“We’ll never know unless you try. But she seems more sensitive than most humans, so it might. Especially if the memory was a strong one – and seeing June manipulating matter or shifting would be for a human. If she’s seen her.”
“What if she wants more? What if…” Rakan trailed off. What if I want more? His desire to take Anna in his arms was so intense that he’d probably lose control of his rök and explode in an involuntary morph if he did. And he didn’t want to imagine what would happen then.
“Where is she, can you tell?” asked Dvara, softly interrupting his thoughts.
Rakan shut his eyes and ran his mind over the maze of trails he knew by heart. His mind-touch ran up the hill behind the school, to where Anna lived on the top two floors of a three story building. She was running down the front stairs, agitated and angry. Something had happened. His eyes flew open as he jumped up, ready to fight.
“Okay,” he said, unclenching his fists. “I’m going.”
Dvara was silent for a moment. “Good luck, Rakan. You’re doing the right thing.”
Rakan nodded and hoped he was.
* * *
Anna hadn’t planned on where she was going, she just knew she needed out when Ulf had gone up and joined her mother in the shower. She sat at the counter in the window of Helmersen’s café and flipped through her contact list, wondering which of her friends wouldn’t already have plans for a Saturday night. If June had been in town, it would have been so much easier. June’s boyfriend played in a band and Anna was always welcome to come with.
“May I join you?” asked Pemba.
Anna almost knocked her coffee over before she realized it wasn’t Ulf hunting her down. “You surprised me.”
“I’m sorry.” He hesitated. “Do you want to be alone? You seem upset.”
“Yes. No. It’s okay,” she said. “Do you come here often?” she asked as he slid onto the stool next to hers.
“It’s on the way to school.” He pointed at her phone. “Were you waiting for someone who’s late?”
“No.” She tucked her phone away, hoping he hadn’t seen her searching her contacts. “You can take your coat off,” she added, noticing that he was still bundled up.
“You’re letting me stay?”
“No, I’m chasing you away,” she said, laughing.
“Are you?” Pemba unzipped his coat, revealing a body hugging black tee-shirt that molded to his chest. Anna hadn’t realized that he was in such good physical condition since she had always seen him wearing baggy sweatshirts.
“No, I guess not.” Anna forced her eyes back up to his face. But she got stuck on the pear-drop piece of coral that he wore on a black chain. “Where’s your necklace from?” she asked before realizing that it was a bit direct. “I mean, it’s pretty. I like it.” But more than that, it was the same color as the stone that had marked her hand.
“You’re curious.”
“Sorry,” she said, looking away.
“It’s okay. It was a gift from my parents. Dawa has one, too. It’s called a Maii-a.”
“It’s beautiful,” she said. She wanted to touch it. To know if it felt like her stone.
He took it off and handed it to her. “Here.”
She hesitated, wondering if it would react like her stone had. But when she saw that he was looking at her questioningly she braced herself and took it. It throbbed wildly in her hand. It was her stone. Only stronger. “It’s the same.” She smiled and closed her eyes. She had missed being able to hold onto it, even if she still felt its trace in her palm.
“The same as what?” asked Pemba, eyeing her with curiosity.
“As the ones that June and her boyfriend wear,” she said quickly. She didn’t want to reveal what had happened with her stone. “It feels alive.”
Pemba sat perfectly still, his eyes riveted to hers.
She handed back the Maii-a with her unmarked hand. “Did I say something weird?”
“No,” he said, looking away.
“Maybe it’s not the same. It just looks
“What if she wants more? What if…” Rakan trailed off. What if I want more? His desire to take Anna in his arms was so intense that he’d probably lose control of his rök and explode in an involuntary morph if he did. And he didn’t want to imagine what would happen then.
“Where is she, can you tell?” asked Dvara, softly interrupting his thoughts.
Rakan shut his eyes and ran his mind over the maze of trails he knew by heart. His mind-touch ran up the hill behind the school, to where Anna lived on the top two floors of a three story building. She was running down the front stairs, agitated and angry. Something had happened. His eyes flew open as he jumped up, ready to fight.
“Okay,” he said, unclenching his fists. “I’m going.”
Dvara was silent for a moment. “Good luck, Rakan. You’re doing the right thing.”
Rakan nodded and hoped he was.
* * *
Anna hadn’t planned on where she was going, she just knew she needed out when Ulf had gone up and joined her mother in the shower. She sat at the counter in the window of Helmersen’s café and flipped through her contact list, wondering which of her friends wouldn’t already have plans for a Saturday night. If June had been in town, it would have been so much easier. June’s boyfriend played in a band and Anna was always welcome to come with.
“May I join you?” asked Pemba.
Anna almost knocked her coffee over before she realized it wasn’t Ulf hunting her down. “You surprised me.”
“I’m sorry.” He hesitated. “Do you want to be alone? You seem upset.”
“Yes. No. It’s okay,” she said. “Do you come here often?” she asked as he slid onto the stool next to hers.
“It’s on the way to school.” He pointed at her phone. “Were you waiting for someone who’s late?”
“No.” She tucked her phone away, hoping he hadn’t seen her searching her contacts. “You can take your coat off,” she added, noticing that he was still bundled up.
“You’re letting me stay?”
“No, I’m chasing you away,” she said, laughing.
“Are you?” Pemba unzipped his coat, revealing a body hugging black tee-shirt that molded to his chest. Anna hadn’t realized that he was in such good physical condition since she had always seen him wearing baggy sweatshirts.
“No, I guess not.” Anna forced her eyes back up to his face. But she got stuck on the pear-drop piece of coral that he wore on a black chain. “Where’s your necklace from?” she asked before realizing that it was a bit direct. “I mean, it’s pretty. I like it.” But more than that, it was the same color as the stone that had marked her hand.
“You’re curious.”
“Sorry,” she said, looking away.
“It’s okay. It was a gift from my parents. Dawa has one, too. It’s called a Maii-a.”
“It’s beautiful,” she said. She wanted to touch it. To know if it felt like her stone.
He took it off and handed it to her. “Here.”
She hesitated, wondering if it would react like her stone had. But when she saw that he was looking at her questioningly she braced herself and took it. It throbbed wildly in her hand. It was her stone. Only stronger. “It’s the same.” She smiled and closed her eyes. She had missed being able to hold onto it, even if she still felt its trace in her palm.
“The same as what?” asked Pemba, eyeing her with curiosity.
“As the ones that June and her boyfriend wear,” she said quickly. She didn’t want to reveal what had happened with her stone. “It feels alive.”
Pemba sat perfectly still, his eyes riveted to hers.
She handed back the Maii-a with her unmarked hand. “Did I say something weird?”
“No,” he said, looking away.
“Maybe it’s not the same. It just looks
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