Martin Millar - Lonely Werewolf Girl (63 page)

Kalix supposed that her experiences weren't so bad, when she
considered it.

"But I hate people lecturing me," she added.

"What do they lecture you about?"

"Not eating. And I cut myself."

Kalix looked defiantly at Dominil.

"Don't lecture me about it," she said.

"I don't care if you starve and bleed yourself to death,"
replied Dominil, and quite obviously meant it. Kalix was surprised.
Dominil handed her a small bag. Inside was some money, and a bottle of
laudanum.

"Payment for your help."

Two young men in leather jackets approached rather hesitantly
and asked if they could sit down at their table. Dominil showed her
teeth and growled at them. They hurried off.

"Can I come to the gig?" asked Kalix.

"Of course. We'll put you on the guest list."

Kalix liked that. She'd never been on a guest list
before. It felt important.

"When is it?"

"It's on the flier," said Dominil.

Kalix looked at the flier. Dominil saw immediately that she
struggled to understand it.

"You can't read?"

Kalix flushed.

"I can read some."

"But not well. That must be inconvenient."

"I was getting better," said Kalix. "I was using Moonglow's
computer. With Puffy the Puffin."

"So I recall," said Dominil. "You rescued him. What happened
next?"

"I don't use Moonglow's computer any more."

"Did she prevent you?"

"No…"

"You didn't want to accept the favour?"

Kalix nodded.

"How very foolish," declared Dominil, with an alarming lack of
sympathy. "If you don't look after your own interests you may be sure
that no one else will."

"But I don't want to," said Kalix, rather pathetically.

"Then don't," said Dominil, bringing the subject to a swift
end.

It was time to give out the rest of their fliers. They walked
along to a venue where people were arriving for tonight's gig.

"It's a good design," said Kalix, who was impressed that
Dominil had made the leaflets herself. "People at the castle used to
say you were the cleverest MacRinnalch."

"They were right," replied Dominil. "I am."

Kalix smiled. She decided she liked Dominil.

"Do you really think I should keep learning to read?"

"I do not greatly care," said Dominil. "But it would probably
make your life easier."

Kalix thought that was encouraging. She'd make another attempt.

172

Thrix woke up with Gawain beside her and immediately felt
annoyed.

"What the hell are you doing here? Don't you know I'm busy?
How am I meant to work with you here all the time?"

"You asked me to stay," protested Gawain.

"So what? You didn't have to accept. Don't you have any
self-control?"

Thrix swung herself from the bed, donned her dressing gown and
snapped her fingers, turning on the coffee maker in the kitchen.

"This has got to stop!" she said, forcefully.

In her bed, Gawain was looking perplexed.

"You asked me to stay!" he said.

"Will you stop repeating that?" said Thrix. "It's not my fault
if you're always turning up here with wounds and making me feel sorry
for you. Do you think I've got nothing better to do with my time than
wrap you in bandages?"

Gawain had endured another hostile werewolf encounter in
Ken-nington. He'd met two MacAndris werewolves, hunting for Kalix.
Gawain had chased them off, receiving a few cuts in the process. And
then, to use the Enchantress's words, he'd trotted over to her house
like a sick puppy looking for attention. Gawain was stung by Thrix's
criticism. He rose from the bed. The Enchantress was irritated to
observe what an attractive body he had. Flat stomach muscles, and
shoulders that were strong without being too broad. The male model in
her last advert should have had such a good physique.

Gawain hardly knew what he was doing here. He didn't know why
they kept sleeping together. It didn't seem to make either of them
happy. He dressed swiftly and headed for the door.

"So that's your idea of how to behave?" cried the Enchantress.
"You're just walking out of here without saying goodbye?"

"I didn't think you wanted me to say goodbye," replied Gawain.

"I don't. The sooner you're out of here the better. And next
time you get injured protecting that walking personality-disorder
Kalix, go somewhere else for treatment."

"I will," snarled Gawain, angered by Thrix's withering tone.
Though he didn't like her very much at this moment, Gawain did still
realise he owed her for her healing powers. He attempted to say as much
but she cut him off.

"Are you going to stand there talking all day? Weren't you
about to leave?"

