Touch of Fear ▸ House of Anubis [2]

chapter twenty-nine. house of help

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            "I don't know who I'm more scared of, the spirit or my dad."

            The sun streams in through the curtains while I sit beside Amber on her bed, listening to her worries about the sudden appearance of the Mark of Anubis on her ankle. Nina's going through every pair of socks we have to find one that would cover it up so no one would see it. We haven't seen Fabian, Patricia, or Alfie yet this morning, but I hate to admit that there's a pretty good chance that all of us now have the Mark of Anubis now.

            I am sorry, descendant. She's ruthless, and I do not know who she is yet.

            "I think I'd go with the cursey one," I answer, rubbing her arm comfortingly. "Nina?"

            Nina holds up a pair of red, blue, and white socks and comes over to us. "Here. These'll cover it."

            Amber takes them and unballs them, remarking, "Okay, so I just have to wear long socks for the rest of Daddy's life. I'll look great around the pool."

            "It won't be there forever, Ams," I assure her. "We just have to find the Mask."

            Nina sighs. "I'm so sorry, Amber. I didn't want this for either of you," she glances my way. "I just...I feel so powerless against this thing."

            "I know. It's okay," Amber tells her. "Hey, I was with you anyway. Now I'm just really with you."

            I look between them, setting my hands on their shoulders. Now it's all our lives at stake if we don't find this Mask, and quick. The spirit is getting restless, that's why she's cursed Amber and maybe Alfie and Patricia, too. We didn't even tell those two about the Marks because we thought it would just be me, Nina, and Fabian. We should probably find them—

            The door bursts open and Patricia rushes in, her arm outstretched as she asks, freaked out as we are, "What do you call this?" Because sure enough, the Mark of Anubis is on the inside of her wrist.

            Amber glances at her own Mark and suggests, "Membership?"

            "You too? Who else?"

            Alfie runs in this time, exclaiming, "I'm freaking out! I just acquired a tat overnight." His is on his calf, which will definitely be easier to cover up than Patricia's wrist. "I'm too young, it's illegal, and if I had the choice, I would have gone for some sort of fire-breathing dragon."

            "Not my name?" Amber questions.

            "We broke up!"

            Patricia looks at us. "Does this mean we're cursed? Are our lives at risk, too?"