“Moonglow is much more crazy about Markus than she was about Jay.”
Daniel started the conversation as a way of diverting Malveria’s attention from her own misery but it didn’t take him long to forget Malveria’s problems and concentrate on to his own. The Fire Queen proved to be a good listener. She was interested in everything he had to say about himself and Moonglow.
“Don’t despair, young Daniel. I have much experience in the ways of lovers. Do not abandon hope. One day Moonglow will want you.”
Daniel took heart. After all, Malveria was well versed in these matters. He felt sufficiently grateful to refill Malveria’s wine glass, though he wouldn’t have felt so grateful had he known of the Fire Queen’s bargain with Moonglow. Daniel tensed as he heard the front door open, but Malveria reassured him.
“It’s Moonglow on her own. She is not with Markus.”
“Maybe they’ve broken up?” said Daniel, hopefully.
Moonglow burst into the room looking radiant.
“I love Markus!” she cried.
Daniel and Malveria regarded her sourly.
‘Another MacRinnalch annoyance,’ thought Malveria, and wished ill on the whole family.
“Where’s Kalix?” asked Moonglow.
“Sulking in her room.”
“Oh dear.” Moonglow noticed that neither Daniel nor Malveria were looking very happy either.
“What’s wrong?”
“Malveria argued with Thrix,” explained Daniel, not wanting to refer to his own problems. Moonglow was concerned. In her happy state she didn’t like to see anyone miserable. She listened as Malveria related her sorry tale. When she finished, Moonglow nodded.
“Very upsetting,” she agreed. “But surely you don’t really think Thrix is betraying you?”
“Of course,” exclaimed Malveria. “It is the treacherous behaviour I have come to expect from the Enchantress.”
“No, really,” said Moonglow, looking Malveria in the eye. “You don’t really think Thrix is betraying you, do you?”
Malveria stared back at Moonglow, not liking to be contradicted. Then she shrugged.
“Possibly she is not.”
“Of course she isn’t,” said Moonglow, in her kindly way. “Thrix would never do that to you. I expect she’s just tired because she’s been working too hard and when you started to argue, it all got out of hand and you both said things you didn’t mean.”
Malveria stared at her exquisite shoes for a moment, then at Moonglow. The girl did have a way of putting things that made sense.
“You think this is possible?”
“Definitely. Thrix is a good friend. And she’s making you such beautiful clothes.”
Malveria let out a long low moan and rested her head on Daniel’s shoulder.
“Moonglow is right. But now it is an even worse disaster. I have accused my friend of terrible things and she’ll never speak to me again.”
“Why not just apologise?” suggested Moonglow.
The Fire Queen bridled at the idea.
“Apologise? Never. The Enchantress said very hurtful things to me. If I marginally overreacted it was quite understandable.”
“Just apologise, it’ll make things better.”
“Never,” insisted the Fire Queen. “I did not defeat the dragon of death and despair by apologising.”
Moonglow pointed out that this was rather different. Malveria dug her pencil-thin heels in.
“Before I can apologise the Enchantress will have to beg my forgiveness.”
“Well really!” said Moonglow, exasperated. She took out her phone and dialled Thrix’s personal number.
“Thrix? This is Moonglow. Malveria’s here and she’s really upset…”
“This is outrageous!” cried the Fire Queen. “I insist you put down that phone.”
“…and she wants to make up the argument.”
Malveria crossed her arms in front of her chest.
“I will not speak to her,” she declared.
The Enchantress suddenly appeared in the room, materialising with a much gentler flash of light than had Malveria. Moonglow was surprised to see Thrix as human, with the full moon overhead. Thrix stared at Malveria. Malveria stared at Thrix, then leapt to her feet and embraced the Enchantress.
“Dear Thrix I’m so sorry.”
“I’m sorry too,” said Thrix.
They embraced emotionally. Daniel turned to Moonglow.
“You’re good at this sort of thing.”
“Yes, it’s one of my talents.”
