Martin Millar - Lonely Werewolf Girl (12 page)

She spoke softly to her brothers.

"The Thane is dead."

34

An hour or so later, Daniel and Moonglow were still sitting
behind the magical barrier in the corner of the office. The room was
empty. On hearing of the Thane's death Sarapen had departed, almost
without a word. The MacRinnalch Clan was now leaderless and it was his
duty to return to the castle. Everything else could wait.

Thrix and Markus were also making plans to travel back to
Scotland. There would be a meeting of the Great Council as soon as its
members could be assembled. Markus had departed to gather his
belongings. He and Thrix had temporarily suspended hostilities and
would fly home with their Mother, the Mistress of the Werewolves. The
flight from London to Scotland would only take an hour or so. Thrix
didn't want to go but knew she couldn't get out of it. Not turning up
for the Thane's funeral and the subsequent council meeting would be
quite unthinkable, as her mother had pointed out.

"Don't worry mother," Thrix told her. "I won't miss the
funeral."

As Ann made travel arrangements Thrix was gathering together
computer discs and making sure that all her current files were on her
laptop. With luck, she could continue her work while at the castle. She
instructed the efficient Ann to rearrange her schedule.

"It's come at a bad time but I should be back in three days.
See if the people from Milan can reschedule. If they can't I'll try and
set up a video conference link from the castle."

"What about the children?" enquired Malveria.

"The children?"

"The children who are still concealed in your office."

"I'd forgotten about them. I'll send them away."

"And what about Kalix?"

"She can take care of herself."

The Fire Queen looked at her.

"Really, it seems that she cannot."

The Enchantress wondered out loud why Malveria had suddenly
developed some concern for Kalix. The Queen shrugged.

"I have not. But I am amused by the boy who called me
beautiful and then blushed. You know when we were hiding he said he was
scared. Is that not funny?"

Thrix didn't quite see why it was funny. She really had no
time to indulge the Fire Queen and her strange fancies.

"I'm just too rushed to do anything, Malveria."

"Perhaps I could provide the young people with another Pendant
of Tamol to give to your errant sister? If you don't object?"

"Why would you do that?" asked Thrix. Fire elementals were not
particularly friendly to humans as a rule. Besides, the required
pendant was not an everyday object. It was a prized item. Its sorcerous
uses were many and even a powerful being like Malveria would not
lightly give one away.

The Fire Queen shrugged. She didn't exactly know why she would
do it. But she had been entertained by the arguments between the
werewolves and she could see some amusement to follow if Kalix remained
hidden. Malveria had been very bored recently. Who knew what
interesting things might occur if she gave the two young humans a
pendant for Kalix?

"Do it if you want," said Thrix.

Markus arrived back at the offices. Their mother would be here
shortly. Thrix told Markus that she had some arrangements still to make
with her designers and buyers and asked him if he'd mind waiting
upstairs in her office for a little while.

In the office, Daniel and Moonglow were becoming restive.

"This has been a really bad day," complained Daniel.

"Do you think they've forgotten us?" asked Moonglow.

They were uncertain whether to stay where they were or venture
out.

"I suppose we should be safe," said Moonglow. "After all,
we're in the middle of a busy office building. They can't just eat us."

They looked at each other, doubtfully.

"Let's wait here a while," suggested Daniel.

The door opened. Markus entered. Daniel and Moonglow were
hidden behind a barrier of very strong sorcery and even Markus's
werewolf senses did not detect them. Markus was dressed for a funeral
in a sober black suit. While making his quick journey home he'd taken
time to brush his curly chestnut hair and was now looking his best.
They watched as he paced the room. He seemed to be interested in the
rail of clothes in the far corner. Now that he was on his own, Moonglow
thought him quite attractive. Strong and handsome, but feminine, in a
way. His hair hung in curls over his brow and shoulders, reminding her
of an old picture of Marc Bolan that Daniel had on a T-shirt.

