Now before you start can you all send minxslulu some love because she just lost her dog and as someone whos pet is my life (my cat is honestly my world as is my dog but I'm a cat person) i know how hard this could be. you guys are such a great support to me and i'd love it if you could show that love you have to each other too. Minxslulu this chapter is dedicated to you from me <3 my thoughts are with you and I hope this extra chapter today brings a smile to your face even for a little bit ~ Sarah xxxx
*Unedited*
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Fabian was worried for a number of reasons. Halfway through the hearing, Nina had clutched at her arm muttering about how things were really really bad, meaning the spirit was not happy with their progress but it wasn't their fault they were stuck in the hearing and not solving the task.
Camilla and Victor still weren't back which he didn't know if it was a good or bad thing, the two were an odd duo he didn't really understand but no one was screaming bloody murder yet so he had to assume it was a good thing.
Until he knew more Fabian focused on the hearing, not understanding what caused Mara to write the article on Vera but having read it he wasn't sure if he believed the supposed truths the woman was saying. Something felt odd to him about her. He had met a lot of people who had enough money to be whomever they wanted to be, Lord Carter and his son Solon came to mind but that was a duo whom he and Camilla only ever had to see once a year these days for the big fancy new years party the man threw. Joy's of having rich connections to Egypt. Vera seemed like those men, too good to be true and as she kept proving Mara wrong the more, he started to believe Mara's story in a way he knew Camilla automatically did.
"Miss Devenish" Mara spoke up looking across the room at Vera, piles upon piles of notes in front of her yet Vera didn't look bothered or worried, "you worked as a cook at Beacon Grove School nine years ago. Is that right?"
"I wouldn't have put it on my resume if it weren't," Vera insisted.
"So, can you explain why you are not in this photo," Mara bent down and clicked a button on the laptop in front of her so the TV screen showing her proof changed to one of three men in chief uniform, "of the entire kitchen team when they won the award for excellent staff of the year."
"I arrived at the beginning of the academic year which starts in September," Vera spoke to Mara as if she was stupid, "what is the date of that article?"
Mr Sweet looked to Mara who looked slightly flustered for a second as she looked at the article for the information asked, "April 20th..." Mara spoke softly looking shocked she had forgotten such a small bit of information. Though the smug look on Vera's face didn't help the situation in Fabian's opinion.
"Five months before I arrived," Vera told the girl, causing the students to all look to one another in shock. This was going to be a long hearing.
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Now Camilla and Victor knew they would have been better just putting the door in place and rushing back to the hearing so no one would miss them, but the two were both curious about what Robert had in store for them next and couldn't help it as they took the steps down to the next layer of tunnels.
The tunnels seemed to get colder and the corridors went on a little longer making Camilla believe they probably weren't just under Anubis house anymore but in the grounds of the school itself.
Both Guardian and Protector paused as they came to the next task room and looked around it. It was as large as the spiderweb room but unlike that room, there was only one thing in the room. A large pole in the middle with multiple horns on it. Camilla started to look around the room for some sort of symbol to tell which god this room was themed off, seeing as the rest had something similar as Victor did the same, his eyes going to the hieroglyphics that had been masterfully carved into the walls trying to read what they said.
"I don't take music class for a reason..." Camilla couldn't help but grumble as she looked over a picture which depicted a pharaoh playing music to people bowing at his feet. It was obvious something had to be played to pass them onto the next task.
"We will not be beaten by Robert..." Victor reassured Camilla causing the girl to roll her eyes as she blew some dust off the trumpets in the middle. Robert Frobisher-Smyth was the least of her worries at the moment.
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"You recommended Vera for the job," Mara asked Jasper, "But you told me you didn't know her."
Fabian had sat up a little when his uncle and godfather was pulled into the hearing, noting Jasper seemed a little on edge but that could be because of the questioning, but he couldn't help but think it was slightly more, though he couldn't understand why.
"She was a friend of a friend, I was happy to make the recommendation," Jasper explained smoothly, unlike Fabian he had inherited the ability to lie with ease from their grandfather (much like Camilla had) so the boy had no clue if what he was saying was the truth or not.
"Do you think it strange that Vera was the only applicant?" Mara asked, the heads of the crowd darting between the two as if they were watching an intense tennis game.
"I wouldn't know about that..." Jasper awkwardly spoke glancing to Mr Sweet.
"Mara I am a little confused," Vera spoke up, "Are you questioning Mr Choudhary now too? Do you have any principles at all for any one's reputation at all?" this caused a lot of the students in the crowd to give Vera a dirty look as she picked on one of their own.
Mara, however, kept a cool head, "I am trying to establish how you came to get the job here, and why." Mara bluntly told the woman.
Vera looked to Mr Sweet, "Mr Sweet hired me, perhaps you'd like to interrogate him, next."
"I just want to know the truth,"
This caused Vera to laugh and Fabian was silently glad Camilla wasn't there because as much as he knew Mara and Camilla didn't get along (a lot of that being due to the whole Mick/Amber thing last year) he also knew his sister didn't stay quiet when someone was purposefully making a fool of someone else. Even if that someone was Mara.
