The Anxiety of Kalix the Werewolf

by Martin Millar

  “C’mon, Wolfy,” he said and grinned.

  Kalix knew she’d taken on her wolf form last night. She knew she could be irresponsible in that state. She wondered if she’d actually attacked her flatmates, but didn’t like to ask. Before she had time to process this, a more profound gloom settled on her. Old Minerva was dead and it was Kalix’s fault. She’d been sent home in disgrace. The young werewolf sat in the back seat and tried to make herself as small as possible. She remained silent on the journey home, refusing to respond to Moonglow’s anxious questions about what had happened to upset her.

  Kalix felt herself becoming anxious as they neared their home. She didn’t want to answer questions from Daniel and Moonglow. Last night, she’d felt so anxious about everything she’d fled to the warehouse so as not to have to encounter anyone. Kalix found it very difficult to cope with company when her anxiety came on badly. Now it was a heavy weight on her, fueled by her guilt over Minerva. She was certain the werewolves at the castle would be discussing her. Thrix and Dominil would have told everyone it was her fault that Minerva was killed.

  Kalix’s shoulders were hunched as she emerged from the car, and she was silent as they made their way inside.

  “Are you all right?” asked Moonglow for the tenth time.

  “Stop asking me that,” said Kalix wearily. She headed straight for her room and closed the door noisily behind her, signaling that she didn’t want to be disturbed.

  Downstairs, Daniel watched her disappear. “It’s fine,” he muttered. “Don’t bother thanking us for coming to look for you. It was no trouble.”

  “I wonder what happened?” said Moonglow.

  “Kalix isn’t about to tell us.”

  They went to the kitchen to make tea and pour some cereal for breakfast.

  “Do you think I should call Dominil?” asked Moonglow. “Maybe she’d tell us.”

  “She probably won’t. They’re always secretive about clan business.”

  Daniel ate his cereal then put bread in the toaster. “They were probably involved in some terrible werewolf fight and half the clan’s dead and Kalix killed most of them.”

  Moonglow was troubled. From their past experiences with Kalix, that might not be too far from the truth. “She was determined not to get involved in any more violence,” she said.

  “Maybe that’s difficult when you’re a werewolf. Especially a crazy one like Kalix.”

  “Kalix isn’t crazy.”

  “I know,” said Daniel. “But she’s not exactly stable either. As we discovered last night.”

  Unexpectedly, Moonglow laughed.

  “What’s funny?”

  “Us. Going to the park and you getting cut by the bushes and then us getting chased by a wolf and having to sleep on a crate. Our life is much more exciting than our friends’.”

  “True. None of them have even met a werewolf, and we’ve met loads.”

  They took a plate of toast into the living room. Moonglow carried the teapot and cups and they sat in front of the fire, warming themselves after their cold night in the warehouse.

  “What do you think Kalix is doing now?” said Daniel.

  “She’s probably hiding under her duvet, having dosed herself with laudanum and cut her arm to make herself feel better. Unless she’s cut her thigh, which she does prefer sometimes.”

  Daniel winced. “You’re probably right. Should we do anything?”

  Moonglow looked hopeless. “I don’t have the energy. And we can’t be rescuing her all the time. She’ll just get more angry if we barge in. Maybe if we just leave her a while she’ll calm down.”

  They were interrupted by an unexpected crashing noise from the kitchen. The cat, which had been idly nosing its food bowl, fled into the living room. Daniel and Moonglow remained calm. Strange crashing noises in the kitchen were something they had grown used to.

  “Vex is back,” said Daniel while comforting the cat.

  Vex emerged from the kitchen, rubbing her arm and looking glum. “I didn’t land very well. But I didn’t hurt myself. Well, not much. My elbow’s a bit sore.”

  Vex looked hopefully at Moonglow, who obligingly rubbed it better. Vex made a swift recovery and grinned at them.

  “Are you having breakfast in front of the fire with tea and toast? Can I join in?”

  Daniel went off to put the kettle on again and put more bread in the toaster. Vex studied Moonglow.

  “Your aura looks a bit strange. So did Daniel’s. Something unusual’s been happening, I can tell. Have you been out on a date?”

