either of them planned. Gawain, believing himself to be rejected by Kalix, had become involved in an affair with Thrix, Kalix’s older sister. To Kalix, this had been a staggering act of betrayal. She’d probably have attacked them both had she not simultaneously been plunged into battle with her elder brother Sarapen and his supporters. By the time the ferocious combat was over, Sarapen was dead at Kalix’s hands. Sarapen, the strongest and fiercest werewolf in the country, had been unable to overcome her.
Afterwards Kalix had been too drained to think of anything. Gawain had survived, badly wounded. He’d limped off without speaking to anyone. Though Kalix had seen her sister Thrix since, she’d never raised the matter of the affair with her ex-lover. It was too painful. She’d been miserable in a way she thought would never end. Though the raw wound had lessened a little over the past few months, it hadn’t gone away. Kalix still yearned for Gawain but now it was more hurtful, with the image of Thrix mixed in with it. Sometimes she still felt like killing them both. Other times she wished she could just be back with Gawain, forgetting all their troubles. Occasionally she wished she’d never met him in the first place.
Now Gawain wanted to meet her. Kalix didn’t know what to think. She felt a familiar anxiety creeping up on her and wished she could drink some laudanum here in the underground. Kalix was frequently plagued by anxiety. Any unusual event could trigger it. She felt her palms go moist and began to fear that she might have a panic attack right now. She clenched her fists and tried to ward it off.
When the train eventually pulled into Kennington station, Kalix rushed off, barging her way past people and running up the escalator, desperate to be above ground. As she reached the outside world and felt the night and the moon above her, she felt a little better. She had an urge to take on her werewolf shape for comfort, but there were still too many people around. So the young werewolf hurried on towards the flat she shared with Daniel and Moonglow, where she could retire to the privacy of her own room, drink laudanum, curl up on her bed in her werewolf shape, and perhaps stop feeling anxious about the letter from Gawain.
Chapter 14
In Daniel and Moonglow’s small flat above an empty shop in Kennington, an unfashionable part of South London, Daniel was stressed. Exams were not far away. Having turned in some fairly acceptable coursework, he was approaching them in better shape academically than he might have been if he hadn’t had extensive help from Moonglow. Without her, he’d have been sunk already, which he freely acknowledged. Nonetheless, he railed against his fate. Surely this system of exams was antiquated and out of place in the modern world?
“Don’t they want us to be fully developed, capable of tackling problems in a non-conventional way?” he complained.
“Possibly,” replied Moonglow. “But you still have to pass your exams.”
“It’s ridiculously old-fashioned. You’d think we were stuck in the eighteenth century or something.”
Moonglow looked up from her book. “Study,” she said, “and stop complaining.”
Daniel made a face and tried to reapply himself, meanwhile thinking harsh thoughts about the novels of George Eliot, which he’d never particularly taken to. Both young students sat at the table in the living room, studying, but the silence lasted only for a few minutes.
“It’s not a fair system. Look at all these other students with nothing to do except study. Then think of the problems we’ve faced. We have a werewolf to look after.”
Moonglow smiled. It was a reasonable point. They did have a werewolf to look after. Since meeting Kalix they’d had a lot of distractions. They’d found themselves pitched into the middle of a ferocious war, an affair that involved not only Scottish werewolves but also strange beings from another dimension. The queen
Afterwards Kalix had been too drained to think of anything. Gawain had survived, badly wounded. He’d limped off without speaking to anyone. Though Kalix had seen her sister Thrix since, she’d never raised the matter of the affair with her ex-lover. It was too painful. She’d been miserable in a way she thought would never end. Though the raw wound had lessened a little over the past few months, it hadn’t gone away. Kalix still yearned for Gawain but now it was more hurtful, with the image of Thrix mixed in with it. Sometimes she still felt like killing them both. Other times she wished she could just be back with Gawain, forgetting all their troubles. Occasionally she wished she’d never met him in the first place.
Now Gawain wanted to meet her. Kalix didn’t know what to think. She felt a familiar anxiety creeping up on her and wished she could drink some laudanum here in the underground. Kalix was frequently plagued by anxiety. Any unusual event could trigger it. She felt her palms go moist and began to fear that she might have a panic attack right now. She clenched her fists and tried to ward it off.
When the train eventually pulled into Kennington station, Kalix rushed off, barging her way past people and running up the escalator, desperate to be above ground. As she reached the outside world and felt the night and the moon above her, she felt a little better. She had an urge to take on her werewolf shape for comfort, but there were still too many people around. So the young werewolf hurried on towards the flat she shared with Daniel and Moonglow, where she could retire to the privacy of her own room, drink laudanum, curl up on her bed in her werewolf shape, and perhaps stop feeling anxious about the letter from Gawain.
Chapter 14
In Daniel and Moonglow’s small flat above an empty shop in Kennington, an unfashionable part of South London, Daniel was stressed. Exams were not far away. Having turned in some fairly acceptable coursework, he was approaching them in better shape academically than he might have been if he hadn’t had extensive help from Moonglow. Without her, he’d have been sunk already, which he freely acknowledged. Nonetheless, he railed against his fate. Surely this system of exams was antiquated and out of place in the modern world?
“Don’t they want us to be fully developed, capable of tackling problems in a non-conventional way?” he complained.
“Possibly,” replied Moonglow. “But you still have to pass your exams.”
“It’s ridiculously old-fashioned. You’d think we were stuck in the eighteenth century or something.”
Moonglow looked up from her book. “Study,” she said, “and stop complaining.”
Daniel made a face and tried to reapply himself, meanwhile thinking harsh thoughts about the novels of George Eliot, which he’d never particularly taken to. Both young students sat at the table in the living room, studying, but the silence lasted only for a few minutes.
“It’s not a fair system. Look at all these other students with nothing to do except study. Then think of the problems we’ve faced. We have a werewolf to look after.”
Moonglow smiled. It was a reasonable point. They did have a werewolf to look after. Since meeting Kalix they’d had a lot of distractions. They’d found themselves pitched into the middle of a ferocious war, an affair that involved not only Scottish werewolves but also strange beings from another dimension. The queen
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