House Of Madness

Chapter 33 White Queen

Six days?
Four days?
A day?
Seventeen days?
Nik had no idea how long they were in SnowWood for.
Time passed weird.
Priscilla had acted like everything was fine.
That she hadn't bombed his palace that it was merely an, 'accident'.
She never said that much which confirmed what Nik already knew.
The attack had been planned because she wanted to invade SkyWood.
She wanted SkyWood to combined with SnowWood.
She saw the change in Skywood's leadership as a chance for her country to be stronger.
"Remember, consider what I said. We both know being king was never something you wanted.
I would be more than able to take it off your hands."
Nik wanted to laugh, only Priscilla the white queen could make invading your country sound like a favour.
"You're right. Being king was never something I wanted but I think I've grown to like it."
He no longer saw the beautiful Priscilla he knew as a girl.
He saw that the rumours were true, that girl was dead.
In her place was a woman would was corrupted by power and would do absolutely anything to get more.
"Than be ready, friend. I will have no choice but to destroy you."
Nik smiled, "I look forward to it Priscilla."
The white queen hissed, "take them away! They are no longer welcome here!"
"Were we ever welcome here?" Zade questioned.
No.
They most definitely were never welcomed in SnowWood.
They had only been allowed to meet the white queen in her palace because she had been certain that Nik would give her SkyWood.
Upon finding out he wouldn't she had let her temper get the best of her.
"I would throw you in jail!"
She couldn't. He was of equal standing.
She could however, throw Zade and the other two guards in jail but no matter how mad she was she wasn't stupid.
She knew doing that would declare war, a war she would lose.
"I wish you the best Priscilla.
I do hope I don't have to see you soon. Remember, whatever you do, whatever you think you have over me you don't.
If you bomb SkyWood again I will destroy you. I will cut you five times deeper than how ever much you cut me."
Nik didn't yell, he didn't need to.
The message was clear.
If she made a move against SkyWood again, she was making a move directly against him.
A move that would end in chaos and death.
Much death.

After two bottles of wine Grave had an idea, "the compass."
"What about the compass?"
"We could use it to get Ember and Ari out."
Terrett's eyes lit up, "it probably weren't work. Like there's a less than one percent chance."
"What if you used another object."
"Like your tea cup and the hour glass?" Alice questioned.
"Both." For some reason Grave had it in his head that if a powerful warlock channeled three magical objects the magic would transfer.
If the magic transferred than it could be used to get Ember and Ari out of the House Of Madness.
Finn didn't need to get out, he was better off there.
"Think about it! What does the House Of Madness want most?"
"Magic", Kit and Alice answered at the same time.
"Exactly, if a powerful warlock took the magic out of three powerful magically infused artefacts.
Maybe the House Of Madness would make a trade."
"The House Of Madness wants prisoners.
Not magic."
"Why do you think it wants prisoners?"
Nik.
"For their magic."
No one spoke for a minute until Nik broke the silence, "I see you had fun."
Alice followed Nik's eyes, the palace was destroyed; absolutely trashed.
"You could say that", Kit offered helpfully.
"I noticed my liquor cellar is empty.
Eighty thousand dollars out the window."
Alice, Kit and Grave paled, everyone had undersold them for the alcohol by a lot.
They had made less than half of what all Nik's alcohol was worth for the human orphanage.
They had made exactly twenty one thousand dollars for seventeen bottles, of a variety of different drinks.
"You. Your pay is suspended indefinitely."
Grave squinted his eyes, "what the hell did I do?"
"You expect me to believe that you didn't do anything? That you weren't the instigator."
"That was me", Kit said, "frankly I find it insulting that you would think I would listen to him."
Nik rolled his eyes, "Kit I don't care if trashing the palace was your idea.
After all, you were the queen that would be in your right.
I care that Grave used the compass to leave."
"Why do you think it was me?"
Nik grind his teeth, "funny how the SkyWood orphanage has received a generous donation of twenty one thousand dollars in my absence."
"Interesting", there wasn't much for Grave to say; Nik had hit the nail on the head he was extremely guilty.
Extremely guilty in leaving his post and leaving the protection of the royal palace.
Not just that, he took Alice and Kit with him.
"We only have two magical artefacts, the tea cup, and Chessler's deck of cards."
"Actually, Chessler took his playing cards back and he won't give them back without a fight."
Nik said helpful.
"So one, we have one magical artefact", Kit said annoyed.
"What about the hour glass?" Alice whispered.
"Fine, we have two. I doubt the House Of Madness would be willing to trade three prisoners for a tea cup and a hour glass."
"Who said anything about three prisoners?
The goal is to get Ember and Ari out.
Finn is exactly where he belongs."
Alice felt uneasy, she knew she should hate Finn after all he did kill her but she couldn't.
"The goal is to get them all out", no one questioned Alice but it was clear no one felt the same.
She had switched her tune, she kept going back and forth on whether or not she wanted Ari free.
Lucky for him, today she did, Finn however....
He was a risk, a danger even.
"Well... I'll lead the way", an excited Terrett said.
"What? No. We have to plan!" Kit screeched.
"Why? I have the spell memorize.
Just like I have most spells memorized."
Alice didn't believe Terrett, he couldn't remember basic things like people he had already met.
Let alone complex spells like the one they needed him to perform now.
Nik didn't seem to feel the same way, "if he's ready now than there's no point in waiting."
That was it.
Alice, Kit, Grave, Nik and Terrett were all on their way to the House Of Madness.
To try and make a fools bargain.