She had run straight into their path.
They were coming for her.
run run run run run
run
the city changes its skin
green spring for summer gold
autumn blows from the trees
in a flutter of russet and brown
leaving one copper patch
glowing against snow
a fox
fox wanders the stone forest
the days have claws of frost
the nights freeze fox’s heart
too long alone
she has no song of her own
though rich hot prey-blood
steams on her tongue
fox stays cold
till it happens
a shaking comes
from within it tears her
fire lancing paw and pelt and tail
she shrieks
falls
stone ground hard beneath her
and with a scream that is fear
fox is lost
CHAPTER 16
Emma opened her eyes. Above her, clouds chased across a pale blue sky. She was just wondering, lazily, where she was, when a barrage of panic scrabbled at her mind. The safe, familiar smell of fox was gone. She scented a predator.