  “Eh, no,” said Moonglow.

  “Are you sure? I can tell you’ve been doing something together. Should I leave? Just say and I’ll make myself scarce.”

  “You don’t have to leave,” said Moonglow darkly. “There was no date.”

  “OK, I give up, I’m still useless at reading auras. What’s been happening?”

  Moonglow told Vex about their adventures the previous night.

  Vex nodded sagely. “So Kalix has gone mad again. I was expecting it. Do you know what brought it on?”

  Vex accepted some toast from Daniel and plastered it with jam, gleefully loading on as much as the bread could take. Vex had a sweet tooth and an enormous appetite. “It’s good to be back. You can’t get toast at the palace, it’s hopeless. You know how we all agreed I should set up Aunt Malvie with some man so they could produce an heir and get me off the hook? Well, I’ve done it already.”

  Vex proudly described how she’d encouraged both Duke Garfire and Lord Stratov to woo the Queen. “I was cunning about it. I just dropped a few subtle hints to family members.”

  “So did it work?” asked Daniel.

  “I think so. The last I saw, Aunt Malvie was having this great conversation with them; she looked really fascinated. But then I got into a wine-drinking contest with Gruselvere and Iskiline, so I don’t really remember much after that. But I think I’ve made a good start.”

  The cat settled down on Vex’s lap and purred when she stroked its ear.

  “So it’s been a good few days and now it’s time for Nagasaki Night Fight Boom Boom Girl! The first episode is this afternoon!”

  “We saw your note on the fridge,” said Daniel.

  “And the alert you put on my computer,” added Moonglow. “Thanks for that.”

  “I didn’t want you to miss it!”

  Vex glanced at the clock and frowned. “Another six hours. I can’t wait. Do you think Kalix will like it? I’m not sure if she’s as keen on Tokyo Top Pop Boom Boom Girl as me.”

  “No one is as keen on Tokyo Top Pop Boom Boom Girl as you.”

  Vex laughed. “She’ll like it. It’ll cheer her up. Did she really chase you around the warehouse?”

  “Just about.”

  Vex laughed again. “I wish I’d seen that. Kalix is so funny when she’s a wolf. She’s all shaggy and excitable.”

  Vex stroked the cat under its chin and it rolled over on its back, enjoying the attention. Moonglow picked up the empty plates and took them to the kitchen. When she returned, she stood for a while, looking thoughtful.

  “Don’t do it,” said Daniel.

  “Don’t do what?”

  “Check on Kalix.”

  “I wasn’t going to.

  “Yes, you were. I recognize your expression. It’s best just to leave her alone for a while.”

  “I know.” Moonglow fidgeted for a few minutes. “I’d better just see if she’s all right,” she muttered and hurried upstairs.

  Vex watched her go, then turned to Daniel. “At least the two of you aren’t so awkward now. I guess all the Kalix adventures got you over the humiliation.”

  “Thanks,” said Daniel, and looked unhappy. He rose slowly, stiff and sore from his night on the crate.

  “I’m going upstairs to lie on my bed and listen to music for a few days.”

  “What about Nagasaki Night Fight Boom Boom Girl?”

  “She’ll have to do without me.”

>   Daniel trudged off up the stairs. Behind him, Vex grinned.

  “They’re all in a bad way,” she said. “Not like me. I’ve got a boyfriend. I wonder when he’ll call?”

  CHAPTER 37

  The repercussions of events in Scotland were already beginning to affect other members of the werewolf clan. While Kalix was hiding from the world, Beauty and Delicious were puzzling over what had gone wrong.

  “Something’s not right,” said Beauty

  “I know,” replied Delicious. “Ever since I got up this afternoon I’ve felt that something isn’t right.”

  “What is it?”

  Beauty shuffled around in her seat. “Maybe it’s the couch. The springs are going or something. We need a new one.”

  In keeping with the rest of the furnishings, the couch was a very expensive piece of furniture, but it was now showing the effects of years of ill treatment.

  Delicious agreed. “It’s not the couch it once was.”

  “It’s boring buying furniture,” said Delicious.

  “Dominil will do it for us.”

