Vulpine Summer

Esme stumbled through the dark, her fingers entwined with Fox’s. She glanced at his back, broad and comforting, then at their hands dimly revealed by her light. His grip was strong and tight, utterly unwavering, and feeling such strength oddly gave Esme courage. She found she could think a little more clearly and her head was less cluttered with horrific memories of the murder she had committed. Instead, she thought about Fox’s expression only a short time ago, warm and mesmerised, and how much she had wanted to kiss him. To just reach up and pull him close.

Her face turned a deep shade of pink as her mouth burned. She stared at Fox, eyeing his hair tufting at odd angles, the thickness of his arms and sure footed gait, and she found she didn’t want to die yet. In fact, she didn’t want to die at all, not while she was with him. She wanted to live, beside him, holding his hand, kissing his face, for as long as she could. But she was well aware that wasn’t going to happen. She was well aware she had to be shot for what she had done, and it was only a matter of time before her truth was revealed or she was captured.

Fox turned sharply, gesturing ahead. His eyes glowed almost and, despite covered in dirt, he was wonderful to look at to her and made her heart flutter. He made her grounded yet floaty, a strange mix of a dream-like state and sanity. Her tongue thickened as she wanted to speak out and murmur some kind of confession but she found she couldn’t utter a word.

‘Nearly there now. Absolon’s signin’ gettin’ louder.’

Esme silently nodded and squeezed her hands tighter in his as a she realised she wanted to kiss him. She desperately did, even if it was just once. She’d feel happy to go, just so long as she told him and made it clear how she felt. To say sorry for getting him in this mess.

As Fox promised, the light at the end of the tunnel literally bloomed. Absolon singing was indeed getting louder as he hurried ahead, eager to bask in the daylight and fresh air. There, waving in the tunnel, was the same miner who had guided them through. A man they could trust.

‘Vixen and Fox. Heard there’s trouble.’ He said meaningfully as he came to their side.

Fox nodded as he tugged Esme closer to him. ‘Yeah. Badger’s been found.’

He swore sharply. ‘Then with me. I’ll take you to the safe place.’

He took them out of the murky tunnel and she stopped abruptly, wincing from the hot sun that glared down from above. Before her spread out the world, a world she had almost forgotten existed. Beyond the working men and mining shacks were trees, birds and clouds, sloping hills and a vast sky. Esme breathed in the fresh air. It cleared the dirt from her lungs and the horrors from her mind. It had been so long since she had seen the outside. So long since she was chucked in that cell, waiting for death. But now she was here, surrounded by a blue sky and bright light, and alive, holding Fox’s hand. It helped lift the oppressive self-hatred on her back and thin the blood on her hands. Her head became clearer, pushing back the memories further.

But Esme didn’t have much of a chance to bask in the freedom. Fox was tugging her into a walk.

‘Come on.’ He said urgently. ‘No time to gawk.’

She allowed him to drag her away. He was right. The police and White Wizards wouldn’t be held off for long from the cave-in. She had to get away.

The thought made her pause. Get away? Why did she want to get away? She was guilty. She had murdered her aunt. But the memories didn’t press as hard and the guilt didn’t devour her whole and a voice in her head told her she had to run. So she ran.

The miner bundled them into a clapped up old clockwork car and she settled in the side, not liking the sweltering heat and stink of metal and leather, with Absolon on her lap, swooning from the heat. Fox sat close to her, closer than he needed to, and he kept glancing outside as the car zoomed off, following the curving countryside roads. He fingers kept clasping and unclasping, turning his knuckles white, and his whole body was tense. He was worried. Maybe even scared. Hesitantly, she reached across and gently slipped her fingers in his. He stiffened and glanced at her, his eyes searching, but she simply smiled comfortingly and remained quiet. They remained like that for the rest of the journey, fingers twisting together and staring nervously out of the windows, until eventually they came to a stop.

Esme stared at the small little cabin. It was nestled at the edges of a woodland, some miles from the city. It looked abandoned to her. The curtains were closed, windows were grubby and there was a car nestled beside the wooden walls, dusted and covered in rotten leaves. This was the safe place? It didn’t look safe to her.

‘Stay no longer than six hours.’ The miner instructed. ‘A town is further down the road, go there.’

