Vulpine Summer

When Esme saw the pamphlet, her fragile whole world fell apart. Not only had she witnessed her aunt's murder but she was being framed for it. Suellen Denver hadn't simply done nothing in the hours Esme vanished into the River Oak, she'd been spinning her own lies and webs, getting the Tower and the police into her hands. It suddenly all made sense why Esme had been turned into a fox too. If someone's mind and body had been turned entirely into something else, like a fox, the mind and memories were open to manipulation. And it would be easy for a Wizard of Suellen's level to erase Esme's true memories of the event's of the Grand Wizard's murder and replace them with what Suellen wanted; Esme recalling how she murdered the Grand Wizard herself and admits guilt. Not even truth spell would wheedle out this manipulation as it would be Esme's new truth. She'd remember murdering Cassandra and her guilt would be real, even if it didn't happen. This now made going back to the Ivory Tower an awful idea. Esme had no friends there in power and giving herself over to Suellen would open up the chance for Suellen to finish what she started. To convince Esme that she murdered Cassandra and have her admit guilt.

So Esme, as she followed the blasted thief more desperately than before, had no idea what to do. No one could be trusted in the Tower, not with Suellen whispering lies to all and sundry. The police couldn't be trusted either. They'd simply arrest her, lock her up and make it very easy for Suellen to come find her and complete the shape-change curse. There was only one person in a political position she trusted and that was Logan Lithgow, the Grand Wizard of the Granite Tower all the way over in Hornfels. He was the only man Cassandra ever considered to marry and he had been in Esme's life regularly before the Granite Tower recalled him to take up the Grand Wizard position when she was eleven. He'd help lift the curse on her and ensure she was safe against Suellen's magic and plot when Esme faced her. But the Hornfels were so far away. How was she going to get there without being caught by Suellen? She couldn't trust anyone and she didn't want to put the few people she did in danger.

Her mind was filled with thoughts, trying desperately to come up with some kind of action plan other than just staying beside River Oak forever, as she followed the thief. She kept hidden, not wanting to be seen as she was well aware she wasn't acting very fox-like, until he stopped. She listened intently as the thief spoke with a friend, someone who appeared to be just as criminal as himself. She wasn't expecting to hear anything of intrest so when they claimed to be members of the Fingers, she was taken aback.

The Fingers? Cassandra told her of them and there were enough rumours and newspaper articles about them that Esme was very aware they were a group of thieves. They could get into any building and take anything they wanted. Nothing could stop them and anything, no matter how big, would just vanish into thin air when they were involved.

As Esme stared at the boasting thief she hated so much for taking her Grimoire, a crazy idea came to mind. She wasn't sure how it was going to work until the thief showed what he had stolen; a very expensive jewel. It seemed very important to him and his position within the Fingers. That could the key to making this plan work. The plan to make herself disappear from Lakeside.

Esme's mind was so full of ideas, trying to piece together how on earth this crazy idea of her's would work, that she completely forgot to hide herself when he started moving again. The thief gazed at her and, for the first time, Esme got a good look at the crook.

She couldn't tell how tall he was, everyone looked like a giant to her, but she had a feeling he was short compared to how high the brick and wrought iron walls were. His hair was a vibrant red, fluffy and styled in the lower class fashion with thick sideburns and no facial hair. His face was annoyingly pleasing to look at; bright eyes, warm smile and general well proportioned face. A face she imagined the men having in her romance novels. It annoyed her. She didn't like how he smiled at her kindly either, as if he had a heart. He didn't. He stole her Grimoire and made an already terrible and impossible situation so much harder. He had no care that he had left her incredibly vulnerable against a murderer who was trying to frame her. But she had a plan for him to make it up for her now.

The thief seemed to notice Esme's hostility and recoiled a little from her. He moved away, looking confused, and continued wherever he was headed. Esme followed him, this time not being too cautious with hiding herself from him. He'd seen her now, there was no need but she still kept to the shadows, not wanting to be spotted by anyone else, especially the police.

After evading a drunken brawl on a poor, desolate and broken street, Esme watched as the thief trundled down a set of steps beside a bin. Absolon whistled and twirled, waving at her to hurry. She hurried up to him and paused as a door closed into a basement apartment.

She eyed the area with contempt. It was messy with broken pots, full dustbins and barely kept walls with paint pealing away from the black beams. She glanced up and down the street, noting it was the same everywhere. The houses were old and falling apart, the road filled with potholes and the pavement cracked and dirty. How could anyone live like this? It was squalor.

Trying to ignore her surroundings, Esme made her way swiftly down the steps and huddled beneath the closed window. Her erect ears twitched as she listened intently. She could hear movement inside for a few moments and then nothing. He'd gone to bed.

She flicked her tail around her body to touch her nose as she thought intently. She had only one plan and one that probably wasn't going to work but she was desperate. With Suellen in control of the police and the Tower, Esme had no safe place to turn to and no powerful Wizard friends who could back her up. No, she needed to leave. Staying here would just allow Suellen to finish the spell and mess with her memories so Esme would plead guilty. She needed to get all the way to the Granite Tower where Grand Wizard Logan Lithgow lived. He could lift the curse and help her face Suellen on a political level and strip away all the lies she'd been weaving and find out why she had murdered Grand Wizard Cassandra.

