Martin Millar - Lonely Werewolf Girl (81 page)

Daniel made a frustrated gesture.

"See, this is your problem Moonglow. You're never satisfied.
You club the Princess over the head and it's still not enough. Now we
have to hang around till she wakes up and blasts us."

"1 just want to do the job properly," replied Moonglow. "I
don't like leaving things half done."

"Sometimes you are so annoying!" yelled Daniel. "You never
know when you've done enough. You don't have to get full marks in every
exam! Have you any idea how aggravating that is?"

Moonglow felt annoyed at Daniel's criticism.

"You'd get better marks in your exams if you studied
occasionally."

"Don't change the subject," said Daniel, heatedly. "You're the
one who's being criticised here. Why do you have to do everything so
well?"

They made their way back into the street, still bickering.

"You know what it's like living with such an over-achiever?"

"Surprise me," said Moonglow, dryly.

"It's very dispiriting. I can't lie on the couch watching TV
without you making me feel guilty by studying all the time. It's
unreasonable. And you can't even have a normal boyfriend. Oh no, you
have to go out with some fancy werewolf prince."

Feeling that this was stretching personal criticism too far,
Moonglow protested hotly.

"Don't you drag Markus into this!"

"Why not? It's all part of the same problem."

"What problem?"

"Ridiculously high standards. You study too much and you only
go out with fantastic werewolf princes. No wonder I'm negative. I mean,
who can compete?"

Moonglow was now very irritated.

"Will you shut up? Don't talk about Markus."

"Who wants to talk about Markus? Forget he ever existed, I
say."

By the time they reached the street Daniel and Moonglow were
thoroughly annoyed at each other. They stood angrily on the corner, in
the snow, not sure what to do next.

226

When the six fresh werewolves Sarapen had been holding in
reserve entered the room, the defenders knew it was over. There was
nowhere left to retreat. Thrix, Butix, Delix and Dominil could hardly
stay on their feet. The single remaining MacRinnalch guard was alive,
but unconscious. Only Kalix, Gawain and Malveria could carry on
fighting, and all of them were wounded. They had fought valiantly.
They'd killed or incapacitated many of their attackers. Just seven of
Sarapen's original force of werewolves were still standing. But Sarapen
had hidden six more werewolves in a van outside, not even taking them
to the rendezvous in the warehouse. Now they were here.

Dominil hauled herself slowly to her feet.

"You can't finish the job yourself?" she said to Sarapen,
mockingly.

"I'll finish it now," replied Sarapen.

Sarapen had fought as werewolf but now he transformed into his
full wolf shape. He howled, and led his werewolves in their final
assault. Gawain sprang to intercept Sarapen but the wolf-Sarapen was
fast, and his teeth were round Gawain's throat in an instant. Kalix
felt a hand tugging at her arm. It was Dominil, who was now on one
knee, struggling to remain upright. The Begravar knife was glowing.
Princess Kabachetka's sorcery was gone, and the knife had now been
activated. She handed it to Kalix.

Kalix took the knife and leapt towards Sarapen. Behind her,
her fellow defenders were submerged in a murderous tide, but there was
some confusion as the knife cast its baleful influence over all the
werewolves. Kalix grabbed Sarapen and threw him from Gawain. As
Sara-pen turned to confront her, she thrust the knife deep in his
chest. Sarapen howled as the blade burned his insides. Such was the
volume of his scream that everyone paused. Malveria attempted to rise
gracefully, but failed.

"Niece," she yelled. "Assist me!"

Agrivex hurried out from beneath the remaining fragments of
the drum kit and helped her aunt to her feet. Malveria raised her hand.

"My sorcery has been restored," she gasped, and with a brief
wave she threw their assailants across to the far side of the room.

"Of course," thought Thrix. "Sorcery."

Thrix dredged up a spell. It was hard for her to think
straight as the confusion cause by the Begravar knife had addled her
mind, but she managed to add her powers to those of Malveria, forming a
wall of protection around them. All eyes now turned to Sarapen. The
great wolf writhed on the floor, transforming first from wolf to
werewolf, then from werewolf to human. The knife protruded from his
chest and he was unable to draw it out. Sarapen was dying.

The dim room suddenly lit up with a flash of green light.
Princes Kabachetka had arrived. She was no longer immaculate. There was
snow on her jacket and a trickle of blood on her forehead.

