Vulpine Summer

Esme woke instantly, her dreams of Cassandra and her parents quickly twisting into walking corpses; maggot riddled and rotten. Relief filled her when she saw realised she was in Catriona’s guest room, safe with sunlight pouring through the window, turning Absolon invisible. The corpses weren’t here. They were locked away, hidden within the school. Fear stirred and she twisted herself in her nest of Fox’s legs, turning her snout to face him.

He slept deeply still. His lips were slightly parted, his head leant heavily against the wall and his broad chest rose softly with every breath. Esme watched him for a moment, taking in his sleeping face and enjoying how his rough hands were buried in her fur, twitching lightly now and then. He was relaxed. Last night he had been so horrified and twitchy that he blockaded the door. She didn’t blame him. He’d never seen the darker things magic could accomplish.

Fox grunted in his sleep and his hand moved to rest on her head, just like he’d done when they were hiding in the make-shift morgue. She enjoyed the interaction and how his hand engulfed her, warm and powerful despite its size. An odd happiness burned in her chest, pushing away some of the terror she had witnessed last night.

The sickness here wasn’t normal. It was magic. Esme had learnt about various magical plagues that could be created, one being death and reanimation, and it could spread fast. She knew there were going to be more, already there was at least one more victim than Catriona stated and that was just within the school. Three other buildings had been turned into makeshift hospitals and labs. As Esme stared at the open window, letting in the hot air and stink of the surrounding marsh, she grew increasingly concerned. A magical sickness like that would be easy to contract. For all she knew, both she and Fox were sick already with the symptoms not being active quite yet. They could be dead and re-animated into shamble corpses within days.

She heaved a sigh and twitched her furry ears. She couldn’t think about that. As soon as Fox was awake, she’d push for them to leave immediately and take the Whistles with them. It was much too dangerous for them to stay and there was no way Catriona wasn’t involved in this plague. She had her whistles taken and was awfully suspicious about why she wants them back. Then there was that odd butterfly in Glenna hut…

Esme was taken by a sudden sneeze, breaking her train of thought. As she snuffled her nose, pawing at her snout, she froze. Her eyes snapped sharply up to the window. Sunlight was bright out there and the pinks and oranges of dawn had long passed into a soft blue. Early morning was in fully swing.

So why was she still a fox?

Panic touched her mind and she stood sharply, looking at her swishy tail and black paws. Had the witches done this? Did they known about the curse so completed it? But her mind was still there. She was still Esme, not some mindless animal so the curse was still broken.

Suddenly her body tingled and she very quickly realised what was happening with both relief and dread. Her body was changing back but it was changing back when she was still tucked in Fox’s legs. She scrabbled as quickly as she could, wriggled out of his hands and legs, but it was a little too late.

Smoothly her body changed shape; her limbs lengthened, her red fur melted away and her black her tumbled from her scalp. Within seconds, she was human again, awkwardly sprawled out on the floor and her right foot near Fox’s face, having struck him when it grew rapidly into existence.

Her face burned red; making her blood roar in her ears. She couldn’t move, despite the compromising position and nakedness she was in. Fox was awake, his face showing his clear irritation that he got kicked unexpectedly. But, despite his expression never changing, she noticed his eyes growing embarrassed and he quickly covered his eyes with his hand.

‘Move and get dressed, Dupont.’ He grumbled, his voice groggy from sleep.

Esme didn’t need telling twice. She untangled her legs from Fox and slipped across the room, snatching up her clothes and dressing herself rapidly. The whole time her face hummed with embarrassment and her heart hammered. She should be used to this by now. Fox would’ve seen her in a state of undress many times now and each time he covered here up and never once tried anything. Each time, despite his lowly background, he acted like a gentleman. So why did it get more nerve-wracking? Why did she feel increasingly self-conscious?

As she pulled down her shirt and tucked it into her trousers, she noted how her shape just melted away. All femininity vanished. She lightly patted her breasts and waist, noting how flat she was and lanky her limbs were. The combination of being tall and not particularly well-endowed made it easy for her to masquerade as a man. Suddenly, despite that being what had got her so far, she didn’t like it. The old feelings she’d get when trying on dresses returned. Why couldn’t she be more fleshed out? Why was she so skinny and lanky? It was un-lady like. Un-pleasing to the eye. Unattractive.

Instinctively she glanced at Fox who was still hiding his eyes with a frown plastered on his mouth. Her blush deepened. Why did she look at him when thinking about being attractive? Very quickly she finished dressing, trying to ignore the sudden niggle in the back of her mind that she wanted to be attractive for Fox.

‘It is safe now.’

