Touch of Fear ▸ House of Anubis [2]

chapter eighty-six. house of stakes

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            "No!"

            Trapped on my safe square, I stare at the one where Patricia and Amber have just disappeared. No, this isn't good! This just leaves me, Fabian, and Joy standing—and because Fabian didn't trust Joy's judgement on the Victor guard! How could he not trust her?! He saw how good a player she is and he brought her into the loop in the first place!

            "What's the point of asking for my help," Joy questions as she steps off the throne, "if you're not gonna listen to me?"

            "Oh, look, I got it wrong, okay?" Fabian responds and I look at him incredulously.

            "Wrong?!" Joy repeats. "Fabian, this isn't chess. If we make a mistake, someone falls through the floor."

            "Don't you think I know that? I feel bad enough as it is!"

            "So you should. None of them have signed up for this," she states. I look between the two of them. "Even Victor chickened out when he knew what the stakes were."

            "Now, anyway," he retorts, "who knows what would've happened if we'd done your move?"

            I interrupt their argument, "Both of you, shut up!" I'm 100% on Joy's side and I'm about to let him know it. I can't believe him! "If we had done Joy's move, we might've just lost Amber. But since we did your move, Fabian, we lost both her and Patricia!"

            Joy nods and adds, "I would have had three players playing this game instead of two!"

            Fabian completely disregards my presence, eyes only on Joy. "You always have to be right and rub everyone else's faces in it, don't you? And you know why? It's 'cause you're a bully and a control freak."

            "Yeah? Well, you're a geek and a coward."

            "You're a witch."

            "Doormat."

            "Calm down," I tell them both, turning so I can see them both at once and not just one of them. "Okay, that's what we need to all need to calm down. Just...take a breath. And calm...down..."

            The two are still engaged in their glares toward each other. I glance between them carefully, hoping that they won't start arguing again. We're the only three left and we need to end this together. I need to end this.

            Finally, Joy looks away, taking a breath like I advised. "So, what do we do now?"

            "We keep playing the game," I say.

            "I don't really think we have much of a choice, do we?" Fabian adds. "Joy... I'm sorry."

            She nods, taking another breath. "Okay, let's do this."