That was quite a gig," said Beauty.

"Are the fire crews still here?"

"I think they've left. The police are still asking questions though."

Yum Yum Sugary Snacks' gig had turned into a riot; quite an achievement given the size of the venue.

"You wouldn't have thought there were enough people to cause that much damage." Delicious drank from a bottle of beer, part of the small rider provided by the venue for the band. Neither sister could honestly say they regretted that their gig had ended in a riot. "It's a shame Hamil and Adam got arrested."

Beauty shrugged. "Dominil will sort it out when she gets back."

"Where'd she go to anyway?" No one was able to tell them. It was unusual for Dominil to disappear while they were playing.

"It will spare us a lecture anyway."

Dominil had odd ideas about music. Possibly she wouldn't agree it was a good thing for the gig to end in a riot.

Pete slipped into the tiny dressing room. He looked pale and shaken.

"Our guitarist," said Beauty. "The main culprit."

"Did you consciously decide to play the set list backwards at the wrong speed?"

Pete looked guilty but made an attempt to justify his poor performance. "How was I supposed to play properly when I'd just learned you were werewolves?"

"I suppose it was a shock."

"No need to throw your guitar at the audience though. That really sparked things off."

The twins laughed. Events had degenerated so quickly it was hard to apportion blame. At the end of the show, with the fire alarm ringing and people fighting all over the stage, it had taken the arrival of the police to bring an end to the ugly affair. In the process, two of the band had been arrested. The twins hadn't been. Somehow, when the police arrived, they'd managed to look frail: a pair of skinny girls with bright hair caught up in a brawl started by everyone else.

Pete sat down on a beer crate and took one of the remaining cans of lager. "I'd like to see Dominil as a werewolf again."

"Ask her when she comes back. She'll be happy to show you."

"How come she can change? Don't werewolves need a full moon?"

"The MacRinnalch werewolves can do it any night. Well, apart from us. We've been having a bit of trouble recently."

"So when do you change?"

"With us, it's unpredictable."

"Is it good being a werewolf?"

"It's great. We wouldn't have it any other way."

"Do you think Dominil will go out with me now?"

"Definitely," said Beauty.

"She told us she likes you," agreed Delicious.

"Hey look, I've changed again." Beauty was pleased. "Do you think it's because we're in Scotland? Maybe it encourages it or something."

"I can do it too," said Delicious, joining in. "This is loads better. You see, Pete-"

But Pete wasn't listening. He'd fainted.

"Too much beer, I expect. Pete's always been a bit of a lightweight."

"Hey Pete, wake up. If you want to win Dominil over, it's no good fainting every time someone turns into a werewolf."

"She'll be insulted."

"Of course. No werewolf would like it."

"But other than that, you're really in with a good chance."

The twins weren't sure whether to wait where they were or go off to look for Dominil. They didn't really want to risk visiting Andamair House, where there would be a lot of boring werewolves from the Great Council.

"And the opera too. I don't want to hear any opera."

"Maybe it's ended now?"

The recital had not quite ended, though Felicori was now on his final number. Princess Kabachetka, enjoying the performance, was surprised to find a stranger suddenly appearing next to her. For one thing, she didn't think the seat next to her had been empty, and for another, she didn't see the stranger arrive. Apparently she had materialized from nowhere, unseen by anyone.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Minerva MacRinnalch. I'm displeased. Thanks to you, I've had to leave my mountain-top for the first time in twenty years."

"No, you haven't," said the princess. "You left there quite recently to visit the Fairy Queen."

"True. But I'm still not pleased. You've used my sorcery, thereby violating the secrets of the MacRinnalchs."

"Well, you shouldn't have left them lying around in the castle library," said the princess. "A child could have picked that lock."

"The spells are mine, and I'm taking them back. As of now, they will no longer work for you. And I believe you will fail in your endeavors, Princess Kabachetka."

CHAPTER 178.

Dominil grabbed Kalix's wrist and hauled her to her feet. "We're being attacked," she said. "It's time to change."

Kalix sniffed and wiped her nose then sat down again.

Dominil growled angrily and tossed the white hair that hung around her werewolf shoulders. "Do you have to have an emotional crisis right this minute? Full on battle madness would be more appropriate."

The Douglas-MacPhees came closer, and behind them appeared two more werewolves.

