Dragon Fire Read Online Free PDF

never seen him before. She would have remembered him with his dark-toned skin and pitch black hair that was pulled back from his face, showing off his high cheek bones and broad forehead. He had an animal-like quality that made him seem pulsingly alive. And she liked it.
    “Can you take Dawa to her homeroom while I bring Pemba up to the third floor?” asked Mrs. Johansen. “And maybe you can show Dawa around during lunchtime – she was asking about handball. Alright, shall we?”
    “What? Yes, of course,” Anna said, still staring into Pemba’s eyes. They were brown, like all Asians she had ever seen, but somehow on Pemba it looked wrong. She watched as Mrs. Johansen escorted Pemba upstairs, mesmerized by the slow movement of his long black braid that twitched like a tail. Finally she turned to Dawa, who was waiting patiently next to her.
    “When did you arrive?” Anna asked as they walked down the second floor hall. She glanced at Dawa who had some of the same look as Pemba. But whereas Pemba felt like he was ready to fly into action, Dawa felt like a delicate flower.
    “This morning,” said Dawa, her voice neutral.
    “From Tibet?”
    Dawa gave a faint nod that Anna couldn’t decipher.
    “Did you play handball there?”
    “Yes.”
    “Well, we have practice this afternoon.” Anna wondered how Dawa could play handball if she was so shy. “You can come watch.”
    “Can I play?”
    “I don’t know,” Anna said, eyeing Dawa again. She knocked on the door to Dawa’s new homeroom and introduced her. “I’ll come pick you up for lunch,” she said and went across the hall to her own homeroom.
    “Sorry I’m late,” she said to her teacher, Berit Knudsen, who was also the local team’s handball coach. “I was with the new girl who wants to join the team.”
    “I didn’t know we were expecting any new students,” said Coach Knudsen. “Where was she playing before?”
    “In Tibet. Somewhere.”
    A couple of the other students laughed. Coach Knudsen raised her hand. “That’s enough. Anyone who wants to play is welcome. Remember that. Anna, take a seat.”
    Anna took out her books, trying to imagine Dawa playing handball. But couldn’t. Gymnastics maybe. But not handball. Pemba, on the other hand, looked like he should play. He was as tall as her cousin Red, but not as massive. His movements had been fluid and powerful. Effortless, even. Like he could hang in the air as he was about to throw the ball… but there was something disconcerting about his eyes. They hadn’t seemed natural. Or maybe it was their hypnotic effect that made her want to run her hands up his chest and rip off his shirt… Anna’s heart raced as her thoughts caught her by surprise.
    Anna wrapped her hand around the jade pendant and forced herself to focus, blocking everything – especially Pemba – out of her mind.
    * * *
    Rakan sat on the bleachers of the local sports hall with a group of boys from the high school, wondering just how far he could play with Jing Mei – or June as they called her here. Better to err on the safe side and keep his powers leashed. She had reacted immediately that morning when he let his mind wander over the school as clumsily as he could manage, pretending to be an untrained acolyte. But he still couldn’t understand her reaction. She had shielded the human next to her – who had actually reacted to his touch. But Paaliaq was ruthless. She didn’t even care about other dragons, so why would she care about a human? And even more puzzling, how could a human have felt him?
    Rakan waved cheerfully to Dvara as she walked onto the court with Anna. He looked seriously at the human girl for the first time. The only thing he remembered about her was her hair that was so pale it looked almost white. And that she was taller than most humans. She had square shoulders and an open face that reflected all her emotions – which she didn’t even try to hide. And right now she was confused. Rakan watched her