Markus was fingering the rack of clothes. Suddenly he seemed
to make a decision. He crossed quickly to the door, locked it, then
took off his jacket and shirt. His torso, Moonglow noted, was lean and
muscular. He then took a blouse from the rack and slipped into it with
practised ease.

Daniel and Moonglow looked at each other, astounded. The
blouse was of flowing yellow silk, an extremely feminine article.
Markus was now examining himself in the large mirror. Not preening, or
parading around, or doing anything extravagant. Just examining himself.
Apparently satisfied, he swiftly removed the blouse, hung it up
carefully then put his own shirt and jacket back on. He unlocked the
office door just as Thrix and Malveria appeared.

Daniel and Moonglow were utterly astonished.

"What a freak," hissed Daniel. Moonglow nodded her head
vaguely, as if in agreement. But what Moonglow was actually thinking
was that Markus in the yellow silk blouse was one of the most beautiful
things she had ever seen.

35

Kalix and Gawain had been wild lovers. At fourteen Kalix had
been skinny but healthy, vigorous and enthusiastic. Gawain had been a
frequent visitor to the castle while his father was still alive. His
father, an honoured member of the MacRinnalch Clan, had been a friend
of the ruling family.

Kalix would creep through the stone corridors of Castle
MacRinnalch to Gawain's room in the chambers where guests were housed.
She was cunning, and extremely stealthy, capable of flattening herself
into the dark shadows when anyone was near and remaining there in
silence till they'd gone. She went so quietly that not even the castle
mice were aware of her passing. Finally she'd arrive at Gawain's
chamber, sometimes in werewolf form or sometimes as human, depending on
her mood. Gawain would be waiting for her, catching her scent as she
approached the door and hurriedly letting her in. Gawain, eighteen at
the time, had some misgivings about what the Thane might say were he to
catch them but Kalix allowed him little time to dwell on his thoughts.
She'd leap onto the bed and they would make love for the rest of the
night till finally Gawain was exhausted and Kalix would lie like a
wolf, panting and growling in satisfaction. Just before the long
Scottish night ended Kalix would make the return journey and then sleep
late into the day. This never aroused suspicion though it brought
criticism from her mother.

"It's no wonder her tutor refuses to teach her," Verasa
complained to Kalix's brothers. "She is the laziest girl you could ever
imagine."

Her brothers indulged their mother's complaints but they had
no real interest in Kalix or her activities. As for the Thane, he never
seemed to pay any attention to her at all.

Now Kalix lay starved, broken and bleeding under a rotting
pile of cardboard boxes in a dank alleyway in South London. She had
passed into unconsciousness some time ago. She dreamed that she was
with Gawain, running through Colburn Wood in pursuit of a stag. They
killed the stag and ate it by a campfire in a clearing, then washed the
blood from their mouths in a stream. Then they lay on the bank under a
full moon, watching the dark water flow by. They discussed what they
might do together and Gawain said he always wanted to travel the world.
Kalix was enthusiastic, and said she'd travel with him. She would go
anywhere with Gawain.

36

Decembrius found his visit to the twins extremely trying.
There was no meeting of minds. There was very little sensible
conversation at all. The two young werewolves appeared to inhabit a
world of their own to which Decembrius was not invited. Beauty and
Delicious carried on a continual dialogue with each other which
Decembrius had some difficulty in even understanding.

"Pass the skunk, bitch."

"It's under your guitar, ho-bag."

And so on. Used to the more formal ways of the castle,
Decembrius was perplexed. The sisters would insult each other and then
laugh uproariously at things which did not seem to be at all funny.
When he addressed them by their real names, Butix and Delix, they
laughed so hard he thought they might never stop.

"Butix and Delix? Who's that?"

"I don't like the sound of them!"

The twins seemed completely unconcerned that the head of the
clan was gravely ill.

"Clan? What clan?"

"The MacRinnalchs."

"That's a funny name for a clan."

"Thane," said Beauty.

"Thane," said Delicious. "Thane Thane Thane Thane Thane."

"Thane Thane Thane Thane," added Beauty.