Moonglow broke off a slice of the pizza which Daniel had just microwaved for her. Kalix slunk out of her own room and made her way through to the kitchen without speaking. She didn’t even acknowledge her sister.
“There goes our teenage malcontent,” said Daniel. “Also in a bad mood.”
Thrix and Malveria had by now stopped embracing and were talking animatedly about designs for day four, whatever that meant. Kalix traipsed heavily back into the room. Moonglow scrabbled in her bag.
“I brought you something,” she said and handed over a box. Kalix took it in her werewolf paw with a show of boredom. She wasn’t intending to be impressed by any gift from Moonglow. However, on finding it to be a DVD containing the whole first series of Sabrina the Teenage Witch, her face lit up. Kalix’s emotions while in werewolf form were less subtle than her emotions as human. Her defences were dented by the excellent present.
“Thanks,” she muttered, still attempting to show as little gratitude as possible. But she sat down on the floor beside them and eagerly opened the DVD to look at the pictures inside.
Moonglow had worked a miraculous transformation. It seemed like only minutes ago that the house was full of miserable elementals and gloomy werewolves. Now the living room was full of contented creatures. Moonglow was still puzzled at Thrix being in human shape while the moon was full.
“I can suppress it,” explained Thrix.
Moonglow considered this.
“Why? Isn’t it fun? Don’t you get urges to run through a forest?”
“Why on earth would I want to run through a forest?” asked Thrix.
“To get close to nature?” ventured Moonglow.
The Fire Queen burst out laughing at the thought of Thrix getting close to nature.
“Thrix does not like to participate in anything which does not require high heels.”
Moonglow’s phone rang. She hurried out of the living room to take it in private. Malveria commented on Moonglow’s capacity for bringing good cheer. Thrix looked thoughtful.
“I wonder if she’s bringing good cheer to Markus?”
“One would imagine so,” said Malveria. “Given that she seems so happy herself.”
There was a terrible cry from the hallway. Moonglow burst into the room and collapsed sobbing onto the couch. Malveria turned to Thrix.
“These humans can be so inconsistent.”
Moonglow put her head on Daniel’s shoulder.
“Markus says it’s all over,” she wailed. “He never wants to see me again.”
Moonglow cried bitterly, and it was all she could do for a long time to come.
166
The third time Markus had woken up with Moonglow beside him he realised he felt different. He felt peaceful. He was calmer than he had been for weeks. The terrible emptiness caused by the loss of Talixia didn’t hurt so badly. He still grieved for her but it no longer felt like something he couldn’t cope with. He had done enough grieving.
Little of the dull morning light penetrated the heavy curtains of Markus’s bedroom; it was enough for a werewolf to make out his still sleeping partner. Moonglow was pretty when she was sleeping. Tranquil, with a hint of a smile on her lips. Markus looked at her appreciatively. She had brought him back from the brink. Her love for him had rescued Markus from his despair. He leaned over and kissed her lightly on the cheek. He appreciated what she’d done. It was a shame that he would now have to leave her.
&nbs
p; He dressed silently and went downstairs to the phone, then called his mother’s private chambers at Castle MacRinnalch.
“This is an early call, dear. I hope there is nothing the matter?”
“I’m better. The trauma has gone.”
Verasa was surprised.
“Are you certain?”
“I’m quite certain. Tell me what’s been happening.”
Markus was aware that his behaviour could not have impressed his fellow werewolves. The prospective Thane did not hide away and mourn for his losses. The prospective Thane rallied his supporters and defeated his opponents. When Verasa gave a rather vague and meandering version of recent developments, Markus interrupted her.
“Mother, it’s fine. You don’t have to spare my feelings. Do I still have sufficient support to be Thane?”
Verasa assured him that he did. She was cautious, still surprised at the sudden change in her favourite son’s demeanour.
“Did anything happen to you?”
“No,” replied Markus. “I simply recovered. I am a MacRinnalch, after all. We should discuss what we’re going to do next. I’ve been thinking it might be best if you made me captain of the castle guard.”
