Markus accompanied Dominil to her car in silence. When they got there, he asked, "Do you want to know what happened with Beatrice and Heather?"

"No."

"I saved them both from the hunters. It was lucky, of course. If the spell hadn't ended right then, we'd all have been killed. But Beatrice and Heather were impressed. Now they-"

"Goodbye, Markus," said Dominil, getting into the car and shutting the door.

Markus watched her drive off and felt disappointed. He'd wanted to tell someone the story of Beatrice and Heather. Fortunate or not, it had been quite heroic to save them. And now he seemed to have two girlfriends who both liked each other, which seemed an interesting occurrence.

Some time later, on the journey back to London, Dominil was thoughtful, though the twins were boisterous.

"That gig was a lot better than I expected."

"You wouldn't have thought a small crowd could create so much destruction."

"It was one of the all-time great gigs."

Dominil looked over her shoulder. "It was a terrible gig. You played dreadfully when I was there, and from the sound-desk recording, it got worse after I left."

The twins scowled. Though Dominil had been engaged in bailing out those members of the band who'd been arrested and rounding up the twins for the journey home, somehow she'd also managed to listen to a recording of the gig and was already criticizing them for it.

"Hey, that wasn't our fault," protested Beauty. "The band played badly because Pete was in shock after discovering you were a werewolf."

"Which was careless of you," added Delicious.

"Though it hasn't put him off you. Are you going to go out with him now?"

"No," said Dominil.

"I think you should give him a chance. Now you've killed Albermarle, there's a space in your calendar."

"I'm not going out with some idiotic musician."

The twins were dissatisfied.

"Have a heart Dominil."

"If you have one..."

"Presumably some sort of pumping mechanism for circulating the blood..."

"Why not give him a chance?" Beauty was suddenly worried. "You weren't thinking of killing Pete were you?"

Dominil didn't reply.

"You can't kill him just because he's found out we're werewolves. He's our guitarist."

"Then he'd better be discreet," muttered Dominil.

CHAPTER 187.

Vex was taken to her bed in her old room at the palace where she lay underneath her enormous pink quilt with her fluffy dragon and continued to recover. Outside in the Hiyasta nation, there was a whirlwind of military and political activity as the Fire Queen reasserted her control, but inside Vex's bedroom there was peace, by order of Malveria. The room had been tidied since Vex left, and while this did not quite suit Vex's temperament, the queen no longer shuddered at the mess as she entered.

"Aunt Malvie, when I was Queen, I passed a decree."

"Stop babbling, idiot niece. You did not pass any decrees."

"I did so," insisted Vex.

"You were engaged in brutal warfare in a spirited if incompetent fashion. And you were never Queen."

"I was so. I was in charge of the Great Volcano."

"You may have been Queen for a moment, technically. But you did not pass any decrees."

"I did. When I arrived at the volcano, there was a sort of pause. Everyone was surprised to see me there. Especially when I announced I was now your official niece and temporary ruler. And while I was plugging myself into the volcano, I passed a new decree. I had a right to do it."

Malveria was displeased and didn't hide it. "I didn't send you back as my adopted niece so you could pass foolish decrees. If you've awarded yourself a gigantic clothes allowance, I will have it nullified immediately."

"I lifted the curse."

"What curse?"

"The curse on Daniel and Moonglow. I made a decree saying you had to remove it. It's only fair."

Malveria appeared to struggle for breath as she digested the audacity of her niece's actions. "You dared issue a decree nullifying an imperial curse? A curse put in place by the Queen of the Hiyasta?"

Vex brought her fluffy dragon closer for protection but still managed to look her aunt defiantly in the eye. "I did. And it was legal. I was Queen at the time."

"You were not Queen!"

"I was so!"

"In a technical sense, possibly. That did not give you the right to issue decrees!"

"Yes, it did," insisted Vex, stubbornly. She groaned. "Ooohhh, my foot hurts. It's so painful. Ever since it was blown off when I was defending the kingdom. While you couldn't return. Ooohhh, it's so painful."

The queen rolled her eyes. "It is not that painful, most dismal of nieces. I can tell from your aura."

"It's really painful. I think I'm going to faint with pain."

Malveria tapped her fingers on the duvet. "Very well, I will allow your decree. The curse is lifted. Possibly I should be grateful you did not sell the palace furniture to buy boots and T-shirts. But be warned. No amount of moaning and pretending to be in pain will gain you any more of your ridiculous wishes. Are you clear on that?"

"Yes, Aunt Malvie."

"And will you stop calling me Aunt Malvie? It's an affront to my dignity. Now lie there quietly while your foot heals."

Later the Fire Queen spoke to her First Minister, telling him of Vex's decree.

"Perhaps we can work it to our advantage," she told him. "Let it be known that while performing heroically on the Great Volcano, Agrivex also lent assistance to two friends on Earth. If we are to persuade the population that my imbecilic niece is actually fit to be a member of the royal family, it will do no harm to let them know she's loyal to her friends."

First Minister Xakthan nodded and inquired about Agrivex's health.

"She's recovering. She will be well but needs to rest. Even a Fire Elemental does not grow a new foot easily."

An attendant hurried into the throne room. "Mighty Queen, Agrivex has been spotted leaving her room."

"What!" Malveria snapped her fingers, transporting herself to the corridor outside Vex's room. There she found her niece limping along on crutches. "Where are you going, abominable niece?"

"Kitchens. I thought I'd pick up a sandwich before doing my exam."

"What?"

"My exam. It's today."

Malveria strode in front of her niece to stop her progress. "Return to bed immediately. You are not in any condition to do an exam."

"But I have to."

"No, you don't."

"I'll fail at college."

Malveria prepared to yell at her niece, then, remembering she was still grateful to Vex, softened her tone. "You can do the exam another time. We will explain about your injuries, and I'm certain it can be rearranged."

"I want to do it now."

"You can't."

"I can."

The queen's temper began to fray. "Why are you suddenly insistent about doing an exam? It is the last thing you would normally be eager to do."

"Kalix might not go if I don't."

"What?"

"Kalix. She's not as keen on college as I am. If I'm not there to encourage her, she might not do the exam. Then she'll get thrown out, and she'll be in trouble with her family and everything. I have to make sure she does it."

Malveria was temporarily stuck for a reply. She wasn't expecting altruism on this scale from Vex. "It's not really your responsibility to look after Kalix," she began. "Stop setting your face in a determined manner. I don't like it."

"I'm going."

"No, you are not."

"I am."

"I absolutely forbid it."

"I'd like a sandwich first."

"You are going straight back to bed."

"Very well," said Vex with dignity. "I'll go without the sandwich."

And with that, she snapped her fingers, dematerializing with an efficiency the queen would have once admired but now deplored.

CHAPTER 188.

Vex materialized in the living room of Moonglow and Daniel's flat, took one step, groaned, and lay down on the floor.

"Perhaps this wasn't such a good idea," she thought, screwing up her face. "Who'd have thought having your foot blown off and then stuck back on again would be so painful?"

She heard the downstairs door open and soft footsteps coming up the stairs.

Kalix entered stealthily. She looked at Vex in surprise. "Why are you lying on the floor? What's that on your leg?"

"A Hiyasta fire-sorcery leg-healing device. I had my foot blown off. Aunt Malvie fixed it. It's really sore."

Kalix looked baffled. "You had your foot blown off? When?"

"Yesterday, on the volcano. But it got healed."

"Shouldn't you be resting?"

"I wanted to make sure you did the exam."

"You idiot," said Kalix. "I only came back to make sure you did it."