‘Good.’ Fox grumbled and dropped his hand to rub his mouth. Despite Esme being dressed, his eyes didn’t seem to want to look at her currently. They darted about the room with a dark glint in them. ‘So, what the hell did I see last night?’ He asked, choosing to get straight onto business.

‘A plague of magical creation. Either a witch has created it or a Spirit has. Either way, the magic is strong. Death and re-animation plagues are difficult to create.’ Esme said, speaking quickly as she focused on the topic and not on how Fox’s brow furrowed attractively.

‘So, these Witches might’ve done it.’

‘I strongly believe so.’ Esme pressed. ‘Wizards would not have taken Catriona’s whistles without reason.’

‘But then why not arrest her?’ Fox asked.

Esme paused. He had a point. If she truly had caused it and the Wizards had proof, they would have her under lock and key along with the whistles.

‘I do not know. Things may work differently under the Granite Tower. Each Tower has its own rules.’

Fox’s brow furrowed deeper, darkening his bright green eyes. Esme was quiet, letting him think and hopeful he would be sensible and decide to leave Farmire. But that wasn’t to be.

‘I want to talk to Catriona.’

Instantly, Esme heart plummeted and the witch’s face filled her mind’s eye. ‘Why?’

‘Because I wanna her hear story, Dupont. Never got a bad vibe from her. That she was hidin’ somethin’? Yeah. That she’s creatin’ a zombie plague? No.’

The bitter feeling from yesterday swamped Esme. It took her like a flood, making her stomach twist with rage, and her eyes glowered within seconds.

‘We must leave, Fox. It is much too dangerous to stay.’

‘And I want to finish this job. I don’t steal from clients. Gives the Fingers a bad rap.’

‘She is causing this!’ Esme hissed.

‘We don’t know that!’ Fox retorted. ‘I want to find out what’s happenin’ so we talk to Catriona. If she’s doin’ it, we hand the whistles back to the Wizards, tell ‘em and carry on. If she isn’t, we can go ahead with our agreement and get you glamoured.’

Esme huffed. ‘I am not letting that Witch anywhere near me with her whistles and I am not staying in Famire any longer! This plague is dangerous and so are these Witches! Question them and they will kill you!’

‘You’re stayin’ and we’re talkin’ to Catriona.’ Fox said and stood, pulling himself to his full height. ‘Okay?’

She still looked down at him but she got the message. The determination in his eyes and the firm turn on his mouth; he wasn’t going to let her run off with the whistles. Not yet anyway. It annoyed her, twisting the sharp knife in her gut, but she backed down. Turning, Esme snatched up the sleeping Absolon from the bed, cuddled him close and glared.

Taking her silence as acceptance, Fox pushed the dressed out of the way and stormed out. Esme snatched up her pack and followed, partly out of curiosity but mostly out of fear for Fox. The magic behind the plague was dangerous which meant either Catriona or Glenna were powerful. She took comfort in that Catriona only had one whistle.

Fox found Catriona in the kitchen, pushing sausages and egg around in a hot pan. She was humming brightly with her blond hair bundled upon the top of her head messily. The moment she spotted Fox, her face lit up; her eyes grinning and her mouth opening into a wide smile. Esme hated that. She hated how she smiled at Fox. What she hated more was how filled out Catriona was in comparison to herself. She had curves, a womanly figure, but neither was she carrying too much fat. Her face was pleasant, her eyes large and her hair long and vibrant. She was small; smaller than Fox. No doubt that was an attractive point. What man would want a lanky, tall girl?

Esme tightened her grip on Absolon, causing him to whistle in surprise. What was she thinking? So, what if Fox found her attractive. It didn’t matter. Esme wasn’t wanting to be wooed by Fox; she was wanting a man with power and money, someone who had what she had so they’d see her for what she was, not just a bank and political gain. But try as she might to convince herself, she still scowled with envy at Catriona and was very aware of her own physique. It just wouldn’t budge.

‘Fox! How’d it go?’ She asked, instantly getting down to business.

Fox pulled out the whistles, dangling them from his fingers. ‘Have them.’

‘Wonderful! Hand them over and I’ll get Glenna to sort out Vic for you.’ Catriona said, clapping her hands enthusiastically as she hopped towards him.

Fox lowered his hands and expression hardened. ‘We want answers first.’

Catriona froze. ‘Answers?’

‘Vic and I found somethin’ in the school. Dead people that aren’t so dead.’ Fox said sharply. ‘What gives? Are you whistles the cause of this?’

Catriona paled and her blue eyes widened in disgust. ‘Excuse me? I heal people! I don’t create undead! Neither Glenna or I practice that kind of magic.’

‘Your whistles were taken for a reason.’ Fox said, echoing Esme’s point upstairs.

