Touch of Fear ▸ House of Anubis [2]

chapter fifty-four. house of alibis

☾ ☽

            Once we're sure Alfie's fast asleep, Nina closes the music box that was playing the lullaby that actually got him to sleep. Amber being turned into an old lady in the blink of an eye means everything is getting worse. I don't understand what happened earlier in the task room; we played the tune correctly, so why didn't another door open and why are we still cursed?

            "You should get some sleep, Amber," I advise, rubbing her arm comfortingly.

            "You need it as much as Alfie does," Nina adds.

            "No, I want to help," Amber replies, voice different than usual. Help, meaning Nina and I snuck down to the antechamber and took some of the books from it in hopes that something in there can help us understand what went wrong.

            Nina laughs a little and says, "Might be easier to read if I turn the light on?"

            "No, please, don't," Amber declines as I agree, "Please don't turn a light on. She's weirding me out." When Amber looks at me with a glare, I add reluctantly, "Sorry, Amber. It's the curse. I have no filter anymore."

            "Like you ever had a filter," Amber says, her tone a little teasing.

            Nina nods, asking as I go back over to my bed to finish the books I've got, "Okay. So anything about funeral laments or the Song of Hathor in there, or do we need to raid the antechamber for more books?"

            "Nothing so far," Amber answers. I shake my head. Currently I'm reading about Merneferre Ay, who was the longest reigning pharaoh of the 13th dynasty. "I'm only up to the 10th dynasty. It's actually kind of fascinating. Why didn't you tell me?"

            I look up, blinking at her. "Amber, we've been doing this kind of stuff for a year. The Cup of Ankh literally came from Tut's tomb."

            Nina snaps her fingers, grabbing our attention. "Okay, no mention of instruments here, but this book does have the lyrics. Egypt mourns Tutankhamun / killed by a stepmother's knife / the song of Hathor shall declare / Senkhara took his life."

            My eyes widen and I close my book, remarking, "Whoa."

            "Our ghost lady killed King Tut?" Amber questions.

            "According to this," Nina confirms. "Wow!"

            "At least we know what we're up against now," I comment. "A spirit that killed the most well-known pharaoh of all time."

            "Do we?" Amber retorts. "Who knows what she's capable of? And why does she have to pick on us? It's so unfair. I had a lot of stuff planned, and I'm past it before I've even graduated." She pauses, taking a deep breath. "Things could not be worse."