Free Open Flame (Dragon's Fate) by Lacy Danes

nothing.
    “Fina.” His throat tightened. She was cross at him or overwhelmed or both. “I am sure this is all…” He couldn’t help his desire for her. He needed to face her to talk to her. He spun around, and his breath caught.
    She stood before the mirror in the dark pink dress with blue embroidery. Perfect. Her slender arms, encased in pink silk with a flourish of blue embroidery about the elbow, fluttered nervously as she touched the bodice. The neckline scooped down, exposing the tops of her creamy white breasts. A long scar cut across the top of her left breast and disappeared into the decadent silk.
    What had happened to her?
    Tonight was not the time to ask. “You are so lovely.”
    Beauty, light, fire and passion swirled about her, but compassion, truth and destiny swirled in her soul. His partner for life. The mother of his children. He wanted ten or more. Would that ever come to be?
    His throat tightened. Odd that he had never allowed himself to think of such things, but he did now. He wanted the huge family he’d never had.
    Her eyes met his stare in the reflection of the mirror. “The dress is lovely. The best I have ever…”
    He walked to her and rubbed the small puff of fabric at her shoulder between his thumb and forefinger. “The first of many bests.” He withdrew his hand. “Fina. Why did you come back?”
    Her gaze stayed locked to his in the mirror. “I went home. I am uncertain how that happened. Something followed me, then I-I heard my stepmother, Catherine, as she sold my pa’s drawings to a man.” She bit her lower lip, and then raised her chin. “He can’t draw anymore. She is deceiving people and using my pa’s name.” She wet her lips and looked down at the vanity. “And…she betrayed my pa by allowing that man to have his way with her.”
    She sold her favors to another man. Madoc nodded. “I understand.”
    “You do?”
    “She is selling her body for other’s pleasure and selling your father’s lifework and his name.” His jaw tightened. The latter was the most important. It was bad enough Fina thought Madoc had stolen from her father. But for her stepmother to take from him could now give her more reason to believe Madoc had actually purchased the drawing. He couldn’t have more keeping them apart.
    “That is not all that happened on my trip home.” She closed her eyes, and her lip wobbled. “That dark mist that followed me… It smothered me. Said I belonged to it. I panicked. I-I lost control of the fire again. I was so angry. I have no idea what damage I did. I breathed fire on Catherine’s skirts, and I ran. Here is where I ended up.” She opened her eyes, and tears streamed down her cheeks. Her chest heaved, and she choked back a sob. And sobbed again.
    “Fina.” He grasped her shoulder and turned her toward him. Deep pools of sadness shone back at him.
    She shook her head.
    He pulled her to him and held her. “I am sorry, Fina. You will learn to control your element. I am sorry I was not there to help you.” He shouldn’t have let her leave before.
    “There is nothing you could have done.” She pulled away from him and took a step back.
    He needed to show her otherworldly time and to help her understand his own abilities. “Tomorrow, Fina, I will show you all I know about time and being a Zir. Your father is a remarkable man. His designs follow the otherworldly. Franco sent me to him those five years past for that reason. I heard and felt the energy in his ticks and the etchings. The etchings moved to the tick of the clock.”
    “He knows nothing of what I have experienced today. Those etchings don’t move. I draw them.”
    She drew them. He nodded. “While it may certainly be true that he is not otherworldly as you are, he is an extraordinary human to have stretched his mind to understand there is more to time than what humans comprehend.” He continued to stare at her. “Your drawings… They do move. Next time you draw, you shall see what I