  The twins sat vacantly in front of the television, which was new and very large. Dominil had ordered it for them online, after the twins had finally managed to annoy her sufficiently by continually complaining about their old one. Each twin had a glass of the MacRinnalch malt in their hand. In front of them on the coffee table was a large bowl of a pickled onion Monster Munch, which counted as breakfast. The twins had steadfastly resisted all encouragement to change their habits.

  “What’s wrong with crisps and whisky for breakfast?” Beauty had said to Dominil only last week. “We get healthy again when we’re werewolves anyway.”

  It was true. No matter how much the twins abused their bodies, they were always revitalized by their regular werewolf change.

  “I don’t think it’s just the couch,” said Beauty after a while. “Something else is wrong.”

  Delicious flicked between music channels. “Are we meant to be doing something?”

  “How would I know? I never know what we’re meant to be doing. I just wait for Dominil to tell us.”

  The twins had never been good at remembering engagements. Since Dominil had taken over as manager of Yum Yum Sugary Snacks, they’d abandoned any attempt to remember anything. If they were due to play or rehearse, Dominil would tell them.

  A dim thought struggled to emerge in Delicious’s mind. “Where is Dominil anyway?”

  Beauty looked at her sister. “Of course. That’s what’s wrong. Where’s Dominil?”

  The twins were mystified. Dominil should be around, telling them what to do, but she wasn’t. She had been trying to get them a spot on a tour, supporting some well-known band. The twins had been rehearsing to make sure they were ready, but they had no idea when the next rehearsal was.

  “Is it today?”

  The twins had an uneasy feeling that it might be. The rest of the band could be waiting for them in the studio. Beauty became angry at Dominil.

  “What’s the idea of not being here to tell us if we’ve got to rehearse? She knows we can’t remember things like that.”

  The twins looked hopelessly at each other. “The boys get really mad when we don’t turn up,” said Beauty.

  They sat on the couch feeling annoyed at Dominil, and wondered what could possibly account for her absence.

  “And we’ve run out of Monster Munch,” said Beauty, her voice full of sadness. “Everything is going badly. Dominil is the worst manager ever.”

  CHAPTER 38

  Dominil hadn’t forgotten about the twins but she’d put their affairs to one side, as a lesser priority. She and Thrix were busy plotting the destruction of the Avenaris Guild. Each had tacitly agreed to ignore, for the meantime, all outside distractions. They sat now in Dominil’s stark room, the same room she’d occupied as a child. The walls were bare stone, undecorated save for two posters, one a reproduction of a painting by Mondrian and the other a chart showing programming commands. Though Dominil’s room was barely decorated, it was very tidy, with piles of old computer magazines Dominil had read as a child stacked neatly on shelves. The bed was covered in a blanket of green MacRinnalch tartan, very neatly arranged.

  “Explain to me the difficulties of locating the Guild’s headquarters with sorcery,” said Dominil.

  Thrix raised her palms. “I just get nowhere when I try. It’s hard to explain exactly why, because I don’t know precisely what I’m up against. There are a lot of hiding spells. If you don’t know which one has been used, it’s difficult to penetrate. I’ve been consulting Minerva’s books, and when I get back to London I’ll ask Malveria for help too.”

  Thrix frowned. “It’s strange, because the Guild doesn’t use much sorcery. I don’t think they have access to a strong sorcerer.”

  “They have been around for a very long time,” said Dominil. “It’s possible that some time in their history they learned a spell, or picked up a magical artifact, that hides them well.”

  “True. If they have a pendant of Tamol, it’ll make our life difficult. That’s what Malveria gave Kalix, and now she’s completely hidden from any inquisitive eyes.”

  “Is it likely they might have one?” asked Dominil.

  “I’d say not. They’re very hard to come by. But they’ve certainly got something powerful.” Thrix paused to sip whisky from a tumbler. The castle was full of fine crystal, but Dominil seemed to prefer the plainest type of glass.

  “I’ll find them eventually.” Thrix sounded confident, but she was frustrated. She didn’t want to spend weeks searching for the Guild’s headquarters. She wanted to attack them now.

