pick something out, I swear! I didn’t even realize that she would hear me until I’d already sent it, and then it was too late and she was all mad and screaming about devils and spirits and—
The stream cut off as strong hands yanked Jasper backward. People surged around him and cut off his view of Tobias. “Wait! Stop!” He struggled to get free, twisting his shoulders, but the tight grip on his forearms didn’t loosen as he was dragged backward through the crowd.
“Just calm down and we’ll take care of it.”
Jasper turned his head to see the tall, heavy-set man who had been behind him at the post office now restrained his left arm with thick fingers. “Take care of what?” He tried to jerk his arm free again, but the man’s fingers only tightened, squeezing with enough force to leave a bruise.
“The boy,” the man growled. “He’s got you under some sort of spell, or somethin’. It’s not natural talkin’ like that.”
It took a moment to register that the man was referring to Tobias. Jasper had long since stopped thinking of him as a boy, though he remembered his initial impression as his mind made the connection. “There’s nothing to take care of! He didn’t do anything!”
“He’s got you out traveling in the storms.” The man looked Jasper straight in the eye, his expression steely. “We’ve seen this before. Only thing to do is run them out of town. We’ll put you up for a few days and see if someone can’t help you get back home.”
“I don’t need to get back home. I need to keep going. I brought him with me, not the other way around.”
“He’s got you under a strong spell, if you believe that.”
“There’s no spell!” Jasper twisted again, ignoring the pain as the man’s fingers dug deep into his flesh. He needed to get free, needed to see what the mob was doing to Tobias. He could hear them, yelling and taunting, making threats he was afraid they’d carry out. “He’s just a friend!” Desperate to do something, he grabbed the man’s shirt with his free hand and pulled him close, ready to start making threats of his own if something didn’t change… immediately.
“People like that ain’t friends to nobody.”
Let him go!
The words slammed into Jasper, snapping his mouth shut and sending him staggering back a step before he was jerked up short by the other man’s tight hold on his arm. Jasper let go of the man’s shirt, his fingers involuntarily relaxing, at the same moment the man let go. Jasper’s arm tingled as blood rushed back to the area. “Tobias?”
Come on!
The crowd parted in front of Tobias, sweeping Jasper with it in the people’s haste to keep away from the strange young man. He tore his shirt as he fought his way free of well-meaning, but misguided townsfolk, and struggled forward against the flow of people.
He was almost to Tobias when the man from the post office stepped into his path, his legs spread wide and hands balled in fists on his hips.
“I ain’t gonna let you go.”
“It’s not your decision.” Jasper dodged and shouldered his way through the crowd, trying to find the path of least resistance, but it opposed him even as it parted around the burly man, and Jasper once again found himself blocked by a flannel covered shoulder and a stern look. “Let me through.”
“No.” The man crossed massive arms crossed over a barrel thick chest as he widened his stance. “He’s just gonna hurt you.”
“No. He won’t.” Jasper craned his neck, peering over the man’s wide shoulder in an attempt to find Tobias in the crowd. “And it’s not your concern if he does.”
“It is if he does it in my town.”
I’m not going to hurt him! The crowd stepped back, an angry murmur coursing through it as Tobias, his hands clenched into fists and his expression venomous, appeared at the man’s left elbow. Let. Him. Go.
There was a tense moment, the air thick with anticipation, then the man stepped back, a dazed look on his
The stream cut off as strong hands yanked Jasper backward. People surged around him and cut off his view of Tobias. “Wait! Stop!” He struggled to get free, twisting his shoulders, but the tight grip on his forearms didn’t loosen as he was dragged backward through the crowd.
“Just calm down and we’ll take care of it.”
Jasper turned his head to see the tall, heavy-set man who had been behind him at the post office now restrained his left arm with thick fingers. “Take care of what?” He tried to jerk his arm free again, but the man’s fingers only tightened, squeezing with enough force to leave a bruise.
“The boy,” the man growled. “He’s got you under some sort of spell, or somethin’. It’s not natural talkin’ like that.”
It took a moment to register that the man was referring to Tobias. Jasper had long since stopped thinking of him as a boy, though he remembered his initial impression as his mind made the connection. “There’s nothing to take care of! He didn’t do anything!”
“He’s got you out traveling in the storms.” The man looked Jasper straight in the eye, his expression steely. “We’ve seen this before. Only thing to do is run them out of town. We’ll put you up for a few days and see if someone can’t help you get back home.”
“I don’t need to get back home. I need to keep going. I brought him with me, not the other way around.”
“He’s got you under a strong spell, if you believe that.”
“There’s no spell!” Jasper twisted again, ignoring the pain as the man’s fingers dug deep into his flesh. He needed to get free, needed to see what the mob was doing to Tobias. He could hear them, yelling and taunting, making threats he was afraid they’d carry out. “He’s just a friend!” Desperate to do something, he grabbed the man’s shirt with his free hand and pulled him close, ready to start making threats of his own if something didn’t change… immediately.
“People like that ain’t friends to nobody.”
Let him go!
The words slammed into Jasper, snapping his mouth shut and sending him staggering back a step before he was jerked up short by the other man’s tight hold on his arm. Jasper let go of the man’s shirt, his fingers involuntarily relaxing, at the same moment the man let go. Jasper’s arm tingled as blood rushed back to the area. “Tobias?”
Come on!
The crowd parted in front of Tobias, sweeping Jasper with it in the people’s haste to keep away from the strange young man. He tore his shirt as he fought his way free of well-meaning, but misguided townsfolk, and struggled forward against the flow of people.
He was almost to Tobias when the man from the post office stepped into his path, his legs spread wide and hands balled in fists on his hips.
“I ain’t gonna let you go.”
“It’s not your decision.” Jasper dodged and shouldered his way through the crowd, trying to find the path of least resistance, but it opposed him even as it parted around the burly man, and Jasper once again found himself blocked by a flannel covered shoulder and a stern look. “Let me through.”
“No.” The man crossed massive arms crossed over a barrel thick chest as he widened his stance. “He’s just gonna hurt you.”
“No. He won’t.” Jasper craned his neck, peering over the man’s wide shoulder in an attempt to find Tobias in the crowd. “And it’s not your concern if he does.”
“It is if he does it in my town.”
I’m not going to hurt him! The crowd stepped back, an angry murmur coursing through it as Tobias, his hands clenched into fists and his expression venomous, appeared at the man’s left elbow. Let. Him. Go.
There was a tense moment, the air thick with anticipation, then the man stepped back, a dazed look on his
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