"MacAndrises," Dominil thought. "Enemies of Kalix, of course." Dominil swore, which she rarely did.

"I can't tell you how fed up I am with being pursued by every werewolf and werewolf hunter in the country." She stepped forward and stood waiting for her opponents, an utterly savage expression on her face.

"Just move out of the way, Dominil," said Duncan. "We're not after you."

"Don't you ever get tired of chasing Kalix?"

Duncan shrugged. "We get paid for it."

Tires squealed not far away. A door slammed, and a figure appeared through the fog. It was Decembrius.

"What's happening?" he asked, moving to Kalix's side as he spoke. Dominil nodded at him, though something in her expression suggested he'd arrived here rather late. She turned back to Duncan.

"Decembrius and I are both members of the Great Council. I wouldn't advise you to attack us."

"Why not?" Marwanis MacRinnalch stepped out of the cloying fog with Morag MacAllister at her side. "I'm on the council too. I'll tell them it was justified."

"How would it be justified?"

"Kalix is an outlaw. We're arresting her."

"No, you're not," said Decembrius.

Duncan Douglas-MacPhee laughed. "Wasn't one beating enough? Do you want more?"

Dominil and Decembrius were faced with seven werewolves. The odds wouldn't have been so bad were Kalix to have helped, but that didn't seem likely. She was still sitting on the ground. The Douglas-MacPhees, the MacAndrises, Marwanis, and Morag spread out, ready to advance.

Another figure suddenly strode out of the fog still blanketing the parking lot. It was Tupan MacRinnalch, Dominil's father, brother to the late Thane. Tupan was also a member of the Great Council.

Rhona Douglas-MacPhee laughed. "Soon you'll be able to hold a meeting right here."

"Did everyone else feel that sickness?" asked Tupan. He looked at the scene before him. "Dominil, what's going on here?"

"These werewolves want to arrest Kalix."

"And?"

"I'm not inclined to let her be arrested."

Tupan frowned deeply. He was quite a tall werewolf, older than the others, but still lean and strong. "She should be arrested."

Dominil didn't reply to her father, nor did she move away from Kalix.

"There are eight of us and two of you," said Marwanis. "Three if you count that piece of dirt sniveling at your feet. Clan law is on our side, and so are the numbers."

"I don't like to hear you calling Kalix a piece of dirt," said Decembrius, raising his voice.

"I'd say it was appropriate. Now are you going to hand her over or do we have to take her?" Marwanis stepped forward and growled, and her growling made the other werewolves agitated. They moved to follow her.

"Stop it. There isn't going to be any fighting."

It was Markus with a little blood on his forehead and two werewolves behind him, Heather and Beatrice. Markus however, remained human, looking furious. "How dare you cause trouble here! How dare you even turn werewolf. There's a hall full of humans right next door, listening to the opera. What do you think it would do to the clan if you were discovered?"

"We were after Kalix," growled Duncan.

"Leave her alone," said Markus.

"Why would we do that?"

"Because I'm telling you to, and I'm the Thane."

"We're not that impressed with you as Thane."

"Are you not? I'm not impressed with you as werewolves. Now leave. Kalix is my responsibility."

The two MacAndrises, not so uncaring of clan etiquette, took a few steps backwards, but the Douglas-MacPhees were slow to retreat.

Marwanis refused to back down at all. "Kalix has to be arrested. She attacked the old Thane. And she killed Sarapen."

"Killing Sarapen wasn't a crime," said Dominil. Marwanis looked at her with almost as much loathing as she directed at Kalix.

The sounds of Felicori's encore drifted over from the hall, followed by tumultuous applause.

"Everyone change back," commanded Markus. "People will be in this parking lot soon. You MacAndrises-there are hunters' bodies strewn around the grounds. Pick them up and get rid of them. Everyone else, start acting human and get back into the house and look like you're supporting the event. Apart from you, Duncan, Rhona, and William. You're not welcome here. Leave the grounds."

The Douglas-MacPhees remained as werewolves and looked towards Marwanis.

"I'm not letting Kalix walk out of here," Marwanis stated.

"She's in my custody now," said Markus. "I'm the Thane."

"Then why don't we take her before the Great Council. Most of them are inside."

"I'll do what's necessary."

"You're going to let her go!" yelled Marwanis, enraged.

"I'm going to confer with the Mistress of the Werewolves."