She had to do something. “Hey, think you’re clever? Catch me!” She jumped from the haystack and started running.

“Prue! What are you doing?” Edwin called.

The stag-man turned on its heels and sped after her.

“Prue!” he yelled.

Her parents shouted too, but all Prue could hear was her desperate breaths and the thumping feet of the stag-man moments away. She darted left and right but it was gaining with every step.

The stag-man sprang for Prue, its arms reaching out, claws inches from her. She cried out.

Edwin hurtled after them, his mighty paws crashing across the field. With an almighty leap, Edwin bounded on top of the stag-man, bringing it crashing violently down. “You don’t touch her!” he spat. With that he grabbed the stag-man between great powerful jaws and bolted it from side to side as fast as he could, until the stag-man’s body suddenly lost all resistance and became limp in his mouth. He dropped it to the floor.

Prue lay panting. “Is it gone?”

“I think I shook it enough to dislodge the wildspark from its qwortzite.” Edwin pushed it with his paw. The stag-man was just a body – an empty machine now. “Prue, it could’ve killed you! What were you thinking, taunting it like that!” said Edwin.

“I was thinking that there was probably no way you’d let it.” She smiled.

“Yet another risky plan,” said Edwin, flopping to the ground. “I rather hope our friendship quietens down a bit. You’re exhausting.”

“What in all the haystacks is going on here!” said Mr Haywood, rushing to them.

“Mum! Dad!” called Prue.

She ran towards them and was engulfed in their arms.

“What in the blazes!” Mrs Haywood said.

“It’s fine! The lion’s a friend, that thing … not so much. But it’s gone now. It’s all right; the lion is a personifate second lifer – just a boy really. He’s my friend…” She thought for a moment on the best way to introduce him. “This is Jack Swift.”

“Pleased to meet you.” Edwin smiled shyly.

Mrs Haywood was staring at him, her mouth wide open.

“Mum, he’s my friend. And he just saved all of us.”

Mrs Haywood nodded.

“Well, this is not the night I was expecting!” said Mr Haywood. “Let’s get inside. Explanations are more palatable over a cocoa with cookies.”

Soon they were sitting in the farmhouse kitchen drinking steaming cocoa and eating oat biscuits, although Edwin had to sit outside with his head poking through the kitchen window as he was too large to fit through the front door. Prue told the story of what had brought them to that moment.

“You know I love you, Prue, but it’ll take me time to get used to all this change,” Mrs Haywood said, glancing across at Edwin.