Lonely Werewolf Girl

by Martin Millar

  Kalix shuddered, and dragged herself into a sitting position, trying now not to sleep, but the laudanum had her in its grip and she couldn’t keep her eyes open. The minute she nodded off she plunged into a terrifying dream in which she was with Gawain in the forest but the moon overhead was breaking into pieces and raining down on their heads, crushing Gawain.

  Kalix woke again with a start and this time threw herself from her bed. She stumbled into the wooden chair that was her only piece of furniture and the painful blow on her shin brought her back to reality. She shivered. Her whole body was damp from sweat and there was blood congealing on her thigh. She had the frightening impression that the room was smaller than it used to be. Kalix backed into a corner, trembling with fear. She could feel the anxiety overwhelming her. She struggled to breathe as the walls began to move towards her. Kalix burst into tears and backed into a corner then slid down the wall, ending up curled up on the floor, her hands over her head, shivering, and crying, and quite certain that this was the time when she was finally going to go insane.

  122

  When Thrix returned from her meeting, Malveria was sitting in her office reading Harpers and Queen. The Enchantress put down her briefcase and sighed.

  “Is there absolutely nothing for you to do in your own realm? You know, queen stuff?”

  “Very little. The crushing of all enemies was a terrible mistake. I was thinking of re-decorating the throne room. Perhaps Louis XV?”

  “An excellent idea,” said Thrix. “Let me introduce you to some interior designers. You could visit them now.”

  Malveria looked pained.

  “Dearest Enchantress, are you trying to make me go away?”

  “I’m not telling you any more about my night with Gawain.”

  “Really, Enchantress. Do you think that is why I’ve returned? I have not such a great interest in the affair. Was it entertaining?”

  “Malveria, I’m really very busy. Yes it was quite entertaining, what I remember of it. But if you want me to come up with a range of outfits for Livia’s birthday party, you must let me get to work.”

  “Aha. So you admit it was entertaining. One day you must tell me all. Although I have very little interest, I assure you. But it is not why I have returned. More important matters have come to my attention. Why did you not tell me you were defeated by a spell outside the headquarters of the vile Zatek?”

  The Enchantress looked surprised, then deflated. She sat down heavily at her desk.

  “Because I was embarrassed, that’s why. I got flung across the road like a novice. I wasn’t in a fit state to be working magic. I was hoping you wouldn’t hear about it.”

  The Fire Queen looked concerned. This was a serious matter.

  “A man of Zatek’s limited capabilities should not have been able to harm you, dearest Thrix, no matter what state you were in. My agents report that more powerful sorcery has been transported from the Empress Asaratanti’s realm into this one by Merchant MacDoig. Undoubtedly Princess Kabachetka has given this sorcery to Zatek, so we’re now faced with a far more dangerous opponent than we anticipated. He may be able to employ spells even more potent than the Seeing of Asiex.”

  “Why would Princess Kabachetka do that for Zatek?”

  “The disgusting Princess will stop at nothing to outshine me in terms of fabulous clothing. Already she’s been spreading a rumour that I wore - ”

  The Fire Queen stopped, an expression of fury on her face.

  “I cannot repeat what she said. The very idea that I would wear shoulder pads almost fifteen years after they were last fashionable is too hurtful for words. Were any of my subjects to repeat such a rumour I would have them executed.”

  The Fire Queen began to stride round the room, muttering threats, curses and insults.

  “I wouldn’t have thought the Empress would be very pleased to learn her daughter has been peddling her secrets to Zatek,” said Thrix.

  “She would not. But Kabachetka is a desperate woman. Faced with the unmatchable Queen Malveria, she has thrown caution to the sea.”

  “So we have a problem,” said Thrix.

  “Indeed we do,” agreed Malveria. “If Zatek is armed with the Gilded Asaratanti Protection Spell for instance, it will be very difficult to attack him. And if he’s using the Empress’s own Spell of Wondrous Spying, it will be almost impossible to prevent him from seeing everything that goes on in this building. I can negate the effects of these sorceries in my own realm, Enchantress, but in this world it is different. I am not as strong. Even our combined power may not be enough to block all espionage.”

  Malveria smoothed a tiny crease on her new jacket. She glanced at herself in the mirror and smiled. Another fine outfit.

  “So I suppose we must go to war,” continued the Fire Queen.

  “What?”

  “We should attack Zatek. He must not know in advance what clothes I am to wear to Livia’s celebration. I will bring forty warriors, and start preparing the Deadly Wall Breaching Spell.”

