Three Converts

Part 38

Dobson nodded to the man holding Augustus, who did let him go, but not without a little shove. Augustus slithered up the trail until he was safely past us, then turned. He smiled his sinister smile. "I hope nothing unfortunate should happen to your family, Lucy. Your lovely parents. That dear sister of yours." I started for him, but Griffin grabbed me. He whispered into my ear.

Augustus still had that evil grin on his face. I pointed a finger at him. "You touch my family and I'll take Franklin's other eye and whatever other body parts I want to. But his suffering will look like a kiss from angels compared to what I'll do to you, Brother." I spat on the ground to seal my promise, then tromped past my friends and down the path. I could practically hear their eyes widen, then I heard their steps on the dusty path behind me. By the time we reached the bottom of the trail, the sun was beginning to think about lightening the day.

**

In the dawn, safely at the end of the path, on the brink of the town and all its normalcy, I began to quiver. Dobson and his men celebrated, Misty and Rocco gazed into each other's eyes, giggling and whispering, but I shook. Griffin pulled me aside. "We'll figure this out. We'll figure this out." I adopted his mantra and nodded in rhythm with it. He pushed my shoulders downward, grounding me. I closed my eyes and felt the earth beneath me. My family being in peril was too much to consider right now. I tackled my other issue. "Griffin, I can't keep dragging you down with me. You need to go live your life. You were carefree before me. You were happy!"

I don't know what I expected, but it wasn't anger. "Oh, please, Lucy. You think I was happy? I wasn't. You think I can't make my own decisions about where I want to go and who I want to be with? Give me more credit than that."

"No- that's not what I mean!"

"It's insulting, Lucy. I'm over here thinking we're so in sync, that we've got something good going! But you're telling me to just go back to my old life? Am I wrong? Don't we mean something to each other?"

I stared at him. I wouldn't cry. He'd feel awful if I cried. But I couldn't talk and suppress tears at the same time. He threw his hands up and walked away from me.

I should go after him, but my legs were locked. Misty, unaware my heart was broken, snuck up behind me and threw her arms around me. "We're freeeeee!" she sang. "Can we please please please eat something?!"

"Your wish is my command," Dobson appeared with another inexplicable feast, this one dwarfing the one Griffin and I shared with him the day we met. I smiled, despite myself. "Do I even want to know where do you get all this food?!"

Dobson widened his eyes and pouted. He looked innocent as a bunny, but I wasn't fooled. Bunnies steal from gardens. "Are you insinuating I come by these provisions in a less than honorable manner?"

I put my hands on my hips and narrowed my eyes until he cracked. "No, you don't want to know where I get all this food. Just eat." I was starving. Hungry enough to eat ambiguously acquired food, in fact. Dobson handed me a plate and I loaded it up with meat, cheese, bread, and grapes. Misty and Rocco were feeding each other and giggling between whispers, so I wasn't about to sit by them. Griffin was by himself, staring over the town, putting food in his mouth like a robot. I couldn't talk to him yet. "Join me?" Dobson's men were shoveling food into their mouths, bits of crumbs flying from their mouths, but he gestured toward a makeshift table complete with a cloth over a flat rock. "I'm afraid I don't have candles..." Dobson grinned.

"We'll have to live without them," I smiled back at him. My lips cracked at the effort.

"Drink." He handed me a large tin can and thewater inside was so cold and clean that tears sprung up, then refused to stop.I buried my face in my hands and sobbed. I could feel Griffin watching me, butit was Dobson who knelt beside me, stroked my hair and muttered comfortingwords. Our food sat untouched, though we were both starving. I sniffled, "You shouldeat."

He took his seat and did so. "Lucy, darling. You have been through a lot. More than a lot. May I make a recommendation?" I nodded and tried a bite of cheese, expecting it to be heavenly, but I could barely taste it. "Use your anger."

"Use it?"

"Capture it, put it aside for just the right moment, then pull it out as a weapon and use it." I tried another bite. Still no taste, but some of my energy was returning. "Listen to me darling, I know a lot about anger. If you don't control it, it will control you. Anger is not something you can leave untethered, swinging around willy-nilly. You've got to tame it. Keep it in a cage, then unleash it on your enemies. Do you understand?"

I did. It made sense. I could see how, if I didn't control the rage Franklin and the council incited in me, it would stalk me like a wild animal, threatening to devour me at any moment. "I'll find a way to cage it," I promised Dobson.

He smiled. "Good! Now eat up, darling girl." I continued eating, doing my best to taste, to hold up my end of the conversation with Dobson, but all the while I felt Griffin's presence and was antsy to go to him. When Dobson finished eating, he leaned back. "I believe I'll get a little shut-eye. Busy night and all. You should rest too, darling."

"Thank you for the food, Dobson. And thecompany." I gave him a quick hug. It took him by surprise and I was alreadyletting go when he tried to pull me in. "Rest well," I ordered him.