"In which case, I'm even more confused," Vera spoke up in a voice Fabian instantly recognised as fake pleasantry – you go to enough fancy parties you learn to hear the tone of voice - "I thought you were claiming to already know the truth when you wrote that article."
"No." Mara insisted trying to find a way to not have her words twisted by Vera, "I mean, I did..."
"let's stick to the facts, shall we?" Mr Sweet spoke up glancing to Mara in disapproval. "or rather... the lack of them," he added looking to Vera. This caused all the Anubis house members to sit up and frown. Their headteacher was meant to be on their side and protect them as students, right now Mr Sweet was being anything but that. "Mara please move on."
Mara glanced from the headteacher to her friends to see they were all looking unhappy at the man's words and they were all on her side, her eyes finally settled on Mrs Andrews who gave her a small encouraging smile and nod. She took a deep breath and clicked on her laptop to move the slides on, "your last job was as a housekeeper at Dewsbury Manor 3 years ago. Mr Hendry was your employer. Is that correct?"
"yes," Vera replied again as if she was talking to a small child.
"Well, I spoke to a man there who told me Mr Hendry died over 20 years ago," Mara told her confidently, causing the students to look to one another. If this was true then Vera didn't have a leg to stand on.
"Mr Sweet I'd like to introduce someone who will put an end to this nonsense," Vera started getting to her feet and walking to the door. She pushed it open to reveal an old man who smiled at her when he saw her.
Fabian glanced to Mara who looked shocked at the sight of the man.
"This is Mr Hendry." Vera spoke up and the man smiled around at the students, who all turned their heads to look to Mara, "and I think you will find he is very much alive."
"You!" Mara spoke up but that's all she seemed able to say.
Vera helped the older man down to the front of the room where she got him a seat, Mr Sweet then asked him to explain in his own words how he knew Vera, "Vera was with us for many years, she was a wonderful cook." He told them all, "and her chocolate cake... out of this world!"
"But..." Mara finally spoke up the shock having worn off, "you told me Mr Hendry was dead."
"I'm sorry my dear, but I've never seen you before in my life," the man spoke up.
"I came to see you. Don't you remember?"
The man pulled a face, "Possibly... my memory is not as good as it used to be but I can assure you I do remember my own name."
"thank you for your time, Mr Hendry." Mr Sweet told the man with a smile dismissing him.
"Mr Sweet..." Mara started as she watched the older man leave, "I honestly..."
"Enough." Mr Sweet interrupted sharply.
"And... I did go to her room..."
Mr Sweet slammed his hand down on the table stopping Mara from saying anything more, "silence!"
Before anything else could be said a video appeared on the tv screen, having been uploaded to the school website. It was of Mr Sweet line dancing in a full-on cowboy outfit. Fabian put his head in his hand because he knew who had uploaded it and he knew this would not be good for Mara's case even if it did cause laughter all around him.
Mr Sweet got to his feet and started to try to switch the TV off Mrs Andrews going to the laptop connected to it and trying to find the source of the video on there but nothing was working. Eventually, she just unplugged the laptop but from the look on her face Fabian knew she was thinking the same thing he was, this had just doomed Mara.
"We will take a short break," Mr Sweet spoke in a voice that was him trying to stay calm, but anger was bubbling below the surface.
"there's our chance," Fabian hissed to Nina and Amber, "get the other's, I'll message Cam."
The three Sibuna's looked over to see Patricia comforting Mara before Alfie ran out of the room with Jerome. "we're going to have to go without them."
"Where are we going?" Amber asked as Nina grabbed her wrist and followed Fabian who was frantically texting away to his sister to meet them at the tunnels.
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Camilla rushed from her room where she had just changed jumpers – getting dust all over her old one was a very clear sign as to what she had been up too – when Nina, Fabian and Amber wandered into Anubis house. "Vera's on trial and Sweetie a line-dancing cowboy, this is what I'm missing when we are down in those tunnels."
"You guys saw the Sweetie video too?" Camilla asked holding her phone up causing Amber to grin at her friend as she ran up to them.
Nina grabbed both girls' arms to stop them from talking any more as she noticed the cellar door was open.
"Victor's coming up the stairs!" Fabian realised grabbing Amber who grabbed Camilla who grabbed Nina, all of them rushing into the living room to hide. They made it just in time too, as Victor walked out the cellar and locked it behind him a small smile on his face as he walked out the house to go back to the hearing, probably assuming the door opening and shutting was Camilla leaving not the Sibuna's sneaking in.
"Okay, he's gone..." Nina told them all, "let's go." She rushed past the twins to the kitchen and Camilla couldn't help but think she'd have been better off just staying in the bloody tunnel waiting for them, but knew it was now time for her to prove how good an actress she was.
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"The video," Camilla whispered to Fabian as Nina and Amber lead the way towards the Sekhmet task, "was it who I think it was?"
"Probably,"
"Will it affect the trail?"
