The Anxiety of Kalix the Werewolf by Martin Millar Read Free Book Online

redirect your teleportation to the front door, I’ll have security let you in. Who are you, by the way?”
    â€œDistikka. Emissary from the Empress. Kabachetka sends greetingsand wonders if her greatly increased power might help you destroy the MacRinnalchs.”
    The woman slipped out of existence again, and this time she didn’t reappear. After a few moments, Mr. Carmichael’s intercom buzzed, and security at the front of the building informed him there was a woman outside, asking to see him.
    â€œSend her up,” replied Mr. Carmichael. He was interested to hear what Distikka had to say. Since the money from the late Countess of Nottingham had been transferred into the Guild’s bank accounts, Mr. Carmichael had had the feeling that things were finally turning in his favor. Only a few weeks ago, he’d wondered how the Guild was ever going to make progress against the werewolves. Now, plans were being made. There was a list of possible targets. Top of the list was Kalix MacRinnalch. Information on important werewolves was hard to come by, but the Guild knew quite a lot about Kalix. They’d encountered her several times and knew all about her savagery. They also knew she was an outcast, living in London, far from the support of her Scottish clan. Mr. Carmichael had developed a particular obsession with Kalix. She was an important werewolf: daughter of the old Thane and sister to the new one. She was strongly suspected of killing Captain Easterly, and possibly Albermarle as well. Not only that, she’d killed hunters here in London, right under the noses of the Guild. Kalix was a werewolf who had to be eliminated.
    Despite the information the Guild held on Kalix, there was no clue as to where she might live. The Guild had been unable to track her down. For some reason, she was extremely difficult to find. It was partly for this reason that Mr. Carmichael had come under pressure. His failure to deal with her had not gone down well with the rest of the board.
    Perhaps she won’t be so hard to find with Kabachetka’s help, thought the chairman.
    Distikka arrived in his office in the company of two security guards. Mr. Carmichael greeted her and dismissed the guards. He was surprised at Distikka’s appearance. It was unusual to meet a person wearing chain mail these days, though for all he knew it might be normal among the Fire Elementals.
    â€œThat was inconvenient,” said Distikka brusquely. “Though it’s no bad thing your defenses are working well.”
    Distikka leaned over the desk. She was a small woman, with a dark brown complexion, short dark hair and an air of intense concentration.
    â€œThere are werewolves in London that the Empress would like to see dead. Notably Thrix and Kalix MacRinnalch.”
    Distikka’s voice was a little deeper than might have been expected from her small frame. Her accent was quite pronounced, though Mr. Carmichael couldn’t have made a guess as to its origin.
    â€œKalix MacRinnalch is a target of ours,” said Mr. Carmichael. “But I’m not certain of the other. Thrix, did you say?”
    Distikka nodded. “Kalix’s sister. A werewolf who uses sorcery and hides herself so successfully that you’ve already forgotten it was her who ensnared the hunter Easterly, leading to his death. She too must be killed.”

CHAPTER 8
    Kalix experienced a burst of optimism on the evening before her birthday. She was looking forward to seeing the Runaways film. Unusually, her excitement did not turn into anxiety. When Moonglow asked her if she wanted to invite Decembrius, she agreed.
    â€œThen that will be Decembrius and Beauty and Delicious, and maybe Dominil,” said Moonglow.
    â€œMaybe?”
    â€œI asked the twins to invite her,” explained Moonglow. “But they said she wouldn’t commit herself.”
    Kalix was disappointed. She liked Dominil, even if the white-haired werewolf was