Force of Nature ▸ House of Anubis [3]

chapter sixty-six. house of lullabies

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            Patricia locks KT in our bedroom as KT bangs on the door, begging to be let out. I stand back, my arms crossed as I stare at the back of my Sibuna crew's heads. This feels wrong. Nina would never go for it. I mean, she'd agree that we need to keep an eye on KT, but she'd never suggest we pull a Denby or a Secret Society and lock her away.

            Patricia lifts up the corner of the mat in the hallway. "Okay, this is where we're gonna hide the key." It was her idea to lock her up in our bedroom, and she'd already convinced Mara to spend the night in the other girls' room with me, giving some excuse about her and KT trying to spend some more time together after the rocky start they got off to. Mara bought it hook, line, and sinker.

            "Let me out!" KT shouts. "I haven't done anything wrong."

            "Do you think we're doing the right thing?" Eddie asks. I remain silent, not wanting to risk my being locked up, too. I honestly believe that if KT were the sinner, she'd be more careful about it. She'd be more directly malicious and, well... more like Patricia.

            Patricia takes her hand in Eddie's. "It's really great how much you believe in your friends."

            "Come on, guys!" KT goes on, and I can't stand the sound of it. "Let me out. I'm not working with Team Evil, I swear!"

            "We really should get some sleep," Fabian suggests.

            Eddie turns to Patricia. "You sure you can stay with her all night?"

            "I mean, someone has to watch her," she says. "And it can't be Ashley, since KT's proven how easily she can manipulate her. She'd let her out." I glare at her; yeah, it's official, Patricia's officially my least favorite person in this house (and this includes Victor, who is definitely working for Team Evil and definitely planted that guillotine to try and murder us Henry VIII style). But she goes on to Eddie, "You've shown me how brave you can be. So I can be, too."

            Gross. In what would does Patricia Williamson need help being brave? She literally accused Nina several times over of having something to do with Joy's disappearance within the first hour she was here, not to mention literally everything else Patricia's done. Also, it's just gross.

            I check my phone as I get a text—Joy. I leave the corridor quietly, going down the stairs to meet Joy in the living room. I sit beside her, inquiring, "What's up?"

            "Hear you're spending the night on our floor," Joy says, her translations so far open on the page. It doesn't look like she's gotten much further since lunch.

            "Unfortunately.Unless you'd like to give up your bed."

            "Not likely. So," she gets right into hieroglyphic business, "I've been a little busy with the play, but I did do some research on Ammit since it seemed like she was a pretty big part of whatever Lily dreamed. She's terrifying."