Martin Millar - Lonely Werewolf Girl (8 page)

"Not even a goodbye?" said Daniel.

"Or a thank you?"

"She's not what you'd call polite."

"Very pretty though," said Moonglow, slightly teasingly. She
knew it embarrassed Daniel even to admit he found any girl attractive.

It was time for them to go to lectures. Both of them were due
to attend a class on Shakespeare's
Tim on of Athens
.

"Which is a good play," said Moonglow. "Or so I hear."

"Probably one of his best," agreed Daniel. "Are you going to
the lecture?"

"No. I'm too tired. We've been moving all night."

"My thoughts exactly," said Daniel.

They unpacked their duvets and headed towards their new
bedrooms where they threw them on their beds, and crawled underneath to
sleep away the day. Daniel and Moonglow had known each other for almost
a year. They'd met while both lost on their first day at university.
Daniel had been immediately attracted to Moonglow but had been too shy
to do anything about it. So they became friends, and then flatmates.
That was good, but Daniel couldn't help regretting that Moonglow only
regarded him as a friend.

22

After his failure to apprehend Kalix, Markus had to explain
his lack of success to his mother. Verasa would rarely criticise Markus
but she was adept in letting him know when she was disappointed.

"I would have brought her had it not been for the interference
of the two young humans."

It was very strange that two teenagers had rescued Kalix. She
had no friends, as far as anyone knew. After letting Markus know that
she was displeased, Verasa consoled him.

"Don't look so disappointed about Kalix, dear. I'm sure you'll
find her again. Will you come with me to see Thrix tomorrow?"

"You know I don't get on well with Thrix," protested Markus.

Verasa sighed. Sometimes it was a trial, the way that none of
her children liked each other.

"I cannot be in London without paying a visit to my eldest
daughter."

Markus couldn't understand why his mother still took the
trouble.

"She does everything she can to distance herself from the
clan. If she doesn't want to know us then why not just let her be?"

"Someone has to hold this family together, Markus. Your father
won't do it, so it's up to me. Would you have me suffer the indignity
of admitting to my sister Lucia that I couldn't see my own daughter?"

"I suppose not. But Thrix had better not try any of her
enchantments while I'm there. Is she still friends with that fire
elemental?"

Verasa looked pained. There was considerable ill-will among
the MacRinnalch werewolves towards the Hiyasta. It was to be expected
that a daughter who was so adept at sorcery might make the acquaintance
of various strange creatures but there was no reason to befriend them.
Verasa regretted that her daughter had proved to be so talented at
sorcery. It was a rare attribute for a werewolf, and hardly a fitting
one for a daughter of the Thane.

"I spoke to your father today."

"How is the Thane?"

"Weak. But recovering."

Markus believed his mother was deluding herself. Since Kalix's
savage attack the Thane had never been the same. Markus did not think
that he would ever recover. Age and injury were catching up with him.
Each full moon he gained some revitalising power but afterwards he was
weaker. He couldn't go on for all that much longer. Markus had little
love for his father. The Thane had always been far closer to Sarapen,
and Markus had always felt excluded. Markus was jealous, and it added
to the hatred he felt for his older brother. Sara-pen had always
attempted to dominate him. Soon, with the help of Verasa, Markus might
be Thane, chief of the MacRinnalchs, lord of MacRinnalch Castle. That
would be suitable revenge on Sarapen.

Though he liked the castle in Scotland, and his rather grand
town house in Charlotte Square in Edinburgh, Markus was a frequent
visitor to London. His girlfriend Talixia lived here, and he was very
fond of her. Recently he'd realised that he might be in love with her,
which was a surprise. He was certainly close enough to her to discuss
matters which his mother would rather had remained within the confines
of the castle. The approaching row over the succession, for instance.

Talixia wondered if he really wanted the Thaneship. It seemed
like a position which would interfere with the things he enjoyed in
life. Markus liked painting, and he had some talent for it, talent
which might blossom if he applied himself.

"If you become Thane," said Talixia. "Will you have time to
paint? Time to go to the opera?"

