Page 31 of Skulk of Foxes
‘Hurts.’
He scowled. ‘It can’t be that bad. You didn’t actually break the NDA. You’re not dying.’
‘That’s easy for you to say.’ I heaved myself upwards. This time I managed to get fully upright and stay that way. Progress.
Morgan made for the door and I followed, albeit at a much slower pace. With a crowd of bogles appearing from doorways along the street, we marched down to meet the newcomer.
I couldn’t for the life of me imagine who it might be. Given all that I’d gone through to get to this point, whether I could remember it or otherwise, I was determined not to let anyone get in my way. Unless it was Rubus, who’d decided to glamour himself into a woman this time around. Maybe he fancied a change. I gritted my teeth. He’d learn a thing or two when he got his first period.
Beads of sweat were breaking over my forehead but at least the pain was subsiding. I did my best to catch up to Morgan. ‘Are you sure that this isn’t going to be one of ours?’ I said, trying to catch my breath. ‘It could be Artemesia. She might have done some apothecary jiggery-pokery to find us here.’
‘No.’ Morgan’s jaw clenched. ‘She has other means of contacting us. If it was an emergency, she’d use the shells. We have connecting pairs so she could call if she needed to. She wouldn’t waste time trying to find us and if it’s not an emergency, she won’t be looking for us. Arty has more than enough on our plate. I’d have said it could be Viburna – except she’s dead.’ His voice was flat.
Gasbudlikins. ‘Maybe the bogles are mistaken,’ I said hopefully. ‘Maybe it’s just a human woman out for a stroll.’
‘It’d be nice to think that but they’re not mistaken.’ He pointed up ahead. ‘Look.’
I followed his finger, drawing in a breath when I saw who was there. Lunaria. We’d spent some time together when I’d tried to spy on Rubus and, despite the circumstances, I had to admit that I rather liked the lanky Fey woman. She was head over heels in love with Rubus, however; there was no chance that she was here to catch up on old times over a lazy beer.
‘Let me deal with this,’ I said.
I squared my shoulders, ignoring the ripple of pain the action caused. Alright already. I wasn’t going to blab that Julie was a vampire; I had Morgan for that.
I’d rather hoped I could stride forward looking menacing and brave. Instead it was more of a shuffle. Lunaria had realised that she was on the edge of what was effectively the bogles’ stronghold, even if that stronghold consisted of cute little houses and flower-lined gardens. She paused and watched my approach. I continued until only twenty feet separated us. Fortunately, my body was finally settling down; by the time I came to a halt, the pain had subsided into a dull ache.
‘Have you got new shoes, Mads?’ Lunaria asked, her head tilted slightly in confusion. ‘You’re walking as if you have a mass of blisters about to pop.’
‘Morgan is behind me,’ I said, with an attempt at a carefree grin. ‘I don’t want to inflame his libido by swaying my hips.’
Lunaria frowned as if she couldn’t understand how that would happen.
‘I’m sex on legs,’ I explained. ‘It’s hard enough for him to keep his hands off me as it is.’
‘Uh huh.’
I had no idea why she didn’t believe me until I remembered that I was covered in scorch marks and wearing a skater boy’s clothes. Fair enough.
‘Before we continue,’ I said, ‘I need to know you are who you appear to be.’
Lunaria smoothed her expression and regarded me with unsurprised eyes. ‘You think I might be Rubus.’ She gestured at her body. ‘That all this is a glamour. You know you can’t take the form of someone who already exists. Glamours don’t work that way.’
I shrugged. ‘Humour me. Prove to me that you are indeed Lunaria.’
She sucked on her bottom lip. ‘When we were both eight years old, we made a pinky promise to always be best friends and to never ever kiss any boys because they would just get in the way of our friendship.’
I gazed at her in exasperation. ‘I still have amnesia. I can’t remember being eight years old, Looney. Besides,’ I added with a sniff, ‘I’m certain I would never have agreed not to kiss boys.’
‘You also promised that, if I ever grew taller than you, you’d give me your favourite doll.’ She met my eyes. ‘I suppose we don’t always keep our promises, do we?’
I sighed. ‘I suppose not.’
‘Last week,’ Lunaria said, ‘I told you that I might leave Rubus and try for Morgan instead. It made you cross.’
‘Mmm. Go on.’
‘When we went clothes shopping together, you were tempted by the crotchless trousers.’
‘Only for a brief second,’ I protested.