'Although,' reflected Malveria sadly, regarding her own ruined
outfit. 'She still looks better than me.'

Kabachetka hurried to Sarapen's side. She spoke a word and the
knife slid from his chest, no longer glowing. She knew, as surely as
did the Enchantress, that he was dying. The Princess knelt beside
Sarapen, and cradled his head. She looked up, seeking Malveria.

"You bitch!" said Kabachetka. Then she pointed a finger,
though who she was pointing at was unclear.

"I will see you at Livia's celebration," said the Princess.

"I look forward to it," replied Malveria.

Princess Kabachetka unleashed a mighty spell and a great bolt
of orange lightning crackled from her finger. It was not directed at
Malveria, or anyone else in the room. Instead it disappeared through
the wall, heading south.

"I fear you may be reduced to wearing last year's fashions,"
said the Princess, coolly. She dematerialised, taking Sarapen with her.

The Enchantress had by now regained enough strength to stand
unaided. She called out to Decembrius.

"Take your wounded and go or I'll kill you where you stand."

Decembrius did as the Enchantress said. They could not
continue the fight against the sorcery of the Enchantress and the Fire
Queen. With Sarapen gone, there was no point in trying. They departed
quickly, though not all quietly. One of the MacAndrises yelled
defiantly across the room towards Kalix.

"You killed Sarapen with the Begravar Knife! First your father
and now your brother! We won't forget."

Then they were gone. Kalix didn't react. She remained in her
werewolf form. Gawain was badly injured, only a few feet away, but she
didn't go to him.

"We'd better help the wounded," muttered the Enchantress,
looking towards the Fire Queen.

"What was that spell that the Princess used?" asked Malveria.

Thrix shook her head. She hadn't recognised it.

"It had some elements of penetrating a magical defence,"
muttered the Fire Queen. "But also some elements I have not encountered
before. Almost as if it was a spell constructed for - "

She stopped. Colour drained from her honey-toned cheeks.

"My clothes! She has found my beautiful new clothes and
treacherously attacked them!"

Malveria forgot her weakness. She snapped her fingers, and
vanished. The Enchantress watched her go.

"All right, I'll see to the wounded myself," she muttered.

The Enchantress tried to revive the MacRinnalchs who'd been
sent by Verasa but only one of them was still alive, and he was
seriously injured. Gawain was also badly hurt. His final confrontation
with Sarapen had been very brutal. The Enchantress glanced at his
wounds.

"You'll live," she muttered, and turned away. She knelt down
beside the MacRinnalch guard.

"I need to take him away for treatment. Is there anyone else
about to die?"

There didn't seem to be. Beauty and Delicious were bleeding
from cuts all over their bodies, but from the way they'd already
hurried to the bar to load up with free alcohol, they didn't seem to be
in danger. Dominil had been brutally battered and her coat was more red
than white, but she was still in one piece.

"I am fine," said Dominil. She winced in pain.

"Are you sure?"

"I am fine," repeated Dominil, and refused to wince again.
"Kalix, do you require attention?"

Kalix didn't reply. She just stood in the middle of the room,
staring into space. Her fur was torn and matted with blood and her
shoulders were hunched. For a werewolf who'd been fighting so savagely,
she suddenly seemed very small.

"I need to get this one back to my apartment," said the
Enchantress, kneeling over the guard. She glanced at the bodies which
littered the floor. She muttered a spell, and they disappeared.

"The morgue at the castle will be overflowing."

Daniel and Moonglow ventured into the room.

"What happened?"

"We won," said Dominil, and swayed unsteadily. "Take care of
Kalix."

Delicious surveyed the wreckage.

"For a first gig, that wasn't bad," she said.

"You're right," agreed Beauty. "Yum Yum Sugary Snacks are
really going places."

Dominil ushered the twins out. Gawain was no longer in the
room, though no one had noticed him leave. The Enchantress vanished,
leaving Daniel and Moonglow alone with Kalix.

"Are you hurt?"

Kalix didn't acknowledge them. Vex appeared from behind the
remains of a speaker stack.

"She's okay. She had a bit of a shock. Somebody probably said
something tactless. You know how over-sensitive she is."

They led Kalix towards the door.

