Martin Millar - Lonely Werewolf Girl (46 page)

"Agrivex, you are an idiot."

Daniel stepped back abruptly.

"So you are a Hiyasta."

"Hey," protested Vex. "There's no need to make it sound like
I've got the plague."

"I sent my not-yet-adopted niece to check on your safety,"
explained Malveria, improvising swiftly. "It has been a matter of some
concern to me how the companions of Kalix were faring. It can be
dangerous to become involved with the MacRinnalchs, as you know."

Vex was struggling to keep up. Eventually catching Malveria's
drift, she smiled again and told Daniel she'd been worried about him so
she decided to escort him home safely. It was something of a blow to
Daniel's ego to discover that the girl who'd attached herself to him so
enthusiastically had in fact been sent by Malveria to look after him.
For a few happy hours Daniel had felt attractive, which he very rarely
did. When Vex had put her arms around him, he could tell that the other
students were impressed. Now, it didn't seem the same.

"And look what I found here!" continued Vex, who had no idea
she'd crushed Daniel's ego. "A really pretty werewolf! We're going to
be best friends, I can tell. Her mother cut off her allowance so she
has to live in this small room. Could you give me more money and I'll
share it with her?"

Endeavouring to follow Moonglow's example of hospitality,
Daniel asked his guests if he could bring them anything. He departed to
the kitchen to make tea, and look for wine. Whilst there he tried not
to think too much about being alone in the house with two fire
elemen-tals and two werewolves; each, it seemed, more exotic than the
other.

Daniel soon found himself with more to think about. The
werewolf fashion designer wanted to store clothes in their attic.
Without going into much detail, Thrix explained that she required the
power of Kalix's pendant to hide her designs from an enemy designer.
Daniel was not enthusiastic. He didn't like the prospect of the
abrasive Thrix spending time in their house. Nor did he relish getting
involved in a war between fashion designers. It wasn't something a
person would willingly step into.

"It's not going to be very convenient, is it?" he protested.
"You'll be here all the time making clothes. I've got important
studying to do."

Thrix looked pointedly at Daniel.

"Well, Moonglow has important studying to do."

"We won't be here all the time," said Thrix. "My visits will
be brief. I only want to store some finished items here."

Daniel wished that Moonglow was here. She'd know what to do.
Unfortunately Moonglow was missing, which was troubling. She should
have been at the gig but she hadn't shown up. It was very unlike
Moonglow to break an arrangement, and she wasn't answering her mobile.
Daniel supposed she was with Jay, and too busy to answer.

Kalix was no more keen than Daniel to have her sister around.
When Thrix informed them that the only alternative was for Kalix to
return the pendant, Kalix was only prevented from flinging it back at
her by the intervention of Daniel.

"You need the pendant," he said. "Without it we'll have your
older brother here and he's really scary and he'll probably kill you."

"I'll kill him first."

Daniel looked pained.

"Well maybe. But I'll probably get in the way and he'll kill
me."

This seemed to carry some weight with Kalix. She didn't want
Daniel killed. She assented, grudgingly.

"But don't give me a hard time about anything," she warned her
sister. "I'm not taking any lectures."

"I've got better things to do than lecture you," retorted
Thrix.

Before visiting, Thrix had taken great care to remove all
traces of Gawain from her. A werewolf like Kalix might pick up Gawain's
scent from her body and that would never do. Thrix had bathed
carefully, and strengthened her magical protection. Thrix once more
cursed herself for her stupidity in sleeping with Gawain. No partner
could have been less appropriate.

"Splendid," said Malveria. "We are now back in the business of
outwitting the evil Zatek and the harlot Kabachetka. Is there more
wine?"

She looked at Daniel expectantly.

"I think we have some cider."

Malveria was unimpressed.

"I did not become ruler of my realm to drink apple juice. One
must draw the line somewhere."

"I like cider," said Vex.

"That is no surprise, abominable niece. Have these clothes you
are wearing ever been washed?"

Malveria looked at her empty glass.

"I'll bring you some wine from the shop," volunteered Daniel.

The Fire Queen looked immensely pleased.

