Martin Millar - Lonely Werewolf Girl (61 page)

"No, really," said Moonglow, looking Malveria in the eye. "You
don't really think Thrix is betraying you, do you?"

Malveria stared back at Moonglow, not liking to be
contradicted. Then she shrugged.

"Possibly she is not."

"Of course she isn't," said Moonglow, in her kindly way.
"Thrix would never do that to you. I expect she's just tired because
she's been working too hard and when you started to argue, it all got
out of hand and you both said things you didn't mean."

Malveria stared at her exquisite shoes for a moment, then at
Moonglow. The girl did have a way of putting things that made sense.

"You think this is possible?"

"Definitely. Thrix is a good friend. And she's making you such
beautiful clothes."

Malveria let out a long low moan and rested her head on
Daniel's shoulder.

"Moonglow is right. But now it is an even worse disaster. I
have accused my friend of terrible things and she'll never speak to me
again."

"Why not just apologise?" suggested Moonglow.

The Fire Queen bridled at the idea.

"Apologise? Never. The Enchantress said very hurtful things to
me. If I marginally overreacted it was quite understandable."

"Just apologise, it'll make things better."

"Never," insisted the Fire Queen. "I did not defeat the dragon
of death and despair by apologising."

Moonglow pointed out that this was rather different. Malveria
dug her pencil-thin heels in.

"Before I can apologise the Enchantress will have to beg my
forgiveness."

"Well really!" said Moonglow, exasperated. She took out her
phone and dialled Thrix's personal number.

"Thrix? This is Moonglow. Malveria's here and she's really
upset…"

"This is outrageous!" cried the Fire Queen. "I insist you put
down that phone."

"…and she wants to make up the argument."

Malveria crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"I will not speak to her," she declared.

The Enchantress suddenly appeared in the room, materialising
with a much gentler flash of light than had Malveria. Moonglow was
surprised to see Thrix as human, with the full moon overhead. Thrix
stared at Malveria. Malveria stared at Thrix, then leapt to her feet
and embraced the Enchantress.

"Dear Thrix I'm so sorry."

"I'm sorry too," said Thrix.

They embraced emotionally. Daniel turned to Moonglow.

"You're good at this sort of thing."

"Yes, it's one of my talents."

Moonglow broke off a slice of the pizza which Daniel had just
microwaved for her. Kalix slunk out of her own room and made her way
through to the kitchen without speaking. She didn't even acknowledge
her sister.

"There goes our teenage malcontent," said Daniel. "Also in a
bad mood."

Thrix and Malveria had by now stopped embracing and were
talking animatedly about designs for day four, whatever that meant.
Kalix traipsed heavily back into the room. Moonglow scrabbled in her
bag.

"I brought you something," she said and handed over a box.
Kalix took it in her werewolf paw with a show of boredom. She wasn't
intending to be impressed by any gift from Moonglow. However, on
finding it to be a DVD containing the whole first series of Sabrina the
Teenage Witch, her face lit up. Kalix's emotions while in werewolf form
were less subtle than her emotions as human. Her defences were dented
by the excellent present.

"Thanks," she muttered, still attempting to show as little
gratitude as possible. But she sat down on the floor beside them and
eagerly opened the DVD to look at the pictures inside.

Moonglow had worked a miraculous transformation. It seemed
like only minutes ago that the house was full of miserable elementals
and gloomy werewolves. Now the living room was full of contented
creatures. Moonglow was still puzzled at Thrix being in human shape
while the moon was full.

"I can suppress it," explained Thrix.

Moonglow considered this.

"Why? Isn't it fun? Don't you get urges to run through a
forest?"

"Why on earth would I want to run through a forest?" asked
Thrix.

"To get close to nature?" ventured Moonglow.

The Fire Queen burst out laughing at the thought of Thrix
getting close to nature.

"Thrix does not like to participate in anything which does not
require high heels."

Moonglow's phone rang. She hurried out of the living room to
take it in private. Malveria commented on Moonglow's capacity for
bringing good cheer. Thrix looked thoughtful.

"I wonder if she's bringing good cheer to Markus?"

"One would imagine so," said Malveria. "Given that she seems
so happy herself."

