Chapter 5

Maeve couldn’t believe her eyes. It just wasn’t possible! Dawn couldn’t possibly be alive; Father and the police had searched top to bottom for Dawn’s dead body without finding a trace, but here she was standing in plain daylight, alive and breathing. How had she survived all these years?

And then there was the fox. It had just appeared out of nowhere and started snarling at them, but when Dawn ordered it to stop it immediately obeyed. It was also the same fox she had seen carrying a bag of charity clothes, and suddenly it made sense. But still, what in the world was going on?

Now as she watched Dawn faint, something twisted in her gut, something that felt a lot like…guilt. For some reason, she felt like this was all her fault; her fault for giving up on her sister and leaving her in the river, then stealing her name, and taking her life.

But then a horrible thought occurred to Maeve: what would happen if Mother found out? She would be absolutely furious, there was no doubt about that. Maybe she would disown Maeve and send her far away! Maeve couldn’t afford for that to occur, as her life had been going so perfectly well without Dawn. Of course, Dawn had to be alive! The world wasn’t ready to let go of Dawn that easily. Which meant that there would be no place for Maeve.

Maeve’s best friend Ebony attempted to get close to Dawn to see if she was alright, but the fox snapped its teeth at her to back off. Clearly the fox cared about Dawn, and had become a sort of companion to her over the years in the forest. Maeve felt slightly annoyed by the fox.

“What should we do? The fox won’t let us near her,” Ebony whispered. “Should we tell someone?”

“No!” Maeve blurted. Ebony raised her eyebrows. “I mean, we’ll figure something ourselves. No need to alert the adults if it isn’t a big deal,” Maeve said. “Plus, my wheel is punctured.”

“Yeah, but she’s fainted! We need to let her parents know where she is, and we need someone to scare the fox away,” Ebony argued. “You can wait here, and I’ll get help.”

“Please don’t leave me alone with the fox!” Maeve pleaded, grabbing Ebony’s arm.

Ebony pulls away. “Dawn, you’re being ridiculous. And I sense something fishy going on. Why does she look like a wild version of you?”

Maeve hesitated. “Because…she’s my twin sister.”

Ebony gasped. “I knew it!” But then she looked confused. “But why is she here?”

Maeve was saved from answering that question, for something peculiar happened. The fox, which had been crouched beside Dawn, began to transform before their very eyes, its scarlet coat changing to a long red cloak, its body enlarging into the shape of a man with dark hair streaked with ginger and white.

The girls clung to each other in fright as the man’s amber eyes pierce their souls like knives dipped in lava. There was something royal about his stature, and something powerful, a power that intimidated Maeve, who was paralysed with terror.

“Are you Dawn’s sister, Maeve?” the fox man asked Maeve.

“Y-yes,” Maeve stammered. Ebony stared at her in disbelief.

“Who are you?” Ebony asked the fox man, but for a second Maeve thought she was asking her. Who am I, really? Maeve asked herself. Who have I become?

“I am Fabian, King of the Foxes,” the man introduced himself with a bow.

“King of the foxes?” Ebony repeated incredulously.

Fabian ignored her, and instead turned his attention to Dawn, who had begun to stir.

“Maeve,” she croaked. “Help me, Maeve.”

Fabian swooped Dawn into his arms, where she regained consciousness, and stared at the King.

“Amber?” she mumbled.

“No, it is Fabian, the fox king,” Fabian corrected, helping Dawn stand again. “I was cursed by your

Mother to spend the rest of my life as a fox, on the condition that if I could maintain a human

friend for exactly five years, I would be freed.”

“How do I know you are telling the truth?” Dawn asked.

Fabian smiled. “I will prove it to you.”

Fabian morphed back into a fox, verifying the truth. Dawn leaned down to peer into the fox’s fiery gaze, patting the top of his head. “I believe you, Fabian,” she said.

