Force of Nature ▸ House of Anubis [3]

chapter seventy-five. house of defeat

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            Eddie has to hold me back as Frobisher approaches the chimney. My heart is beating so loud I can hear it and hardly anything else. Frobisher looks inside the fireplace, and shouts, "Boy!" My heart stops completely now. Alfie's caught. "Get down here now!"

            The next thing I know, Frobisher's pulling Alfie out by the feet. But Alfie doesn't have anything in his hands. "How come this never happened to Santa?" he asks nervously.

            "Would you care to explain what you were doing in my chimney?" Frobisher inquires.

            "Sweeping it," Alfie replies without missing a beat. "I mean, what else would I be doing in a chimney, doofus?" Something heavy falls in the fireplace—it must be the artifact.

            "What indeed."          

            Alfie grabs the box and makes a run for it, but he stops suddenly at the door and backs away. He drops the box and I hear it hit the door Eddie and I are hiding behind as Victor's voice asks, "Going somewhere?"

            "Uh, I'm sorry," Alfie says quickly. "Uh, no."

            I watch Victor back Alfie up back to the fireplace and Eddie's not quick enough to stop me from shouting, "Alfie!"

            "Guys, go!" Alfie tells us as the three Evil Ones look over.

            "I'm not leaving you!"

            "No, go, get out of here! Eddie!"

            "We'll come back for you," Eddie promises, the artifact box in one hand and my arm in the other. "Don't sin, and they can't take you."

            "Alfie!" I shout again as Eddie and KT both have to drag me out. He's my best friend, I can't just leave him here with them! But it doesn't seem like I have much of a choice. If they take Alfie—

            "Sibuna!" Alfie screams, like a war cry.

            That's the last thing I heard him say.

—

            I protested against leaving Alfie there alone the entire run over to the house. It was obvious neither of them were happy with it either but Alfie was the one yelling at us to go. There wasn't a choice. When we get back to Anubis, my head starts ringing. It's like something's being pounded on my skull and the pain of it causes me to stumble against the wall, and the voices of my friends asking me if I'm all right are muffled and barely there. Someone grabs my arm as I sink to the ground, in so much pain that I can't even stand. The anger...

            "Ashley!" a voice shouts, slowly bringing me back. "Ashley, Ashley, what happened?"      

            "Alfie," I mumble. "It's Alfie. What time is it?"