‘Yeah.’ Fox grumbled. ‘I know the plan.’

The miner nodded then ushered them out. The moment Fox and Esme stood side by side with Absolon settled on her head, staring at the small crooked cabin, he drive off, his car rattling and clanking with every movement.

‘This doesn’t seem that secure, Fox.’ Esme murmured.

Fox simply shrugged and towards the door, hopping up the crooked steps with ease. As he drew further away, memories flickered. She felt the oppression returning, the depression and hate. Her shoulders began to sag, her lungs shrivelled and stomach twisted tightly. Blood flickered in her vision.

‘You comin’ or what?’ Fox called sharply.

His voice brought her back enough to focus on him. He was waiting for her. Calling her. Esme was quick to respond.

Absolon whistled as she stepped forward, quickly covering the distance between herself and Fox. As she drew closer to him, the memories began to back away. She felt sanity returning, like she could think and breathe again.

As she drew closer, the more rundown it appeared. She began to see the cracks in the glass and age-old cobwebs carefully strung along the porch. She hoped inside was better but quickly found her hopes dashed. The place was absolutely empty, bar a single bed, an abandoned hunting trophy of a deer, a rusted stove and a couple of suspiciously fragile looking chairs. What light managed to successfully combat the grime on the tiny windows only revealed inch thick dust, weeds and cobwebs and a fireplace still filled with its last offerings. The air was so thick with sodden moss and must she choked a little.

‘This really cannot be it.’ Esme said in despair, waving her hand to try and clear the air as Absolon detached from her to explore.

‘What did you expect? A nicely done up place? Safe places are safe because no one looks at ‘em.’ Fox sniffed and quickly pulled her further in to close the door behind her.

While it had been unlocked, the door did have locks. Five in fact, along with a metal bar Fox brought down across the frame.

‘That’s should hold somethin’ out.’ Fox said doubtfully.

Esme wasn’t so sure either. The door was slightly rotten so it would take much to just tear the thing from its hinges. She tried not to think about it and instead perched herself on the edge of the bed, trying her best not to cover herself in the dirt that nestled there.

She only realised Fox had been watching her dainty motion when she heard him snort. Glancing up sharply, she saw his eyes glimmering and a smile touching his mouth.

‘What?’ She asked defensively.

‘Nothin’.’ He said, shaking his head and pulling his bag off his back to rummage through it. ‘Just, you’re in there after all.’

Esme didn’t quite know what he meant and furrowed her brow but she didn’t have much time to ask when he tossed clothes at her.

‘Get yourself dressed.’

She held the clothes with disappointment, noticing how they were men’s. Of course they would be. It’s how she smuggled herself here, dressed as a boy. Hiding herself from the Tower as they hunted her. Hunted her for murder. A murder she had committed. Had she? Maybe not. No. Cassandra’s accusing blood-filled eyes bore at her. Yes. She had. Murder. Killer.

She felt her head hum, pulsing thickly in her skull and pressing against her eyes. She pushed her palms against them, as if she were holding them in her face, trying to stop them from falling out. The pain was so bad. It made her teeth ache, her jaw creek. Memories kept trying to cluster for her attention, trying to desperately remind her of what she had done. A bloody and terrible thing.

‘Esme!’ Fox snapped.

The pain vanished. Panting, Esme found herself staring at Fox’s face. His hands were firmly holding her wrists, his fingers clasping her, making her skin warm. His face wasn’t far from hers, twisted with a mix of concern and anger. She could smell his scent, feel his breath tickle her face, see the warmth in his eyes.

She felt her heart hammer as she stared at him. Her mouth burned, like it had done twice before. Back in Catriona’s house and the tunnel. This time though, she indulged herself. She was going to die soon and she wanted to know what he tasted like.

Before sanity could reclaim her, her mouth sought out his, claiming him softly. His mouth was softer than she envisioned, expecting him to be as rough as the rest of him, but she liked it. So warm and comforting. But the kiss changed from what she was planning to be fleeting to something else when the shock melted from Fox. She felt the tenseness leave him and suddenly he wasn’t just being kissed by Esme anymore, he was returning it.

He deepened the kiss almost urgently, letting go of Esme’s wrist to let his hand slip beneath her hair, cradling her head close to him possessively. Her whole body shivered at his reaction, her skin growing warmer and pinker with every second that passed.