Getting there was going to be difficult. With her foreign blood showing in her features and her face being plastered on fliers, she stuck out like a sore-thumb during the day and during the night she'd only get so far as a fox. Which is why Esme decided this thief needed to pay her back for his theft of her Grimoire. Being a member of the infamous Fingers, this thief knew how to make things disappear without a trace. He would know how to get her to the Granite Tower without Suellen noticing. And she knew exactly how to get him to this for her.

'Absolon, is he asleep?' Esme called softly.

Absolon popped away in a puff and smoke for a moment, only to pop back to her in a matter of seconds. He whistled happily, stating he was.

'Good. Open the window.'

Absolon did so with a single twirl in the air. The window's key turned by itself and then swung open on its rusted hinges. Esme turned her snout to the opening, sniffing softly as the scents leaving the room. Sweat, dirt and spices. Nothing particularly nice but at least the sounds were quiet.

She bunched up her haunches and propelled herself onto the wide ledge. She remained perched there for a moment as she quickly scanned the floor, grimacing at the mess beneath her and trying to find a clean place to land. She spied a spot between the piles of filthy clothes and hopped elegantly to the small island in the sea of filth.

With her nose in the air, Esme stared about the cramped room with glittering honey eyes. Everything screamed poor in here. The furniture was old and battered, the kitchen area was filled with ancient utensils and nothing appeared to have been cleaned in months. The books falling out of the shelves and littered the table did pique her curiosity. He was an avid reader too? It surprised her.

She shook her head lightly. 'Keep focused.' She said firmly then locked onto Absolon who was toying with the bare light bulb that dangled from the ceiling.

'Now find me this jewel of his and my Grimoire.'

Absolon set to work instantly, locating her book within seconds and placed it before her dainty black paws. She smiled with warmth at the sprite as he wiggled his arms in triumph and vanished again. She'd be lost without him. Lost and probably either dead or captured.

Esme turned her eyes to the Grimoire, nudging it with her nose. It smelt of river water but that was about it. It was secure, dry and unharmed. She felt a sudden wave of relief fill her now her Grimoire was before her. She felt less vulnerable and exposed as well. Despite her spells being weak, it was something at least. It gave her some kind of means to defend herself.

Esme flinched a little in surprise when Absolon was suddenly in front of her, shoving a glittering ball in her face. She stared at her, her eyes widening as she noted the studded jewels and gold plating. Though small, this thing was worth a small fortune. As she sat in the cramped and poor apartment, it was painfully obvious why this thief took it and why it was so important to the Fingers. If what she over heard in the backalley was correct, this was an important part of a test of his and the future of his position within the Fingers and he'd do anything to get this back into his possession.

'Hold onto it for me Absolon. My Grimoire as well.'

Esme watched as Absolon pushed the Eye into his body, letting it float about like an aimless snowflake. He laughed and giggled as the sensation tickled him lightly.

'Find me a pen and paper.'

Absolon nodded sharply and vanished. He was faster than she ever would be and quieter too as he popped into existence with her request. She was so thankful he was here. She'd would've made such a racket rummaging about with her foxy body and would've made no progress at all.

'Thank you. Now I need you to write down something for me.' She said after he popped in front of her, waving a snag of paper and pen triumphantly.

Absolon whistled eagerly. Now it was time to make her demands and to blackmail the thief into helping her. She felt a little bad for doing this. She'd never blackmailed before and felt wrong to do so, even if he was a crook himself.

'Cassandra depends on me and Suellen will hunt me down if I do nothing but stay here. Logan is the only one I can turn to.' She reminded herself and sucked in the stale air for encouragement. The idea of having her memories and precious truth re-written convinced her to go ahead with the dark deed. 'Write down 'Finger's thief, I have your prize. If you want it, come find me at the burned fishery where the River Oak meets Lake Tranquil at dawn tomorrow. If you do not, I will make it disappear forever.' She was pleased with her choice of meeting. There was an old large fishery that is marked to be destroyed as it had been empty and abandoned for the last three years after a devastating fire. River Oak would protect her there too and maybe Tranquil as well if he was so inclined. She hoped he would be. 'Can you do that for me?'

Absolon sang happily and set to work, scrawling over the paper with the pen in surprisingly decent penmanship for a sprite. Absolon placed it on the bedside table, beside a pile of books and moth-eaten lamp.

Feeling a little guilty but mostly proud of her efforts, Esme gave the thief one last stare. He slept entangled in sheets and she had an awful feeling he wasn't wearing a lot. She had to consciously keep her eyes on his face, ignore how her heart fluttered with both embarrassment and anticipation. She was not going to be shameful and glance at his bare body and the lithe muscles beneath his skin and grey tones of dirt, no matter how tempting. Her eyes remained determinedly fixated on his face. His expression was peaceful, his sleep undisturbed and completely unaware that she had just stolen from him.

'Now he will know how it feels like for once.'

She turned to the window and leapt out into the fresh air that stank of the growing thunderstorm. Absolon followed with her bargaining chip in his balloon belly and the Grimoire sticking to his back. At dawn she'd hopefully be able to leave this viper's nest and get to safer hands. If the thief never turned up or didn't care as much for the jewel as she thought he did, she'd just have to hope she can evade bounty hunters, the police and Suellen and survive against the terribly slim odds by herself.