Marwanis spat on the ground. "You and your mother." She directed a look of loathing at Kalix then marched off, disappearing instantly into the fog.

"Kalix and Dominil," said Markus. "We're going to see the Mistress of the Werewolves."

CHAPTER 179.

This is insulting," raged the Fire Queen, halfway between dimensions. "Other Elementals are free to come and go, yet I am trapped here. Someone will pay."

The enchantress had added her power to Malveria's, and together they chipped away at the spell that prevented Malveria from returning home. Both knew there was little chance of arriving in time. The combined forces of Distikka and Commander Agripath must surely have swept the Fire Queen's guard away by now, even with Vex channeling the power of the volcano.

"She might turn out to have a talent for it," muttered Thrix.

"She probably just fell in."

The pair intensified their efforts as the mist that hid Malveria's realm began to dissipate. "We're almost there, Enchantress. Once the pathway opens, I won't have time to thank you or bid farewell, so I do so now."

"What?"

"For all your assistance and the beautiful clothes. I am deeply grateful."

"That's good to know," said Thrix. "But we're not saying goodbye just yet. I'm coming with you."

"You are unused to fighting in my realm and will die quickly on the volcano."

"We'll see about that."

Malveria paused, though she had no time to spare. "Really, Thrix, you should go home."

"What for? To look at my dead boyfriend?" Thrix gritted her teeth and fired another bolt of energy at the gray mass ahead of them. It split apart, and an orange light shone through.

"We are here," said the queen. "Prepare for battle."

Malveria and Thrix materialized on the higher slopes of the Great Volcano just in time to see Vex's foot blown off. She tumbled to the ground, blood and fire leaking from her body. The young Fire Elemental had performed quite heroically, sending the power of the volcano to First Minister Xakthan and his supporters, but she'd finally been overwhelmed by strength of the opposition. Huge bolts of fire fell all around, turning the sky red as Distikka advanced up the mountain.

Malveria took it all calmly. "How many of my guard remain, First Minister?"

"Around thirty, Your Highness."

"And Distikka?"

"An army of several thousand. They control two-thirds of the volcano."

"How did Agrivex manage?"

"Very well, and bravely. She saved the day. Till now."

Malveria turned to her friend. "Enchantress, could you stabilize Agrivex's body? I have no time to heal her now, but we'll see what I can do when this affair is over."

Thrix, who'd already slipped off her high heels, nodded and rushed to try to prevent more blood and fire from leaking out of the now-unconscious Vex. There wasn't much left of her foot, but what there was, the enchantress gathered up and placed beside her.

A huge explosion rocked the ground, sending burning shrapnel over their heads as Commander Agripath's advance guard sent a great arc of fire towards the queen.

"DeMortalis?" asked Malveria. "I did not expect to see you here."

The duke's handsome face was scarred from the battle, and his elegant clothes were ragged and charred. "It seemed like a good day for a fight," he replied, "though I did have an appointment with my tailor that I've regrettably had to miss."

Malveria smiled. She took a step forward to address the Fire Elementals who remained at her side. All around were the bodies of fallen comrades. "Gentlemen." She raised her voice over the sound of the thunderous fire. "We are fortunate. It is rare that the opportunity presents itself to perform great deeds of valor that will be talked about in ages to come. We will advance, dispatch the enemy, and return in triumph to let the bards sing songs about us. If any of you would rather not participate in this glorious victory, please feel free to withdraw."

No one withdrew. Malveria stretched out her hand, and a sword belonging to one of her dead guards sprang from the ground into her grasp. As she took hold of it, a great tongue of fire rolled out along the blade. Her eyes blazed, and her long dark hair turned red with flames. "First Minister, is that a dragon?"

"I'm afraid so. Commander Agripath's family trait has awakened, and he has made the transformation."

"Indeed. It is some time since I fought a dragon. Well, First Minister, as there seems no opportunity for a tactical approach, I suggest we simply charge the enemy. Let us see if Malveria, Xakthan, and thirty warriors are a match for Distikka, the dragon Agripath, and his regiment."

With that, the Fire Queen roared out the traditional battle cry of her family and charged downhill, followed by her ragged band.

CHAPTER 180.

Markus led Kalix and Dominil into Andamair House by one of the service doors at the back of the house. They found themselves in a small warren of corridors once used by servants. Unlike the rest of the great mansion, these corridors were unadorned and quite cramped. They followed Markus up a tiny stone staircase, worn smooth from hundreds of years of use by maids, cooks, and cleaners. As they emerged into a deserted corridor, Kalix was lagging behind. She came to a halt and leaned against the wall.

"What's wrong?" asked Markus. "Are you hurt?"

Kalix stared at the floor and didn't answer.

"We have to hurry," urged Markus, impatiently. "I don't want the barons sniffing you out; it will lead to more trouble."

Kalix refused to move.

"Kalix has suffered some sort of mental collapse," announced Dominil.

Kalix felt quite offended. "No, I haven't. I'm just sick of everything."

