The Curse of the Osirians

House of Sibuna

Layla's POV

"Okay, now I see it," Amber stated.

"This is crazy. We're never gonna outsmart Robert," Nina exclaimed.

"We don't have a choice. Your life depends on us finding that mask," Fabian said. "Amber, tail, I'll get the head," he said as Nina and I went to grab the middle. "Okay, ready? Here we go. "This thing weighs a ton!" He exclaimed as we struggled and failed to move it.

"There is no way we're gonna get that to the edge. Let alone over the hole. It takes 6 men to lift that!" Nina shouted.

"How about 4 girls and 2 men? Well, boys," Amber suggested.

"Sibuna?" Nina said with a grin.

"Sibuna," Fabian agreed.

"It's time to get the gang back together!" Amber cheered.

"I guess six heads are better than four, right? Do you think it's fair? This is pretty dangerous stuff," Nina said looking worried. I agreed. I wouldn't want any more of my friends to risk their lives again like last year.

"I say share it round. Let's not be selfish. Besides, we're so good together," Amber said.

"I just, I just need some time to think about what I'm asking them to do for me," my sister said.

*****

"Jerome, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to interfere. It just meant so much to Poppy!" I said to Jerome the next morning.

"He wants me to go and visit him," he said.

"Is that bad?" I asked.

"No! How could meeting my estranged father in prison be bad. Yeah, I'd say it's not good. I need to think about it. Maybe. I don't know. In the meantime, I'd appreciate you not telling any of that to Poppy. I mean it, Layla. You owe me that much!" He said.

"Oh alright fine. Um...all that aside, I wanted to ask if you wanted to join Eddie and I later? We were going to start a Potter marathon if you wanted to join?"

"You're spending an awful lot of time with him lately," Jerome commented. "But yes, I'd love to join," he added as he kissed my cheek and headed for the kitchen.

"Eddie is the only one around here with any taste," I heard Patricia commenting as Jerome and I entered the kitchen.

"Oh, you're good," Jerome said with a laugh at Eddie.

"Good at what? Good at what?" Patricia demanded to know.

"Eddie bet us his month's allowance he could get you to dance. I really thought you'd hold out longer," Jerome said as he sat down at the table. I crossed my arms and glared. So that's why he had gone and danced with her! That was messed up.

"Good at ruining things," I heard Eddie mutter as he saw the look on Patricia and my faces.

"Is that why you were singing she'll be coming around the mountain?" Joy asked. I must have missed that part.

"Uh, murdering she'll be coming around the mountain," Alfie corrected.

"You cockroach," Patricia hissed at Eddie as everyone leaned back as she stood up and moved around the table picking up the pitcher of milk as she did so. I knew where this was going. Sure enough she dumped it over his head.

"Yeah, she does that," Nina told Eddie.

"Patricia, I think you missed a spot," I added as I saw Jerome smirking at Eddie. I figured he had done all this as another way to make money to pay off Roper. It was one thing for him to scheme like he always did especially since I knew Mara was already making sure the money raised on Donkey Day really did go to charity but it was another thing to play with people's emotions. I grabbed the glass of orange juice and went over to my lovely boyfriend. "Next time you want to earn some money, try going about it the honest way!" I told him as I dumped the orange juice on his head and high-fived Patricia. "Otherwise we won't be going out much longer," I added with a hiss.