How it Ends ▸ House of Anubis [4]

chapter nine. house of stone

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            Everyone who has ever touched the stone turns to stone.

            "You're going to turn into a statue?!" demands Alfie incredulously. My legs feel incredibly numb all of a sudden. The initial sacrifice is bad enough, but everyone in the history of the touchstone who's ever touched it turning to stone because of it?!

            "Only if Sophia manages to build the pyramid," Fabian answers.

            KT shakes her head. "What about Victor?"

            Yeah, what about Victor? If Sophia's the one who's planning to build the pyramid, what's his role in all this?

            But before any of us can suggest any explanations for what Victor could want the touchstone for, Sweet's voice behind us says, "And what about Victor?"

            The six of us spin around to face him, caught red-handed like we always are. Sweet's looking at us expectantly, so Patricia stammers, "Uh, we were wondering—"

            Patricia trails off, and just as I think that we're toast, KT comes in with a save, "—what he's wearing to the grad party! Don't want him clashing with Patricia..." Sweet chuckles. "Again."

            "And now," Patricia says, "we are going to go and find out what Eddie is going to wear."

—

            The crypt of Robert Frobisher-Smythe looks the same as it did the last time we were down here. That was when Eddie, KT, Harriet, and I hung out here overnight to escape the sinners. I'm not sure if it's comforting that there's only one person we're going up against... then again, judging by that article, Sophia's even older than Victor. Amber would probably ask her what her moisturizer is.

            KT turns the key in the lock as Mara silently marvels at the crypt, whispering to me that she doesn't know how she's never seen this before. Patricia goes down first, gesturing for us to keep up with her in her pretty pink bridesmaid dress. As our party of half a dozen rounds the corner into the main crypt, someone jumps out, prepared to attack us.

            "Eddie!" Patricia shouts, clearly scolding him. Eddie relaxes as he sees it's just us. Thank God he's all right. But Dexter's with him here, too. "Don't do that!"

            "Yeah," Eddie says, eyeing Patricia's attire strangely. "Nice dress. What are you trying to do, rescue or catch a bouquet?"

            Biting back a laugh and avoiding Patricia's wrath, I lay my eyes on the ginger. "Dexter. How'd you wind up here?"

            Dexter replies, "Oh, you can all apologize for hiring the wrong newbie later."

            "He's right," Eddie adds. "Sophia is not who she says she is."