Touch of Fear ▸ House of Anubis [2]

chapter nine. house of combinations

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            "Nina and Fabian are totally hiding something from us," Amber decides the next morning as we walk down the stairs together. Nina was gone before we woke up, but left her alarm on to wake us up. "What do you think it is?"

            "I don't know," I remark, pursing my lips. "Either something Sibuna-y is going on or they're in so much love they can only focus on each other, therefore ignoring the two people who have been trying to get them together since the beginning. But something weird was going on with that dollhouse. Why would it start glowing and smoking?"

            "I checked, there are no batteries."

            "So the house is doing weird stuff again. Cool."

            Nina and Fabian are hiding something from you. But then again, you're hiding something from them. Well, not hiding, since telling them what you know would put them in danger.

            As the two of us enter the dining room door, we find the aforementioned couple sat together and having a hushed conversation. There's an aged piece of paper that's been folded and unfolded several times between them. And from where I stand, it's a map.

            "Is that what I think it is?" Amber comments, startling them.

            Fabian is quick to fold up the map and hide it from us, very suspicious. "Um, a map? Yeah."

            "Where's the map to?" I inquire casually. "Narnia? Middle Earth? Oh, have you got the Marauder's Map? I'd love to have that one."

            "I was going to say love letter," Amber corrects, "but map's okay, I guess." I press my lips together before grabbing the map, unrolling it so my fellow blonde and I can see what it is. And you know what it is? A map of tunnels, it looks like. "Especially when it's a treasure map! Sibuna!"

            "Sibu—what?" rings Victor's voice.

            I quickly spin around toward the door, hiding the map behind my back. I hear one of them take it, and then suddenly Nina throws her fist forward and punches Amber on the arm, exclaiming, "Sup, boo? I'm teaching them American slang. It means something along the lines of—"

            "Uh, I really don't care what it means," Victor interrupts. "Off to school, all of you."

            "Oh, Victor," Fabian says before the caretaker leaves, "we're recording narration for the school film, and we think you'd be perfect." Victor's eyes narrow. "I mean, what with your commanding voice and encyclopedic knowledge of the school."

            Victor looks like he's actually considering it. "Hm...well...I do fulfil all those criteria, I suppose. Very well, if you insist."