There was a terrible cry from the hallway. Moonglow burst into
the room and collapsed sobbing onto the couch. Malveria turned to Thrix.

"These humans can be so inconsistent."

Moonglow put her head on Daniel's shoulder.

"Markus says it's all over," she wailed. "He never wants to
see me again."

Moonglow cried bitterly, and it was all she could do for a
long time to come.

166

The third time Markus had woken up with Moonglow beside him he
realised he felt different. He felt peaceful. He was calmer than he had
been for weeks. The terrible emptiness caused by the loss of Talixia
didn't hurt so badly. He still grieved for her but it no longer felt
like something he couldn't cope with. He had done enough grieving.

Little of the dull morning light penetrated the heavy curtains
of Markus's bedroom; it was enough for a werewolf to make out his still
sleeping partner. Moonglow was pretty when she was sleeping. Tranquil,
with a hint of a smile on her lips. Markus looked at her
appreciatively. She had brought him back from the brink. Her love for
him had rescued Markus from his despair. He leaned over and kissed her
lightly on the cheek. He appreciated what she'd done. It was a shame
that he would now have to leave her.

He dressed silently and went downstairs to the phone, then
called his mother's private chambers at Castle MacRinnalch.

"This is an early call, dear. I hope there is nothing the
matter?"

"I'm better. The trauma has gone."

Verasa was surprised.

"Are you certain?"

"I'm quite certain. Tell me what's been happening."

Markus was aware that his behaviour could not have impressed
his fellow werewolves. The prospective Thane did not hide away and
mourn for his losses. The prospective Thane rallied his supporters and
defeated his opponents. When Verasa gave a rather vague and meandering
version of recent developments, Markus interrupted her.

"Mother, it's fine. You don't have to spare my feelings. Do I
still have sufficient support to be Thane?"

Verasa assured him that he did. She was cautious, still
surprised at the sudden change in her favourite son's demeanour.

"Did anything happen to you?"

"No," replied Markus. "I simply recovered. I am a MacRinnalch,
after all. We should discuss what we're going to do next. I've been
thinking it might be best if you made me captain of the castle guard."

"My thoughts exactly," said Verasa, and sounded pleased.

They spoke for a long time, till Markus was fully abreast of
recent events. He was contemptuous when he heard that his older brother
had called a clandestine meeting of his supporters.

"The Barons will not dare to go against us. And if they do
we'll put them in their place."

Markus was healed, in body and spirit. Moonglow's attentions
and the power of the moon had brought back his strength. He thought of
the girl, lying upstairs in his bed. He knew that she loved him. It had
happened before. Human girls of that sort always loved him. They
couldn't help themselves. When Moonglow woke he'd be polite to her, and
send her off kindly. But now he was well, he didn't need her any more,
and the relationship was over.

167

At the headquarters
of the Avenaris Guild Mr Carmichael was assess-

ing reports. The Guild knew by now that there was a dispute
going on among the MacRinnalchs; something to do with the succession to
the Thaneship. This was highly significant. At such a time there might
be many opportunities for killing werewolves, particularly as they had
information that many of the principal characters were here in London,
far from the safety of their ancestral homes.

Gregor MacRinnalch had been killed by Mr Mikulanec, and Gregor
was known to the Guild as a senior member of the MacRinnalch Clan.
Affairs in London must be important for him to have made an appearance.
Mr Carmichael had a shrewd idea that the MacRinnalch feud might be
coming to a head on their own doorstep, and sent out as many agents as
he had available. Some south of the river, to continue the hunt for
Kalix. Some further afield, looking for the werewolf musicians they'd
fought at the rehearsal studio. The Guild was now cooperating fully
with Mr Mikulanec. He'd proved his worth by killing Gregor. When the
Guild made the breakthrough that was surely coming, they'd call on the
services of Mr Mikulanec, and together they'd deal the MacRinnalchs a
blow they'd never forget.

The werewolf hunters had increased their computer security.
Their information officer reported to Mr Carmichael that whoever had
hacked into their system would not be able to do so again. Sitting at
her computer, upstairs in the twins' house, Dominil was only slightly
inconvenienced.

