Touch of Fear ▸ House of Anubis [2]

chapter ten. house of heartbreak

☾ ☽

"And where have you been?!" is the angry question I get from Amber the second I walk into Anubis House. Not exactly the greeting I was hoping for.

"Helping Alfie get the pink cart of death out of the hedge," I answer, eyeing her. "What's with the—"

"There's no time!" she interrupts, on edge about something, and something tells me it's not the ruined triple-date. "I just saw Victor go into the cellar. Nina and Fabian are down there!" What?! "We have to get them out. Follow my lead." I'm left only to watch her close her eyes and raise her arms. Then she runs down to the cellar through the door by the stairs, shouting, "Victor! Victor! There's a weasel in the heating vent!"

Is that the best she can do?

I run after her, exclaiming in an effort to help get Victor out, "Yes, there's a weaseling, uh, weasel weaseling around in the heating vent! I think it's a long-lost relative of Jerome, and we don't need another Jerome around here, do we, Victor?"

Is that the best you can do?

Victor turns around from where Nina and Fabian are stood like deer in headlights. "There's what?"

"Hurry!" Amber tries to get him out. "It's an emergency!"

"It's stealing all our heat, Victor!" I add, probably laying it all on too thick. I hope the panicked voice will help convince him there's something in the heating vent. "Why, I—I think I might faint! Amber, catch me!"

Amber does so, pushing me to a standing position as Victor passes by us to investigate the weasel. Nina and Fabian look at us relieved, while Amber grins and I wave. The two of us go back upstairs, walking into the kitchen where Victor is coming back out from checking the heating vent. "There is no weasel," he states. Okay, that was quick. We back away out into the corridor as he follows, annoyed with us. "Wasting my time."

"I definitely smelled burnt weasel," Amber claims.

"As did I," I agree, noticing Nina and Fabian running out of the cellar.

Unfortunately, Victor has noticed them as well. "Ah-ah-ah-ah, not so fast. Come." He gestures for Nina to come back down the stairs and Fabian comes over from going toward his room. Amber and I step to the side, watching carefully. "What were you doing in the cellar?"

"Just..." Nina starts, and then she puts on a smile. "...remembering the fun times we had down there last year."

"Quite the comedienne, aren't you, Miss Martin?" he inquires before, without looking at us, holding out two toothbrushes to Amber and I. You've got to be joking. "I want to see my face reflected in those toilet bowls."