Flame Touched

Chapter Twenty-Eight - Rei

Rei sighed as she watched the women at the wives' pool greet their husbands. One by one, they left, most draped on the arm of the man they loved. She had to watch this spectacle repeatedly and it never got easier. Mostly because she was positive some of them were doing it for show. Despite Lenora's invitation to the exclusive inner circle she had, a few of the wives were not warming up to Rei as much she'd hoped. I don't understand what I did wrong.

Lenora wrapped an arm around Rei's shoulders. "He'll be back again soon enough," she said, as if she could read Rei's mind.

Offering a weak smile, Rei gazed up at her. "I know. It's not like I'm trying to be whiny and needy. We only got a day together, barely even that much. It'd be so much easier to handle if he hadn't left so soon."

"The life of a dragon lord is a complicated one. Especially one who has such prominence," Lenora said. "Trust me, I know all too well what you're feeling. I'd like to say it'll get easier, but it never will."

"Maybe he won't have to be gone so much?"

"I wouldn't count on that." Lenora walked with her toward the main gate. "The good news is, while he's away, you can still play. You can still have a life of your own. Of course you'll miss him, but the more time you spend on yourself, the faster that time will pass. What's something you've always wanted to do here in the city, but have never had a chance to?"

Rei blinked, startled. She's right. I need to do more besides eat, pretend to be a person, and then go to sleep. Pining for Matt isn't going to bring him home faster. She didn't bother to hide her thoughts. Matt stopped replying to most of them ever since their conversation from when he'd first left. At night, he checked in with her before bed. He said he loved her too. It helped fill the void, but he'd made it clear he couldn't focus too much of his attention on her. Respecting that desire was a lot more difficult than she'd originally anticipated.

Lenora raised both of her eyebrows. "Well?"

"I... This is going to sound stupid," Rei said, shaking her head.

"I don't care. I still want to know," Lenora insisted.

Taking in a slow breath, Rei gave her a weak smile. "When I dreamed about being an Elite, I always wanted to be the most beautiful girl in the bunch. Hair, nails, the perfect dress, like the women all of the magazines spotlight. It's so shallow and petty. I want...I want..." She struggled with the right way to express exactly what was in her heart.

Lenora drew her into a hug. "You want to feel beautiful and worthwhile. To feel something different than what your parents put you through."

"Y-yeah," Rei said. Close enough. "H-how did you know?"

"Sweetheart, I have been you. Every woman has been you at least one time in their life. It's in our nature to desire beauty." She relaxed her embrace so their gazes met. "Perhaps not always in a physical form. Beauty for one girl could be the great falls in Aero country, or the dolphins of the ocean. It could be watching a child learn to read, or seeing those in need get the help they so desire. Maybe, even, an accumulation of a few different paths. That is the wonderful part of being a part of the Elite: you do not have to be only one thing. I love that you desire to find beauty in yourself, and also to find it in others."

A faint heat spread across Rei's cheeks. "I do want the best for everyone, even my family." She paused. "How did you even know about them in the first place? I've only ever told Matt."

"Matt talks about you—a lot. He loves you. It's the sweetest kind of love. Reminds me of when I used to be married to his father." Lenora's smile faded for the flash of a moment, before returning, softer, and sweeter than ever. "Let's make you feel gorgeous. Whenever I was left alone in the city, I went to the cutest of shops. They do everything there. Dragon owned and operated, which is wonderful. I'd hate to have to see a new stylist every ten years, wouldn't you? A good one is so hard to find as it is."

That got a chuckle from Rei. Already, her spirits were lighter. It was great to have someone be so understanding—someone besides Matt. She bit her lip, before asking the question that could potentially ruin her blooming friendship. "Why aren't you with Matt's father anymore? Are you his mother?"

"Mother only in spirit," Lenora said softly. "Work got between us. I guess that's one of the reasons I'm so drawn to you. When I see you, when I think of your marriage, I see a lot of myself. I'd like for my mistakes to not become yours."

Rei swallowed. "Wh-what happened? Did h-he..." She couldn't bring herself to finish the thought. It crushed her too much.

"No, Lynx had always been faithful to me," Lenora mumbled. "Which is why I take the full blame for our romance falling apart." She glanced back at the gate to the pool. Rei followed it and noticed Eian's wife along with another young woman. "He tries to fill the hole with whatever latest flavor he finds enticing. I accept my punishment, but we're still connected, him and I. I'm the only one he bothers to communicate with up here." She tapped her forehead. "Eventually, he'll forgive me. He holds a strong grudge. Matt is a lot like his father. Don't upset him."

Too late. Rei refused to let her worry show. "It's sweet of you to still be like a mother to Matt and his brother, regardless."

"They need a real woman to care for them. Their birth mother is dead. Most of Lynx's...flings...don't have much substance." The woman rolled her eyes and ground her teeth together. "Those boys are important to him. I'll make them important to me too even if they aren't mine."

So much hurt inside of one heart. Rei almost couldn't bear it. She took Lenora's hand in her own and gave it a squeeze. "You're..." The words never left her lips. A sharp pain enveloped her stomach just as a wave of dizziness washed over her. She crumbled to her knees, gasping for air.

"Rei, what's wrong?" Lenora pleaded. Her hands were the only thing keeping Rei upright.

Unable to speak, all Rei could do was cry out for her husband and hope he heard.