How it Ends ▸ House of Anubis [4]

chapter eight. house of guilt

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            It kind of freaks me out that I'm graduating in a few hours. I mean, I can't be sure if my feelings about this are actually because I'm graduating or because we didn't find any pyramid pieces last night, which means Victor still has a chance of finding them—and our time at Anubis House is nearly up. After catching us, Sweet escorted us back to the house and actually waited until we were all in our rooms. I assume he locked us in afterwards, so I could only hope that Eddie and Sophia made it back here before us. Last thing we needed is them wandering around the grounds, locked out of the house.

            Breakfast on the morning of our graduation is the same as always, but just a touch more chaotic. Everyone's talking over each other as various bowls and plates are passed around. When Alfie's not looking, I reach forward and take three muffins from the plate that he so rudely took before anyone else got a chance, offering one each to KT and Fabian. Fabian declines it, but KT takes one. So I get two muffins this fine morning, which is good because the last thing I need is to pass out in the middle of graduation.

            I mean, it probably wouldn't be the worst thing that could happen during graduation (considering the whole Pyramid of Ra thing) but still.

            "We should sneak a look at the jar," Fabian whispers to Mara, KT, and myself at the end of breakfast. "If it is the alchemist's, it might be able to tell us something about the pyramid."

            "Sweet's upstairs with Victor," Mara points out. "Now's our chance."

            "Maybe Eddie's there, too, at the school," I remark, sighing deeply. No one's seen Eddie and Sophia since last night—they've both disappeared. As has Dexter, but he's none of our concern. For all we know, he's gone into town to buy out the sweets' shops. As I follow Mara and Fabian out, KT falls behind. "And he hasn't texted you at all?"

            "Well, I don't think he could've," Fabian says. "He left his phone in our room when we left last night. Look, they couldn't have gotten in a lot of trouble. I'm sure they're fine. And you haven't heard anything, which means he hasn't had a vision."

            "A vision?" Mara questions, eyebrows furrowed.

            "I'll explain later," I promise. "First, we need to get that jar."

—

            The classroom Sweet locked the jar in is fortunately open and empty. The school, for the most part, is empty. "Coast clear," Mara whispers. I step into the classroom, barely past the threshold when Mara shoots her hand out. "Careful!"

            I follow her eyesight to a group of shattered pottery on the floor, my eyes widening as I realize. "The canopic jar! Fabian, it's shattered," I tell him. Fabian steps past me and kneels by the pieces. "How? It was in that case last night."