What Lies Beneath ▸ House of Anubis [1]

chapter twenty. house of kidnap

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            Sibuna stays pressed against each other in the small cabinet, watching through the crack in the doors, waiting for Victor to leave. What did he drink, and what was with that weird toast? After what feels like hours, the light is switched off.

            "Let's go," Amber says, opening the doors. I breathe in deeply as I stumble out of it.

            Fabian and Nina go over to the table Victor was at, the former picking up one of the vials. "What is it?" Nina asks.

            "Guys, can we please just get out of here?" I ask desperately. Amber nods, coming back into the cellar through the secret passageway door. Then Fabian starts to bring the vial to his mouth, and I run over to him, smacking his hand. "Are you crazy?! It could be poison!"

            Fabian tilts his head doubtfully. Nina adds, "You don't know what's in it."

            Amber continues pointedly, "Hello, does anyone else realize we're in danger?"

            Fabian replies, "Let's not get hysterical about it."

            I glare. "Oh, hysterical, you're an 1800s doctor now? This place is creepy, let's go!"

            There's a loud, wailing moan from somewhere down here. Us three girls grab hold of Fabian's arm when we hear it, all four of us shrieking, huddling together. Okay, that's terrifying. Oh, no. No, no, no, no ghosts!

            "'Let's not get hysterical about it,'" Amber repeats.

            "Let's get out of here, now," Fabian states.

            I look over at him incredulously. "Oh, now you listen!"

—

            Amber's still fast-asleep in her bed even when Nina and I are already dressed. After the night we had, we decided it was best to let her get some more sleep. I hardly slept myself. But we only have, like, twenty minutes to eat breakfast and get to school, and she's still asleep.

            "Amber?" Nina asks gently, shaking her. I watch, pulling my tie around my neck. "Amber."

            Sighing, I shout, "Amber!"

            Amber shoots up, now awake. "What?"

            "You have to get up," Nina says. "We'll be late."

            "I can't. I didn't sleep a wink all night."

            "Except for right now."

            Amber looks at us seriously. "Truth time. Do you believe in werewolves?"

            Of all the things I expected her to say, the word werewolves being in the question was not it.