"Damn you I don't know what you want!" cried Gawain. "I'm
leaving." He wrenched the bedroom door open. The Enchantress snapped
her fingers and the door slammed shut.

"So you're just going to walk out of here without a word of
thanks?" demanded Thrix.

Gawain growled. This she-wolf was beyond his comprehension.

"Open the door!" he demanded, and dealt it a hefty blow.

"You dare to use violence in my house?" roared the
Enchantress. She again snapped her fingers, making the door fly open.

"Get out and don't come back!"

"I won't!"

Gawain marched along the hallway and opened the front door.
Before he could step outside, it flew shut again and the Enchantress
was somehow in front of him, looking angry.

"Oh yes you'd just love to leave with your nose in the air,
wouldn't you? Do you know how much I despise you? God knows why I ever
got involved with you."

Gawain put his face close to Thrix's.

"And God knows why I ever got involved with you, you
manipulating, bad-tempered, blonde-haired - "

Gawain came to an abrupt halt. For one thing he'd noticed how
attractive Thrix's hair really was and for another the Enchantress had
grabbed him and was now kissing him, very forcibly. She propelled him
along the corridor and back into the bedroom.

"Never bother me again," demanded Thrix, as they fell onto the
bed.

173

The Douglas-MacPhees prowled the south London streets in their
black van. Rhona drove, and the brothers scanned the pavements. The
inside of their van was dark, with various stolen items strewn on the
floor. They had a new digital radio, taken from a house they'd burgled
last week. It was tuned to doom-metal.com. The harsh noise suited their
mood. Duncan nodded idly in time to the music, shaking his hair, which
was long, lank and black. He had a snarling wolf tattooed over his
shoulder as did each of his siblings.

So it was that they finally ran into Kalix. They had no
warning of the meeting. No werewolf scent reached them. But there she
was, walking along the pavement outside Kennington Park. The
Douglas-MacPhees leapt from their van and ran to intercept her. Kalix
had once again been careless. She should have scented the MacPhees well
before she saw them but she was too wrapped up in thoughts of her day
with Dominil to pay attention to her surroundings.

"Kalix MacRinnalch," snarled Duncan Douglas-MacPhee.

Kalix looked at him. Oddly, she didn't seem overly concerned
at her plight.

"Get out of my way," she said.

"You're coming with us," said Duncan. "And your boyfriend
isn't around to help you."

Kalix glanced up sharply and Duncan knew his words had got to
her.

"Yes, we saw Gawain, out looking for you, no doubt."

"Maybe he wasn't looking for her," said Rhona, and they all
laughed.

"What do you mean?" said Kalix, puzzled.

"Gawain MacRinnalch reeks of she-wolf but he doesn't reek of
you. Your boyfriend's found another bitch to play with."

"Take her to the van," said Duncan.

Kalix sank into her fighting crouch, her knees slightly bent,
her fists at shoulder level, each lightly clenched. At this the
Douglas-MacPhees howled with laughter. She looked like a skinny waif
who'd just watched a kung fu film, and come home from the cinema to
practice. Her raised fists were as intimidating as the paws of a little
kitten.

Fergus tried to grab hold of her. Kalix abruptly lashed out
with a brutal kick, catching him in the groin. He howled and fell over.
Then she sprang at Duncan and smashed the heel of her hand into his
face. Duncan's nose erupted with blood and he stumbled backwards. As
she landed Kalix was caught by a blow from Rhona but she rode it as
Gawain had once taught her to, deflecting its force. Kalix chopped at
Rhona's throat and drove her foot into her belly with such force that
she doubled over and sank to her knees.

Fergus was on his feet in an instant with a knife in his hand.
Kalix knew she couldn't fight like this for long in her human form. Her
strength would give out. She took off, sprinting for all she was worth
towards Kennington Park. She was over the fence in a second and
disappearing into the evening gloom before the Douglas-MacPhees could
come near her. The MacPhees set off in pursuit, scrambling awkwardly
over the fence.

By the time Kalix reached the bushes she was short of breath.
As always, her habit of not taking care of herself was costing her.
Dusk was falling. Kalix kept on running. If she could evade them till
the moon rose she'd transform and then she wouldn't need to run. She'd
rend them to pieces. Thorns ripped her flesh as she fled through the
bushes. She burst into a clearing and there was Gawain.

