Miriam stayed still as the fox launched into Davis's arms and began to lick his neck, his face and as he moved to pull the fox away it licked at his fingers and hands with fevered joy. Davis was laughing and trying to hug the small fuzzy thing but it was too happy to stay still for him.

Davis tickled the spot behind the overly big ears. The creature tilted its head to the side he scratched and half-closed its eyes in pure pleasure.

Then Echo swooped in. She bent close, mouth open. Caleb almost fell off her shoulder. She stared until Davis took notice of her. His smile extended to her.

"Hey Echo. This is Lumia. She's...well, I guess she's like my aunt." Lumia seemed extra happy at his saying so and began to lap her tiny little tongue against his cheek. Miriam noted that he had a really cute giggle. "Lumia. Lumia quit it. Now, look. This is Echo. Echo's one of my friends. She's super nice. The one on her shoulder is Caleb. He's...okay, I guess."

"High praise," said Caleb.

Echo watched with rapt attention. Every movement the fox made seemed to fascinate her.

"Miriam, come meet Lumia."

The fox didn't give her a chance. She jumped out of Davis's reach and before Miriam could react it was at her feet staring up at her with ridiculously big eyes.

The pink in its fur was replaced with a rich green. Miriam held out her hand and let the tiny nose twitch at her finger tips until it was satisfied. Miriam braved to move her hand and touch those huge ears.

The fur was soft as the baby chicks on the farm she had gone to with her mother. The fox let her pet for a long time as Davis watched, looking happy and lonely all at once. Occasionally it would roll on it's back and let her tickle the small, round belly.

Echo was next to her now, staring and not daring to touch the tiny ball of fur. Miriam ruffled Echo's long hair, breaking her trance.

Then the little fox had had enough. She stood up and raced away from them. She stopped in the arch, surrounded by white roses in a sea of black roses and dead hedges. She turned and looked at Davis. Miriam saw a lot of intelligence behind those big, amber eyes. Davis stood up.

"I guess you've found another guide," Caleb said from Echo shoulder.

"Jealous?" Davis asked.

Echo gave the cat a squeeze before he could complain. Lumia waited just outside the arch for the rest of them to come to her. Echo strolled after, closely followed by Miriam.

_______________________________

Davis watched them from where he was. Miriam looked back at him, all the earlier anger she felt had melted away.

There was nothing on her face now but hope and happiness. She could be leaving soon. Some bird took off in the distance, making the hollow branches snap.

Behind her the roses changed for Echo and Caleb, turning the yellow that Echo had been so fond of only a little while beforehand.

Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

"What are you doing?" Davis asked someone who was absent as they passed through and the roses went back to white. Miriam, mistakingly thinking he was talking to her, beckoned him to follow. She stood in the arch and waited for him.

Davis went after her and tried to ignore the blood-red that the roses had turned. As he walked into the arch, he put his hand on the small of her back and urged her forward.

He didn't want her to notice as the roses withered and died as he stood under them.

Davis kept his eyes glued on the light of their little leader rather than meet the searching eyes that walked next to him and didn't remove his hand from her back. He tried not to think about what might happen. He hoped nothing he did would be held against her.

"Lumia's a living light," he explained, hoping to distract Miriam. "Like the bird."

She was listening, remembering and still glad that she had released the bird. He had been so mad at her, but even he liked the sight of the bird dancing away through the sky.

"Green is happy," he said, indicating to the glow of the fox leading them. "She likes you."

She seemed so happy, but he had to let her know. He had to warn her.

He didn't say that the bird had probably gone back to the person who put it in a cage a little while after being set free.

Don't let her realise. Let her think that it had been saved.

He kept the hand on her back and ushered her forward. She looked at him, her hair bouncing on against the top of her shoulder. It was the most unusual colour.

His earring cast a red light onto it and it seemed to him that the earring suited her way more than it had ever suited him. He didn't dare look in her eyes, the colour of living wood. He still didn't want anything bad to happen to her. Damn. He was in more trouble than he thought.

If they got to the Queen, he'd be free. But what if they had met with something that could free him earlier? What if he had been able to manipulate Echo? He had tried to on several occasions. Ichabod had tricked her into taking Miriam there. Could Davis trick Echo into taking his earring back? Could he? Would he?

________________________________

Miriam watched Davis carefully. His hand on her back suddenly felt like it was pushing her towards something dangerous rather than protecting her. It stuck her that she didn't know him, not really. How could she trust him? After all that he had done?

Miriam dared a look at Davis. He had beautiful eyes.

Damn. She was in trouble.

Lumia stopped, making Echo nearly fall over her. Miriam couldn't see anything that would make the fox stop. She was sitting and staring at the hedge. The path continued along straight in front of her with no turns for a long time.

Her green glow made the leaves look almost alive. It was this that made Miriam realise that the leaves Lumia was sitting in front of were the wrong shape.

Miriam went to get a closer look. Thick ivy was covering a gap in the hedgerow. It was overgrown before it died, blending in almost perfectly with the rest of the hedge.

Miriam took the tooth and began to cut it away. Before she knew it Lumia was under her, chewing through the leaves. Davis and Echo started to rip using their hands. Caleb refused to use his fangs but lent them his claws to try clear it away.

Eventually, they saw something solid and black. Echo got there first and drew their attention to it with a clear, happy laugh.

The sight urged them on, making them ignore the scratches and splinters that caught on their hands and forearms. They threw the sticks and leaves and whatever else they ripped off behind them.

They looked at a door. The heavy iron thing had been once painted black, but the paint had peeled away from most of it to reveal the original colour and spots of rust.

It had been pretty once, highly decorated. the design reminded Miriam of the mirror in her room. The hinges on it were strange. There were two at the side like their should be but there were also two more at the bottom and three above the whole thing.

Lumia circled Miriam's legs, licked Echo's hand and butted her head against Caleb. Then she looked at Davis. As she looked at him she turned a bright pink and vanished into the hedges. As she went, Miriam made a decision.

"Where's she going?" she asked, like she had been talking the whole time.

It didn't quite work. Her voice hadn't been used in so long that speaking now hurt and her voice sounded scratchy and off. Davis, Caleb and Echo all turned to stare at her.