“My thoughts exactly,” said Verasa, and sounded pleased.
They spoke for a long time, till Markus was fully abreast of recent events. He was contemptuous when he heard that his older brother had called a clandestine meeting of his supporters.
“The Barons will not dare to go against us. And if they do we’ll put them in their place.”
Markus was healed, in body and spirit. Moonglow’s attentions and the power of the moon had brought back his strength. He thought of the girl, lying upstairs in his bed. He knew that she loved him. It had happened before. Human girls of that sort always loved him. They couldn’t help themselves. When Moonglow woke he’d be polite to her, and send her off kindly. But now he was well, he didn’t need her any more, and the relationship was over.
167
At the headquarters of the Avenaris Guild Mr Carmichael was assessing reports. The Guild knew by now that there was a dispute going on among the MacRinnalchs; something to do with the succession to the Thaneship. This was highly significant. At such a time there might be many opportunities for killing werewolves, particularly as they had information that many of the principal characters were here in London, far from the safety of their ancestral homes.
Gregor MacRinnalch had been killed by Mr Mikulanec, and Gregor was known to the Guild as a senior member of the MacRinnalch Clan. Affairs in London must be important for him to have made an appearance. Mr Carmichael had a shrewd idea that the MacRinnalch feud might be coming to a head on their own doorstep, and sent out as many agents as he had available. Some south of the river, to continue the hunt for Kalix. Some further afield, looking for the werewolf musicians they’d fought at the rehearsal studio. The Guild was now cooperating fully with Mr Mikulanec. He’d proved his worth by killing Gregor. When the Guild made the breakthrough that was surely coming, they’d call on the services of Mr Mikulanec, and together they’d deal the MacRinnalchs a blow they’d never forget.
The werewolf hunters had increased their computer security. Their information officer reported to Mr Carmichael that whoever had hacked into their system would not be able to do so again. Sitting at her computer, upstairs in the twins’ house, Dominil was only slightly inconvenienced.
“You wasted your money on the upgrade,” she murmured, as she once more bypassed their security, and scanned their files. The werewolf was not pleased at what she learned. The Avenaris Guild seemed to know more about the feud for the Thaneship than they should. They still lacked details - no word of events at a meeting of the Great Council had ever reached outside ears - but they knew enough to realise that this was a good time to attack the clan.
Dominil noted with displeasure that she now appeared in their records. A white-haired werewolf, of unknown origin. Apparently protecting the younger musicians. Assisted at the studio by two other werewolves, one of them Kalix MacRinnalch.
Again there was mention of the man from Croatia. Now he had a name, Mr Mikulanec. He had killed Gregor MacRinnalch on the same night that Gawain was injured. Dominil knew of Gawain’s injury. Thrix had told her that a human hunter now carried the Begravar knife, or something very similar. Thrix didn’t know how the human came to possess such a weapon. She thought it most likely that it was the MacRinnalch knife, stolen somehow from the castle by the Avenaris Guild. The Mistress of the Werewolves didn’t believe the Guild were involved. She believed it had been stolen by Sarapen, and then used by one of his human hirelings.
Only Dominil knew for certain that there were two Begravar knives, because she had one of them. Kertal had stolen this knife from the MacRinnalch vaults, but if the Mistress of the Werewolves blamed Sarapen for the theft, and the deaths of Talixia and Gregor, then Dominil wasn’t about to enlighten her. It suited Dominil for Sarapen to take the blame. She had been amused to learn that Verasa had expelled him from the clan. How that must have hurt Sarapen, with his liking for clan tradition.
Reaching under the bed, Dominil drew out the box. The knife wasn’t large but the blade was sharp. The hilt was decorated with a plate made of bone, with cuneiform engravings. Dominil could not yet read them but she intended to learn how. As far as she knew, the knife needed activating before its dread power became fully effective. Were it active at this moment, she wouldn’t even be able to hold it without its spell of bafflement affecting her senses. Presumably the writing gave some sort of instructions, some word of power, to bring the weapon to life. Dominil took a sip from her bottle of laudanum then began to hunt on the internet for translations of Sumerian cuneiform.