"Well it's time to get over it."

Kalix stared at her angrily. "You just don't understand how other people work, do you?"

"Possibly not. Anyway, you have things to do."

Kalix felt uncomfortably like a child being bullied. "What things?"

"You have to talk to your mother. And your exam starts in fourteen hours."

"My exam? I'm not doing my exam."

"Why not?"

"I've got other things to think about."

"You can think about them later. You've been studying for months, and it would be foolish to let it all go to waste."

"I'm not doing it."

"Yes, you are."

Kalix glared at her cousin. "I remember now. When you told me these stories about Robber Wolf, you were mean afterwards. You threw me out of your room."

"You were probably hanging round being annoying. I could only be comforting for a limited amount of time."

"Hurry up," said Markus. "Our mother will only be up here for a little while."

Kalix quailed. "I don't want to see her."

The door at the end of the corridor opened, and there stood the Mistress of the Werewolves.

"Wait here," said Markus, and he disappeared into the room to talk to Verasa, leaving Kalix outside.

Kalix sighed deeply. She wasn't looking forward to her interview with the Mistress of the Werewolves. It was a long time since she'd talked to her mother in private.

CHAPTER 181.

The Fire Queen and her small band of warriors hurtled down the slope of the Great Volcano. As Malveria charged into battle, she used the power of the volcano to cast a spell, protecting her followers from the spears and arrows of their enemies and sheltering them from the rain of firebolts that arched through the sky.

The Fire Queen headed straight towards Commander Agripath, who now led his troops in the shape of a great dragon. When she arrived in front of him, there was a brief pause in the tumult of battle. Malveria looked into the dragon's eyes. "Congratulations on your transformation, Commander. Your family has always made excellent dragons."

Agripath hadn't been expecting to encounter the queen and was not inclined to talk. He spread his crimson wings and rose into the air, intending to plummet onto Malveria and rip her apart with his terrifying claws. Malveria didn't wait for his assault. As soon as he left the ground, she flew towards him. With the power of the volcano coursing through her, Malveria was now at her strongest. She swung her fiery sword at the dragon's head. Agripath evaded the blow and thrust a talon at the queen. She deflected the blow with her sword, and in doing so, cut the dragon's scaly skin.

Agripath roared furiously and shook his great tail. A plume of flames shot from his mouth, covering the queen. Malveria dispersed them with a wave of her hand. As the flames cleared, she was frowning angrily. "You have ruined my beautiful clothes."

Beneath them the slopes of the volcano were covered with smoke and flames. Agripath's troops were hindered by the queen's protective spell but still tried to press forward with their superior numbers. Duke DeMortalis yelled out the traditional battle cry of his family as he urged his men to hold firm.

The dragon beat its wings, rising further in the air before once more plunging through the smoke-filled sky. This time the flames that came from his mouth were greater than before. Malveria disappeared in a ball of smoke and flame. It took some time for the blaze to dissipate. When the sky finally cleared, Malveria was still hovering motionless in the air.

"I killed the Three-Headed Dragon of Despair," she called contemptuously, "and he was a mighty opponent. But you are newly formed and not the dragon he was." Malveria raised her sword and struck the dragon full on the face, causing it to rear backwards and roar in pain. "Distikka has been a very bad influence on you. And I notice, Agripath, that she seems to have fled the scene, leaving you to take the consequences."

With that, Malveria struck again. Her flaming blade sliced through Agripath's neck, and as the dragon's head tumbled through the blackened air to land crashing in the midst of his troops below, they lost heart and turned to flee.

CHAPTER 182.

When the Mistress of the Werewolves found herself facing Kalix, even thinner and more ragged than she'd expected, she found herself lost for words. Kalix was almost beyond her help. The family schism had robbed them of any intimacy they might once have had as mother and daughter. Kalix would probably have said they'd never had any to begin with. "Markus told me why you came here. What are you planning to do now?"

"I'm leaving. Decembrius is giving me a lift back to London."

Verasa nodded. "That's probably best."

"I need to get back for my exam."

Verasa was surprised. "You're going to do it? Are you well enough?"

"Dominil says I should do it. She's probably right. Anyway, if I don't, then Vex might not do it either. I don't want her to give up."

Verasa nodded. At least her daughter was making some sort of effort. "I'm sorry you can't stay. The council, they're still angry about..."

Kalix looked at the ground. The attack on her father was one of the many subjects that they couldn't talk about. Like her laudanum addiction and her eating problems and her life in London. Nothing could be talked about without it leading to a lecture from her mother and a furious argument. They both knew that so left everything unsaid.

"I'm glad to see you safe," said Verasa, with an effort.

"I have to ask you something," said Kalix.

"What?"

Kalix felt every muscle tensing up and squirmed with humiliation at what she was about to say. "I need money."

"Of course. For the journey."

"More than that. I need quite a lot. I took money from Daniel and Moonglow to pay my fare to Edinburgh."

"You took? You mean you stole it?"