218
Yum Yum Sugary Snacks were finishing their set in fine style. The twins rampaged around the stage, singing, screaming, and knocking things over. The gig had been a great success; much better than anyone previously acquainted with the sisters had anticipated. Dominil was satisfied. In her detached way, she found herself disapproving of the number of mistakes the band made, but she knew it didn’t matter. The sisters’ raw talent and enthusiasm was enough for tonight.
‘Though if I am ever responsible for a studio recording,’ she mused. ‘I’ll make sure it is a good deal more competent.’
Vex was glowing. She hadn’t stopped dancing the entire night. Daniel couldn’t keep up, and now sat at a table nearby, occasionally bringing her drinks. Further back, Malveria was perplexed. She was used to the stately music played at Hiyasta ceremonies. The sounds emanating from the stage didn’t sound like music at all. The Enchantress wasn’t enjoying it any more than the Fire Queen. Thrashing guitars had never been to her taste. Besides, she was on the alert for Sarapen or the Guild, and continually scanned the surrounding area, checking that her protection spells were all in place.
Gawain held on tightly to Kalix, and was surprised when he felt someone trying to pull her from his lap. It was Vex.
“Stop being so boring,” she was saying to Kalix. “You’ve been sitting there all night. Come and dance.”
“The band’s finished,” said Kalix.
“They’re going to play an encore. Come and dance!”
Vex’s eyes shone with enthusiasm. She started tugging at Gawain. Gawain felt awkward.
“I don’t dance,” he said.
“What do you mean you don’t dance?”
“I’m… eh…”
“Brooding and poetic,” said Kalix, finishing his sentence for him, and kissing his forehead. Vex looked disappointed.
“You go,” said Gawain to Kalix.
Kalix allowed herself to be dragged forward by Vex, just as Yum Yum Sugary Snacks were returning for their encore, Vile Werewolf Whore, a particularly virulent denunciation of anything to do with white-haired werewolves from Castle MacRinnalch.
Watching Kalix and Vex dance, the Fire Queen shook her head. She was struck by the huge contrast between Vex’s behaviour and her own when she was that age. Then Malveria had been fighting a guerrilla war, dressed in rags and sleeping in a cave with a sword in her hand. Vex slept in a huge bed under a pink quilt and danced without a care in the world. Tomorrow Malveria would scold her thoroughly for her foolish behaviour, and make sure she attended all her lessons. But it was good to see her niece happy.
Thrix glanced at Gawain. He was transfixed by the sight of Kalix in motion. The Enchantress scowled, and snapped her fingers, filling her glass with whisky. She drank it back quickly, then turned her attention back to her protection spells. They were all in order. No enemies were near.
“Yes, I sense nothing out of order,” agreed Malveria. “And now it is time for me to go. Soon the appalling Princess Kabachetka will know she has been defeated by the magnificent Malveria Maladisia.”
“Maladisia?” said Thrix. She knew many of the Queens names, but had never heard that one.
“One of my most secret names,” said the Queen. “I give it to you as a present, because of your tireless work on my behalf. With that name, you can always call me to your side.”
As the band’s set ended, the audience clapped and cheered. Dominil was gratified. She could report to the Mistress of the Werewolves that her mission had been successful. But as Beauty and Delicious left the stage, she turned towards the entrance and wondered what had happened to Sarapen. She’d been sure he would arrive.
This part of the venue was now closing. Though the band could remain while they packed up their equipment, everyone else had to go downstairs. Dominil didn’t want anyone to become separated so she quickly gathered up every werewolf in the room.
“We’re with the band,” she said, to the bouncer who was asking them to leave. The bouncer shrugged and turned his attention to hurrying the other stragglers downstairs.
Sarapen and his werewolves drove from King’s Cross towards Camden. The fight in the warehouse had been brief. The hunters had seemed disorientated as they arrived in the warehouse and they’d been ambushed and slaughtered. The Guild’s careful preparations had been fatally disrupted by Malveria’s intervention. They had expected to make an attack on a small group of unprepared werewolf musicians. Instead they’d found themselves surrounded by a superior force of trained warriors. Sarapen’s wolves had all but annihilated them, and few of the hunters made it out of the warehouse alive.
In the brief melee Sarapen had lost five werewolves. The hunters all had guns with silver bullets, and even the swiftness of the ambush hadn’t prevented them from firing a volley, many of them shooting from close range. Inevitably some bullets found their targets. Sarapen’s plan was unaffected; he still had plenty of wolves to complete his task.
The rest of their musicians had already gone downstairs and Beauty and Delicious were packing away their guitars. Dominil cast a quizzical look towards Thrix, but Thrix shook her head. There were no enemies nearby. Dominil was disappointed. Vex was still excited.
“Weren’t the band great?” she screamed at her aunt.
Before Malveria could compose a suitably withering reply, there was a low growl from the corridor outside. A huge wolf padded into the room. Sarapen was here.