Martin Millar - Lonely Werewolf Girl (66 page)

Dominil shrugged.

"I was often on my own. But I preferred it that way."

Kalix felt a sudden urge to tell Dominil about her problems.
This was odd. When Daniel and Moonglow had encouraged her to talk, she
hadn't wanted to. As they slowly negotiated the busy junction outside
the Houses of Parliament she told Dominil that she'd met Gawain.

"He's got another girlfriend."

"Did he say so?"

"No. But I knew. He didn't deny it."

Dominil was still a slow and careful driver. They crawled
forward.

"Is it not some years since you've been together?"

"Yes."

"Then it doesn't seem strange that he's formed another
relationship. It may just be to ward off loneliness."

"Do you think so?"

"What did Gawain himself have to say?" asked Dominil.

Kalix admitted she didn't know. She'd run off before he had a
chance to speak.

"That seems like a poor way to resolve a problem."

"I suppose so. Do you think he might still be in love with me?"

Dominil turned to look at Kalix.

"I have no idea. But unless you talk to him, you'll certainly
never find out."

Kalix fell silent, thinking about this. She supposed it was
true. She took a sip from her bottle of laudanum.

"Please keep a clear head," said Dominil.

"Okay," said Kalix, and put the bottle away.

179

Verasa's confidence that the Barons would not attack the
castle was misplaced. Sarapen was already planning the assault, though
he knew it would be difficult. The walls were high and strongly
guarded. Humans could never scale them; werewolves might, but not in
the face of determined opposition.

"There are two well-tested means of taking a castle," he
pointed out to Decembrius. "Through siege, or through treachery. As a
siege would be difficult and time-consuming, I prefer the latter."

Marwanis had left the castle but her father and brother
remained. Kurian was old, and not well, but his son Kertal was a
supporter of Sarapen's. The Mistress of the Werewolves would probably
be having him watched, but even so, it might be possible for Kertal to
provide the necessary help from inside.

It was fortunate for Decembrius that his stock was high with
Sara-pen at the moment, due to the information he'd gathered about
Dominil, and the twins' gig. Had it not been, Sarapen might well have
reprimanded him more severely for the affair in Kennington Park. He was
very unimpressed by Decembrius firing a silver bullet into Fergus. For
a werewolf to fire a silver bullet was taboo. In different circumstance
Sarapen might have punished Decembrius. As it was, in time of war,
there were some traditions which could perhaps be overlooked.

Sarapen didn't waste much sympathy on the injured werewolf,
even though Fergus Douglas-MacPhee had endured great pain. The silver
bullet, penetrating his shoulder, had burned like acid. The
MacRinnalchs in London did have a werewolf doctor on whose services
they could call but he was busy operating on a human patient when
Fergus was shot, so it took some time for him to attend. Fergus had not
taken the pain well. Sarapen had left him with his brother and sister,
contemptuous of the injured werewolf's unseemly howling. He'd be better
soon enough.

Sarapen was far more interested in Decembrius's latest piece
of information. Markus had returned to Scotland and was now captain of
the castle guard. On hearing this, Sarapen laughed. His delicate
brother, head of a force of fighting MacRinnalchs.

"It becomes ever more ridiculous," he said. "When the guard
learns what sort of werewolf they've got for a leader they'll probably
throw him over the walls."

At least his younger brother was no longer in hiding. He'd
gone to the castle to save it but he'd find that he was trapped there,
and Sarapen would make sure he never left it alive.

180

Dominil drew up outside the twins' house. Kalix had been
feeling more and more agitated as they approached, and now she quailed.

"I can't help them," she blurted out. "They'll just laugh at
me."

"Don't worry. I'm sure your presence will have a beneficial
effect."

Kalix was very dubious. She knew if the twins thought she was
there to help cure their stage fright they'd mock her and refuse to
listen to anything she said.

"The twins won't know you're there to help them," said
Dominil. "Just observe them for a while, and perhaps later you can
suggest to me some means of making them calmer."

"You promise not to say anything to them about me trying to
help them?"

"Certainly," said Dominil.