Fabian turned into a man again and bowed low to Dawn. “Thank you, sweet girl, for releasing me from your Mother’s curse. I owe you my life.”

Dawn blushed. “I think I owe you more for helping me survive all these years. You have been a wonderful friend, King Fabian.”

Maeve still couldn’t believe it. “Are you saying that Mother is a witch or something?”

Dawn and the fox king turned to her. “Maeve,” Dawn said bitterly. “How could you leave me to nearly drown? I thought we were – “

“Yes, your Mother was indeed a witch,” Fabian interrupted. “I was once deeply in love with her, but she didn’t return my feelings, and I wouldn’t leave her alone, so she cursed me.”

“That would make a great book,” Ebony said. Maeve shot her a look.

“I witnessed Dawn fall into the river, and found her washed up further down. I instantly could see your Mother in her features, and knew this was my chance to break the curse. If I could just appeal to Dawn’s interests, and be her companion, I would be free. Thankfully, Dawn was a kind-hearted girl who appreciated my assistance.” Fabian grinned at Dawn, but then frowned at Maeve.

“You, however, are a very jealous, evil girl,” Fabian accused.

Maeve was appalled. “How dare you!”

“No, how dare you steal Dawn’s identity, thinking you can replace her and pretend she was dead?” Fabian said sternly.

            Ebony stared at her friend with new eyes. “You stole your sister’s identity? Wow. Just wow.”

            “Shut up,” Maeve snapped. “By the way, I didn’t know Dawn was still alive! I thought…well, I thought that if I pretended to be Dawn and said Maeve had drowned instead, Mother wouldn’t be disappointed, and I would get to know what it’s like to be loved.”

            Dawn looked at her twin with pity. “Oh, Maeve, that’s so sad.”

            Maeve tasted something salty and realised she was crying. For five years she was somebody else, and in the end it was all for nothing.

            “If only you weren’t so damn perfect!” Maeve sobbed. “Then maybe Mother would have had space in her heart to love Maeve, not Dawn!”

            Dawn moved toward her sister and gave her a heart-warming embrace that Maeve relaxed into, tears spilling onto Dawn’s shoulder. “Please don’t cry, Maeve.”

            But Maeve sobbed and wailed like her life depended on it, letting out all the envy and frustration and raw emotions that she had kept buried deep down. She remembered the D necklace around her collar, and snatched it off, returning it to its rightful owner.

            “This is yours, Dawn,” Maeve muttered. Dawn reached down and picked up the M necklace, fastening it around her twin’s neck. “And this is yours, Maeve,” she said softly.

            Ebony wiped a dramatic tear from her eye. “Aw, this is so beautiful! Isn’t it beautiful, Mr Fox King?”

            Fabian smiled and nodded. “It is indeed a truly special moment,” he agreed. “But I must be off.”

            Dawn turned. “To where?”

            The fox king smiled sadly, and replied, “To where I belong. Farewell, Dawn. Take care.” With that, he transformed back into a fox and disappeared through the trees, just a flash of crimson in the golden sunlight.

            “Is it okay if I come back home?” Dawn asked Maeve.

Maeve sighed. “All right, if you must,” she replied. “But you have to catch me first!”

Maeve sprinted off, laughing as Dawn called after her, “Not fair, Maeve!”

Ebony was left standing with the two bicycles, one of them which was punctured, and was forced to wheel them both through the forest.

When the girls reached Maeve’s house, Mother and Father were both waiting there, so when Maeve and Ebony walked in, followed by Dawn, their faces went white with shock.

“Mother, Father, you look as if you’ve seen a ghost!” Dawn smiled, running into their arms.

“Maeve?” Mother whispered uncertainly into her hair.

“No, Mother, it is Dawn, your special girl.”

“Where have you been all this time?” Father asked.

“Taken good care of by the fox king,” Dawn replied.

Mother’s eyes widened. “Fabian?”

“Who’s Fabian?” Father asked.

The girls all laughed and answered, “It’s a long story.”