168
Moonglow sobbed on Daniel’s shoulder. Thrix fidgeted, wanting to leave, but the Fire Queen was fascinated. She was pleased to see the way Daniel comforted Moonglow. Kalix, not that interested in Moonglow’s misery, was about to head for the kitchen when Vex appeared in the room, arriving from upstairs.
“What are you doing here?” demanded Malveria.
“Practising teleporting,” replied Vex. “Quite successfully really.”
Vex smiled brightly, and wondered why no one was smiling back at her. She finally noticed that Moonglow was crying.
“What’s the matter with her?”
“Markus has discarded Moonglow like an unwanted sacrifice,” explained Malveria. “Jettisoned her like last years shoes. Thrown her out like - ”
Moonglow’s crying grew louder. Thrix nudged Malveria.
“Did I speak out of place?”
“Whoa!” said Vex, enthusiastically. “Bad break up? Lucky you got cable. It’s just what you need to get you through. So, who’s got the TV guide?”
“Be quiet, idiotic niece,” said Malveria. “You will upset the girl. What good is television when you have been cast aside, abandoned, and brutally rejected by the one you love?”
Moonglow sobbed and rushed from the room.
“I really think you need TV,” insisted Vex. “It’s the best thing for a broken heart. I’ve read about people eating ice cream and chocolate but what’s the point of that? I mean, then you’re not only miserable you’re fat as well.”
“Surprisingly, my niece speaks sensibly for once,” agreed the Fire Queen. “There is no point in laying on pounds of unwanted blubber as a means of dealing with rejection.”
The Enchantress nodded in agreement. Vex, Malveria and Thrix were united in their antagonism towards food as a palliative for a broken heart. Daniel, feeling they were all missing the point, rose with an exasperated grunt.
“I’ll go see she’s all right.”
“He is gallant,” said Malveria, as Daniel left the room. She turned her eyes back towards Vex, and became suspicious.
“Appalling niece. When you came downstairs there was something about your aura I did not like.”
Vex looked at Kalix, a pained expression on her face.
“You se
e what I have to put up with? Even my aura gets criticised.”
“It looked to me like the aura of a girl with a guilty conscience,” continued Malveria. “Of course, you often have a guilty conscience due to your numerous crimes. But I would judge this particular guilt-tinged aura to be the result of trying on my new clothes which are at this moment hidden in the attic.”
Malveria glared at Agrivex.
“I completely deny it,” said Vex.
“You dismal girl. If you go near these clothes again you will find yourself swimming briefly in the great volcano before disappearing under a torrent of lava, and a great benefit to the Hiyasta nation that would be, now I think about it.”
“We should be going,” said Thrix.
“Ah, Enchantress. Moonglow’s tears have discomfited you. You are not comfortable in the presence of such raw emotions, no?”
Thrix didn’t reply. Malveria was correct. Thrix didn’t feel comfortable when confronted by great public displays of emotion. The result of a rather cold upbringing, a therapist had once told her. But Thrix didn’t really approve of therapy either, and had only gone for reasons of fashion, when a therapist seemed like a necessary accessory.
With a final stern exhortation to Agrivex not to go near any of the clothes in the attic, the Fire Queen dematerialised. The Enchantress looked at Kalix, who was sitting with Vex on the couch, watching TV.
“Are you all right?” she asked.
Kalix mumbled a reply without looking up. As a werewolf with a mouth full of pizza, her words were very hard to understand. It aggravated Thrix that Kalix couldn’t tear her attention away from the TV screen for a few seconds to talk to her older sister. The Enchantress left abruptly, and was soon back in her office, hard at work.
The Fire Queen was not so direct in her journey home. After dematerialising downstairs, she rematerialised in Moonglow’s room. Moonglow was now on her own, and lay crying on her bed.
“You yearn for Markus?” said Malveria.
Moonglow looked up.
“I love him,” she sobbed.