"Then what if he reveals griffins to the world?" Eren asked, a growl throbbing under his words. "Isthatyour problem?"
"He cannot," the man said. "He has been placed under a protective magic that stops him from talking about himself or revealing himself to outsiders. No one can leave the island without it."
"It sure didn't stop him from flying around as a griffin and showing himself to us," Eren said.
"He cannot shift in front of you unless you know his true nature."
"Yeah, that's great, but it's not going to be much help when a griffin shows up on the evening news."
"We don't know this evening news," the woman said. "All we know is that once exiles pass beyond the borders of the island, they cease to be our problem."
Lucy shared a look with Eren. "What if we seek refuge here?" she suggested. "Then if he comes after me, he can't set foot on the island without breaking your rules."
Both griffins drew themselves up with a haughty demeanor.
"Absolutely not," the woman announced.
"It is forbidden," the man said.
"Even for me?I'mnot an exile, and I'm at least half griffin."
"It's the other half we're concerned about," the male griffin said.
"So you're seriously just going to kick her out without even trying to help?" Eren snarled.
The two glanced at each other. "Let us confer," the man said, and they withdrew a little way across the beach and began to speak in low voices with each other.
Lucy sank down unhappily on the sand. Eren put a hand on her shoulder.
"I don't think they're going to do anything," she said quietly.
Eren rubbed her shoulder and then crouched beside her on the damp sand. "We're no worse off than we were before."
"Yes, but where we were is pretty bad."
"No, it's not. You aren't going back to him, no matter what. If that means staying in Westerly Cove where he can't get to you, then we can do that. Or if you want to go on the run, I'll go with you."
Lucy covered his hand with her own. "You can't possibly mean that."
"Watch me." Eren grinned abruptly. "Lucy, I've never had a purpose in my life before. I thought the military would give me that, but it didn't. The family fishing boat didn't. But you, Lucy—you'remy purpose. I know what it feels like now. And I'll do absolutely anything to keep you away from that guy."
Lucy breathed out slowly. She wasn't going to burst into tears, not here in front of those snobby griffins. Instead she rubbed Eren's hand and closed her eyes.
A small chirp near her feet made her open them again.
Two of the trash griffins had approached her on the sand. The cat one sat on its haunches not too far away. The raccoon waddled all the way up to her feet in their oversized boots, sniffed at the boots and then, to Lucy's entertainment, opened its seagull beak and tried to take a bite out of one of them.
"No, baby, that's not edible." She felt in her pocket. "Eren, do we have anything to feed them?"
"I knew this was going to happen." But he sounded amused, and he pressed a granola bar into her hand.
Lucy broke off some bits and tossed them to the miniature griffins. She was entertained for a few minutes, lifted out of her depressed funk, by watching them jump in the air to snap for crumbs.
The third one, with the possum half, eventually couldn't take it and flew over to join the others. Soon two of them were squabbling, shrieking and flapping and clacking their beaks at each other over a particularly coveted scrap of granola bar. Meanwhile the one who had been left out of the fight darted in and snapped up the crumb while the others weren't watching.
Lucy laughed and felt her sunken spirits lift a little. It was impossible to be sad while watching their antics.
Eren was right, she thought. Somehow it would work out. If she couldn't get help from Griffin Island, if the law wouldn't help her, then she would find a way.