Vulpine Summer

The lounge was cool, partly from the fan whirring noisly in the corner and partly from the windows being wide open and letting in the cool night breeze. It was small and cramped, filled with books, clocks and, oddly, wooden birds. Fox picked up a small owl beside him and gazed at it, feeling the rough lines of the feathers and the pointed beak. Cuckoo had weird hobbies.

'Here.' Cuckoo said, holding out a bowl of warm stew.

Fox happily accepted the stew and quickly began to scoff it down. He hadn't eaten all day and he was exhausted from the heat and the bizarre man he'd bumped into. Avoiding him had been hard but his house idea did the trick. He only left a couple of hours ago and took a very long route home, trying to shake him. Fox hadn't seen him since.

Cuckoo sat opposite him, cushioned in his worn armchair, and flicked through his paper in silence. Fox didn't mind. Cuckoo never spoke much.

Cuckoo didn't read for long. Fox was too busy tending to his stomach that he hadn't noticed that Cuckoo wasn't reading at all and, in fact, was watching Fox. He sighed and folded him the paper onto his lap.

'Reynard.'

Fox raised his eyes. 'Fox.'

'Yes, Fox.' Cuckoo corrected himself as always. 'I have questions about the girl upstairs.'

'What about her?' Fox asked with narrowed eyes then stiffened. For a brief second he'd forgotten Esme was parading around as a man and, by the glint in Cuckoo's eyes, Fox had confirmed it. His throat tightened and he fell silent.

Cuckoo smiled. 'What are you doin' with her?'

'Nothin'.' Fox said stubbornly.

'Now, Fox, I know you better than that. That girl is in need of your help, I can see that. The way she's so anxious and jumps at the slightest sight of a White Wizard is clear.' Cuckoo said. 'What have you gotten yourself into?'

'Nothin'.' Fox repeated.

Cuckoo sighed. 'She's Esme Dupont, isn't she.'

Fox bit his tongue down and said nothing. How did Cuckoo figure it out?

He touched his glasses. 'I see her, Reynard. I check out magical items and tools, remember? I see through things that have been changed or hidden by magic.'

Fox winced. How could he forget that? Cuckoo had glasses that would see through most weak glamours and Elenore, while good at magic, wasn't powerful enough to slide things under Cuckoo's nose.

'You got Elenore to do the glamour, didn't you?'

Fox still held his tongue. Saying anything was just going to make it worse.

Cuckoo sighed and pushed his glasses up his long nose. 'I'm not goin' to hurt her. I can see you hold no love for her by the daggers in your eyes and how you talk to her but you're helpin' anyway. Something is makin' you.' Cuckoo said softly. 'But helpin' Dupont isn't a good idea Reynard. You're a good thief but makin' a wanted Wizard vanish is going to kill you. You can't do it.'

'I have to.' Fox said with a tight jaw. 'I have to make her vanish. I don't have a choice.'

Cuckoo watched him with his watery blue eyes. 'Why?'

Fox couldn't say that Dupont had his Eye, his prize. Cuckoo would report it back to Doe and then he'd be stripped of his chance of claiming the title Fox.

'Whatever is it, is it worth your life?'

'Yeah. It is.'

'I see.' Cuckoo pondered for a moment. 'I'll help you out. Figure out where to go and I'll give you a lift in my van. Cut down your time a little.'

Fox relaxed a little. 'You're not handing her in? Not tellin' Doe?'

Cuckoo snorted. 'Of course not! What do you take me for, a monster?' Fox tilted his head in confusion. 'Reynard-'

'Fox.' Fox reminded him irritably.

'Fox.' Cuckoo corrected and toyed his his glasses. 'That girl upstairs is scared. She is terrified and out of her depth. That murder she's accused of? I don't think she did it so no, I am not goin' to either the Doe or the police about this.'

'What makes you think she didn't do it? She's haughty and snobbish and just a massive pain.' Fox snapped.

'Then why help her?'

Fox didn't answer and his mouth became sealed again. Cuckoo didn't push and instead went back to Fox's question.

'I saw her use magic.'

Fox's brow rose. He had never seen Dupont use her Grimoire. She kept it hidden and always refused to use magic, claiming it would alert the Tower to her presence. He never had a reason to not believe her. The Tower was well known for its ability to track Wizards and its strict rules and swift justice if any were broken.

'What of it?'

'She's weak. Very weak. She's hasn't got much ego to spare.'

'I don't get it.'

'The Grand Wizard Cassandra Bloxham was powerful. She had to be to reach that rank and maintain it for years. For someone to kill her, it would require great power and underhanded tactics. The girl upstairs has neither. She's too honest and too weak.'

