Free The Curse of the Wolf Girl by Martin Millar Page B

Princess Kabachetka?” asked Moonglow.
    “I am indeed. The ladies—I use the term loosely—of the Hainusta court are due to visit my realm shortly, and while I have no fears of being overwhelmed by Kabachetka’s shoddy attempts at fashion, my intelligence services tell me that she has been studying whist most assiduously. No doubt she hopes to embarrass me at the card table.” The queen looked troubled. “Embarrassment is a possibility. My partner, the Duchess Gargamond, has a tendency to reckless play, thereby leading us into ruin and catastrophe.”
    The queen nibbled on her Pop-Tart and suddenly noticed Moonglow’s fingernails, which had been varnished matte black, overlaid with silver stars. “How very original!” she exclaimed. “Who is your nail polish assistant?”
    Moonglow didn’t have a nail polish assistant. She’d done it herself. The queen was impressed at the girl’s talent. Really, it all seemed like a trial, living in this small apartment without even a servant to make life easier, but the girl seemed to manage. The Fire Queen admired her for it. Moonglow was attractive, enterprising, and sympathetic. It was no wonder that young Daniel was so besotted with her. With her skill in reading auras, Malveria could tell quite easily that Daniel’s romantic hopes had been disappointed. His romance with Moonglow, which had once, unexpectedly, threatened to flare into life, was now dead. Malveria was satisfied. Though Daniel didn’t know it, Malveria herself had been instrumental in thwarting his hopes. The queen liked Daniel, but she didn’t see friendship in quite the same way that people did, and the Fire Elementals had never entirely lost their appetite for tormenting humans.
    Malveria took a small mirror from her handbag and studied her lips. She sighed loudly. “Once more my lip gloss lets me down. Though this product absolutely swore that it would not fade, it is now wearing off. The bold crimson has dimmed to an unalluring pink. Do you have a solution to this, Moonglow?”
    Moonglow didn’t. She’d suffered with fading lipstick herself, and she entered into a prolonged discussion with the queen about the iniquities of makeup manufacturers who falsely promised their lipstick would last all night.

Chapter 17
     
    Princess Kabachetka didn’t enjoy the state banquet given in honor of her brother Prince Esarax on his promotion from colonel to general. She was bored by the series of long speeches about her brother’s many fine qualities. As applause for Prince Esarax rang out around the stateroom, she turned to her lady in waiting, Alchet, and complained about the night’s events.
    “It’s not like he’s just won a war or anything. All he did was get promoted. Hardly that difficult when your mother is the empress.”
    “He’s very popular with the army,” said Alchet.
    “Who cares about the army?”
    “The people love him too.”
    Princess Kabachetka frowned at her lady in waiting. “Must you keep praising my wretched brother?”
    “I apologize, Princess.”
    The princess had never liked her elder brother. They’d never gotten along well and had nothing in common. She counted it a blessing that he spent most of his time with his regiment. It amazed her that her mother, a woman who did understand the value of clothes, could value him so. Esarax had never been well dressed. Yet here he was, having banquets thrown in his honor just because he’d received another promotion.
    The princess’s evening wasn’t improved by having to be polite to Lady Krimsich, her brother’s consort.
    “What a dreadful woman she is, with her cheap shoes and arrogant laughter. Quite what the woman has to be arrogant about, I can’t imagine. She’s the sixth daughter of an impoverished earl! If she hadn’t gotten her hooks into my brother, she’d have been thrown in the volcano long ago.”
    The evening worsened after the princess finally succeeded in gaining her mother’s attention.
    “About my