Martin Millar - Lonely Werewolf Girl (58 page)

158

By four a.m. Vex had fallen asleep on the couch. Daniel and
Kalix sat on either side of her, watching a repeat of Buffy. Neither
spoke for a long time. Finally Daniel picked up a bottle, drained the
dregs, and sighed.

"Well it's hard to believe, but cable TV doesn't bring
happiness in all circumstances."

Daniel had developed a deep, maudlin gloom about Moonglow. He
stared at the carpet, contemplating the unfairness of life.

"The girl I love is a werewolf groupie."

Kalix was just as unhappy as Daniel. The news that Moonglow
was seeing Markus had come as a terrible shock. She hated Markus.
Markus hated her. He wanted to take Kalix back to Castle MacRin-nalch
to face punishment. And now Moonglow was dating him. Kalix could hardly
believe it.

"Moonglow will make me go back to the castle," she said.

Daniel shook his head.

"No, that won't happen."

"It will. Markus wants me to go there. If Moonglow is his
girlfriend she'll want the same."

Daniel shook his head again. He knew Moonglow would want
nothing of the sort but he was too wrapped up in his own gloom to spend
much time comforting Kalix. Kalix felt herself becoming anxious. She
hurried to her room for laudanum. The opiate calmed Kalix a little but
it didn't help her confused state of mind. She imagined Markus and
Moonglow bursting in and trying to take her away to Scotland. She
thought of fighting them. She'd kill Markus, and Moonglow as well if
she tried to help him. Moonglow was bad. Look how much she'd upset
Daniel. Kalix liked Daniel and didn't like to see him upset. She put
her hands to her head. She was full of wine and laudanum and she
couldn't think straight. Her anxiety was threatening to burst through
the protective shield of intoxicants. She hunted round for something to
do to take her mind of her problems.

Kalix suddenly remembered how she'd felt good after helping
Dominil. Maybe if she helped someone right now she might feel better.
So she decided to help Daniel. She'd heard him trudge past her door on
his way to his bedroom and Kalix knew that he was depressed and lonely
now that Moonglow was more out of reach than ever. It struck Kalix
quite forcefully that sleeping with Daniel would be a very good thing
to do. He'd stop feeling lonely. Kalix herself might not be so lonely.
She might forget about everything long enough for her anxiety to pass.

Kalix had a knife in her hand, ready to cut her own arm. Now,
pleased with her plan, she laid it down unused. Already this was making
her feel better. She hurried into the corridor and along to Daniel's
door. She halted, realising that she wasn't certain how best to bring
this about. Should she just creep into Daniel's bed? Should she ask
first? That felt awkward. Kalix didn't know what to do. She became
discouraged and returned to her room.

A new anxiety descended on Kalix, one she hadn't encountered
for a while. The fear of being unattractive. How could she expect
Daniel to want to sleep with her? Kalix looked in the mirror and
shuddered. She was sure she'd put on weight. Kalix realised she'd been
eating far too much and resolved to put a stop to it right away.

She still wanted to sleep with Daniel. It would take away her
loneliness. Kalix took a substantial drink of laudanum and set off
again, determined to carry it through. This time she didn't hesitate.
She marched into Daniel's room.

"Daniel - " she began, before grinding to a halt. Daniel's
room was lit by a single candle, plenty of light for a sharp-eyed
werewolf to make out everything. Daniel and Vex were in bed together.
They halted, turning their heads to look at the intruder.

"Eh - " said Daniel.

"Hi Kalix," said Vex, cheerfully. "Are you here to watch?"

Kalix fled. She rushed downstairs, sank into the couch, and
switched on the TV. At least her anxiety was gone.

'I've reached a new low point of misery, humiliation and
uselessness,' thought Kalix. 'Through which even anxiety can't
penetrate.'

159

"What is this?" demanded Dominil, picking a disc off the floor.

"A CD," replied Beauty.

"I know it's a CD," said Dominil, coldly. "It's the CD of your
last rehearsal which I burned for you. You're meant to be listening to
it to seek ways of improving your performance, not using it as a beer
mat."

"Lighten up," protested Delicious. "We know the songs."

