"I don't like your hair."

Vex started to choke as the larger girl increased the pressure of her grip. They were interrupted by a menacing growl, a sound that didn't seem like it should have come from the lips of the skinny girl who appeared beside them.

"Let her go," said Kalix.

The girls laughed. The larger one swung a lazy slap at her, which Kalix nimbly avoided. She looked at Vex. "Has this happened before?"

Vex looked uncomfortable. "A few times. It's okay."

Kalix grabbed the larger girl's wrist and twisted it. The girl yelped in pain. Kalix let go and then slapped the girl hard across the face. The force of the blow sent her crashing to the ground.

Her friend looked on in alarm and took a step back. "Don't hit me."

Kalix hit her as hard as she'd hit her friend. The girl tumbled to the ground with blood coming from her lip. Kalix reached down and retrieved Vex's music player. Not yet satisfied, she tore the large girl's own music player from her neck. She dropped it on the ground and stamped on it. The player shattered into small pieces under her boot. Kalix seemed to enjoy the destruction and aimed a kick into the smaller girl's ribs. This time she screamed in pain. Kalix raised her foot again.

"Okay, let's go," said Vex, and she grabbed hold of Kalix to drag her away before she did anything worse.

Kalix looked back as she was being led away and shouted at the girls on the ground, "If you bother Vex again, I'll kill you."

Vex hurried them into the building.

"Why didn't you tell me you were being bullied?"

"I didn't want to worry anyone."

"It's not a worry. If anyone picks on you again, tell me. I'll sort it out."

They walked into their exam. The physical confrontation, though minor by Kalix's standards, had a beneficial effect on her mental state, calming her down. When the papers arrived on her desk, she wasn't quite as agitated as she might have been.

"I'm not going to fail this test," thought Kalix, logging on to her personal page on the computer. "I'm going to think positively like Moonglow suggested, and I'm going to pass."

She clicked the mouse, bringing up the first question.

"To be answered in ten seconds: Add 1.20 to 2.78."

Kalix's palms began to sweat. "I was wrong," she thought. "I'm not going to answer a single question, and I'm going to fail." She nervously reached beneath her sleeve to scratch her arm, irritating the wound, and making a little blood flow.

CHAPTER 120.

The Fire Queen had not anticipated enjoying her evening's entertainment, and her judgment proved to be sound. Young Countess Rechen-Gaval, who had only just inherited her title, was far too full of herself for the queen's liking and was dangerously well dressed. Her cocktail dress was a vibrant red, sculpted quite simply, and it reminded Malveria of something she'd admired in this month's issue of Elle. The countess had accessorized it with a pair of shoes by Missoni and a silk belt. The whole outfit was extremely stylish. Malveria recalled with regret that Thrix had advised her that belts were being worn with cocktail dresses this season. Malveria had rejected Thrix's advice. Gazing at the countess, she realized she'd made a mistake.

It quite put Malveria off the refreshments. Her mood brightened a little when Beau DeMortalis appeared and complimented her clothes and beauty, but before the queen could fully appreciate it, the countess appeared. She somehow managed to drape herself over the duke, and she led him away on the pretense of needing advice at the card table.

"As I suspected," said Malveria to her friend Duchess Gargamond, "the new countess is a shameless trollop, much as her mother was."

Gargamond was eager to play whist at the card tables in the next room.

"Must we?" sighed the queen. "Kabachetka will be there. I can feel a headache coming on already."

"Come on, Malveria," said the duchess, and she actually clapped Malveria on the shoulder, something that very few Elementals would have been allowed to do. "We'll show these youngsters what we're made of."

Malveria winced, not liking the implication that she herself might be anything but young. She followed the duchess into the card room, fearing the worst. Her spies had told her that Kabachetka had been studying assiduously with a new card master, and while the princess was undoubtedly a stupid woman, there was no telling how her game might have improved.

The queen settled down reasonably comfortably with her partner for a game of whist with the Sorceress Livia and Lady Esuvius, neither of whom were likely to do anything to upset her. She noticed Distikka sitting with Princess Kabachetka at the far end of the room and was pleased. She'd asked Distikka to keep Kabachetka away from her for as long as possible, and her personal advisor, efficient as always, was doing just that.

CHAPTER 121.

Kalix stood outside her front door in the rain, gloomily reflecting on her latest failure at college. The drain at the side of the road was blocked, as it often was, causing a pool of water to lap onto the pavement. The pavement itself was cracked and broken, with some of the old paving stones starting to sink, producing uneven ridges that could trip an unwary pedestrian. Along with the boarded-up shop front, it all made for a depressing sight. Kalix sighed as the rain flattened her hair, allowing her odd, wolf-like ears to show through. After a long delay, she slid her key into the lock, desperately hoping there was no one home. She didn't want to talk about her test. She crept quietly upstairs and sneaked into the living room.

"Kalix! How did the test go?"

"Daniel!" cried Moonglow. "I told you not to ask Kalix about it."

"Sorry."

"You're so tactless. Kalix won't want to talk about it in case it went badly. Though I'm sure it went well. How did it go?"

"Badly," said Kalix.

"Oh."

"I failed."

"You got the results already?"

"No. But I know I failed anyway."

Moonglow tried to be reassuring. "You probably did better than you imagine."

"I failed."

"How can you be sure?"

"Because I panicked and ran out of the room again."

There was silence, broken only by the dull hissing of the old gas fire.

"Did you answer many questions before fleeing?"

"I didn't even write my name."

"It sounds like a quick exit."

"It might be a new record," muttered Kalix. "I'll have to check later." She dropped her bag of books on the floor and slumped onto the couch, looking so small and pathetic that Moonglow was almost moved to tears.

"It started well. Vex was being bullied."

