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Before he could say anything, I stepped forward and took hold of all the anger I had within myself. It was as though some other force had possessed me. My fist swung in the air, propelled by years of frustration and enmity, and it crashed right against his jaw, sending him staggering back. He yelped in pain and reached up to protect his face. The girl with him cowered and went towards him, looking at me with fear. It helped to sober me somewhat, although I was still blazing with an inferno of emotion.
“Brett! Stop that,” Mason said, coming to stand in between Buck and myself. “You’ve got it out of your system, alright? This isn’t the night for this,” he said. He was always the peacemaker.
Buck ran his tongue along his gums and then lifted his head.
“You haven’t lost that mean right hook,” he said, always so casual, as though nothing mattered at all.
“What are you doing here, Buck? This isn’t your home anymore,” I said, spitting his name as though it was a curse. He just glared at me through those piercing eyes of his.
“I thought this was the home of any dragon who seeks sanctuary,” he replied.
“Is that what this is?” Mason asked, trying to wrestle the conversation from me. I guess he was afraid that I was going to say something I regretted.
I wasn’t going to regret anything.
“This is Kadie,” Buck said, gesturing to the girl standing beside him, “she has some terrible news. Believe me, I wouldn’t be back here unless it was important, I need to speak to Dad,” he said, and then looked at Mason and I expectantly.
We glanced at each other, unsure how exactly to tell him the truth. But, really, there was only one way. You just had to do it.
“Buck, I don’t know how to tell you this…” Mason began.
“Zeke is dead,” I said. A part of me thought I would feel some pleasure at hurting him, but it was a hollow feeling. He was rocked, more so than when I had punched him. He fell staggering back, a look of disbelief on his face.
“No, no…” he glared at us. “Why are you guys being assholes? This isn’t funny,” he spat, but I think deep down he knew we weren’t joking. Mason stepped towards him. I kept my distance.
“We’re not Buck, it really happened. He’s gone,” Mason said.
Buck let out a choking breath. For a moment, I thought he was going to fall to his knees, but he managed to maintain his balance. Kadie was uncertain, not knowing whether she should reach out to help him or give him some space. I wondered about their relationship; were they lovers, or had they just been thrown together by circumstance?
“I’m sorry,” Mason said.
“How? How did it happen?” Buck asked.
“He was old, Buck,” Mason said.
Buck scowled. “He wasn’t that old, not compared to some dragons. I thought he still had a lot of time left.”
“I guess there have been a few things in recent years that have taken a toll on him,” I said, unable to help myself. Both Mason and Buck glared at me.
“That’s not helping,” Mason said. I looked away and huffed. Buck looked deflated. I had to fight against the feeling of sympathy inside me. Memories swirled through my mind, of us as boys learning to fly together, of exploring the world together. It was so hard to ignore all the bonds that had existed between us, and yet, I could not allow them to get the better of me. If I was going to be like water, then I was going to turn myself into ice.
“Can I see him?” Buck asked. As he looked up, he was like a boy himself, scared and vulnerable, and I hated that I could see the shadow of his father in him. He had never been deserving of that honor.
I gestured towards the remains of the pyre. Buck wore a solemn look as he strode towards it. Kadie followed, not wishing to stray far from his side. Mason and I joined them. I shared another uncertain look with Mason. Buck’s return had been unpredictable, and he brought with him an element of chaos that I did not like at all.
He stared at the ashy remains. Nothing but a shadow was left of his father. He reached out and touched the pyre with his fingers. The soot and ash smudged them, turning them dark. He bowed his head and then his hand clenched into a fist. He beat it against the stone upon which the pyre had been lit, once, twice, three times. He hit it so hard I expected either the stone or his bones to crack. He went to hit it a fourth time when Kadie cried out.
“Stop it! You don’t need to hurt yourself,” she said. Buck looked at her and then he lowered his arm slowly. He looked asthough he had aged about five years in just a matter of moments. When he spoke again, his voice was heavy, weighed down with emotion.
“We still need to talk. We need to go somewhere quiet,” he said. Mason and I nodded. The four of us walked into the ruins, and I kept staring at Buck. I had spent so long hating him that it felt strange to feel pity.
Chapter Ten
Kadie
There were so many things I did not understand. As soon as we arrived, Buck had been told that his father had died, and he clearly wasn’t prepared for such news. Gone was the light attitude and the calming smile. I wished I knew what to do or say, but nothing seemed right. I tried to reach out towards him, but I barely knew the man.
And yet, I trusted him enough to offer my fate to him. I had no idea about the other two yet. As we walked into the ruins, Buck told me their names. Mason was tall with short hair. He had kind eyes, yet they were imbued with a kind of sadness as well, a sadness that went deep into his heart and I wondered whether happiness ever touched him. Brett was stockier, shorter, but the aura he emanated gave him a real presence in the world. He didn’t seem the type to keep his thoughts to himself. I took an instant dislike to him for the way he spoke to Buck, yet there was something that kept my gaze flickering towards him, some kind of intensity that burned as hot as any fire.
