Foxheart

Chapter Thirteen

Esme woke uncomfortable, sweaty and itchy. The bed she lay on dug into her and felt as soft as cardboard. The pillows were old and flat, the blankets thin and scratchy, and the air was hot and sticky. How on earth did her bed become this bad?

When she irritably opened her eyes, she remembered where she was. Across from her was a curtain, half open to reveal an old bathtub. Old clothes, book and an assortment of stuff littered the floor. An unclean cup and dead candle occupied that bedside table and she spied Absolon dozing in the sunlight by the window, whistling with sleepy happiness.

She remembered; remembered she was on the run and that Fox was housing her now. She was no longer in the care of River Oak and Lake Tranquil. A stab of worry hit her chest hard. Where the Spirits safe? She hoped they were.

Esme sat up and instantly flushed red. That small gesture reminded her she was currently naked as the blanket slipped off her shoulder and let the warm summer hair tickle her pale skin. She snatched it up and covered herself, pink in the face with embarrassment, terrified Fox had seen her, but he didn't appear to be in his small room. He wasn't by the stove where she last remembered him and he wasn't in ancient leather chair by the window. She sighed in relief, glad she had some peace and time to think.

She curled up a little, wrapping the awful blanket about her, trying to ignore the bedsprings that dug into her bottom, and furrowed her brow in thought. She knew she couldn't leave Lakeside yet, Fox said he couldn't until he had clearance, but the danger here was growing larger. Suellen had found her hiding spot, she assumed by using common sense and searching the places magic tough couldn't in person. Oak and Tranquil kept magic from locating her but that just created a hole in the Tower's hunt, an anomaly that had to be investigated. Because of that, their domains were searched and they fought too. She hoped nothing bad happened to them. Suellen was powerful enough to either trap them or dispel them back into the ether and revert them back into Sprites. It made her miserable both from worry and despair. If two Spirits couldn't keep her safe, how could one measly thief?

Esme stiffened when the door opened swiftly and she curled herself into a small ball. She didn't even relax when she realised it was Fox. She was much too aware of her nakedness beneath the old fraying brown blanket.

Fox vaguely acknowledged her existence with a nod as he kicked his door shut then shuffled over to the single counter of his kitchen, clutching a massive brown bag. Esme watched warily as he pulled out several food stuffs and began to chuck them without care into his cupboard and fridge.

'I have food now but nothin' worth getting' excited about. Just basic stuff, nothin' your fancy mouth is used to.' Fox said obnoxiously, his tone dripping with dislike.

Esme scrunched up her nose. His attitude was bad. He needed to be fearfully respectful of her if she was going to keep him in line but what fear she had seemed to have vanished somehow.

'So long as it is not as rank as the sandwich I had last night, I don't care.' Esme snipped then sniffed.

Fox shot her a glare then shrugged as he began putting together oats and milk into a bowl. 'Now. You goin' to explain what happened last night? Why you were a fox?'

'I do not need to.'

'You do. I need to know everythin' if you want me to keep you alive.'

Esme stared, knowing full well he was right. She sighed. She hoped he wouldn't see any vulnerabilities in her but the fox curse was difficult to cover. She could at least continue to hide away the fear of Suellen and her sorrow at losing her life and aunt with anger though.

But before Esme could open her mouth, there was a loud knocking at the door; forceful and powerful enough to startle Absolon into consciousness. Esme flinched, her face paling and the glare slipping instantly into terror. Was it the Tower?