"You don't know them. You have an acquaintance with them. The
last rehearsal was far from satisfactory and if you're going onstage in
four and a half weeks time you'll have to do better."

Delicious shared a pained look with her sister. It hadn't
taken Dominil long to get back to being her mean, domineering self.

"Can't you give us a moment's rest? We're trying to relax
here."

"You have relaxed for five hours today. That's enough."

"You're actually counting?" said Beauty, incredulously.

"Yes. And it's time you got to work."

Beauty yawned.

"I've always thought work was overrated."

"We're skinny and we have fabulous hair," added Delicious. "I
figure that's enough."

"Camden is full of girls who're skinny and have fabulous hair.
And they're all closer to success than you are. So clear this mess off
the floor, listen to the CD then get to work."

The twins scowled at her angrily but gave up the argument.
Satisfied that she'd made an impression on them, Dominil retreated
upstairs to her room, where she had other matters to think about. She'd
been wondering about the morality of using some of Verasa's money for
her own purposes. The Mistress of the Werewolves had given Dominil
access to a large sum. As the twins wouldn't allow Dominil to buy them
success, there was a lot of money left unused. If Dominil were to use
the money herself she knew she could disguise the expense in ways the
Mistress of the Werewolves would not discover.

She glanced at her notes on Tibullus. She wasn't going to find
a solution to her dilemma there. Tibullus was generally busy pursuing a
hopeless love. Finally deciding that she was uncomfortable with the
notion of misappropriating MacRinnalch funds, Dominil phoned the
Mistress of the Werewolves at the castle. Verasa welcomed her call. She
held Dominil in high regard these days.

"I want to use some of the money you provided."

"Of course Dominil."

"I need a small sum for a new leather coat. Sarapen damaged my
old one. And I need a larger sum for purposes of my own which I can't
tell you about."

Verasa paused, very slightly.

"Dominil, you know if you say that to me I can't help
wondering what you need it for."

"I know. But I can't tell you. Do you object to me using the
money?"

"Of course not. Why would I? You've made such splendid
progress with the twins."

"Very well."

The Mistress of the Werewolves enquired as to the likelihood
of Butix and Delix appearing at the castle to vote for Markus. Dominil
told her it was possible.

"If their gig goes well I think I'll be able to persuade them."

"Excellent. Does their band have a name, Dominil? Some of the
young werewolves in the castle were asking about it."

"Yum Yum Sugary Snacks," answered Dominil.

Verasa was surprised.

"That seems like a very odd name. I suppose one could not
expect the twins to think of anything very good. Perhaps you can find
something better for them."

"I'll give it some thought," said Dominil.

Not long after this, Dominil phoned the Young MacDoig.

"I'll take the item," she said, and hung up the phone.

Dominil headed out to the nearest branch of the Royal Bank of Scotland. There she made a large withdrawal. She was going to
the MacDoigs, but not to buy laudanum. She was taking up their offer of
purchasing the Begravar knife. Dominil knew that this had been removed
from the vaults of Castle MacRinnalch. Her duty should have been to
return it to the clan. Perhaps she would, later. But first she intended
to plunge it into Sarapen's heart, and kill him.

160

Moonglow fell hopelessly in love with Markus before they left
the gallery. Unless, she thought, she was hopelessly in love with him
before that. As they walked round the building Markus seemed to come
alive again. He attributed this to Moonglow. She knew this because he'd
told her so.

"I was so far gone in misery I didn't think I was ever going
to come out of it."

He'd kissed her in the foyer, in front of a crowd of people.
Moonglow felt like she was floating as they left the building.

He'd also apologised to her for attacking Kalix.

"The Thaneship. It was driving me insane, even before Talixia
was killed. I was acting in ways I never should have done."

"Are you going to be Thane now?" Moonglow asked.

Markus shook his head. He no longer cared about it.

"I'll withdraw. My brother can have it."

Moonglow had missed college, something she'd never done before
without feeling guilty. Today, she felt no guilt at all. She'd
willingly miss many more days at college to be with Markus. Now she lay
in Markus's bed, in Markus's arms, enjoying the feeling of being
hopelessly in love. She'd have to tell Jay she was leaving him. She
didn't mind that; something that would have seemed impossibly difficult
only a few days ago now seemed easy. She'd fallen in love and that was
all there was to it.

