Martin Millar - Lonely Werewolf Girl (20 page)

Gawain knew why he was here. He was hoping to catch a glimpse
of Kalix. Gawain burned with desire for Kalix, just as he burned with
shame over the whole episode of their involvement and his expulsion. It
had not been right, he knew, to become involved with the daughter of
the Thane. She had been too young. Even if she had been older the clan
was never going to approve of such a match.

Though the humiliation of his trial had been great, it was not
the reason that Gawain burned with shame. He had a terrible sense of
guilt for allowing the banishment to happen. He should have stayed with
Kalix, and not allowed himself to be sent away. He should have stood up
to them. He shouldn't have deserted Kalix.

Gawain had himself only been nineteen at the time. Difficult
for a nineteen year old werewolf to defy the Thane and all his
household. Gawain hated himself for not trying harder. Since then he
had wan-dered the country. He never heard any news about Kalix. He
didn't know if she was still at the castle. Even his sharp senses
couldn't discern Kalix's scent at this distance. There were too many
other werewolves on the estate and the castle itself was masked by an
enchantment which muted the werewolf scent, to baffle their enemies. If
she was still at the castle she would surely be in the funeral
procession. Gawain had determined that he was going to see her again,
no matter what it cost.

57

At three a.m. Kalix, Daniel and Moonglow were sprawled
comfortably in the living room, surrounded by a great pile of empty
food cartons, record covers, CD covers, and assorted junk that had not
yet found a proper place in their new home. It could have been normal
scene from any student flat, had it not been for one of them being a
werewolf.

It was odd, reflected Moonglow, that here was Kalix, acting
for the first time something like a normal human being, but not being
in human form. The meat and the pizza had certainly improved her mood.
So had the Runaways though Moonglow had pleaded with Daniel to change
the music after a few hours, feeling that she couldn't take any more.
Kalix had growled angrily but when Daniel explained that it was normal
in human households not to listen to the same record for hours on end,
she had grudgingly agreed to listen to something else. Moonglow
intercepted Daniel on the way to the music shelves.

"Nothing loud. It's three in the morning," she said.

"All right," said Daniel, who was in a good mood. Kalix wasn't
being crazy and Moonglow hadn't spent the night with Jay. That was
enough to make Daniel cheerful.

Moonglow was also happy. After the trouble she'd gone to in
rescuing Kalix it was gratifying to see her finally showing signs of
responding. Kalix was bound to find life a lot less stressful now that
she had a new pendant to keep her safe, and some friendly people to
live with. Moonglow assumed that Kalix would want to live with them. It
had to be better than skulking in alleyways and sleeping in warehouses.

"What is this music?" asked Kalix.

"Kate Bush," replied Moonglow.

"I hate it," said Kalix, who had never learned how to be
tactful.

"You'll like it after you've heard it a few times," replied
Moon-glow, who was completely invulnerable to criticism when it came to
Kate Bush. Moonglow had spent far too much time in her bedroom between
the ages of twelve and fifteen reverently listening to Kate Bush to
take any criticism of her seriously.

"Jay didn't used to like her but he does now," said Moonglow.

"Who's Jay?" asked Kalix, which was the first sign she'd ever
shown of taking an interest in the life of either Daniel of Moonglow.

"My boyfriend."

"What's he like?"

"He's nice," enthused Moonglow. "He's good looking and he's
smart and we go to gigs together and he's really good at astrology."

"What's astrology?" asked Kalix.

"It's the art of reading the future in the stars and planets,"
said Moonglow, a little surprised by Kalix's ignorance.

"What's going to happen?" asked Kalix.

"When?"

"In the future."

Moonglow struggled for an answer.

"Well, it's more like a sort of personal guidance thing."

"It's total rubbish," said Daniel, unable to contain himself.
"They just make it all up."

Kalix lost interest and started licking the inside of a pizza
box. Her tongue was alarmingly long, to match her teeth. But now they
were used to her voice and could understand her, they didn't find the
werewolf Kalix intimidating any more. They had both started to look on
her furry form as cute and attractive. Moonglow had an urge to stroke
her long coat, an urge she wisely didn't act on. She wondered about
Kalix's shape. Sort of man-beast. Or woman-beast.