And then it was over.

Fox pulled himself away sharply, his eyes glimmering and expression confused. Esme’s shook slightly, her whole body shivering with excitement and her hammering so fast her chest rose and fell sharply. Neither of them said a word, just stared breathlessly at each other, their eyes locked and unable to look away.

And then, slowly, the realisation of what just happened slowly sunk in. Fox, for the first time, appeared flustered. His face turned a little red and his eyes suddenly looked at everything else, just not here. Esme herself was in shocked. Embarrassment began to creep up. While, yes, she wanted to kiss him at the time very much, she didn’t think of what would happen after. How awkward it would be.

But just as she opened her mouth, to say anything to break the heavy silence filled only with their husky breathing, Absolon screamed.

Esme was up on her feet like a shot. ‘Absolon!’ She called out to him, opening her arms for the little Sprite to come to her.

He did, popping out of existence only to reappear beside with a shield raised. Neither Fox nor Esme had a chance to question why when the front of the hut bent inwards sharply. The flimsy walls stood no chance and shattered, spraying splinters of wood about the musty room and tossing up years of dust into the air.

Striding in through the dust came Sodden, and he was accompanied by a Spirit. Lithe, with an almost translucent body, the Spirit floated through the air, her hand fixated firmly on Sodden’s shoulder. She smiled sleepily, her eyes never opening, and her golden hair glittered with locks detaching away like dust.

The blind Witch smiled thinly. ‘Sorry to interrupt your tender moment but I must reclaim Esme Dupont.’ He said, polite as always.

Fox was in front of Esme in a flash. Despite Esme being able to see however head easily, she felt protected by him. He wasn’t going to give her up. He was going to keep her safe. But that in turn set off another path of worry and glanced at the Spirit smiling prettily. What if he got hurt? Her chest tightened at the thought. She couldn’t have that. She didn’t deserve it.

The oppression began to return ten-fold and the fog clamoured back into her head, smothering up the sanity Fox brought her. Just what was she doing? She was a murderer and admitted her guilt! Why was she running away again? All that would happen was she’d get others entangled and hurt needlessly. Her sunk. Fox didn’t need to throw himself at a man trying to bring her to justice. It was pointless.

‘You ain’t havin’ her.’ Fox snarled and clenched his fist, causing the glove to crackle dangerously. Absolon too shimmered and almost growled threateningly.

Sodden tilted his head. ‘I will not fall for your tricks this time, thief. I have learnt.’ He raised his hand, ready to give out a command, and Esme broke. It was too much.

‘If I come quietly, will you leave him be?’

Fox whirled on her, his eyes sharp and accusing. ‘Esme, shut up! I ain’t leavin’ you!’

‘Fox, you don’t need to throw your life away for me.’ She murmured, her heart heavy and head foggy.

Fox twisted his face up in offence. ‘You don’t get to choose that, now shut up and trust me!’

Esme’s head halted a little. She had promised that she would trust Fox and her uncle. She had. But was a promise worth getting them both killed? A promise that she knew would ultimately lead to her being revealed as a killer and erasing all doubt?

‘I’m afraid not, Esme Dupont.’ Sodden said with a slight sorrowful smile. ‘This time, I’ve been tasked to gather up the thieves. They’re to be tried alongside you for colluding with the murderess of Cassandra Bloxham. Your Fox must come with me.’

Esme paled and her heart plummeted in sheer terror, but before either she or Fox could react, Sodden made a slight motion with his hand and his Spirit swept forward, gathering a large clump of hair before scattering it at them.

The sleeping dust swirled about them, seeping through Absolon’s barrier with ease and drifting into their skin. Within seconds, Esme’s knees collapsed and she fought the desire to sleep. Fox was in danger. He was going to die. She couldn’t let that happen to him. He had done nothing wrong!

She felt Fox fall to his knees beside her. Through the gathering darkness, she glanced at his face. He was trying so hard to fight it. His eyes were flaming, enraged and fearful, and he continued to try to shield her. She reached out to touch his hand, entwining her fingers with his.

And then the Spirit of Sleep was in front of her, her hand by her mouth, and blew more dust into Esme’s face.

The darkness won, yawning beneath her feet and swallowing her consciousness whole.