"What?"

Kalix told them about the two girls who'd harassed Vex. When she described how she'd battered them to the ground, Moonglow looked shocked. Knocking people down wasn't Moonglow's idea of the right thing to do. Daniel, however, was enthusiastic. Knocking down bullies was exactly the right thing to do in his eyes.

"I wish you'd been around at my school," he said. "There's a few people I'd like to have seen beaten senseless."

"Well, that was a bad start to the day," said Moonglow.

"No, it wasn't. It was a good start for me. Fighting usually makes me feel better. I felt fine right till I opened up the test. Then I panicked. The room started spinning and I couldn't breathe and I just ran out." She slumped even lower on the couch. "Now I'll have to leave college, and everything's ruined."

Moonglow wasn't about to let this level of negativity pass unchecked. "Nonsense. Everything will be fine. Daniel, make tea while I talk to Kalix."

Daniel departed to make tea.

"It was just a test to get you ready for your exam. You can still pass that. If you're having such problems with anxiety, the college will understand. We'll talk to them. Maybe they'll let you retake the test."

Kalix was resolute in her misery and wouldn't be comforted. A few minutes later, as she sipped the tea supplied by Daniel, she admitted that it wasn't just her failure at the exam that was making her unhappy. "I feel bad about Vex too, being bullied. She said it happened before. It must have been going on, and I didn't even notice it."

"But you helped her today."

"I should have helped her before. You know what Vex is like. She can't protect herself." The young werewolf sighed. "I shouldn't have let her be bullied." At this, Kalix seemed to shrivel into a small ball of misery and self-loathing, leaving even the determinedly positive Moonglow lost for words. "I thought I could find out who killed Gawain, and I've no idea how to do it. I ask questions, and everyone just ignores me. I thought I could go to college like a normal person, and I can't do that either. I can't pass a simple test, and I couldn't even look after Vex against two stupid bullies."

Kalix rose to her feet and walked slowly towards her bedroom, leaving Daniel and Moonglow baffled about what they might say or do to make things better. Even the certain knowledge that Kalix would now be taking laudanum couldn't induce Moonglow into action, because she really didn't know what to say.

CHAPTER 122.

Despite the deficiencies of her partner, the Fire Queen fared moderately well at the card table for most of the evening, but it all went wrong when she was finally matched against Princess Kabachetka. Distikka had done an excellent job of keeping them apart, engaging Kabachetka in a lengthy conversation for most of the evening, but finally the blow struck. After the standard rotation at the tables, Malveria found herself sitting opposite the hated princess. They smiled at each other politely.

"I so enjoyed your Fire Festival," said the princess.

"You are my most honored guest."

"My mother deeply regrets she was unable to attend."

"Her presence has been sorely missed."

The Fire Queen and the princess gazed at each other with loathing, each taking care not to let it show in either their expression or their aura. The princess's partner, a Lady Tecton, was unknown to the Fire Queen. Malveria regarded her with suspicion. It was unusual for Kabachetka to appear with an unknown partner. Usually she would associate with only the most fashionable Hainusta.

"I do admire your cocktail dress," said Kabachetka to Malveria, "though we are mostly wearing them with belts this season. You were perhaps wise to resist the change. The current fashion would not necessarily suit you."

Malveria bridled but said nothing. Play began with the Duchess Gargamond immediately plunging her team into trouble by an overambitious attempt to win a trick. Kabachetka's partner, Lady Tecton, scooped up the hand.

"I am very much looking forward to the operatic event at Andamair House," said Princess Kabachetka.

"As am I," responded Malveria.

"I'm delighted that you eventually managed to secure an invitation. When I myself was invited in the first rank of guests, I was quite worried that you had not been thought of. Is that another round to us? Well played, Lady Tecton."

Malveria tapped her foot in irritation as the points mounted up to their opponents. Gargamond was playing worse than ever, and Malveria was put off her game by the dreadful error she'd made in wearing a beltless cocktail dress. Kabachetka had out-styled her, and it was her own fault for rejecting Thrix's advice. She pulled herself together and concentrated on her cards.

"Your Abukenti bag has proved a great hit this season," said the princess as her partner dealt.

"Really," said the queen, nonchalantly.

"It was a great coup for you to secure such a fabulous item so early."

"Thank you."

"I suppose Abukenti's anniversary shoes will be the next item to really attract attention."

Malveria felt herself going cold, not liking the way the conversation was going. Why had Kabachetka mentioned the Abukenti shoes?'

"It will be a while before they're attainable," Malveria said cautiously.

"To some people, no doubt," said the princess, smiling at the queen. "But for others, they may arrive early."

Malveria gritted her teeth. "Really?"

"So I understand. Is that another hand to us? My goodness, Lady Tecton, you are playing well. We seem to be well ahead on points."

Malveria's playing went steadily downhill, beset as she was with worries over her dress and the dreadful prospect of Princess Kabachetka securing a pair of Abukenti shoes before she did. The princess had clearly been hinting at just that, and it completely put Malveria off her game. With the Duchess Gargamond making her customary series of errors and Lady Tecton apparently being the finest card player ever to emerge from the Hainusta nation, the outcome was inevitable. Malveria plummeted to a heavy defeat, losing by a margin rarely seen. The queen was sure that people at neighboring tables had stopped their own games to watch hers, and she felt the room go silent as the game ended. She rose to her feet and smiled at the princess. "Such an entertaining match, Princess Kabachetka and Lady Tecton. You quite had the better of us."

"We do appear to have won," agreed the princess. "No doubt you'll have better fortune next time. I look forward to seeing you at the operatic event."

"I look forward to seeing you too. Duchess Gargamond, shall we take a walk in the garden for a little air?"