"You are such a pleasant young man," she said, and sounded
like she meant it. Daniel blushed, and left the room.

The attic was small and full of junk. Thrix put her head
through the trapdoor in the ceiling, wrinkled her nose in disgust, then
waved her hand. The junk disappeared, the room became light, and seemed
somehow bigger. She climbed inside. Malveria, who generally affected a
manner which suggested she would be incapable of walking more than ten
yards without tripping over her high heels, followed her up the ladder
with a good deal more ease than might have been expected.

"It's safe," said Thrix.

Malveria smiled in agreement.

"It is. The pendant is already blocking all outside intrusion.
Zatek won't be able to see anything that's stored here, no matter what
spells he uses. We can boost the protection to cover for the times
Kalix leaves the house."

"You know, if you hadn't given the only available pendant of
Tamol to Kalix we wouldn't have to do this," said Thrix.

"True. But Kalix would soon be dead, and is that what you
wish?"

Thrix didn't reply. She suddenly remembered something that
Gawain had said.

"Malveria, do you know of any reason why Hiyastas might be in
Colburn Wood?"

"Colburn Wood? The sacred collection of werewolf graves and
ancient trees? Why do you ask?"

"Gawain told me he thought he sensed Hiyastas there."

"This is most unlikely," replied Malveria. "Hiyastas would not
be welcome there. And why would they visit such a place?"

"I wondered if you might know."

Malveria shook her head.

"No Hiyastas have been there."

Kalix retreated to her room, followed by Agrivex. Kalix was
feeling overwhelmed by the number of visitors in the house and wanted
to be alone but Vex was very bad at noticing the needs of others.

"So," said Vex. "Are you sleeping with Daniel?"

"No."

"Oh. I thought you might be. Do you want to?"

"No."

"Do you mind if I do?"

"Is that what you're here for?"

"No. Or yes. 1 forget. Don't you have a TV?"

Kalix shook her head. The only TV was in the living room. Vex
seemed disappointed.

"We should have our own TV to watch."

"What do you mean we?" demanded Kalix.

"For when I visit of course."

Vex grinned eagerly at Kalix. Kalix felt at a loss. She still
hadn't got used to the idea of having human friends and now this young
fire elemental just seemed to assume she was going to be coming round
to watch TV. She was about to tell Vex that she didn't want her to
visit when Vex asked if they had cable, a question which distracted
Kalix, due to her ongoing dissatisfaction concerning Sabrina.

"No cable. They won't get it."

"Why not?"

"Moonglow - the girl - doesn't approve of it. Even though her
mother offered to pay for it."

"That's very strange," said Vex.

Kalix nodded, and explained to Vex that Moonglow was quite a
strange person.

"She doesn't like TV. Not even Sabrina the Teenage Witch and
it's such a good programme. She let me write an email to the TV station
but I don't think she really sent it because they didn't change the
schedules afterwards. And she dresses all in black and she'd got this
weird boyfriend and she doesn't eat meat and her bedroom is really
dark. I think she might be mad, really."

"She sounds strange," agreed Vex, and sat down comfortably on
Kalix's bed. "But old people are like that. Malveria is very strange.
She disapproves of practically everything I do. Last month she wouldn't
give me any money at all just because I broke some antique vase. Which
is insane. She's the ruler of a whole kingdom, it's not like she
couldn't afford a new one. Why don't you persuade Moonglow to get
cable?"

"How?"

"I don't know. But there's bound to be a way. I'm always
having to persuade Aunt Malvie to get me stuff. Tell me more about
Moonglow, I'll think of something."

124

Dominil was used to dealing with the Merchant in Scotland and
knew that his son ran the business in London. Had this not been so, it
would have been difficult for her to make the journey to England.
Dominil had the strength of character to keep her addiction secret but
it would have been very difficult for her to manage without laudanum
for long. The MacDoigs knew from experience that Dominil was not one
for banter. She entered their shop, paid for her merchandise, and left
quickly. They didn't attempt to detain her. There was much about
Dominil to make a man nervous. And yet, as Dominil left his premises,
there was an expression of satisfaction in the Merchant's eyes. He knew
Dominil despised him. But while she was taking laudanum she was
dependent on him. Even though MacDoig knew better than to push Dominil
too far, he had not shirked from raising the price. There was a fine
profit to be made here, and Merchant MacDoig never backed away from
making a profit.

