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
“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
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