House Of Madness

Chapter 13 Sky Blue and Lilac Purple

"How do you think Victor feels about our endeavours?"
Ivy didn't reply because Zade had beaten her to it, "who the fuck cares what that nut thinks!"
Nik, Zade, Ivy and Kit were all in Nivens place of work, the pawn shop.
Going to Terrett's and Nivens house was off the table, because they were still being heavily watched.
So here they were, Ivy couldn't keep still she was pacing back and forth.
Kit was sitting on a display case, probably filled with thousands of dollars worth of shite.
Zade was standing at the corner of the main display case watching Kit with the eyes of a parent, fully expecting her to fall and ready to spring to action to catch her.
Nik was watching Ivy pace he himself had to fight the urge, he was leaning against the back wall.
They should be happy, they had escaped! It was only a matter of time until they saw Terrett and Nivens.
But everyone had the same thought, the alarm had gone off but no one tried to stop them as they left.
It made them all feel uneasy until Nik had said, "you'll see Terrett and Nivens tonight."
It had been like the light after a very long dark tunnel, for both Ivy and Kit.
Knowing that they'll see their family once again because that's how much Nivens, Terrett and Kit meant to Ivy.
They were her family, her weird, somewhat crazy family that loved her, and she loved them too.
"The ball is at eight, it's a masked ball.
I have everything prepared, once we met with Terrett and Nivens you can get ready at the palace."
Ivy didn't know who Nik had been referring to.
She hoped he hadn't been referring to her, the last thing she wanted to do was play dress up and go to some fae ball.
Ivy might have become accepting of Nivens, Terrett and Kit but she was far from accepting all fae.
"Does that mean I'll have to wear a dress?"
Kit hadn't liked dresses much.
Nik blushed, he felt stupid for assuming Ivy and Kit would want to wear dresses.
"No, there are other formal options", there was of course.
Fae fashion was very forward but Nik hadn't gotten anything formal enough to wear to a ball for Kit.
He would though and he would do the same for Ivy if she wished.
"Ivy would you like to wear a dress or something different tonight?"
'Great. So I am expected to go to this fae ball.'
Ivy couldn't remember a time she had worn a dress, let alone been forced to go to a ball.
"She'll wear the dress", Kit said with a smile.
"I wasn't asking you", Nik said.
When Ivy realized he was just going to stare at her until she answered she said, "a dress is fine."
The reality was Ivy couldn't believe her biggest problem for the night was whether or not she would wear a dress.
Humans were dying of all kinds of preventable things like disease, starvation and tiredness while she chatted with the high prince about what she was to wear tonight.
Ivy felt ashamed, even for just a night would be dealing with such luxury while the small population of humans left would be suffering like they did every night.
Nik wanted to turn invisible, too bad that wasn't one of his gifts.
He knew the dress thing was stupid, 'how spoiled must I seem to the human girl who knows nothing of her basic needs.'
He felt like a fool, he pretty much demanded that she come to the ball tonight while she has only known hell for just over the last two months.
'How terribly cruel I must seem to her.'

Nivens had been trying to keep himself busy.
He had full faith in Terrett that he would find a way to free Kit and Ivy from the House Of Madness.
He knew these things took time but he had really missed them.
He was just thinking of how the hot summer sky had reminded him of Kit's fiery hair when he walked into this place of work, a pawn shop.
Nivens knew he was at least a little mad, his whole life his teachers and own family told him he was that much.
'He had too much power', 'he was too strong', 'was he even animal fae?' 'He has to be a bastard, there's no way a pure animal fae could wield power like that!'
Eventually Nivens just stopped.
He could have had a bright future using his special animal fae gifts but every time he would wield magic he would be judged.
He would be called a 'bastard' or some other cruel name because others thought he had mythical blood in him.
Nivens was very animal looking, he looked like a white rabbit that was close to 5"5 walking on his back legs.
There was no hiding the fact he was animal fae, no matter how much he wished there was.
There were some days he regretted not using his gifts.
Not because he didn't feel special working at the pawn shop.
Feeling special wasn't the problem, Terrett had always made him feel special and loved.
Nivens wanted to be enough for Terrett, Nivens knew on a power level they weren't even.
Terrett was strong, ridiculously strong and not in the sense of physical strength.
Not that he wasn't physically strong, he was but his power was the real strength.
Magic came with a price, Terrett for whatever reason was one of the most powerful warlocks even in spite of being only half warlock.
His price was his sanity.
Nivens loved Terrett with everything, his whole heart and if going a little crazy was his price to pay he would pay gladly.