161

The Fire Queen returned from dinner at the Duchess Gargamond's
castle in a worried frame of mind. The Duchess, an old friend, was
still hiding from the world after her disgrace in wearing the same
aquamarine frock to two separate sacrifices. Poor Gargamond - until
recently as powerful a fire elemental as ever crossed the dimensions,
nurturing volcanoes and dealing out blazing destruction with tremendous
enthusiasm - was now a shadow of her former self. She admitted
tearfully to Malveria that she couldn't even bear to face her devotees.

"I'm so afraid that Apthalia may have told hateful stories
about me."

Apthalia the Grim was a terrible gossip. Life had been easier
when she just concentrated on killing travellers on lonely roads. Since
she'd taken up with the fashion world, no one was safe. Reputations
could crumble in a moment. It was a miracle, reflected Malveria, that
her own status had not plunged even further, given the number of times
the vile Princess Kabachetka had trumped her recently in matters of
style.

"Don't worry, my dear," said the Fire Queen, re-assuringly. "I
am sure it will all be forgotten soon."

Duchess Gargamond was not comforted. She could see no end to
her disgrace.

"Apthalia the Grim is utterly evil," complained the Duchess.

"Well of course," said Malveria. "But one would expect that
from a woman who kills lonely travellers."

"I do not mean that sort of evil. I mean in the far worse
sense of being a malicious gossip. I'd like to raise a volcano on her
doorstep and throw her in."

But of course, Duchess Gargamond could do no such thing. Had
Apthalia the Grim offended her in some other way - stolen her cattle
perhaps, or poisoned her wells - the Duchess could have taken violent
revenge. However, in matters of fashion, etiquette forbade it. Anyone
offering violence to a fellow elemental for mocking her outfits would
be outcast forever, the subject of eternal ridicule. Violence was not
permitted, and the realm's great ladies had to get by on wit and style.

"I suppose I'll just have to put up with it till some other
poor unfortunate suffers an even greater disgrace," sighed the Duchess.
"Then, mine may be forgotten about."

It was this thought which now preoccupied the Fire Queen. The Sorceress Livia's celebration was only four weeks away. All
the ladies of the court were preparing their wardrobes. Coats and
dresses were being sewn, and shoes made to order. Some from the lands
of men, some from the lands of the fairies and some from those
elemental tailors who were up to date in matters of fashion. Yet
Malveria's outfits were not ready. As far as Malveria could see, the
Enchantress was falling seriously behind with her work, and might not
finish in time. If Malveria was obliged to turn up at Livia's with a
wardrobe which was in anyway deficient, it would be the end. Her shame
would eclipse that of the Duchess Gargamond.

It was too bad. Malveria decided to raise the matter with
Thrix. The Enchantress was slightly touchy these days but Malveria
couldn't just do nothing. She must be dressed for Livia's in a style so
superb as to cow and overwhelm all opposition, particularly Princess
Kabachetka.

Agrivex appeared in the throne room.

"Hi auntie. Do you want the bowing and curtseying?"

Malveria frowned.

"The bowing and curtseying is not something my subjects should
ask about, foolish niece. It must be done spontaneously. Otherwise the
whole effect is ruined."

"All right," said Vex, and began the appropriate greeting.
Malveria waved her hand.

"Stop that, idiot girl. I never saw anyone so bad at bowing
and curtseying. You make the whole process a mockery."

Malveria eyed Vex with distaste. The spiky blonde hair was
particularly offensive. Vex grinned at the Fire Queen in what she
imagined was a winning way.

"I expect you've noticed how I've been attending my lessons,
not breaking things, no outrages committed round the palace, that sort
of thing."

"Nothing has occupied my attention more," replied the Fire
Queen, dryly. "And to what do we owe this unexpected good behaviour?"

"I need four new pairs of boots, a new coat, some T-shirts, a
leather jacket and probably some new earrings as well."

Vex held up her hand.

"Now before you protest, I should point out that not only have
I attended to all my palace duties, I've also slept with Daniel."