Force of Nature ▸ House of Anubis [3]

chapter seventy-seven. house of ammit

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            As the smoke gathers in front of us, my blood runs cold as it forms something vaguely humanoid. No, no, no, no, no!

            "What is that?!" KT screams.

            "The great Ammit," says Frobisher, "comes at last. Arise and rule!" I can see a face in the smoke now, just barely—like looking at a cloud and seeing shapes. The five sinners are kneeling, chanting the same as Frobisher. "Arise and rule!"

            "Eddie," I say shakily, hardly able to take my eyes off the sight in front of us, "what did I do?"

            "Let's get out of here!" Eddie exclaims.

            Patricia blocks our way out, though. Fabian stands, snapping, "Don't you dare go anywhere." I can't... I can't be in this room anymore. I can't be here. "I can't believe the three of you are such saps!"

            Frobisher laughs, backing us into the wall. "Do you not yet understand? The Staff of Osiris is a portal." He gestures to it. The Staff of Osiris. That's what it's called. "Years ago, I instructed my expedition project to ensure I never found its pieces."

            "Yeah, because you knew you might wake up evil!" Eddie retorts.

            "So I tricked you into finding them for me."

            "But the recording that you made," KT says, shouting over the wind and thunder, "back when you were still yourself, you said the artifact would stop the great evil!"

            "He faked the recording," I state, shaking my head. "You faked it. You made us help you!"

            "It was Miss Denby who replaced the recording," responds Frobisher, "with a more appropriate one, which I made the day before."

            "So in other words," Fabian adds, "we couldn't have done it without you. Especially you, Ashley. You were always the endgame."

            "Oh, there is one more thing," Frobisher comments. "Hand over your key, please, KT."

            Wait, what?

            "Why do you want my key?" KT asks, speaking what I'm thinking. I thought the keys just opened up the door in the wall and to the crypt, and he's already got Denby's whenever he wants. What else could they be used for other than unlocking things? Why does he want KT's?

            "Look, she doesn't have it," Eddie says, stepping in front of KT. "Okay, I do." I speak his name harshly—we've already helped them summon Ammit, and for whatever reason they want this key, and we shouldn't give it to them. He digs in his pockets, but evidently doesn't find anything. We had the key when we went through the crypt. "Don't..."