Page 206 of Upon Buried Embers
“I’m glad you’re doing better. I’m… I’m sorry again about the hair thing,” he mutters. “I’m glad Darcia is gone now. To be honest, I think a lot of us are.”
“Is no one mad?”
He shakes his head. “Even Fiona, who was her closest friend doesn’t seem to care, and it makes me wonder if she scared her as much as she scared us.”
I nod because that is probably true.
The only friends bullies have are other bullies, or those who are scared of them.
“Did you meet the girl you like?” Now his cheeks are blazing red, and I smile.
“We spent what time we could together.” He clears his throat. “Got a bit closer.”
I laugh at his bashfulness. “Rohan won’t mind, you know?” I assure him, because I don’t think he would at all.
He rubs the back of his neck. “I’ll have to speak with him at some point about it. We spoke of one of us moving to the other’s clan, if the Dragonbonds agree.”
“I’m sure it’ll be okay.”
He exhales. “I hope so. I really like her. But Rohan’s not my biggest fan right now with what happened.”
“It’ll get better.”
We enter the stable, Serah neighing in greeting. I go to her. “Hey.” Her tail swishes, and Beau lifts up the bucket for me. I grab an apple and give it to her. “Don’t tell anyone.”
“It’s hard to keep that a secret when she eats so loud.” I spin toward Tofa, smiling as she comes over.
She looks tired, and her eyes are puffy.
“Are you okay?” I ask, worried.
“Of course! Why wouldn’t I be?” She grabs a saddle from a stall gate.
“Tofa…”
“It’s okay, Elf. Promise. I’ll have to catch up with you in a little bit, much to clean since all the horses have been ridden.”
“Do you need some help?”
“No, no.” She waves me off. “See you both soon!”
And just like that, she’s gone.
“She’s been like that since we got back,” Beau says, frowning.
“She’s hurting.”
“She is.”
“Short Stack? Rohan wants you to take this to the den while he has a meeting.”
I turn to Calian, Sparks in his arms.
“Oh.” I grab him and hold him to my chest. “I’ll take him now.”
“See that you do,” he replies, but his eyes are bouncing around the stables, looking for someone.
“She’s in the tack room,” Beau says, and Calian shrugs.
