stopped her in midair. “Learn to control your rök or it’ll kill you,” he said quietly. Once she had stabilized in her human form, he released her. “But to do so you must know who you are and claim your dragon name.”

“I already have,” Dvara said with a growl. “I am Dvara Azuraal, daughter of Kraal and bearer of the Line of Aal.”

T’eng Sten smiled. “Are you? I’m not so sure.” He walked over to join his guards who still hovered near Rakan. “And you, young Rakan’dzor, when are you going to cut your hair and become a real acolyte instead of harnessing your rök in a prison? You do know that you won’t come into your full power until your rök is free, don’t you? Or did they forget to tell you that? Control is only half the equation.”

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.”

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.”