'So because of that you don't think she did it.'

'No. Word is the Grand Wizard was killed by magic. All the girl upstairs can handle is half a light spell.'

Fox chewed his lip. His gut had been telling him the same thing. Whenever Dupont would put her foot down or lord over him, he noticed a fearful glint in her eyes. When she slept, she looked terrified and small. Then there was Suellen Denver, the woman who was strong enough to fight the Tranquil Lake's spirit, the one Dupont claimed was the real killer.

He shook his head sharply. He had to keep on focus and not believe Dupont was innocent. Elenore constantly reminded him to focus and to stick to the plan to hand in Dupont as payment for screwing him over as soon as he had the Eye back.

'Dupont's smart. She's not going to give it away that she's strong. She wants to get away with murder.' Fox said sharply. 'And I'm not goin' to believe she can't use magic until I see it for myself. For all I know, she's go into your head and is makin' you say those things.'

Cuckoo shrugged, completely unmoved by Fox's accusation. 'Believe what you want but don't rely on her to protect you or herself. Wherever you're going, be smart and be careful. The White Wizards are powerful. For now, this glamour will keep her safe but, soon, they'll realise what's happened. They'll start lookin' for glamours and very quickly see her for who she truly is.'

Fox knew this already. He knew that his disguise would only work for so long, it's why he kept her away from the White Wizards.

'We're keepin' low. She has this Sprite with her too. He'll warn her when they start breaking through Elenore's spell.'

'Just be careful. Don't let this girl be the death of you. Her problems are not yours.' Cuckoo warned.

But they are so long as she has my Eye, Fox growled quietly to himself in annoyance.

'I'll cover you. Set up some kind of diversion east, make them think you went that way.'

'Why?'

'I told you before, I'm not handin' you two in. The girl is running for a good reason and I don't doubt being found by the Tower will do her any good. I read the newspaper. Not only does the Tower claim that Esme Dupont did the killing, that she's not simply a suspect, but the Spirits are protecting fighting for her. She's not powerful enough to control them so they're guarding her from the Tower in their hunt on their own terms and I'd trust the Spirits over Wizards any day. Wizards can lie and deceive. Spirits can't.' He smiled lightly. 'So I'll help you two as much as I can. I am guessin' you're takin' her somewhere safe.'

'Yeah. Won't say where though.'

'Don't blame you. Fewer people who knows, the better.' His smile grew wider and there was a tint of pride on them. 'You're doin' a dangerous thing, helping Esme Dupont, but it's the right thing.

Cuckoo looked up when a small red light began to flash above the lounge's doorframe. He rose, excusing himself, and headed downstairs, leaving Fox to think.

Cuckoo was convinced Dupont hadn't killed anyone, despite barely knowing her. Cuckoo was often like that, looking for the good in people, but he was rarely wrong. He wasn't naive as Fox could recall many times he refused to trust certain people or speak well of them. But he trusted Dupont. He was certain someone else had killed the Grand Wizard and was framing Dupont for it.

Fox chewed his lip and remembered Elenore's words. Their plan rested in vengence for the blackmail and handing over Dupont when he got the Eye. He'd take the reward and run and, if Dupont hadn't killed anyone, the Towers would let her go. They could see the truth of anything. But then Dupont's word began to ring-out louder than Elenore's. She was cursed to turn into a fox, a curse that was meant to be permanent not controlled by the rising moon. She was meant to have her truth changed by Suellen Denver, to take the fall for the murder.

Fox squeezed his eyes shut. It doesn't matter, he reminded himself sharply. As soon as he has his Eye back, it didn't matter what happened to Dupont to him.

'Reynard.' Cuckoo called, making Fox jump. He hadn't noticed the elderly man there.

'What?'

'Down in the basement. Got a call from Elenore there.'

Finally, Fox quietly thought. He might just be able to figure out where to go now. With Cuckoo guiding him, Fox quickly found Elenore speaking to him hurriedly, ordering him to jot down safe, unknown and out-of-the-question routes. Before long, Fox knew where to go.

'And remember Fox, don't go believin' that murderer and keep your bloody morals at bay. Hand her in once you've got the Eye.' Elenore said on the phone.

Fox agreed automatically but, when he retired for the evening and bid Cuckoo goodnight, Fox found himself gazing at the small furry shape of Esme Dupont, sleeping on the windowsill. He stood and watched the little vixen sleep, noting how her tail and nose twitched. His gut churned.

With Cuckoo's words whirling about in his head, Fox was suddenly doubting Elenore's plan was the right one. Maybe, just maybe, Esme Dupont wasn't the real killer of Cassandra Bloxham.