How it Ends ▸ House of Anubis [4]

chapter eleven. house of choice

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( note: this chapter is written entirely in third-person, considering ashley's kind of... out of order for it. )

When Eddie collapses, all eyes are on him. He's the one who sacrificed himself to save the world, and in that moment when he falls to the ground, no one thinks of Ashley. She's hardly a blip in their thoughts, but perfectly understandable given what has just happened. She wouldn't blame them for not realizing what's happened to her. She's always put her friends ahead of herself. If she were able, she'd be right there at their sides.

"No!" screams Mr. Sweet, pushing himself up from the grass where he was just struck by lightning as he stumbles toward his son's body. A similar cry falls out of Patricia's mouth as everyone crowds around Eddie, the Osirian's face pale as if he had been gone for hours rather than only seconds. Sweet held his son, whimpering as he grieved.

"The prophecy came true," Victor says, the wood quiet. The Osirian will give his life so that the world may be spared. Then Eddie coughs, the color returning to his face. He was alive, and Sweet was joyous at this fact, holding him close like he'd never let his child go again. The relief swept across them. "The Osirian may be dead, but the boy lives."

Fabian looks his way, eyebrows knit together. "So what about his powers?"

"Gone."

Eddie finally speaks, a simple 'you okay?' to Patricia, who just smiles at him.

"Over here," pipes up Dexter. He and Erin are facing the pyramid, looking at the same thing—a stone statue that looks just like Sophia Danae. The hieroglyphics on the canopic jar had said everyone who had ever held the touchstone would be turned to stone. It seems that prophecy had come true as well, somewhat.

"It was her punishment for failure," Victor tells, sounding genuinely regretful. "I tried to warn her."

Eddie looks across the faces of the people who love him most: his family, chosen and blood. But as his eyes find each of them, he realizes there's a face missing from the group. A rather important one. "Where's Ashley?"

"She's—" Alfie begins, turning as though he expects to see her beside him. But beside him instead is Cassie. Ashley's absence quickly becomes a priority for everyone as they look around the area for where she was, praying that she hasn't somehow been turned to stone as well, but Alfie is the one who sees her first. Unconscious on the ground where she had fallen, just like Eddie had been. The only difference is that she hasn't woken up. "Ashley!"

Just as they had previously crowded around Eddie, within seconds they're surrounding Ashley. She's not pale like her cousin had been when he'd collapsed, and her eyes are rapidly moving like she's caught in a dream. The ankh charm around her neck is glowing subtly—hardly a glow, but still there.