  “I’m also facing difficulties,” admitted Dominil. “I used to be able to hack into the Guild’s files, but I can’t now. I worked my way past several upgrades, but they’ve finally employed someone who knows what they’re doing and I can’t crack their security.”

  Dominil indicated her computer screen. “I’ve been looking at the old messages I intercepted, trying to find out where their headquarters might be, without success. None of my geolocation is working. But there have been advances in that recently that I’m investigating. I’ve tried everything else I can think of, from examining the records at Companies House to the files of the Charity Association. But the Avenaris Guild isn’t listed as a company or a charity anywhere, or as anything else. I’m not giving up either. I’ll have revenge for Minerva too.”

  Dominil and Thrix both planned to return to London that night.

  “I won’t be sorry to leave the castle,” said Dominil.

  “Yes, you’re in disgrace,” said the Enchantress.

  Whether those regarding Dominil as a disgrace included Thrix was not entirely clear. Thrix hadn’t accused Dominil of being responsible for Minerva’s death. She hadn’t even referred to Dominil’s revelation about laudanum. But the Enchantress was so furious at the Guild that it was hard to tell if she was angry at Dominil or not.

  “My father and the Mistress of the Werewolves insisted I remain in the castle and receive treatment for my addiction from Doctor Angus,” said Dominil. “They are not pleased that I’ve refused.”

  “I’ve never seen Tupan so shocked.”

  “My father is very shocked, I acknowledge. But I need to get back to London. My laudanum problem will have to wait for a while, as will the affairs of the twins. My priority is to find the Guild.”

  “Mine too. Though I’m not sure that everyone else agrees. I sometimes get the feeling that nothing would rouse these barons.”

  “Markus will support us,” said Dominil. “When we find the Guild, we’ll need a large force to attack them. The Thane will authorize it.”

  “Let’s hope so. Or else it will just be you and me charging into the Guild’s headquarters on our own.”

  “Possibly. And Kalix, I imagine.”

  Thrix scowled fiercely. “Kalix can stay out of it.”

  “Kalix hates the Guild as much as anyone. If there’s an attack,
she’ll want to be involved.”

  “I can’t stand Kalix,” said Thrix. “And she’s too unreliable.”

  “She’s also a savage and experienced fighter who’s probably killed more hunters than anyone else in the clan.”

  Thrix shook her head and refused to talk any further about her sister, who she still blamed for Minerva’s death. “I’m giving up my fashion business for a while.”

  “Can you do that?”

  “I’ll ask my assistant and my chief designer to keep things moving. It should be OK for a week or two. I can’t be worrying about making clothes when I need to find the Guild.”

  Thrix raised her glass. “To the destruction of the Avenaris Guild.”

  “To their destruction,” agreed Dominil, and drank.

  CHAPTER 39

  Malveria was cheerful at the prospect of picking up her new dress. She materialized at Thrix’s office in Soho to find Ann sitting in front of the computer. The Fire Queen greeted her warmly.

  “Hello, esteemed assistant of my dearest friend Thrix. It is good to see you on this fine day when I am picking up a new dress!”

  Malveria had always liked Ann who, she knew, was a vital part of Thrix’s business. As well as being an excellent assistant, Ann was also one of the very few people who knew that Thrix was a werewolf.

  “So, valued assistant, where is Thrix? And where is my dress? I’m really trembling with excitement.”

  During Malveria’s expansive greeting, Ann had been regarding her rather sourly.

  “Thrix isn’t here. And your dress isn’t ready.”

  Malveria blinked and shook her head. “I fear that travel through the dimensions has affected my hearing. This can happen on occasion. What did you say?”

  “Thrix isn’t here and your dress isn’t ready.”

  “But how can Thrix not be here and my dress not be ready? These things are not possible.”

  “There’s been some werewolf crisis in Scotland. Thrix went there in a hurry and she hasn’t come back. She sent me a message telling me to run the company for a while.”

  From Ann’s expression, she wasn’t pleased to have the responsibility of running the business thrust on her so abruptly. Malveria felt her ankles start to give. Her high-heel spell was not yet perfect, and that, coupled with the shock of Thrix’s non-appearance, was enough to make her sit down quickly.