"She's an odd one," was his only comment to his son, as the
white-haired werewolf strode silently away.

"The most intelligent of the clan, so they say," responded his
son.

"So they say. But not so intelligent that she won't need us
for the rest of her life."

A perceptive person might have observed a change in Dominil's
demeanour when she came back from the Merchant's shop. The twins were
not perceptive, and didn't notice the slight slowness of her actions.
Sarapen would have noticed had he been close enough, but he was
watching from a distance. It hadn't taken him long to track her down.
The huge werewolf gazed after her as she entered the twins' house and
he remained there a long time, staring at the curtained windows,
wondering what she was doing inside.

Sarapen should have been busy hunting for Markus. Or hunting
for Kalix. But here he was, perched on an uncomfortable vantage point,
looking at the house which contained Dominil. He told himself it was
all part of his campaign to win the Thaneship. The votes of Dominil,
Butix and Delix were all important. Sarapen knew he was lying to
himself. He hadn't tracked Dominil because of her influence on the
voting. He'd tracked her down because ever since he'd seen the savage
way she'd dealt with her attackers, he'd burned with desire for her.

Dominil was not the only non-human to visit to the Merchant
that day. As night fell Princes Kabachetka made an appearance, wrapped
in golden fur.

"You understand that this is a confidential transaction?" she
said.

"Aye, Princess. Don't worry, there's no one more tight-lipped
than old MacDoig."

MacDoig was importing more magical items from the Princess's
realm. Some of these items were very delicate. It needed a specialist
to bring them across the dimensions safely. The Empress Asaratanti
would not have approved of her nation's sorcerous secrets being brought
to this realm, but Princess Kabachetka was prepared to go to any
lengths to defeat Queen Malveria.

From the Merchant's shop the items were taken to Alan Zatek.

"Now you have Asaratanti's
Spell of Wondrous
Spying, "
she told him. "Thrix MacRinnalch can hide nothing
from you. Do whatever is necessary to ensure that I surpass Malveria at
the Sorceress Livia's 500th birthday celebration."

125

Verasa was surprised to receive an early morning
phone call from the twins. She knew it must be bad news.

"She's gone."

"Who?"

"Dominil."

"What do you mean she's gone?"

"Sarapen kidnapped her."

Beauty and Delicious had been wakened by the noise of
struggling in the hallway. They'd arrived to find Dominil being dragged
from the house by Sarapen and bundled into a car.

"Who else was involved?" demanded Verasa.

"Just Sarapen."

Verasa was perplexed. In human form, Sarapen was certainly
stronger than Dominil; even so, Verasa would not have expected that she
could simply be picked up and carried off.

"She didn't seem to be properly awake," explained Beauty. "I
don't know why."

"We don't know what to do," added Delicious.

"Remain where you are," instructed Verasa. "I'll contact
Thrix."

The household in Kennington was thrown into uproar by the
news. Had the neighbours been able to see the scene as Thrix hurried
into the living room, rousing the Fire Queen, while Vex and Kalix
wandered out to see what the fuss was about, and Daniel tried to wipe
the sleep from his eyes, they might have wondered what they were doing
living next to such a household.

"The brutal Sarapen has kidnapped the white-haired wolf?" said
Malveria, a hint of admiration in her voice. "Such a decisive action!
What will you do?"

"Get her back," muttered Thrix.

"Not without re-doing your make-up, I trust," said Malveria.

"Where's Moonglow?" said Daniel.

"How would I know? Is she missing?"

"Maybe," said Daniel. He'd tried calling her mobile, with no
success, and was now phoning Jay. When Jay informed him that he hadn't
seen Moonglow for two days, Daniel became frantic with worry.

"I'm sure Moonglow is not involved…" began Thrix, but halted.
It was possible she was. Moonglow might somehow have been caught up in
events. To Daniel's frustration, Thrix was touching up her makeup in
the mirror.