‘Because I’m a Witch! Wizards do that, especially when something weird is happening. They blame us with no proof! Its why they took my whistles and not me. They disarmed me, to see if the plague would go away. It didn’t though. It’s still here, getting worse.’ Catriona huffed, her pretty cheeks red with rage. ‘So, please, give me my whistles.’

She held out her hand demandingly, her face bright with insult. Esme watched Fox carefully. He didn’t move.

‘Why? Other than them bein’ yours, why?’

Catriona blustered for a moment. ‘Because I need them.’

‘For what?’

‘Things.’

He held up the whistle tauntingly, dangling them in front of Catriona. ‘Do share.’

Esme was impressed by his stubbornness. By how chummy and how much he ogled her just yesterday, she was surprised he was pressing so hard.

Catriona was staring at him sullenly. ‘Glenna said not to breathe a word.’

Esme’s interested perked up. Was she going spill their plan? She grew excited at the prospect of being proven right; that Catriona and Glenna were bad news. Then she could whirl Fox away from the pretty Witch and her wiles while telling Fox ‘I told you so’.

But Catriona looked worried and Fox his hard tone vanished. ‘We won’t tell. No secrets pass me.’ He promised.

Catriona stared at him, her full lips wobbling and her eyes glistening with tears. For a moment, Esme felt sorry for her until she remembered Witches were manipulative creatures by nature. Esme’s eyes narrowed savagely.

Catriona eventually nodded. ‘I won’t say, but I’ll show. Come with me and bring the whistles. It’s important.’

‘Important?’

‘Glenna and I…’ She paused and twisted her soft, delicate hands. ‘We’re trying to protect our home. We’re trying to stop the plague but I can’t do it without my whistles.’

Esme snorted but Fox was once again enthralled by the Witch.

‘Show us then.’ He agreed instantly.

Esme barely managed to hold back from hitting him round his stupid womanising head. How could he believe such tosh? She was a Witch! Evil and with no care for human life!

‘But I want no lyin’ and the whistles stick with me until I trust you.’

Catriona’s face perked up intantly; like a sun parting through dark clouds. ‘No lies! Thank you, Fox! I won’t let you down, I promise.’ She said excitedly, rushing over to Fox to embrace him.

For a moment, Esme was scared she was getting close to swipe her whistles or hurt him but she left the whistles be. Instead she cupped his face and planted her lips softly on his cheek. Esme stiffened and something snapped inside her. Something hot.

‘We need to go to Glenna again so get ready.’ She said, giggling with excitement as she rushed out.

Fox rubbed his cheek, his face covered in a stupid joyful expression, while Esme boiled. No sound left Esme. No word escaped her mouth. But her whole being was screaming. Hate was filling her and vitriol aimed at Catriona was pinging about in Esme’s head.

How dare she, was all Esme could think. How dare she!

Fox noticed the sheer savage anger held deep in Esme eyes but completely mistook why. ‘I’m not handin’ them over easy, Dupont. Only if I trust them. We’ll see what they’re up to and we’ll make a decision together. Okay?’ Fox reassured.

But Esme wasn’t listening to what he was saying. She just focused on his face, on that face she was growing to love looking at. Those eyes, that jaw, that mouth and his hair. All of it. And Catriona had touched that. She had kissed him! Fox was not hers to kiss!

Before she realised what she was doing, Esme took two long steps forward, dropping Absolon and grabbed Fox’s face. Without thinking, she lowered her face to his, her head awash in jealousy. She only managed to catch herself inches from his mouth. She froze, her chest heaving frantically. Her face reddened as she stared at his wide eyes flittering over her in confusion. She turned, snatched up Absolon, and rushed out, hurrying back to hide in their room. He didn’t follow.

The moment the door closed, she slid down to curl up on the floor, clutching the comforting warmth of Absolon to her.

Her face was ablaze, her heart hammering so hard it roared in her ears and her eyes pricked with distressed tears. What had she nearly done? What was she doing? Just, why? Why did she try to kiss Fox?

Jealousy. Fox had teased her about it before but she brushed it aside, pinning it up to not trusting Catriona and frustration that Fox wasn’t listening to her. But dislike of Catriona wouldn’t drive her to try to kiss Fox. Jealousy would.

Bright red and feeling more confused and lost than before, Esme sat there, curled in a ball and trying her best to seek comfort from Absolon’s singing as her confused and frustrated emotions bundled to her eyes, squeezing out as tears. It was now more than ever she missed her aunt Cassandra. She’d know what was going on and how to stop it.

Esme had to stop it on her own though. She couldn’t love Fox. She just couldn’t. Pain awaited her there; heartbreak and rejection.

Because why on earth would Fox love his blackmailer and the woman who nearly got him killed?