"You wasted your money on the upgrade," she murmured, as she
once more bypassed their security, and scanned their files. The
werewolf was not pleased at what she learned. The Avenaris Guild seemed
to know more about the feud for the Thaneship than they should. They
still lacked details - no word of events at a meeting of the Great
Council had ever reached outside ears - but they knew enough to realise
that this was a good time to attack the clan.

Dominil noted with displeasure that she now appeared in their
records.
A white-haired werewolf, of unknown origin.
Apparently protecting the younger musicians. Assisted at the studio by
two other werewolves, one of them Kalix MacRinnalch
.

Again there was mention of the man from Croatia. Now he had a
name, Mr Mikulanec. He had killed Gregor MacRinnalch on the same night
that Gawain was injured. Dominil knew of Gawain's injury. Thrix had
told her that a human hunter now carried the Begravar knife, or
something very similar. Thrix didn't know how the human came to possess
such a weapon. She thought it most likely that it was the MacRinnalch
knife, stolen somehow from the castle by the Avenaris Guild. The
Mistress of the Werewolves didn't believe the Guild were involved. She
believed it had been stolen by Sarapen, and then used by one of his
human hirelings.

Only Dominil knew for certain that there were two Begravar
knives, because she had one of them. Kertal had stolen this knife from
the MacRinnalch vaults, but if the Mistress of the Werewolves blamed
Sarapen for the theft, and the deaths of Talixia and Gregor, then
Dominil wasn't about to enlighten her. It suited Dominil for Sarapen to
take the blame. She had been amused to learn that Verasa had expelled
him from the clan. How that must have hurt Sarapen, with his liking for
clan tradition.

Reaching under the bed, Dominil drew out the box. The knife
wasn't large but the blade was sharp. The hilt was decorated with a
plate made of bone, with cuneiform engravings. Dominil could not yet
read them but she intended to learn how. As far as she knew, the knife
needed activating before its dread power became fully effective. Were
it active at this moment, she wouldn't even be able to hold it without
its spell of bafflement affecting her senses. Presumably the writing
gave some sort of instructions, some word of power, to bring the weapon
to life. Dominil took a sip from her bottle of laudanum then began to
hunt on the internet for translations of Sumerian cuneiform.

168

Moonglow sobbed on Daniel's shoulder. Thrix fidgeted, wanting
to leave, but the Fire Queen was fascinated. She was pleased to see the
way Daniel comforted Moonglow. Kalix, not that interested in
Moon-glow's misery, was about to head for the kitchen when Vex appeared
in the room, arriving from upstairs.

"What are you doing here?" demanded Malveria.

"Practising teleporting," replied Vex. "Quite successfully
really."

Vex smiled brightly, and wondered why no one was smiling back
at her. She finally noticed that Moonglow was crying.

"What's the matter with her?"

"Markus has discarded Moonglow like an unwanted sacrifice,"
explained Malveria. "Jettisoned her like last years shoes. Thrown her
out like - "

Moonglow's crying grew louder. Thrix nudged Malveria.

"Did I speak out of place?"

"Whoa!" said Vex, enthusiastically. "Bad break up? Lucky you
got cable. It's just what you need to get you through. So, who's got
the TV guide?"

"Be quiet, idiotic niece," said Malveria. "You will upset the
girl. What good is television when you have been cast aside, abandoned,
and brutally rejected by the one you love?"

Moonglow sobbed and rushed from the room.

"I really think you need TV," insisted Vex. "It's the best
thing for a broken heart. I've read about people eating ice cream and
chocolate but what's the point of that? I mean, then you're not only
miserable you're fat as well."

"Surprisingly, my niece speaks sensibly for once," agreed the
Fire Queen. "There is no point in laying on pounds of unwanted blubber
as a means of dealing with rejection."

The Enchantress nodded in agreement. Vex, Malveria and Thrix
were united in their antagonism towards food as a palliative for a
broken heart. Daniel, feeling they were all missing the point, rose
with an exasperated grunt.

"I'll go see she's all right."

"He is gallant," said Malveria, as Daniel left the room. She
turned her eyes back towards Vex, and became suspicious.