Kalix trudged up the path with her coat pulled tightly around
her and her shoulders hunched, feeling very awkward. Already she
regretted the lack of willpower that had allowed Dominil to coerce into
coming here. They entered the house, which smelled of whisky.

"I've brought a visitor," announced Dominil. Kalix shrank
backwards but Dominil propelled her into the room.

"I have informed Kalix that you are both suffering from
serious anxiety," said Dominil. "She is an expert in the subject and
will tell you what to do about it."

Kalix reeled in shock, and turned her eyes in horror on the
treacherous Dominil. The twins were staring at her in surprise,
wondering what this was about.

"I don't - " spluttered Kalix, and ground to a halt.

"I have some arrangements to make for the gig," said Dominil.
"So I'll leave you for a while. Now remember, listen to Kalix. She'll
tell you how to get over your stage fright."

With that, Dominil strode out of the room and out of the
house. Kalix watched her go with gritted teeth. She turned back towards
the twins. They were staring at her with hostile expressions.

"Why does that white-haired bitch keep saying we're anxious?"
demanded Delicious.

"And what do you think you're going to do about it?" demanded
Beauty.

"Eh…" said Kalix, who wished she might be swallowed up by an
earthquake.

"So you just felt like paying a visit and lecturing us?"

"As if Dominil isn't lecturing us enough?"

Kalix sighed. She felt weak, and had to sit down.

"I'm sorry," she said. "Dominil tricked me. I didn't know she
was going to say that."

The twins weren't listening. They seemed convinced that Kalix
had insisted on coming to their house and lecturing them.

"Where do these werewolves get off?" raged Delicious. "Barging
into other people's homes and lecturing them about stuff?"

"What do you think this is?" shouted Beauty. "A support group
for unhappy werewolves?"

Kalix flinched under the verbal assault. It was quite
prolonged and seemed far more hostile than necessary. Obviously her
presence had touched some nerve.

"How does Dominil think you're going to help anyway?" said
Beauty. "You're the one with problems."

She took a drink straight from her whisky bottle.

"I'm not worried about the gig."

"Neither am I," declared Delicious. "We don't need any
stressed-out junior MacRinnalchs coming here and lecturing us."

Kalix felt that this was going too far. She hadn't wanted to
come in the first place.

"I didn't come here to lecture you," she said, more forcibly.
"I just came because Dominil insisted. I don't even care if you're
anxious."

"Well, we're not."

"Yes you are," said Kalix. "But I don't care."

"No we're not and it's none of your business anyway."

"You're the most stressed werewolves in London," sad Kalix,
now angry. "You can't fool me, I can sense it."

"Well, so what if we are!" screamed Delicious. "Stop going on
about it! No one asked you to stick your nose in!"

"That's fine!" yelled Kalix. "I don't care if you get so drunk
you fall off the stage and everyone laughs at you again."

"We never fell off the stage," objected Beauty.

"Yes you did," said Kalix. "Dominil read me the review. It
said the audience all laughed at you."

She stood up.

"Anyway I don't care. I'm leaving and I'm not even coming to
your stupid gig. If you're as frightened as
a pair of sissy little puppies that's
your problem."

"What did you call us?"

"Sissy little puppies."

Beauty and Delicious were stunned by the insult. They raged at
Kalix, trying to insult her back, but nothing they could say stung like
Kalix's juvenile taunt.

The door opened and Dominil came in. None of them had heard
her enter the house. There was an odd expression on her face. Almost as
if she was about to laugh. She controlled it.

"Sissy little puppies," she said, appreciatively. "Such a
perfect phrase."

"I want to go," said Kalix.

"But why? You're doing such a fine job."

"We're just arguing."

"That's good," said Dominil. "Beauty and Delicious
would never argue with me. They simply refused to speak."

Kalix was confused.

"Did you just bring me here to start an argument?"

"I wanted Beauty and Delicious to acknowledge the problem.
Which they now seem to have done."

"You tricked me," said Kalix. "That's not very nice."

"I am not very nice," replied Dominil. "As everyone knows."

She turned to Beauty and Delicious.

"So. Now you admit there is a problem. Good. That is progress.
You have nineteen days to get over your stage fright. I suggest you
talk sensibly to Kalix. If you stop trying insult her and have a
rational discussion instead, you'll find it helpful."

