out, so close to losing control that he didn’t even realize he was breaking an unspoken code. Draagsil was a secret language.
Anna didn’t say anything. She just crossed her arms and waited.
Rakan looked away, not wanting her to see his raging desire to chase her. “What else do you want to know?”
“Why you and Dawa are fighting since it’s all you think about,” she snapped. “Just tell me what’s wrong, Pemba,” she added more softly, taking a step toward him. “Let me in. Please.”
Anna’s closeness threw him off balance. He didn’t want to lie to her, but he didn’t know what to say either. “We don’t always agree. She…” she what? Wants to kill June and her boyfriend? And the other void-trails, too? Rakan looked at Anna, wishing she would turn and run so that he could chase her. “She doesn’t want to stay here very long,” he said, his voice rougher than he expected.
Anna dropped her eyes and turned away. “Do you?”
Rakan inched closer, pulled forward by the intoxicating scent of her skin. “Maybe.” Even if he shouldn’t.
Rakan felt Anna relax. She took his arm, and they walked slowly up the hill. He was relieved that her anger was gone, even if he didn’t know why.
* * *
Pemba and Anna sat on her apartment steps, shoulders touching every once in a while as they talked. Anna didn’t even notice Ulf coming up until he was in front of them.
“I thought you were working tonight,” Anna said, scrambling to her feet.
“I am. But I thought we could have dinner together first.” Ulf’s eyes narrowed on Pemba who had remained seated. “Who’s he?”
“It’s none of your business.”
Pemba stood slowly and placed himself between Ulf and Anna. “Stay away from her.”
“My, my. Aren’t you possessive,” Ulf said with a lift of his eyebrows. He walked around Pemba and up the stairs. “It just shows you’re unsure of her feelings for you. Because if you knew she cared, you wouldn’t feel threatened by me. Don’t be late for dinner,” he said to Anna and disappeared inside.
Anna reached for Pemba. “I hate him,” she said, curling up into his neck.
Pemba put his arms protectively around her. “Who is he?”
“My mother’s boyfriend.”
Pemba rubbed his cheek against hers. “And she doesn’t keep him in control?”
Anna laughed at the image of her mother being in control of anything. “No.”
“Then I will,” said Pemba solemnly.
Anna closed her eyes and leaned into him. Pemba’s energy wrapped around her and she relaxed. For the first time since her father died, she let herself be comforted by someone else.
* * *
Later, Anna sat next to her mom at the movie theatre wishing Pemba had asked her out earlier. Her mother’s incessant chatter was getting on her nerves. She handed her mom the popcorn. “Can you hold this while I go to the bathroom?” Her mom was in gossip mode and there was no point in trying for a real conversation.
“Oh sure, honey. Hurry up though, the movie will start soon.”
“Don’t worry.” She walked out with a sigh of relief. She’d make sure the movie had started before going back in. Anna wandered around the lobby. She stopped in front of the poster displays for the upcoming movies, her mind on Pemba.
“I knew you’d come looking for me,” said Ulf in her ear, making her jump. “You just can’t stay away. I feel you watching me all the time, even if you like to pretend you’re avoiding me.”
“I’m not pretending,” she snapped. “I don’t want to have anything to do with you.” She turned and walked away.
“Not so fast, my sweet little Anna.” He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her back. “So far I’m enjoying our little game of hide and seek, but at some point the foreplay will have to end.” His hand squeezed so hard it hurt. “And there are two things you should know. One, I always get what I want. And two, I hate being second.”
Anna yanked her arm away from his grip and pushed him
Anna didn’t say anything. She just crossed her arms and waited.
Rakan looked away, not wanting her to see his raging desire to chase her. “What else do you want to know?”
“Why you and Dawa are fighting since it’s all you think about,” she snapped. “Just tell me what’s wrong, Pemba,” she added more softly, taking a step toward him. “Let me in. Please.”
Anna’s closeness threw him off balance. He didn’t want to lie to her, but he didn’t know what to say either. “We don’t always agree. She…” she what? Wants to kill June and her boyfriend? And the other void-trails, too? Rakan looked at Anna, wishing she would turn and run so that he could chase her. “She doesn’t want to stay here very long,” he said, his voice rougher than he expected.
Anna dropped her eyes and turned away. “Do you?”
Rakan inched closer, pulled forward by the intoxicating scent of her skin. “Maybe.” Even if he shouldn’t.
Rakan felt Anna relax. She took his arm, and they walked slowly up the hill. He was relieved that her anger was gone, even if he didn’t know why.
* * *
Pemba and Anna sat on her apartment steps, shoulders touching every once in a while as they talked. Anna didn’t even notice Ulf coming up until he was in front of them.
“I thought you were working tonight,” Anna said, scrambling to her feet.
“I am. But I thought we could have dinner together first.” Ulf’s eyes narrowed on Pemba who had remained seated. “Who’s he?”
“It’s none of your business.”
Pemba stood slowly and placed himself between Ulf and Anna. “Stay away from her.”
“My, my. Aren’t you possessive,” Ulf said with a lift of his eyebrows. He walked around Pemba and up the stairs. “It just shows you’re unsure of her feelings for you. Because if you knew she cared, you wouldn’t feel threatened by me. Don’t be late for dinner,” he said to Anna and disappeared inside.
Anna reached for Pemba. “I hate him,” she said, curling up into his neck.
Pemba put his arms protectively around her. “Who is he?”
“My mother’s boyfriend.”
Pemba rubbed his cheek against hers. “And she doesn’t keep him in control?”
Anna laughed at the image of her mother being in control of anything. “No.”
“Then I will,” said Pemba solemnly.
Anna closed her eyes and leaned into him. Pemba’s energy wrapped around her and she relaxed. For the first time since her father died, she let herself be comforted by someone else.
* * *
Later, Anna sat next to her mom at the movie theatre wishing Pemba had asked her out earlier. Her mother’s incessant chatter was getting on her nerves. She handed her mom the popcorn. “Can you hold this while I go to the bathroom?” Her mom was in gossip mode and there was no point in trying for a real conversation.
“Oh sure, honey. Hurry up though, the movie will start soon.”
“Don’t worry.” She walked out with a sigh of relief. She’d make sure the movie had started before going back in. Anna wandered around the lobby. She stopped in front of the poster displays for the upcoming movies, her mind on Pemba.
“I knew you’d come looking for me,” said Ulf in her ear, making her jump. “You just can’t stay away. I feel you watching me all the time, even if you like to pretend you’re avoiding me.”
“I’m not pretending,” she snapped. “I don’t want to have anything to do with you.” She turned and walked away.
“Not so fast, my sweet little Anna.” He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her back. “So far I’m enjoying our little game of hide and seek, but at some point the foreplay will have to end.” His hand squeezed so hard it hurt. “And there are two things you should know. One, I always get what I want. And two, I hate being second.”
Anna yanked her arm away from his grip and pushed him
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