What Lies Beneath ▸ House of Anubis [1]

chapter forty-seven. house of venom

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"And Rufus was definitely one of them," I finish off my and Nina's story of the funeral and what happened afterward in Sarah's room. Sibuna—that would now be me, Nina, Amber, Fabian, Patricia, and Alfie—is sat at the dining room table after supper, which was uneventful. Although apparently Mick and Mara have broken up again. I give up on keeping up with the personal lives of everyone in this house.

"Oh, and listen to this," Nina adds. "Rufus kept mentioning the Bringer of Death, whatever that means. And they said Joy was the Chosen One."

"I told you she was part of it!" Alfie remarks, pointing at Patricia.

"Alfie," Patricia says sharply. "She is not part of it. Maybe she's not choosing to be chosen." Makes sense. Name one person deemed The Chosen One who actually wanted to be chosen in fiction. I'm pretty sure you can't, and real life is no different. Patricia sighs. "I need to get a hold of her."

Amber looks at us. "Rufus is one of them?"

"Was," I correct. "Was one of them. They kicked him out or he left or something."

"And Victor thinks Rufus has the puzzle pieces," Nina adds, her voice becoming quieter. "Only he called them Ankh pieces. I think they're more than just clues."

More than just clues...could it be? Exactly who else is in this secret society? Rufus used to be in it. And we know Victor, Sweet, Andrews, and Joy's dad are in it. What about Jason? How long has he been involved with the society? Was he in it before he came to the school or did they lure him over to their side when Patricia got him helping her find Joy?

"Okay, guys, listen up," Fabian says. "I have some news as well. I overheard the teachers talking, and tonight, they're going to initiate Jason fully into the society."

There's that question answered. We can't trust anyone but ourselves.

"So," Alfie infers, "we're going back down to the cellar."

"Miss Martin, Miss Adams," says Victor's voice all of a sudden from the door. Oh, this'll be fun. Not. "A word in my office."

Great. He's gonna ask us about Sarah. Maybe he wants to see how much we know. I look across the Sibunas before getting up from my seat at my and Nina's end of the table. Lie, deflect, and get out. And don't make any snappy remarks, Ashley. You've got enough on your plate without being given a toothbrush and told to scrub the bathrooms until he can see his stupid face in every surface.

Victor shuts the door to his office once Nina and I have been seated at the two chairs in front of his desk. Corbierre the stuffed raven is staring right at us whilst its owner paces around us. Beware the black bird...