This time when Dominil left them alone, they did manage to
have a more rational discussion. Kalix had some suggestions for coping
with anxiety, strategies she'd learned over the years, either from her
therapist or by herself. The sisters were never going to radically
change their lifestyle, but were impressed by her simple suggestion
that each time they found themselves anxious, they took a series of
deep breaths from their abdomen.

"And some time every day, imagine yourself walking confidently
on to the stage and playing really well."

Delicious and Beauty looked at each other.

"We could probably do that. You think it will help?"

"It might. Sometimes it works for me. And maybe you might
feel better now anyway, now you've talked about it."

Delicious nodded.

"How come we don't have therapists?" she asked her sister.

"We just never thought of it before," replied Beauty. "We
should get some. Rock stars need therapists, it's part of the deal. "

Dominil arrived back in the room. Kalix scowled. She had not
forgiven Dominil for tricking her. The white-haired werewolf,
impervious to Kalix's glare, calmly asked the twins if they'd been
making progress. Beauty and Delicious said that they had.

"Very well," said Dominil. "I will trust you both to carry out
your relaxation exercises as recommended by Kalix."

In Dominil's mind, the problem was already solved, which was a
mistake. Kalix knew that they wouldn't completely get rid of their
nerves before the gig. They'd still need encouragement, probably from a
bottle of the MacRinnalch whisky. But Dominil was at least correct in
believing they'd made progress. The gig was coming closer, and she was
busy with fliers, posters, mailing lists, equipment checks, rehearsals
and various other things. The werewolf knew that her methodical
preparation was somewhat out of the ordinary. The other unknown bands
playing that night would very likely turn up having done a minimum of
preparation. Dominil however, could not arrive for any event
unprepared. It didn't matter if it was a small gig of little
importance. Yum Yum Sugary Snacks would be ready.

Dominil had a feeling that Sarapen might come to the gig. If
that happened she too would be ready. She looked forward to plunging
the Begravar knife deep into her former lover's heart.

181

"Agrivex will drive me into an early grave. Her sulking
is pervading the palace."

"Aren't you used to it by now?" wondered Thrix.

The Fire Queen frowned darkly.

"It has taken on an alarming new dimension. Previously the
abominable niece has sulked only about clothes, make-up and lessons.
Now she has also decided to sulk about boys. It is wearing me quite to
a shadow. I swear I can go nowhere in my palace without bumping into
some part of Agrivex's miserable aura which she has left behind. The
Hiyasta aura does tend to fragment, when misery strikes."

Thrix and Malveria were transporting the latest batch of
clothes to Moonglow's house. There were many of them, too many for
Malveria to whisk through space, so they were using Thrix's car. The
car was well protected by spells but even so she drove quickly, keen to
escape from Zatek's prying eyes.

"I made a profound mistake when I halted the sacrifice of
Agrivex at a young age. I set in motion a tragic chain of circumstances
which now threatens to engulf us all. Empires may crumble."

"Malveria, you're exaggerating."

"Perhaps a smidgen. Is smidgen correct? It sounds like a
peculiar word."

"It'll do."

"Empires may not crumble but the inhabitants of the palace are
suffering. My pastry chef has been complaining that Agrivex's gloom is
pervading the kitchen and affecting the balance of his finest
creations. I don't want my pastry chef to be unhappy. It took me a long
time to find a fire elemental with such a light touch at the mixing
bowl."

Thrix waited impatiently at traffic lights and sped away as
soon as they changed. Malveria nodded appreciatively. She enjoyed
Thrix's impatient driving.

"Which boy is she sulking about?"

"Daniel."

"Daniel? I didn't know she liked him."

"I am convinced she does not," said Malveria. "However, she
wanted to stay with him after she had the effrontery to try on my new
shoes. Most probably she only wished to avoid returning to the palace
and facing me. I understand there was a scene of some embarrassment
involving Moonglow, Kalix and Daniel all feeling awkward. Daniel told
her she should probably not stay. Now Agrivex has managed to persuade
herself that she has been rejected by the boy she loves most in all the
world."