"Kalix!"

Gawain tried to take her in his arms, but Kalix remembered the
mocking words of the Douglas-MacPhees. She hadn't seen her beautiful
Gawain for years. She should have thrown herself into his arms as she'd
dreamed of doing but instead she found herself yelling at him.

"Do you have someone else?"

Gawain hesitated. Kalix, who knew him so well, could see that
it was true. He did. Kalix's world imploded. Gawain gazed at her,
distressed, unable to find any words that were appropriate. Suddenly a
figure emerged from the bushes. It was Decembrius, come to Ken-nington
to guide the Douglas-MacPhees. Decembrius stepped forward, and laughed.

"How fortunate to be present at the great reunion," he said.

Decembrius's powers of seeing were often of little use. He
hadn't yet learned to control them. Here, however, with such raw
emotion all around, he could easily sense what had been happening.

"Yes, Kalix. Your beloved Gawain does indeed have another
lover." He peered closely at Kalix. "And so, I think, do you."

Decembrius was exaggerating. Kalix didn't have a lover. But he
thought it was worth exaggerating, to demoralise his enemies.

Gawain and Kalix looked at each other and didn't know what to
say. This was not the reunion they'd dreamed about; it was the reunion
from a nightmare. The Douglas-MacPhees burst into the clearing and it
all became worse. There was an ugly fight as they rolled around on the
cold damp grass, punching and kicking. Kalix found herself underneath
Rhona, pinned to the ground by her far heavier opponent. Rhona drew a
knife and tried to stab Kalix in the neck. Kalix grabbed Rhona's wrist
but the blade came closer and closer. Kalix knew it was coated with
silver, and Rhona had the strength to drive it into her. In desperation
Kalix bit her wrist. Rhona yelled and the knife fell to the ground.
Kalix then butted Rhona savagely on the bridge of her nose. Rhona
groaned and rolled to one side. Kalix dragged herself to her feet and
stamped on her, though she no longer had the strength to do it as hard
as she'd have liked. She raised her foot to drive it back into Rhona's
chest when a voice called out behind her.

"That's enough."

Decembrius had stayed clear of the fighting. When it seemed
that Kalix and Gawain were gaining the upper hand, he drew an automatic
pistol from his coat and pointed it at them. Kalix was sure the gun
con-tained silver bullets. Decembrius wouldn't be pointing it at them
otherwise. Firing a silver bullet at another werewolf, even a deadly
enemy, was one of the most taboo things a werewolf could do. Apparently
Decembrius was prepared to break that taboo.

Gawain was struggling with Fergus and had wrestled him to the
ground. Decembrius pointed his gun first at Kalix, but seemed to change
his mind, and turned it towards Gawain. Kalix leapt at Decembrius,
getting a hand to the gun before it went off. There was a scream behind
her and she looked round in anguish, expecting to see Gawain lying
dead. The bullet hadn't hit Gawain. Thanks to Kalix's intervention it
had gone through Fergus's shoulder. Fergus screamed in agony as the
silver, so deadly to werewolves, burned the flesh and bones. Kalix
grabbed the gun from Decembrius and tossed it away. She tried to strike
him but she had no strength left. He brushed her off and she tumbled to
the ground.

Gawain rushed to Kalix's side and picked her up. The
Douglas-MacPhees were howling in confusion around the stricken Fergus.
Decembrius was scrabbling in the bushes, trying to retrieve his gun.
Gawain hoisted Kalix over his shoulder and set off at a run. He'd
escaped from the clearing and reached the edge of the park when Kalix
began to struggle.

"Put me down," she demanded.

He did as she asked. Kalix's body sagged, as if she was about
to faint. Then the moon rose. Kalix transformed into werewolf shape.
Her vitality returned and she spun round and ran away. Gawain pursued
her at a distance. He saw her change back into human as she left the
park to hurry away into the side streets. He followed her till she was
almost home, making sure that she wasn't pursued, then retreated into
an alleyway where he sat down on a wooden crate, put his head in his
hands and sighed.

174

Markus returned to Castle MacRinnalch one week after the full
moon. The Mistress of the Werewolves was overjoyed to see him return.
By coming back to the castle while the Barons were preparing to attack,