Force of Nature ▸ House of Anubis [3]

chapter forty-six. house of drawings

            "Before I see what?" Denby inquires. She can't see these. She holds out her hand for Patricia's sketchbook, to her protest, but she ends up giving it over. "I think I should collect these, don't you?"

            "Oh, no, Miss," I state, shaking my head. "It's just warm-ups." Hoping to sway her out of it, I continue. "I've got them, too, they're really not interesting. Alfie, uh, took a picture of my canvas and sent it over to Fabian and he didn't—he didn't want them to see before it's time to show them off, you know? Kind of a surprise—Mrs. Burton says I'm her top student, you know. Can't—can't have anyone seeing what I've got until I'm ready."

            "I'm sure you are her top student," Denby says, "and I'd like to see yours as well." She forces Jerome to give over his sketch and comes over to me. "And the ones you've stuffed into her bag."

            I'll happily give her my warm-up sketches, which sometimes amount to nothing more than scribbles. Nothing like what just happened, though, but maybe if I give her two of mine... no, she'll see me tear them from my sketchbook instead of taking them out of my bag. Before I get a chance to make a choice, she takes my bag from me and takes Joy and Alfie's sketches, before taking my own sketchbook and flipping through it, probably hoping to find something like theirs.

            "You can't do that, give those back," I say quickly, stepping towards her.

            "That's where you're wrong, Miss Adams," Denby tells me. She looks over my unfinished canvas. "Interesting. Fan of ancient Egypt, are we?" I shut my mouth, not dignifying her with a response. "Detention, Patricia, Alfie, and Ashley."

            "Why?" Patricia asks, scoffing.

            "Insubordination, and copying." The bell rings. "Now go."

            I glare at our teacher as I gather my things, following my fellow detainees and the two they allegedly copied off of out of the classroom. "That was weird," Jerome states, rubbing his hand.

            "Very," Joy agrees. "Did it feel like someone else was drawing it?"

            "Tired," Patricia cuts in quickly, "um, it was because we were tired. I mean, it's got to be."

            Jerome and Joy share doubtful looks as they look at us. Alfie says, "Yeah, I mean, if I had a penny for every time someone told me that I draw something without concentrating when I'm tired, well, then, a-haaa, I'd have a lot of pennies. Anyway, come on," Alfie grabs mine and Patricia's arms and pulls us away.

—

            "So what exactly were you drawing?" KT questions in the lounge. She and Eddie've finally got back from the gatehouse, but we immediately told them about what happened in art and we don't know what happened with them at the gatehouse yet.

            "Oh, it was weird," Alfie says. "I felt someone's hand on mine, like a ghost hand, moving it around."

            "Maybe something's trying to get through," Fabian suggests, "give you a message."

            I shrug. "The ghost stuff usually happens with me, though. I haven't gotten any ghosts lately. Why wouldn't the ghosts go through me then? 'Cause, you know... Bringer of Death."

            Eddie looks over at us. "Fabian's right. It's a message. It's your ancestors. Okay, they were giving you a message."

            "Well, if that's true," Fabian says quickly, "that means the drawings might be able to help us. We have to get them back."