  “That’s a tempting idea, Malveria. I’d like to see Zatek’s fashion house disappear off the face of the earth. But an operation like that would take a lot of planning and I don’t have much time to spare.”

  “But what else can we do?”

  “The Pendant of Tamol can hide anything.”

  The Fire Queen considered this for a few moments.

  “It is true. The Pendant would hide all things from Zatek. It is the most powerful means of concealment known to work in your world. No sorcery can penetrate its field, not even the Empress’s Spell of Wondrous Spying. But consider, Enchantress. If it is removed from Kalix, she will be found and killed.”

  Malveria shrugged her elegant shoulders.

  “Still, our need is greater. I will get it back.”

  “I wasn’t actually thinking of taking it back,” said Thrix. “My mother would never let me hear the end of it. I have a better idea.”

  123

  Kalix was whimpering on the floor when the door burst open and a strange girl walked in.

  “I thought I sensed a werewolf in here,” she said.

  Kalix looked up. The girl was around seventeen, slender, boyish and pretty, with brown skin, her hair cut short and spiky, bleached almost white. Bleached rather badly, so that the dark roots showed quite clearly. She was rather oddly dressed, with a shiny silver corset that looked expensive, and a pair of ragged army trousers that looked like they had been through a series of bad accidents.

  “Hi! I’m Vex,” said the girl, smiling broadly, apparently not noticing that Kalix was curled up in a ball, sweating and trembling.

  Kalix scrambled to her feet. All of a sudden she felt embarrassed to be in such a poor state in front of a stranger.

  “You’re so skinny!” cried Agrivex. “It’s fabulous! I’d just die to be that skinny!”

  Kalix stared at her in surprise. She could sense that she was a Hiyasta, just as the girl could identify her as a werewolf. What was another Hiyasta doing here?

  Daniel entered the room.

  “Sorry Kalix,” he said. “She just ran up the stairs ahead of me.”

  “You have such fantastic hair,” enthused Vex. “It’s so long. Is it sorcery? Or is it just a werewolf thing?”

  She turned to Daniel.

  “Doesn’t she have fabulous hair? Have you ever seen anything like it? Isn’t it wonderful?”

  Daniel nodded dubiously. He could see that Kalix was not in the greatest of states and was worried about their unannounced intrusion. Agrivex meanwhile looked round her with interest.

  “This is a small room. Is this where you live? Did your mother cut off your allowance? Aunt Malvie gives me practically nothing you know, it’s a scandal, really.”

  Vex stopped, and looked concerned, remembering that she wasn’t meant to mention Malveria. Agrivex’s mission to seduce Daniel was supposed to be a secret.

  “Who are you?” asked Kalix.

  “Just an exchange student wh
o’s come home with Daniel. We’re going to sleep together.”

  Daniel blushed as she said this. Vex carried on brightly.

  “It’s so cool to meet a werewolf especially one who’s so skinny. Not that I’m fat, do you think I’m fat? How do you get your hair so long and thick? It’s just fabulous. You’re so pretty!”

  Without her even noticing it, Kalix’s terrible anxiety attack was fading. Under the relentless onslaught of Vex’s compliments, her anxiety just seemed to melt away.

  “Can we be friends?” said Vex. “I don’t like anyone in my realm much, they’re all so annoying. Do you like this nail varnish?”

  “One moment,” said Daniel. “What do you mean your realm? You said you were from India.”

  Vex looked momentarily confused. Malveria had once more sent her to ensnare Daniel, and she was not meant to let it be known that she was anything other than a normal girl.

  “Forget I mentioned it,” she said, and grinned.

  “How come you can recognise a werewolf?”

  Vex frowned.

  “What is this, an interrogation? Am I not young, beautiful and about to sleep with you? Is this the time to be asking hundreds of questions?”

  “We met at a gig at college,” said Daniel, by way of explanation to Kalix. “Moonglow didn’t show up.”

  “Malveria never mentioned you lived with a werewolf,” said Vex. She paused. “Forget I said that.”

  “Malveria? Are you a Hiyasta?” demanded Daniel.

  “Absolutely not! What a ridiculous idea. Ha ha ha. I’m just your average - ”

  “ - complete imbecile,” came a familiar voice. They looked round to find Malveria and Thrix standing in the doorway. The Fire Queen was frowning.

  “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 elementals 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. I 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?”