"Are all werewolves the same shape?"

"What?"

"Sort of half person half wolf. I was wondering if any
werewolves can change into wolves. Like a complete wolf, I mean."

"I can do that," said Kalix. "All the pure-blooded
MacRinnalchs can change into wolves if they want."

"Why don't you?"

"It's not so good for fighting," said Kalix. "And you just
can't do anything with your paws. It's hard to even open a door. You
can't talk. And you don't think so clearly."

"When did you last try being a wolf?"

"I don't want to talk about it," said Kalix. "It's not the
business of humans."

"Sorry."

Unexpectedly, the doorbell rang.

"Have we been disturbing the neighbours?"

Kalix had risen swiftly and was sniffing the air.

"It's the stupid Hiyasta Queen," she said, and sat down again.

Moonglow went off to open the door. Downstairs she found the
Fire Queen in an elegant blue outfit and a flood of tears. She was too
upset to speak. Moonglow had to help her through the door and up the
stairs. When they reached the living room Malveria simply collapsed on
the couch and lay there sobbing.

"It must be really tough being a Fire Queen," whispered Daniel
to Moonglow. "Every time we see this woman she's in hysterics."

Moonglow brought some tissues.

"Can I get you anything else?" said asked.

Malveria shook her head.

"It's no use," she cried. "Nothing will stop the pain."

"Would you like a cup of tea?"

"A cup of tea would be nice," sobbed Malveria, then buried her
face in the tissues and got back to crying uncontrollably.

58

Moonglow returned from the kitchen with a pot of tea to find
the Fire Queen still sobbing. Daniel, in an effort to comfort her, was
now patting her head, which rested on his shoulder.

"There there," said Daniel. He noticed that Moonglow was
regarding him with amusement. Embarrassed, he moved away a few inches
at which Malveria sobbed even louder then laid her head in his lap.

"Tea?" said Moonglow.

Malveria managed to dry her eyes sufficiently to take the cup
though she remained lying on Daniel's lap, which wasn't the easiest
position in which to drink. For a while there was only the sound of
Malveria sipping her tea in between sobs. It was quite a pathetic
scene. Eventually Malveria looked up.

"I must look terrible," she said, and indeed her face was
heavily smeared with make-up. Her eyeliner had not been able withstand
the burning tears of a hysterical Fire Queen.

"Bring me servants and a mirror."

"I'm afraid we don't have any servants," Moonglow told her.

"How do you live in this hell?" cried the Queen, and prepared
to start crying again. Moonglow quickly volunteered to take her to the
bathroom and help her wash her face.

"Thank you," said Malveria, in a trembling voice. "Though no
amount of face washing will remove the utter disgrace I have just
suffered."

"Is this another clothes-related disaster?" enquired Moonglow,
kindly.

"A catastrophe. Do you have mascara?"

"Plenty of mascara," said Moonglow, reassuringly, and helped
Malveria to her feet. She led her from the room like a rescue worker
helping a victim away from a serious disaster, steering her gently but
firmly towards the bathroom. Kalix and Daniel watched them go.

"She's a strange woman," said Daniel.

Kalix shrugged.

"Can we stop playing Kate Bush now?" she said. "I want to hear
the Runaways."

"You really love the Runaways."

"They're the best band ever," said Kalix.

Daniel changed the music and turned down the gas fire, which
was overheating the room.

"Have you met the Fire Queen often?" asked Daniel.

"A few times. When I was younger."

"Does she really have any power?" said Daniel, who was curious.

"She brought me back from almost dead," Kalix pointed out.

"I suppose so. But every time we meet her she's crying about
some ridiculous thing. The same ridiculous thing in fact. If she's so
powerful why does she get so upset about clothes?"

Kalix shrugged.

"I don't know. But she is powerful. Once when I went to see
Thrix, Malveria was there and she was celebrating some anniversary when
she'd defeated the neighbouring Kingdom's army. She bought shoes and a
coat."

Daniel mused on this. He supposed she must be powerful, if she
was defeating neighbouring kingdoms. It all seemed strange to him.

