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

don’t belong in this palace.”
    For a brief second it seemed as if the Empress might flare up in anger. Instead, she laughed and put her arm around him again.
    â€œYou’ll change your mind, Sarapen. I’m a much better prospect than fighting in the desert. Or a gloomy castle full of werewolves.”

CHAPTER 10
    Dominil’s calm exterior showed signs of fraying as the twins prevaricated at the refreshment stand.
    â€œI can’t make up my mind,” said Beauty.
    â€œMe neither,” said her sister.
    â€œMaybe we should just buy everything?”
    â€œI want everything too!” cried Vex, who had a very sweet tooth.
    â€œDo you want anything, Kalix?” asked Daniel, raising his voice to compete with Vex and the twins.
    Kalix shook her head.
    â€œA hot dog? Maybe they could give you a raw one?”
    Kalix looked outraged, and turned to Moonglow. “Tell Daniel to stop making jokes about me eating raw hot dogs!”
    â€œDaniel, stop making jokes about Kalix eating raw hot dogs.”
    Moonglow and Dominil looked at the squabbling mass in front of the confectionery stall. Moonglow sighed.
    â€œIt’s like taking children to the pictures.”
    â€œIndeed,” agreed Dominil. “I’m not sure how I ended up in this position.”
    â€œI know!” said Moonglow. “That’s just how I feel. How did I end up being the mother?”
    Dominil and Moonglow shared a brief moment of empathy before shepherding their charges into the cinema. Fortunately for their state of mind, the cinema was quiet for the afternoon showing, and there were few people there to witness the loud behavior of their party. They trooped through the corridor, looking for the correct screen in the large cinema complex.
    â€œDoes everyone have their tickets?” asked Moonglow.
    â€œI’ve lost mine,” said Vex.
    â€œHow do you know? You didn’t even check.”
    â€œI just assumed,” said Vex, and started fumbling in her pocket. “Oh, here it is!” She brandished her ticket triumphantly.
    â€œI’ve lost my ticket,” said Daniel.
    Moonglow scowled at him. “Stop making jokes.”
    â€œI’m not joking. I really have lost it.”
    Daniel started searching through all his pockets.
    â€œHow could you lose it?” asked Moonglow. “The ticket office is only twenty yards away.”
    Daniel looked around. “Maybe it dropped out of my pocket? Oh wait, here it is! I forgot I had a pocket there. It’s this new jacket, I’m not used to it.”
    â€œIs everybody ready now?” asked Dominil.
    â€œI’ve lost my ticket,” said Beauty.
    â€œSo have I,” added Delicious.
    â€œYou never had your tickets,” said Dominil. “I have them.”
    They showed their tickets to the young woman at the door and entered the cinema.
    â€œThe previews are on already,” said Beauty, as they walked down the aisle.
    â€œPreviews!” cried Vex. “I love previews!”
    Vex had never been to the cinema before, so how she could love previews was a mystery. Moonglow and Dominil guided everyone to a row in the middle of the cinema. Before taking their seats, Vex looked around, and waved to some people in the next row.
    â€œIt’s my birthday,” she shouted. She pointed to Kalix. “It’s her birthday too.”
    â€œStop embarrassing me,” hissed Kalix.
    Vex waved cheerfully to several other people before taking her seat. After a few moments she turned to Kalix. “Is this the film now?”
    â€œNo, it’s an advert.”
    â€œI hate adverts,” said Vex.
    There was a brief commotion as Beauty dropped a large bucket of popcorn on the floor and then scrambled to retrieve it. Delicious collapsed with laughter at the sight, and Beauty started laughing too, still scrambling on the floor. Moonglow had never seen Dominil look embarrassed before, but as she looked along