Page 28 of Hot for the Dragon

Daphne couldn't help but smile as she moved to the next group of people. Maybe getting Archer to interact with the townspeople would help both sides see past their preconceptions. She created a few sprigs of lavender, handing them out to help calm nerves as she worked her way down the street.

When Archer returned, he found her conjuring flowers to replace those burned in window boxes. "Playing gardener while the town's under attack?"

"Sometimes a little beauty is exactly what’s needed after ugliness," she said, coaxing a vine of morning glories up a scorched trellis. "Besides, I saw you being nice to Mrs. Bennett."

"I was not nice. I was... tolerant."

"Mmhmm. Help me with this fallen sign?"

To her surprise, he actually did as she asked, though not without an exaggerated eye roll that made her bite back a smile. As they worked, more people emerged from their shelters, and Daphne kept Archer busy helping clear debris and checking for injuries.

"You're actually quite good at this when you're not trying so hard to be intimidating," she observed as they finished helping a group of teenagers board up a broken window.

"I'm always intimidating," he replied, but there was a hint of amusement in his voice. "It's part of my charm."

"Oh, is that what we're calling it now?" Daphne laughed, then sobered as she caught sight of a young child crying.

Daphne's heart clenched when she walked up to the little girl, noticing she was crying over her crushed flowers. Daphne knelt down beside her. "Hey there, sweetie. What's your name?"

"Sarah," the girl sniffled, wiping her nose with her sleeve.

"Watch this, Sarah." Daphne touched the broken stems, and fresh green shoots emerged from the wreckage. Colorful petals unfurled before their eyes as new flowers bloomed. Sarah's tears stopped, replaced by wonder.

"How did you do that?" she asked softly.

"Magic," Daphne winked, gathering the fresh bouquet and presenting it to Sarah.

Archer shifted uncomfortably behind them. "We should keep moving."

"Here," Daphne handed him half the flowers. "Give these to that woman over there. The one who keeps looking at her burned shop."

"I don't do flowers," he growled.

"You do today." She gave him a gentle push. "Go on, big scary dragon. I promise it won't hurt your reputation."

As they worked their way through the town, Daphne noticed subtle changes in Archer's demeanor. His shoulders relaxed slightly when an elderly man thanked him for carrying boxes of salvaged inventory. The hard line of his jaw softened when he helped a crying shop owner sort through the remains of her business.

"Never thought I'd see Archer Hawke playing delivery boy," a man muttered as they passed.

"Never thought I'd see grown men hiding while dragons attacked," Archer shot back, but Daphne caught his arm before he could say more.

"Less growling, more helping," she said, steering him toward where paramedics were treating burns. "Channel that energy into something useful."

As the sun started drifting lower in the sky, they had helped dozens of people. Daphne's magic had created impromptu gardens in several destroyed spaces, bringing touches of life back to the scorched streets. She caught Archer watching her work more than once, though he quickly looked away whenever she noticed.

"You're good at this," he admitted as they helped the last group of people board up windows. "The whole... making people feel better thing."

"And you're not as terrible at it as you pretend to be," she replied, brushing dirt from her hands. "I saw you with that little boy earlier. You actually smiled."

"I did not smile."

"You did. It was very sweet."

"Dragons aren't sweet," he grumbled, but Daphne noticed he didn't move away when she bumped his shoulder playfully with hers.

Daphne soon led Archer to a weathered wooden bench beneath an old oak tree. Her muscles ached from the day's work, but a different kind of warmth filled her chest – the satisfaction of helping others in need. She touched the bench's arm, and tiny moss flowers sprouted between the wood grain.

"You're doing that thing again," Archer said, dropping onto the bench with casual grace that reminded her of a lounging predator.

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