Beauty's hair was long, and a violent shade of blue.
Delicious's hair was also long, and a very shocking pink. Decembrius
found himself wondering if the colour remained when they transformed.
He could hardly imagine what their behaviour might be like when they
were werewolves.

Delicious burrowed into the mess on the floor, looking for
something or other. She tossed some empty pizza cartons out the way and
uncovered a great wad of money, a huge pile of £20 notes held together
with a rubber band, several thousand pounds worth of currency. She
threw it at her sister.

"Go and buy something."

Beauty threw the bundle of money back. The rubber band split
and £20 notes fluttered across the room. The sisters dissolved in
laughter. They were, Decembrius recalled, very rich. Their father had
multiplied his wealth by astute investments in the stock market and the
sisters were shrewd enough to leave their capital in the hands of their
London brokers, living off the substantial income it generated. They
would never be short of money.

"Would you be interested in attending the next meeting of the
Great Council?" he ventured. "You are still members of course."

"Who are you?" asked Beauty, and looked puzzled.

Decembrius sighed. His mobile phone rang. It was Sarapen.

"The Thane is dead," said Sarapen. "Return home immediately.
Have you made any progress with the cousins?"

"No," admitted Decembrius.

He took his leave, saluting the sisters politely on the way
out. No matter how degenerate, they were still members of the
MacRinnalch ruling family, after all. Decembrius left their house
feeling dissatisfied. Not just because he had failed in his mission.
Decembrius regarded himself as one of the more fashionable of the young
MacRinnalch werewolves. Compared to the twins however, he felt as
old-fashioned as the Thane. He wondered if he might have another ear
piercing.

"Do you think he could get us a gig in Scotland?" asked
Delicious, after he'd gone.

"Our band broke up," her sister pointed out.

"So it did. What happened?"

They couldn't remember. But night had now fallen and it was
time to go out and visit the local bars so they hurried to their
bedrooms and started dragging out clothes from every drawer and
cupboard. Beauty and Delicious had a lot of clothes. They always wanted
to look good when they hit the town, and they generally succeeded.

37

"You intend to nominate Markus for Thane?"

Thrix was taken aback. She knew well that her mother was
closer to her second son but it had never occurred to her that there
would be any serious opposition to Sarapen.

"This will tear the family apart."

"Our family is not close, dear. You know that."

They were flying to Scotland, together with Markus. On a
signal from his mother, Markus had left Verasa alone with her daughter.

"Mother, I'm shocked."

"I know this is all very sudden. I had intended to do a good
deal more in the way of preparation but the Thane's death has come much
quicker than I expected."

"Do you really expect the Great Council to vote for Markus?
You know what Sarapen is going to do when he learns of this?"

"He will accept the decision of the Great Council like the
traditionally minded werewolf he is."

"I doubt that very much. Thanks for the warning mother. I'm
walking into that council chamber with a protection spell ready and I'd
advise you to take a bodyguard."

Verasa pretended to be shocked.

"The son of the Mistress of the Werewolves does not attack his
mother."

"The daughter of the Thane doesn't attack her father either
but that didn't stop Kalix. Mother, have you really thought this
through?"

"I have given it a great deal of consideration."

Thrix was too surprised by the suggestion to easily marshal
her thoughts. She certainly did not like Sarapen. But she didn't like
Markus either. They had suspended hostilities temporarily while they
returned to the castle but she saw no prospect of a lasting friendship.

"Why are you so set against Sarapen? Just because you like
Markus better?"

"I love all my children equally," replied Verasa. "But Sarapen
has not adapted to the modern world. Markus will be a much better
figure to take the clan forward."

Thrix shook her head. She found it hard not to smile at the
notion of her mother loving all her children equally. In reality Markus
came a long way above them all and always had done.

"I really don't want to be involved in this. If Sarapen and
his followers start fighting Markus and his followers it will quite
likely spill out from the estates. I don't want one of my fashion shows
to be interrupted by a crowd of brawling werewolves. The magazine
editors wouldn't like it."