Markus wasn't sure. Perhaps he could be the first artistic
Thane? It was an amusing thought. Markus had a sense of humour,
something which distinguished him from Sarapen, who was so grim it
seemed like he might pass his entire life without laughing.

Markus was not without his cruel side. He had learned to hunt
deer and stags on the family estates, and early in his life had become
used to the feel of tearing flesh between his jaws. He had a capacity
for violence, and it was this which had led to the bad feeling between
him and Kalix. When Kalix was around eight years old she'd stolen a
watch from his chambers. It was hard to explain why Kalix stole things
from around the castle. She just did. Markus tracked her down in the
woods and recovered his watch. That might have been the end of it had
Kalix not spitefully called Markus a mummy's boy, this being the best
insult the young Kalix could think of. Unfortunately it seemed to
strike a very bad chord with Markus and he lashed out at her. Despite
being far smaller than her brother, Kalix promptly bit him. Markus
responded quite savagely. The sorry affair ended with an unrepentant
Kalix being left battered and bleeding in the woods, howling for
revenge.

After this Kalix had always loathed Markus and as she grew
stronger she sought opportunities to pick fights with him. Eventually
the Thane, frustrated by Kalix's insane assaults on Markus, had
completely lost his temper and brutally chastised her, which only made
Kalix hate him and Markus even more.

23

Daniel and Moonglow both studied English at King's College.
Daniel minored in social studies while Moonglow took Sumerian history.
The main part of the university was in the Strand, in the centre of
London.

After taking a day off to recover from moving, Moonglow went
in early the next day though Daniel, still fatigued, felt he needed
another morning in bed. He did make it in around lunch time and waited
in the student bar to meet her. When Moonglow arrived she was excited.
She brandished her laptop computer.

"Look at this."

"It's your MacBook," said Daniel. "I've seen it before."

Moonglow's MacBook was a present from her parents. Moon-glow's
parents were quite wealthy, and she had more money than Daniel. She
connected to the internet and directed Daniel's attention away from his
pint and towards the screen.

"I mean look at this website. Thrix Fashions. A small fashion
house, on the rise or so it says."

"So?"

"Don't you see?"

"That's a lot of money for a pair of shoes," said Daniel.

"It's - "

"I mean, £500? For shoes? Are they serious?"

"Yes, it is on the pricey side," admitted Moonglow. "Though
they are very nice shoes. But you're missing the point. Remember the
label on Kalix's coat? It said
Thrix Fashions
.
Well take a look at Thrix."

Moonglow brought up a picture of the owner of the fashion
house. Daniel was impressed.

"What a babe."

"Are you wilfully missing the point?" demanded Moonglow. "This
woman is obviously related to Kalix."

"How do you know?"

"Just look at her."

Daniel looked. He could see what Moonglow meant. Despite the
fashion designer's spectacular blonde hair she did indeed look rather
like Kalix. The same large eyes, the same fine cheekbones, the same
wide mouth. Not quite so wide as Kalix's perhaps, but there was
certainly a resemblance.

"Isn't it great?" said Moonglow.

Daniel wasn't really sure why Moonglow was so pleased.

"So the owner of Thrix Fashions is possibly a werewolf
relation. So what?"

"We can go and visit her and tell her Kalix is in trouble and
she might help. Didn't Kalix say she got her protection charm from her
sis-ter? This might be that sister. She can give her a new charm. Then
Kalix will be able to hide again."

Throughout this Daniel had been becoming agitated.

"Slow down, Moonglow. Is this really a good idea? Meeting
these werewolves hasn't been that much fun. As far as I can see they're
all violent lunatics. I don't want to go waltzing into this woman's
office and announce that we know she's a werewolf and we're looking for
one of her relatives. How's she going to take that? Badly, I imagine."

"We have to help Kalix."

"No, we don't."

"We can't abandon her."

Daniel pointed out to Moonglow that Kalix had showed no desire
to be helped by them. Quite the opposite. She'd walked out without a
word of thanks. Moonglow became agitated.

"How can you just desert her like this?"

"I'm not deserting her."

