LITMIR.BIZ

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probably hiding under her duvet, having dosed herself with laudanum and cut her arm to make herself feel better. Unless she’s cut her thigh, which she does prefer sometimes.”

      Daniel winced. “You’re probably right. Should we do anything?”

      Moonglow looked hopeless. “I don’t have the energy. And we can’t be rescuing her all the time. She’ll just get more angry if we barge in. Maybe if we just leave her a while she’ll calm down.”

      They were interrupted by an unexpected crashing noise from the kitchen. The cat, which had been idly nosing its food bowl, fled into the living room. Daniel and Moonglow remained calm. Strange crashing noises in the kitchen were something they had grown used to.

      “Vex is back,” said Daniel while comforting the cat.

      Vex emerged from the kitchen, rubbing her arm and looking glum. “I didn’t land very well. But I didn’t hurt myself. Well, not much. My elbow’s a bit sore.”

      Vex looked hopefully at Moonglow, who obligingly rubbed it better. Vex made a swift recovery and grinned at them.

      “Are you having breakfast in front of the fire with tea and toast? Can I join in?”

      Daniel went off to put the kettle on again and put more bread in the toaster. Vex studied Moonglow.

      “Your aura looks a bit strange. So did Daniel’s. Something unusual’s been happening, I can tell. Have you been out on a date?”

      “Eh, no,” said Moonglow.

      “Are you sure? I can tell you’ve been doing something together. Should I leave? Just say and I’ll make myself scarce.”

      “You don’t have to leave,” said Moonglow darkly. “There was no date.”

      “OK, I give up, I’m still useless at reading auras. What’s been happening?”

      Moonglow told Vex about their adventures the previous night.

      Vex nodded sagely. “So Kalix has gone mad again. I was expecting it. Do you know what brought it on?”

      Vex accepted some toast from Daniel and plastered it with jam, gleefully loading on as much as the bread could take. Vex had a sweet tooth and an enormous appetite. “It’s good to be back. You can’t get toast at the palace, it’s hopeless. You know how we all agreed I should set up Aunt Malvie with some man so they could produce an heir and get me off the hook? Well, I’ve done it already.”

      Vex proudly described how she’d encouraged both Duke Garfire and Lord Stratov to woo the Queen. “I was cunning about it. I just dropped a few subtle hints to family members.”

      “So did it work?” asked Daniel.

      “I think so. The last I saw, Aunt Malvie was having this great conversation with them; she looked really fascinated. But then I got into a wine-drinking contest with Gruselvere and Iskiline, so I don’t really remember much after that. But I think I’ve made a good start.”

      The cat settled down on Vex’s lap and purred when she stroked its ear.

      “So it’s been a good few days and now it’s time for Nagasaki Night Fight Boom Boom Girl! The first episode is this afternoon!”

      “We saw your note on the fridge,” said Daniel.

      “And the alert you put on my computer,” added Moonglow. “Thanks for that.”

      “I didn’t want you to miss it!”

      Vex glanced at the clock and frowned. “Another six hours. I can’t wait. Do you think Kalix will like it? I’m not sure if she’s as keen on Tokyo Top Pop Boom Boom Girl as me.”

      “No one is as keen on Tokyo Top Pop Boom Boom Girl as you.”

      Vex laughed. “She’ll like it. It’ll cheer her up. Did she really chase you around the warehouse?”

      “Just about.”

      Vex laughed again. “I wish I’d seen that. Kalix is so funny when she’s a wolf. She’s all shaggy and excitable.”

      Vex stroked the cat under its chin and it rolled over on its back, enjoying the attention. Moonglow picked up the empty plates and took them to the kitchen. When she returned, she stood for a while, looking thoughtful.

      “Don’t do it,” said Daniel.

      “Don’t do what?”

      “Check on Kalix.”

      “I wasn’t going to.

      “Yes, you were. I recognize your expression. It’s best just to leave her alone for a while.”

      “I know.” Moonglow fidgeted for a few minutes. “I’d better just see if she’s all right,” she muttered and hurried upstairs.

      Vex watched her go, then turned to Daniel. “At least the two of you aren’t so awkward now. I guess all the Kalix adventures got you over the humiliation.”

      “Thanks,” said Daniel, and looked unhappy. He rose slowly, stiff and sore from his night on the crate.

      “I’m going upstairs to lie on my bed and listen to music for a few days.”

      “What about Nagasaki Night Fight Boom Boom Girl?”

      “She’ll have to do without me.”

      Daniel trudged off up the stairs. Behind him, Vex grinned.

      “They’re all in a bad way,” she said. “Not like me. I’ve got a boyfriend. I wonder when he’ll call?”

CHAPTER 37

      The repercussions of events in Scotland were already beginning to affect other members of the werewolf clan. While Kalix was hiding from the world, Beauty and Delicious were puzzling over what had gone wrong.

      “Something’s not right,” said Beauty

      “I know,” replied Delicious. “Ever since I got up this afternoon I’ve felt that something isn’t right.”

      “What is it?”

      Beauty shuffled around in her seat. “Maybe it’s the couch. The springs are going or something. We need a new one.”

      In keeping with the rest of the furnishings, the couch was a very expensive piece of furniture, but it was now showing the effects of years of ill treatment.

      Delicious agreed. “It’s not the couch it once was.”

      “It’s boring buying furniture,” said Delicious.

      “Dominil will do it for us.”

      The twins sat vacantly in front of the television, which was new and very large. Dominil had ordered it for them online, after the twins had finally managed to annoy her sufficiently by continually complaining about their old one. Each twin had a glass of the MacRinnalch malt in their hand. In front of them on the coffee table was a large bowl of a pickled onion Monster Munch, which counted as breakfast. The twins had steadfastly resisted all encouragement to change their habits.

      “What’s wrong with crisps and whisky for breakfast?” Beauty had said to Dominil only last week. “We get healthy again when we’re werewolves anyway.”

      It was true. No matter how much the twins abused their bodies, they were always revitalized by their regular werewolf change.

      “I don’t think it’s just the couch,” said Beauty after a while. “Something else is wrong.”

      Delicious flicked between music channels. “Are we meant to be doing something?”

      “How would I know? I never know what we’re meant to be doing. I just wait for Dominil to tell us.”

      The

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