168
Moonglow sobbed on Daniel’s shoulder. Thrix fidgeted, wanting to leave, but the Fire Queen was fascinated. She was pleased to see the way Daniel comforted Moonglow. Kalix, not that interested in Moonglow’s misery, was about to head for the kitchen when Vex appeared in the room, arriving from upstairs.
“What are you doing here?” demanded Malveria.
“Practising teleporting,” replied Vex. “Quite successfully really.”
Vex smiled brightly, and wondered why no one was smiling back at her. She finally noticed that Moonglow was crying.
“What’s the matter with her?”
“Markus has discarded Moonglow like an unwanted sacrifice,” explained Malveria. “Jettisoned her like last years shoes. Thrown her out like - ”
Moonglow’s crying grew louder. Thrix nudged Malveria.
“Did I speak out of place?”
“Whoa!” said Vex, enthusiastically. “Bad break up? Lucky you got cable. It’s just what you need to get you through. So, who’s got the TV guide?”
“Be quiet, idiotic niece,” said Malveria. “You will upset the girl. What good is television when you have been cast aside, abandoned, and brutally rejected by the one you love?”
Moonglow sobbed and rushed from the room.
“I really think you need TV,” insisted Vex. “It’s the best thing for a broken heart. I’ve read about people eating ice cream and chocolate but what’s the point of that? I mean, then you’re not only miserable you’re fat as well.”
“Surprisingly, my niece speaks sensibly for once,” agreed the Fire Queen. “There is no point in laying on pounds of unwanted blubber as a means of dealing with rejection.”
The Enchantress nodded in agreement. Vex, Malveria and Thrix were united in their antagonism towards food as a palliative for a broken heart. Daniel, feeling they were all missing the point, rose with an exasperated grunt.
“I’ll go see she’s all right.”
“He is gallant,” said Malveria, as Daniel left the room. She turned her eyes back towards Vex, and became suspicious.
“Appalling niece. When you came downstairs there was something about your aura I did not like.”
Vex looked at Kalix, a pained expression on her face.
“You see what I have to put up with? Even my aura gets criticised.”
“It looked to me like the aura of a girl with a guilty conscience,” continued Malveria. “Of course, you often have a guilty conscience due to your numerous crimes. But I would judge this particular guilt-tinged aura to be the result of trying on my new clothes which are at this moment hidden in the attic.”
Malveria glared at Agrivex.
“I completely deny it,” said Vex.
“You dismal girl. If you go near these clothes again you will find yourself swimming briefly in the great volcano before disappearing under a torrent of lava, and a great benefit to the Hiyasta nation that would be, now I think about it.”
“We should be going,” said Thrix.
“Ah, Enchantress. Moonglow’s tears have discomfited you. You are not comfortable in the presence of such raw emotions, no?”
Thrix didn’t reply. Malveria was correct. Thrix didn’t feel comfortable when confronted by great public displays of emotion. The result of a rather cold upbringing, a therapist had once told her. But Thrix didn’t really approve of therapy either, and had only gone for reasons of fashion, when a therapist seemed like a necessary accessory.
With a final stern exhortation to Agrivex not to go near any of the clothes in the attic, the Fire Queen dematerialised. The Enchantress looked at Kalix, who was sitting with Vex on the couch, watching TV.
“Are you all right?” she asked.
Kalix mumbled a reply without looking up. As a werewolf with a mouth full of pizza, her words were very hard to understand. It aggravated Thrix that Kalix couldn’t tear her attention away from the TV screen for a few seconds to talk to her older sister. The Enchantress left abruptly, and was soon back in her office, hard at work.
The Fire Queen was not so direct in her journey home. After dematerialising downstairs, she rematerialised in Moonglow’s room. Moonglow was now on her own, and lay crying on her bed.
“You yearn for Markus?” said Malveria.
Moonglow looked up.
“I love him,” she sobbed.
“And he has ended it? Why?”
“He didn’t say,” wailed Moonglow. “He just ended it.”
The Fire Queen nodded sagely. She was not surprised. Malveria knew Markus to be ambitious. A young human girlfriend was not what he needed to become Thane. The kind and compassionate Moonglow had exactly the right sort of character to comfort Markus, and bring him back to life. And probably, thought Malveria, she was a moderately good companion in bed, which would be a help. But once healed, Markus would no longer need her.
The Fire Queen chose her words carefully. Moonglow was distraught, and could not be comforted. But she could surely be influenced.
“You may soon come to realise that this is a good thing. Now that you have been released from Markus, you will be free to meet the person who is truly right for you.”
“I want Markus.”
“Indeed. But that will pass. I can sense it passing, more swiftly than you realise.”
Moonglow didn’t respond, She didn’t think her anguish over Markus was ever going to pass.
“Meanwhile, as a way of taking your attention from you own troubles, perhaps you could attend to the troubles surrounding Daniel?”
“What troubles?”
“I believe he may be in for some awkwardness with Vex and Kalix.”
Moonglow had no idea what the Fire Queen was talking about.
“Daniel slept with Vex,” explained Malveria. “Did you not know that? I believe that Kalix was rather jealous and upset. It may be awkward for Daniel if these two young beauties are competing for his attention.”
Moonglow looked surprised. She had no idea that Vex and Kalix were competing for Daniel’s attention.
“And I understand a young woman at your college - what was her name? Agrivex did mention it to me - Alicia? - I understand that she has now been calling Daniel.”
“Alicia’s been phoning Daniel?”
“So Agrivex informs me. Poor Daniel may find it hard to cope with so many girls in urgent pursuit of him. As a good friend, you will be ideally situated to help him choose for the best.”
The Fire Queen departed, leaving Moonglow puzzled at the thought of Vex, Kalix and Alicia all competing for Daniel. Malveria was well pleased with herself. Perhaps, she mused, Moonglow would not regard him as quite so unworthy now.