The Faeries of Dulwich Woods

Chapter 10 - Just a Wild Duck Chase

Avery hugged the swaddled Cup to her chest and clutched Bihan Ruz's hand as tightly as she could. Nestling close to her side, the elf child raised his other hand and calmly uttered one word.

'Nos!' All light in the room was immediately extinguished; the glow from the pyramids on the console and the orbs bobbing around the chandelier winked out in an instant. A thick, black fog swirled from the floor and filled the room completely. Avery caught one brief glimpse of Puck's angry, astonished face before the dense, dark haze enveloped the entire room in deepest obscurity. Once again Avery felt an uncomfortable, prickling sensation, a sign that Bihan Ruz was using his powers to miniaturise them both. In the darkness, she had no way of telling how small they were, and no idea where to find the door. Avery was now totally reliant on Bihan Ruz to get them to safety; if she released his hand for even for one second, she would be completely lost and entirely vulnerable. Her chest grew tight and she began to panic; she felt as if she was submerged in a vat of thick, inescapable pitch. At that very moment, Bihan Ruz began to run, pulling her behind him. She stumbled along blindly, terrified that she might trip or fall and make a noise that would allow Puck to find them. As they raced on, the floor of the lightless room began to quake and the silence was shattered by a blood-curdling howl. The darkness was pierced by the flaming embers of Puck's rage-filled eyes, hovering in mid-air as he blundered furiously around the room. There was a screech of anguish, followed by a colourfully vulgar oath and the two red lights plunged to the floor; Puck had evidently barked his shin on the purloined Hepworth 'coffee table' sculpture and fallen over.

Avery felt anxious and bewildered; she had assumed that Bihan would simply magic them out of the room, back to Effrayna and out of Puck's clutches. How could they possibly get back up the tree trunk (let alone out the door) if they were only a few inches high? It was impossible; it would take the best part of a day just to travel the length of the corridor, even with the benefit of lamplight. Bihan Ruz pulled her along behind him until they reached the wooden skirting board that joined the floor and the wall, and they came to a stop. He pushed her through a small cranny, the walls of which were smooth with a strange leathery smell, and here they hunkered down to catch their breath. Avery deduced that they were hiding behind the pile of vintage, leather suitcases that she had noticed earlier. Puck continued to rage around the chamber, upending his stolen valuables, tripping over the side tables and crashing into the bookcases as he tried to reverse Bihan's spell. Inevitably there came the sound of splintering wood and twanging strings; he had stepped on (and smashed) the white, Fender guitar. Puck's howls of outrage redoubled in volume.

'I will wring your little, mortal neck, Avery Shaw! Show yourself at once! You cannot escape me. I will find you, and when I do consequences will never be the same!' he hollered. 'Bihan Ruz! How can you treat your father with such disrespect? Come out at once!' Puck was making a terrific racket; amidst the bellows of fury, the sound of shattering glass and consequent yelps of pain Avery huddled closer to Bihan Ruz and murmured in his ear.

'We're trapped here Bihan, sooner or later he'll find us. We need to get to the tree trunk slide, but how? What's the plan? Please tell me that you do have a plan!'

'Don't worry, is easy!' Bihan whispered confidently, and the tip of his forefinger began to shine with a very faint, luminescent light. He pointed at the corner behind them and, with growing disquiet, Avery thought she saw something with long, jointed legs that arched high over a rounded body. Even more unnerving was the gleam of silvery eyeshine reflected at her from four huge pairs of arachnid eyes.

Oh, my days! It's a huge Cardinal spider! she thought with alarm. Why couldn't it be another bee? I like bees, even when they're magically as big as a Mini. But spiders? Spiders catch their prey, wrap it up like a burrito and suck it dry. And that would be a terrible way for me to go!