"Perhaps you should change back to human?" suggested Moonglow.
"We're going outside now."

Kalix didn't change. She didn't reply. She seemed to have been
shocked beyond worlds.

"So what have you been arguing about?" asked Vex.

Daniel and Moonglow looked at her, both puzzled.

"I've been practising my auras," explained Vex.

Daniel and Moonglow trudged down the stairs, shepherding Kalix
along. Vex hopped along behind, talking excitedly about the nights
events. Daniel and Moonglow were silent. They hadn't yet made up their
argument. As they turned the corner of the narrow stairs they came to
an abrupt halt. Standing there was a man whose brawny frame almost
filled the staircase. It was Mr Mikulanec. He hadn't died at the
warehouse, and he'd not been completely baffled by Thrix and
Malve-ria's spells. He had too much experience of werewolf hunting to
be put off forever.

"The werewolf princess," he said, observing Kalix. "I've been
looking for you for some time."

Mikulanec took out his knife, and spoke the words to make it
glow.

227

Eskandor MacRinnalch rode into Baron MacGregor's camp while
the Baron was conferring with Baron MacAllister, Euan MacPhee, and Red
Ruraich MacAndris. They were debating what to do in the aftermath of
Wallace's defeat by Markus. The MacAllisters, MacPhees and MacAndrises
all wanted to press ahead with the assault on the castle but Baron
MacGregor insisted that after asking for his son's life to be spared,
he could no longer continue with hostilities. They could reach no
agreement, but as young Baron MacAllister pointed out, it made little
difference. When Sarapen arrived he'd lead them against the castle,
with or without the MacGregors.

Eskandor MacRinnalch was a respected member of the MacRinnalch
Clan and was greeted courteously by the Barons. He politely accepted
the proffered whisky, and sipped from the goblet.

"What brings you riding through the snow to our camp?"

"A message from the Mistress of the Werewolves. Sarapen
MacRinnalch is dead. The Mistress invites you to a meeting of the Great
Council, to continue with the business of choosing a new Thane."

The Barons gaped.

"Sarapen? Dead?"

"He was killed last night in London, in battle."

"You mean Verasa had him murdered?" roared Douglas MacAllister.

Eskandor MacRinnalch shook his head.

"He was not murdered. He died while carrying out an assault on
an event at which members of the Great Council were present."

As Eskandor made his way back to Castle MacRinnalch, the
Barons called for their lieutenants, instructing them to contact London
immediately, and find out if the report was true.

228

As Mikulanec brandished the Begravar knife, his eyes glinted
with cruel pleasure. He knew that Kalix could not stand against it.
Kalix abruptly changed from werewolf to human. Blood trickled from her
mouth where Sarapen had torn her flesh. Her face was deathly pale and
there was no life in her eyes.

"Can you feel the knife, werewolf?" said Mr Mikulanec. He took
a step forward. Daniel instinctively tried to block his way but the
hunter was far too strong. He grabbed Daniel's shoulder and pushed him
down the stairs. Then he raised the knife till it was inches away from
Kalix's face.

"Are you ready to die?" he said.

Kalix gazed at the knife.

"Yes," she said, softly. "I'm ready to die. But you're not
going to kill me."

Mr Mikulanec frowned. The werewolf should be showing signs of
confusion. Kalix did not seem to be confused. When he next spoke, there
was the slightest tinge of doubt in his voice.

"Do you feel the knife's power?"

"No."

"How can you not feel it?" demanded Mikulanec.

Kalix shrugged.

"I suppose I'm just too crazy."

With that Kalix transformed back into werewolf shape, and
grabbed the hunter's wrist. She dragged Mikulanec's bulky frame up the
stairs towards her then fastened her jaws around his neck, moving so
swiftly that the hunter had no time to react. Kalix broke his neck with
one bite, and let his body slide to the ground. Mr Mikulanec, who had
hunted and killed werewolves all over Europe, had finally been defeated.

Daniel picked himself up and hobbled back up the stairs.
Moon-glow sagged.

"I'm going to be sick," she said. "Let's get
out of here."

229

The Enchantress did not have the strength to lavish much
attention on the MacRinnalch guard. She was in too much pain herself.
She did at least make sure he'd live, boosting his energy and
preventing any further loss of blood. He'd wake up battered and
bruised, but on the way to recovery.