Force of Nature ▸ House of Anubis [3]

chapter forty-three. house of sarcophagi

I thought we stopped it. I thought we came just in time. But remember, Ashley, we don't have any actual proof. None of us have seen Frobisher walking around school grounds—not that he would do that. Denby's probably got him still in the gatehouse, in the tank or not.

"Guys," Fabian says, calling Sibuna over to his locker. "Okay, so last night I saw Miss Denby coming out of Victor's office. She had a book under her arm."

"So she borrowed a book," KT says, sounding and looking amused. Yeah, I'm missing the point of it, too. Victor's got tons of books in his office. "I don't get it, Fabian."

"Victor was in the kitchen the whole time," Fabian tells us. Oh. Denby stole a book, not borrowed. Okay, yeah, that's cause for suspicion. "He had no idea she was even there."

"She stole it?"

"Any idea what book it was?" I question. Fabian sighs and shakes his head. I doubt we'd be able to find out without asking Victor, unless he has a catalogue of every book in his office with titles, dates of publications, authors. I doubt that, though.

"Okay," Eddie says, "I say we walk right up to her and ask her exactly what's going on."

I look at him, raising an eyebrow. That's his plan? Knowing how much the Evil Ones like to lie? "Really?"

Patricia agrees with me with a nod. "Okay, out of all your bad ideas, that is definitely the worst."

"We still have to figure out what she and Frobisher are up to," Eddie states.

"We don't know for sure that he's awake," KT interjects quickly.

"He's awake," Eddie insists. "I know it. Ashley knows it." He throws his arm toward me. "So does Denby. That woman is bad news."

"So then we follow her," Alfie suggests. "We'll see what she does, who she talks to. We duck and weave and bob and dive. Stealth mode." The rest of Sibuna shares looks. That's not a bad plan. Actually, that's a brilliant plan. Alfie takes note of our faces. "Okay, guys, I was being hypothetical. I wasn't meaning me."

"Wherever she goes," Eddie says, clapping a hand on Alfie's shoulder, "you follow."

"Yup," Fabian agrees.

"Stealth mode," Alfie repeats himself. "Yeah, I can do that."

—

"Oh, Ashley," Mara catches up to me at my own locker. "Question for you—if last year you had gotten revenge on Evan for cheating on you," my eyebrows furrow, "what would you have done?"

"Asked Patricia to pour fruit punch on him," I answer, closing my locker. "Why?"

"I'm trying to think of ways to get back at Atticus. Anything more permanent?"

"Well, Mara," I turn to her, "you have to remember I kind of put glue in my now-boyfriend's shampoo and I don't think you're gonna be able to sneak into Hathor House long enough to do that without him getting suspicious."

"I forgot you did that to Jerome. But, no, Atticus doesn't value his hair as much as Jerome does so I wasn't thinking anything like that," she tells me. "And I don't think pouring fruit punch on him is a sufficient revenge. He did... cheat on me with Willow. And on Willow with me."

"You know, if you want, Alfie, Jerome, and I'll team up and take him down for you. We're all pretty mad Atticus did that to you."

"That's nice, but I think I want to do this myself. I mean, I'll loop Willow in, too, if she wants to be a part of whatever reven—" She stops cold, and then chuckles to herself. "Oh, I just got an idea! Want in?"

"Uh..." I look down the hallway to Eddie and KT. I would love nothing more than to watch a cheater get his comeuppance, but there's some more pressing issues right now. "You know, I just got unexpelled so I'm gonna try and make sure that doesn't happen again, but keep me in the loop. And send me a video of whatever you've concocted. I just dumped my cheating ex publicly but you, my dear roomie, are smarter than me."

—

Since Alfie agreed to follow Denby for us, he's been super sneaky. I haven't heard a peep from them since then. Last I saw him, he was hanging out by the lockers, which was by the doors where our evil teacher should be coming in for class today. We still have a bit until then, so we left him to his spy work. But then he rushes over to us and informs, "Guys, Denby just tried to sneak into Sweet's office."

"Wait," Fabian says, a slight shake of his head, "first Victor's and now Sweet's?"

"Do you think it's about Frobisher?" Patricia questions.

"Well, it's got to be," I remark. "Whatever she's doing and whatever she's looking for in their offices, we have to find it." What is Denby up to? Victor's office, I get he has a bunch of books she might be interested in about Frobisher. But Sweet's? He's just got school-related stuff in there. And his cabinets are always locked; it was a surprise when the one containing the student files was unlocked when Eddie and I went looking.

Fabian looks across at us. "I've got an idea. KT, I'm gonna need your help."

KT nods. "You got it."

—

Fabian's plan: get Sweet out of his office by telling him there's a flood in the science classrooms. If that doesn't work, he told us before we split up, he'll improvise. When we settled in for Denby's class, he was still out and KT was waiting for him. Denby herself was late arriving to class and in the moments before she entered, I noticed Willow and Joy sitting together and Mara speaking to Atticus, who also has this class with us, in a sickly sweet tone. Guess she got them in on her plan. I wondered what it was and figured I'll ask them tonight until Mara came over to tell me (and Eddie by association because we're at the same desk) that she needs me (and Patricia, since starting tonight she's our roomie) out of the room starting at seven for her plan.

When KT finally comes in, ten minutes after class begins, she apologizes for her tardiness to Denby, who asks, "Yeah, why are you late? And where's Fabian?"

"That's just it, Miss Denby," KT says. "Fabian's had a meltdown. I just saw him run out of Mr. Sweet's office and down the corridor. Mr. Sweet ran after him." I share a smirk with Eddie, but I kind of wish I'd seen Fabian's fake meltdown for myself. Flood in the science classrooms probably wouldn't have been the cause. I mean.... it's Fabian, so it could be. But probably not.

"I see," Denby says, her voice suddenly taking on a thoughtful tone.

"Um," KT says, "do you think I should guard his office? He left it unlocked, and any of the students could just go in there."

"Oh, no, KT," Denby replies, setting her pen down as she begins to stand, "I'll go and check on it. Uh, Joy, you supervise 'till I'm back."

"Finally," Joy states, getting up from her table. Eddie looks over at Patricia, giving her the signal to go as the class starts chattering. Trixie gives us a thumbs-up before sneaking out of the classroom. "Quiet, please." KT turns around and tells us she's surprised the plan went that great and that Fabian's a good actor, but then Joy shouts, "Silence!" Everyone shuts up. "Thanks."

Girl knows how to shut up a classroom full of gossiping teenagers. I'll give her that.