Kalix nodded. She was unable to look her mother in the face and felt that she'd rather have confronted a room full of enemies than admit to her mother that she'd stolen money from her flatmates.

"Why did you-" began Verasa, angrily, but checked herself. There was, she supposed, no point in starting another argument. But she couldn't keep the annoyance and disapproval out of her voice. "Do you steal other things?"

"Sometimes," muttered Kalix. "Not much these days."

Verasa looked at her ragged daughter and thought of the grand event happening all around them and of the family wealth and of the great castle in the Highlands and wondered again how Kalix could possibly have ended up like this. Her boots and coat were so ragged, her face so sunken. It was shameful, for her and for the clan. Verasa, prepared for emergencies, carried a large handbag with her. Not as fashionable as that carried by her daughter, but a good item, given her as a present by Thrix. She fished around inside it and drew out an elegantly embroidered wallet.

"Here you are." She handed over a bundle of bills to Kalix, who took them wordlessly and stuffed them in her pocket.

"I should go now. Before anyone catches me."

"I'll keep everyone busy for a while," said her mother. "You can slip out with Decembrius. No one will see you."

They stood in silence.

"Do you need anything else?"

Kalix shook her head. She still writhed with the humiliation, though she'd expected her mother to lecture her more.

"Thanks for the money." Kalix hurried from the room and ran off to where Decembrius was waiting for her in the parking lot.

CHAPTER 183.

The Fire Queen plucked an arrowhead from her arm, refusing to wince at the pain, though it had embedded itself deeply in her flesh. "We seem to have achieved victory, First Minister."

First Minister Xakthan nodded very wearily. It had been a ferocious battle, the effects of which had caused a landslide on the northern face of the Great Volcano. Fires raged over the face of the mountain, and tall plumes of choking smoke spiraled into the sky. The crisis was over, for the moment. Malveria, fueled by the Great Volcano, had transformed into a warrior queen, driven back her enemies, dispatched Commander Agripath, and reasserted her control. Troops from her palace guard, stationed some way away at the edge of the capital, were now arriving to finish the operation. As Malveria watched, they marched up the volcano in ordered battalions.

"Rather late in the day," she observed, "but I understand Distikka had taken control of my lines of communication, and orders could not be got to them in time. It's fortunate we have not lost our fighting skills, First Minister."

First Minister Xakthan nodded but remained expressionless.

"Well fought, Duke DeMortalis," called Malveria. The duke was sitting on a rock some distance away, receiving medical attention. "Did not the duke fight well, First Minister?"

"Yes."

Malveria looked at him sharply, not liking the tone of his reply. "First Minister, we have just won a famous victory. Yet you seem downcast. Why is this?"

"No reason, mighty Queen."

Malveria brushed her fingers over the wound on her arm, closing up the skin. "You never were great at concealing your aura. You can't hide your displeasure from me."

"I'm not feeling any displeasure."

The queen raised an eyebrow.

"Very well," said Xakthan. "We've narrowly escaped a crisis that should never have happened. It wouldn't have happened if you hadn't ruled in such an incompetent manner. Thanks to your reckless abandonment of affairs of state, you very nearly brought the Hiyasta nation to ruin! If you hadn't been away at fashion shows every day, ignoring your duties as Queen, Distikka would never have been able to stage her rebellion. The blame for this dreadful affair is entirely your own."

The Fire Queen paled slightly. Xakthan was her most loyal supporter. He'd never delivered a speech remotely resembling this. She felt her aura flicker the merest fraction. She controlled it. "As you say, First Minister, I may possibly have erred slightly. I will take more care in the future. And we will not mention it again."

"Very well."

"Now, let us attend to Agrivex."

Vex still lay near the top of the volcano. Her eyes were open, but she stared into the distance, and her aura was fading. "Am I going to die?"

"That has not yet been determined. Stay still while I attempt to heal you."

There was a long silence as the Fire Queen struggled to save her niece's life. The orange glow that surrounded Malveria flowed from her into her niece, but Vex's own aura continued to fade.

"Aunt Malvie," whispered Vex, weakly.

"Yes?"

"I didn't really get any gold stars at college."

"I know, dismal niece. But you did your best. Now lie still and be quiet while I attempt to grow you a new foot."

Malveria remained calm on the outside, but strained mightily inside, and was obliged to summon up a great portion of the power of the Great Volcano, because even a Fire Elemental could not grow a new foot with ease. And even though there were other pressing matters she should be attending to, Malveria expended more power in her attempt to heal Vex than she could ever remember using before.

CHAPTER 184.

Kalix kept her head down as she left Andamair House by the servants' entrance. The haar was lifting, and there were a few guests milling around the main entrance, saying their farewells. She hurried past the trucks that had carried equipment into the mansion, making her way towards Decembrius's car, keen to leave this place as quickly as possible.

"I'm sick of everything" was all she could think.

As she passed by one of the trucks, a hand grabbed her collar and yanked her back.

"Hello Kalix." Marwanis put her face close to Kalix's. "You killed Sarapen. If no one else will take revenge for that, I will."

"I don't want to fight anymore," said Kalix.

"I do," replied Marwanis, and struck Kalix in the face. Even in her human shape, Marwanis was strong. Kalix reeled from the blow. Marwanis hit her again. Kalix sagged.