"You are."

"Moonglow. Does it mean anything to you that I don't want to
be chopped up with a machete or eaten by a werewolf? Does this have any
bearing on things at all?"

"Of course. I don't want you to be chopped up or eaten. I'd
miss you terribly."

"Really? You'd miss me terribly?"

"Of course."

Daniel was pleased to hear Moonglow say he'd miss him. Not
wanting to spoil her good opinion of him, he found himself agreeing to
the plan, against his better judgement. Just then one of Moonglow's
friends, a girl called Alicia, appeared at their side.

"What you looking at?" she asked, seeing the MacBook.

"Shoes," answered Daniel. "Isn't it ridiculous having shoes
that cost £500?"

"No," said Alicia. "Not for shoes as beautiful as that. I'd
buy them if I had the money." She looked at Daniel as if he was a man
who didn't understand the important things in life. Daniel was crushed.
Yet again he had failed to impress one of Moonglow's friends. It was
unfair. Who ever knew the right thing to say to them? Later in the day,
when Moonglow's boyfriend Jay arrived and, openly and in public, kissed
her on the lips, Daniel found himself thinking that being ripped to
shreds by savage werewolves might not be all that bad.

24

Thrix Fashions had its headquarters in Wardour Street, in
Soho, in the heart of London. Though the door at street level was
discreet, Thrix Fashions occupied all of the third and fourth floors,
where Daniel and Moonglow now sat in a reception room. Daniel had been
secretly hoping that he might find himself surrounded by young models
but he was disappointed. Here in Thrix's suite of offices there were no
models, though the people who did walk by - designers perhaps - were
attractive enough to make Daniel feel shabby and out of place, in his
baggy student doom-metal-fan clothes. Moonglow, in her customary gothic
garb of long black skirt and black top, looked even more out of place.

Thrix's assistant Ann arrived and spoke to them brusquely.

"This way."

Daniel and Moonglow trooped after her. She ushered them into
an office so coolly and expensively furnished, in which sat a woman so
elegant, that Daniel immediately felt intimidated. Faced with this
female he knew he would be unable to say a single sensible word and
wished he was back in the student bar.

Thrix eyed them coldly.

"Well?" she said, finally.

Moonglow and Daniel stood there in silence. Now that they were
actually here, it didn't seem all that easy to raise the subject of
werewolves. Thrix looked impatient.

"You told my assistant you needed to speak to me about an
important family matter. What is it?"

Moonglow had planned to work up to things gradually but the
unfamiliar surroundings unsettled her. Instead of a calm discussion
leading up to a possible question about the whereabouts of Kalix,
Moonglow was horrified to find herself blurting out that the young
werewolf girl needed help before her family killed her.

Thrix narrowed her eyes a fraction of an inch.

"Pardon?"

"Kalix. Your young sister. Her brother is trying to kill her
and cut out her heart. You have to give her another pendant."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do," responded Moonglow. "I can tell."

'She can, unfortunately,' thought the Enchantress. 'The girl
has some powers of intuition.' Thrix regarded them for a half minute
longer, then leaned forward a few inches. She spoke coolly, showing no
more emotion than she would while ordering a glass of wine.

"If you become involved with my family, you'll die," she said,
and sat back in her chair.

"Eh…" said Daniel, and looked back at the door.

"But I will give you this opportunity to leave, and forget all
about it," continued Thrix, calmly.

"Okay," said Daniel, clapping his hands together. "That's good
enough for me. We gave it our best shot."

He grabbed Moonglow's arm and started to retreat swiftly.
Moon-glow shook him off.

"We want to help," she insisted.

"I'm quite serious about your deaths," said Thrix, this time
with just the slightest shade of emotion. Moonglow felt quite certain
that inside this woman there was a werewolf of some power but she would
not be put off.

"I gave her a bath. She was filthy and skinny and she hadn't
eaten for weeks and she had cuts and blood and ragged clothes and
tranquillisers and murderous brothers trying to cut her heart out. She
was a total mess and what sort of person are you that threatens to kill
people who're trying to help your sister?"