After a very long time in the bathroom, Moonglow and Malveria
reappeared. The Fire Queen had washed her face and re-applied her
make-up. Her spirits were a little revived due to Moonglow's fine new
mascara. With its extra powers of thickening and lengthening eyelashes
it was, Malveria said, a much finer product than the one she had been
using. Even so she was far from happy, and was again muttering about
Thrix's treachery.

"But maybe Empress Asaratanti's daughter just happens to have
similar tastes?" Moonglow was saying.

Malveria sat down heavily. The heels of her shoes were so
pencil thin it was difficult to stand on them for long.

"Impossible. Princess Kabachetka has no taste. Someone is
dressing her and it must be Thrix. The Werewolf Enchantress is selling
me clothes and then selling them to the cursed Princess as well. It is
foul behaviour beyond all standards of decency and I am now going to
destroy the Enchantress."

Daniel glanced at Kalix but if the young werewolf was upset at
the prospect of her older sister being destroyed, she didn't show it.

"What's going on?" asked Daniel.

"What is going on?" said Malveria, her voice rising. "I will
tell you what is going on, young Daniel. I have been subject to the
most abject treachery. Kingdoms have fallen through less perfidious
acts of treason than the shameful one that I have suffered. Have you
washed your hair recently? I thought not. It is in poor condition.
Really, you should let Moonglow guide you in these matters. She is a
knowledgeable women on all aspects of hair care."

Daniel hadn't quite followed this explanation. He looked to
Moonglow for guidance.

"Every time the Queen turns up at some event in a new outfit
she finds that Princess Kabachetka has beaten her to it," explained
Moonglow, who had heard the whole story at length, upstairs in the
bathroom.

"Who's Princess Kabachetka?"

"A trollop from the Kingdom of the Hainusta, who are inferior
elemental in every way," explained the Fire Queen. "She is daughter of
the Empress Asaratanti, not that that counts for anything. Asaratanti
has many children and one dreads to think who the fathers may be. But
this so-called Princess has trumped my outfit on so many occasions
recently that it cannot be co-incidence. Look at this blue dress. Have
you ever seen anything so fine?"

Daniel was not a connoisseur of women's clothing but even so
he had to admit that the dress, long, silky and clinging, was very
fine, and rather unusual.

"Thrix swore she had designed it exclusively for me. Yet the
who-rish Princess Kabachetka was wearing one exactly the same when I
turned up to the cocktail party thrown by the Sorceress Livia to
celebrate the death of her third-born son. I did not know what to do
with myself. I am sure everyone was talking about me behind my back. I
simply had to flee."

The Fire Queen sighed.

"Soon 1 will be the laughing stock of all kingdoms." Her face
set in a malevolent expression. "But Queen Malveria will not accept
treachery from werewolf enchantresses. I will destroy her."

Moonglow was troubled. While Thrix had not exactly been
friendly towards her, she was Kalix's sister, and she had provided the
original pendant which had kept her safe.

"If you don't mind me saying so, there might be another
explanation. I don't get the impression that Thrix would commit
treachery against you."

"What other explanation could there be?"

"Maybe a spy."

"A spy?"

Moonglow nodded.

"It's quite common in the fashion world. I read about it in
Elle
."

Malveria looked interested.

"The edition with Ellie MacPherson on the cover?"

"I think it was Kate Moss. The article said that some fashion
houses were taking on extra security because other designers were
spying on them. Maybe this Princess has sent a spy into Thrix Fashions?"

The Fire Queen considered this, concentrating deeply for a
while.

"This is possible. Such filthy and deplorable behaviour would
be entirely in keeping with Princess Kabachetka's character. I must
contact Thrix immediately. I will summon a spirit to take my words to
her. Although a messenger from the Hiyasta will not be welcome at this
time, when there is a funeral at Castle MacRinnalch."

Malveria rolled the word MacRinnalch round her tongue in her
exotic way, making it sound quite magical.

"You could just email her," suggested Moonglow.

"I do not understand this process."

"I'll show you if you like," said Moonglow.

As a fire elemental, Malveria was never comfortable with human
technology, but such was the crisis she agreed to Moonglow's
suggestion, and followed her upstairs to her room. She looked around
Moon-glow's small bedroom with interest. Dark posters, and a great deal
of beads, candles, feathers, concert tickets, and other ephemera hung
on the walls or covered the table. The small dark space reminded
Malveria of a cave.