Then something flew from the trees. A stone bounced meaninglessly off the creature’s black chest, but it was enough to distract it and kick Prue into action. She scrambled to her feet. It lunged and swiped at her, but she arced backwards, and its antlers missed her by a whisper, just snagging on her jacket. Then something grabbed her hand and pulled. She didn’t resist, and began running alongside—

It was a long, thin hand holding hers, not Agapantha’s or Edwin’s. “Finblewick?” she managed to splutter between great gasps of air, then they twisted sharply, and she saw Agapantha to her left.

“Keep running that way!” Finblewick called. He jerked his hand away and leapt off in a different direction.

She dashed onwards, calling to Agapantha, then Edwin appeared just ahead, crashing through the thickets. With a rush they emerged from the forest and didn’t stop until they reached the factorium. Panting, hands on knees, sweat pouring, they looked back at the forest.

It was silent.

They watched, unable to take their gaze away, until Prue said, “Finblewick, he was there.”

“What?” said Agapantha.

“He saved me; I’ve got to go back.”

“Are you bonkers?” said Edwin.

“Let’s get help,” said Agapantha, but Prue was already heading back. Then Finblewick stepped out from the trees.

“What were you all thinking, larking about in the forest!” he spat. He looked at each of them. “You can all stop looking like scared rabbits; you’re quite safe.”

“Quite safe?” Prue repeated. “What was that?”

“Weren’t you told to keep out of the deep forest?”

“Yes, but our hoppity wrench escaped and… Wait a minute … what were you doing in the forest? It’s a long way from Deakins.”

“Never you mind. Your concern should be that no one finds out you were in there.”

“Finblewick, what was it?” Agapantha said.

He huffed and swayed hands on hips for a moment, lips contorting as though fighting to keep something inside. “It was … a guard. A guard to protect the Guild against snoops like you, and small personifates from wild beasts.”

Prue narrowed her eyes.

“You’d better get back to whatever you should be doing and hope that I don’t tell on you for nosing about where you shouldn’t be!” Finblewick said haughtily.

“Let’s go,” Prue said.

Sick with relief, they took the pneumerator back to the house and went up to Prue and Agapantha’s room. Prue insisted on grabbing a few apple doughnuts from the kitchen. “I feel like I need something sweet after that!”

“Do you think Liddy and Lavender know there’s such an awful guard out in the forest?” Agapantha asked.