Conform or Suffer: The Darkness of Beauty

Chapter 21 Cloth Masks

Thursday 5:15 p.m. Inside the Brownstone

*

Quig and Grew-Ella stood with Odin Web-Song as he left his daughter, Betsy, in a spare bedroom. Mermaid sketches covered the walls.

Madd-Ox watched the small, sleeping girl.

Odin frowned. "Rodrick planned a dinner meeting at the worst time."

"But he provided the food, and the money he paid sponsored workhouse children. Rodrick tasked my dad with dropping off the supplies, or he'd be here cooking." Grew-Ella said as she followed Quig and Odin out.

Odin stretched his tender shoulder as he slunk into the dining room.

Yoleta dug into Odin's back with her elbow. "Odin is a single father. I'll arrange a blind date for him."

He relaxed under the pressure, but his eyes dimmed. "I'm dating Avery-Joy. We were engaged in college until Sean-Mack assigned me to take my mother's post after she was executed."

Avery-Joy took over, massaging Odin's shoulder. "You look exhausted."

Rodrick stared at Odin. "You can leave, but I require Avery-Joy's expertise."

"Thanks." He went into the guest bedroom, picked up his daughter, and they left.

Madd-Ox walked out of the room a minute later.

"This meeting has come to order." Rodrick grinned and snatched a full bottle of cider from the table. "Lana told me secrets." He turned to Grew-Ella and smashed the bottle into the wall. "You came from a workhouse, and Vex wants you to work there until you die."

"Her childhood ugliness badges were removed." Quig held onto Grew-Ella to protect her, but Rodrick dragged her toward him.

"She hides her defects. I'm sure I could find three," Rodrick said.

"Grew-Ella... shouldn't have to hide who she is, but I promise you she's pretty." Quig leaped in front of her again, his wings extended in a fighting pose, even though he appeared calm.

"Leave my daughter alone. I paid for her fees," Karen said.

Rodrick talked to Karen, but his fingers pointed toward Quig. "Sean-Mack and Vex claim Grew-Ella stole hundreds of thousands."

Another board member grasped Grew-Ella's wrist, but everyone in the room knew the man was Junior, wearing a wig to cover his elf ears and sunglasses to enter without the paparazzi lurking. "Rodrick, you dolt. You were ordered to arrest her without witnesses. My father ordered her into the workhouse. She fails in appearance, but she is also accused of stealing from the Call Center when she rescued her friend Ruby."

"That is a lie," Madd-Ox said.

"Madd-Ox, were you there? Don't tell me and just shush." Junior wore oversized dress shirts and suit jackets and resembled a student who borrowed his daddy's clothes. He scratched his white goatee. With his free hand, Junior discarded the wig, along with sunglasses, and a scarf in a trash can. This revealed white hair, a large nose on a youthful face, cherry-colored lips, and elf ears as sharp as daggers.

"You're required to possess a court order to grab her at her apartment," Rodrick said.

Quig didn't speak to avoid stammering.

"Rodrick, Dad said the court order will be signed." Junior reached into his pocket and removed a tiny wrapped box and a black cloth mask with an etching of a moth. He shoved the box back and tightened the mask over Grew-Ella's head.

"Getting the order after you arrest her doesn't count. You're only legally able to arrest her here," Rodrick said.

Another workhouse member removed Grew-Ella's shoes and exposed her deformed feet. "She violates our laws. There are differences between acceptable and common, but Grew-Ella is neither. She is defective. We should send her to the Kill Home."