"You're really not going to fight back? That's fine with me." Marwanis punched Kalix a third time, this time causing blood to erupt from her nose. Kalix fell on one knee from the force of the blow. Marwanis changed into her werewolf form and then kicked out. Her taloned foot caught Kalix in her ribs, sending her flying backwards. She slammed against the side of a car and lay on the ground. Marwanis advanced.

Kalix, who was sick of everything and didn't want to fight, knew that Marwanis would kill her if she did nothing. She also knew that if she transformed, she'd kill Marwanis. She wouldn't be able to stop herself. Then she'd be in more trouble for killing a member of the Great Council; trouble that would never end. Kalix wondered if she should just lie on the ground and do nothing, but as Marwanis bent over her, she transformed as her werewolf nature took over. She sprang at Marwanis and was about to fasten her jaws round her neck when she was again grabbed from behind and hauled backwards.

"Well, well. Fighting werewolves. Isn't that just what the Thane lectured us about?"

It was Decembrius.

Kalix growled and yelped, struggling to close with her opponent. Her battle madness had not quite descended fully but was only seconds away. Marwanis, finding herself outnumbered, halted her attack but growled at them, a terrible sound, full of hate.

"It's time for us to go," said Decembrius.

Kalix stopped struggling and, quite suddenly, changed back to human.

Marwanis looked at her and was pleased she'd managed to bloody her face at least. "I despise you, Kalix MacRinnalch," she spat. "You're a disgrace to the clan. You'll never get anything out of life except loneliness and unhappiness."

"That's all right," muttered Kalix. "I never expected anything anyway."

Decembrius opened the back door of his car, propelled Kalix inside, started the engine, and drove off as quickly as he could, causing a few others in the parking lot to step back swiftly to avoid being run over.

"So much for not fighting," said Kalix, sighing.

Decembrius looked at her bloody face and laughed, which Kalix didn't think was very appropriate. "Why did you pick that moment not to fight?"

"Because I'm stupid."

"You've got that right."

Decembrius drove steadily on through the early hours of the morning, covering the miles between Edinburgh and London. The freeway was quiet, and they made good time. They traveled south mostly in silence, but about two-thirds of the way through the journey, Decembrius suggested they stop for a while. "I've been driving a long time. We could get a room in one of the travel hotels."

"Forget it. I'm not getting a room with you."

Decembrius laughed.

Kalix had the feeling that sleeping together had been a bad idea, and as such should never be mentioned again, but Decembrius was annoyingly unrepentant. As far as he was concerned, it had been an excellent idea, and he'd be happy to do it again.

"I don't see why we shouldn't stop off somewhere."

"I do," said Kalix. "I need to get home."

"What for?"

"I'm doing my exam."

"Who cares about your exam?"

Kalix did, apparently, though she wasn't sure why. She yawned then winced in pain. She'd been feeling badly enough before Marwanis pummeled her, and now she felt a lot worse. The young werewolf lay down in the back seat and went to sleep.

CHAPTER 185.

The enchantress could not stay long in the Fire Queen's realm. It required sorcery for a human to visit even for a short time. Thrix had not only visited but had also lent her power to Malveria during the great battle. Knowing the Fire Queen to be busy both with her niece and with the huge political ramifications of the rebellion, she slipped away quietly.

Thrix never enjoyed the journey through the cold space between dimensions, and on this occasion, she felt as if her spirit were being sucked from her body.

She arrived home with the elation of battle now drained from her body and the memory of Captain Easterly painfully on her mind.

She opened a bottle of wine, sat on the couch, and wondered whom she hated most-Easterly, herself, or Kalix. All three seemed like worthy targets for her anger. She loathed Easterly for deceiving her, herself for being stupid enough to fall in love with him, and Kalix for killing him.

No one else would blame Kalix, she knew. Kalix was guilty of many things, but killing a werewolf hunter wasn't one of them. Any other MacRinnalch, learning of the affair, would agree that Kalix had done the right thing. A hunter, chasing a werewolf, had to be killed. There were no exceptions. It was in the werewolves' nature and would never change. There was no point in protesting. That was the way it was. It didn't prevent Thrix from hating her sister bitterly.

"Did he actually fall in love with me at the end?" she wondered. "Was he giving up being a hunter?"

Thrix wasn't sure. She thought he was. She drank the whole bottle of wine and opened another till she managed to pass out unconscious on the couch.

CHAPTER 186.

Dominil accepted money from Markus as payment for the death of Albermarle, though she did point out that it had been Kalix who killed him.

"You can give it to her if you like. As Thane, I can't pass money on to Kalix. There's going to be enough trouble as it is, after I let her go."

"You once voted that Kalix should remain an outlaw. What changed your mind?"

Markus wasn't sure. Unless it had been the lecture from his mother that the family had to get on better. That wasn't going to convince the barons when they learned of the affair. Each of them still wanted Kalix punished for her attack on the old Thane. "The next Great Council meeting should be interesting," he mused.

"I'll be here to support you and the Mistress of the Werewolves," said Dominil.

"Mother's furious about werewolves running around outside when her guests were inside."

"Was the event a success?"

"A great success. Mother now ranks as one of Scotland's most profitable fundraisers."