Force of Nature ▸ House of Anubis [3]

chapter forty. house of saviors

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The eclipse is approaching fast. The sky's getting darker with each second and the shadows are about to get us. KT and Eddie apparently had the same idea as Fabian and me, because the second we jump over the brick barrier, I spot them coming out of the bushes.

"Fabian, Ashley!" KT shouts.

"I—I'm sorry," Fabian stutters, trying to catch his breath. I glance at the sky, careful not to look directly at the sun. "We messed up—"

"No, hey, don't worry about it, okay" Eddie tells us quickly. "We all messed up. They must be in the gatehouse by now. We have to get in somehow."

"Well, what's wrong with the cellar door?" Fabian asks.

"It's nailed from the inside," KT answers.

Fabian groans. Eddie says, "Let's try the main door—"

"We tried that last night," Fabian reminds him. "They changed the key code, remember?"

"We have to do something! Look at the sky!"

I look at the gatehouse, biting the inside of my cheek. "There's a way in. There's always a way," I tell them sharply. "Hidden key, secret lever, anything—start looking everywhere out here!"

But a minute of nothing coming out of our search has KT frantic. "We're too late. It's too late. The sky's getting darker."

"Give me a rock and I'll just smash a window!" I exclaim, kicking the wall out of frustration. We can't let the evil ones reawaken Frobisher-Smythe! He'll be evil and then we'll all be dead! "It—it could be a distraction—or they could just ignore it—"

I ignore Eddie as he says something to KT about wanting her to know something if they don't get out of this, but he's interrupted when I let out a frustrated yell again and push myself away from the door. My hair falls in my face, falling out of my ponytail. "Wait," Eddie realizes. "Do any of you have anything on you from Anubis House?"

"Why?" I ask, louder and angrier than I intend.

"Nina's locket—do you still have Nina's locket?" Eddie asks. I nod, pulling it from around my neck. "And your charm?"

"Always—"

"Does this count," KT interrupts, holding up her key, "my key?"

"Okay, Ash, the charm and the locket, come here!" Eddie shouts, taking KT's key. I pull off my charm as well, holding the locket in one hand and the charm in another, enclosing them in my fists. He has an idea. "Okay, like last year. Ash, focus. Come on, Osirian, Bringer of Death, come on..."