Fabian paused and let out a sigh, "Mr Sweet is angrier than I've seen him in a while so probably...."
"I'm gutted I missed it..." Camilla couldn't help but grumble as she stepped forward to look at the large head of Sekhmet again. Nina and Amber looking at her with a smile. The pressure she knew she'd be feeling if she hadn't already completed the task with Victor was gone, but the pressure to pretend she hadn't already completed the task and have it believable for even Fabian, well that was high.
"Do you think Victor has been in here?" Nina asked her friends looking around as she watched the twin's step forward to complete the task, Camilla pouring and Fabian assisting.
"How could he?" Amber asked, watching Fabian as he walked around the room gathering the potion ingredients, "he hasn't got an amulet."
"I don't know," Nina shrugged as she watched Camilla line the bottle's up on the floor as Fabian passed her them, much like Victor had done only an hour before, "but I don't trust him." this comment caused Camilla to scoff and Nina to shoot her a dark look. Nina knew there was something Camilla was hiding and she knew Fabian knew of the secret and it involved Victor. It was something big enough that every time Nina claimed Victor was the bad guy Camilla either rolled her eyes, or scoffed or did something to make the American believe Camilla didn't agree with her but wouldn't explain why. "okay look, we cut those amulets right off him, and he's done nothing about it... it's pretty weird isn't it?" she asked them all.
Camilla let out a sigh and turned to Fabian, "okay... you ready to do this?" she nervously asked her brother who nodded.
"You've got this Cam," Amber smiled confidently at her.
"Salt," Camilla spoke first, holding her hand out and Fabian handed her the bottle, carefully she poured a little of the mixture in keeping her eye on the chamber the liquid gathered in. Victor had explained too much of anything could cause the balance to be off and the results could be catastrophic.
Camilla listed ingredients off until she came to the last one, she turned to Nina who was holding the bottle and held out her hand.
"Finally," Nina spoke looking at the bottle, "cinnamon."
"Here goes," Fabian whispered as Nina handed Camilla the bottle and she bent down to add it into the last pipe.
They all watched with bated breath as the golden liquid ran from the chamber towards the door, "step back everyone, it might blow!" Fabian spoke but Camilla knew better and stayed where she was, watching as it hissed as it touched the door but nothing happened.
"oh!" Fabian groaned as nothing happened, looking to Camilla before they both walked over to the door to examine it.
"Did we get it wrong?" Nina asked as she watched the twins.
Camilla not wanting to be the one who pushed it down but trying to play the role of confused to if it worked or not. Fabian gently put his hand on the door and with a loud thud, the stone fell back revealing the cold tunnel on the other side.
"No, we did it!" Fabian excitedly exclaimed, turning to his sister and lifting her into a hug, "I knew you could do it!" he whispered knowing that she had felt a lot of pressure in the task as the magic-user to get the potion right.
"Come on!" Camilla laughed looking to Amber and Nina as Fabian put her back on her feet, holding her hand out which Amber instantly ran forward and grabbed, the two leading the way into the next tunnel hand in hand.
"Wait," Nina came rushing to them a few moments later, "don't you think something about that door was... a little odd?"
"not all magic is flashy Nina," Camilla instantly spoke up, "we were making a potion the effects can't be all sparkles and fire."
Fabian rolled his eyes at his sisters' blunt ways before expanding for Nina, "what Cam is trying to say is that the chemicals just worked differently than what we expected. That's all. Relax, we are doing great,"
With that, they turned to look at the next task, the trumpet task. Which once again Camilla had no clue what it meant.
"This is some kind of instrument..." Nina spoke looking at them carefully.
"Yay singing!" Amber smiled around at them all excitedly, "Daddy says I have the voice of an angel."
"You might have the voice of an angel but Camilla sounds remarkably like a dying cat whenever I've heard her sing." Fabian teased moving out the way as his sister tried to hit him much to the amusement of Nina and Amber.
"We are dealing with Hathor," Camilla pointed to a drawing of a cow goddess on the wall, "which explains the music."
"she was the goddess of the arts amongst other things," Fabian expanded at Amber's confused look.
Nina, however, had walked past the twins her eyes on something on the wall, she was looking at the drawing of the Pharaoh playing the music to the crowd of people Camilla had spotted earlier with Victor.
"Should I have a go?" Fabian asked as he examined the horn, it was obvious he was probably the most musically inclined out of the four of them in the room.
"Wait," Nina turned away from the picture to them, "we should get back before we're missed. We'll come down later with the others."
"Good call," Amber nodded her head, "I want to catch up with Maragate and see what Mr Sweet says," Amber and Nina ran ahead leaving Fabian and Camilla.
Fabian looked to Camilla and his sister knew the look that washed over his face instantly. "it's not looking good for Mara is it?" Camilla asked for Fabian to shake his head, the two following behind the girls as they left the tunnels.
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Camilla, Fabian, Amber and Nina all slipped back into the room just as Mr Sweet screamed for silence. The three took their seats as Camilla stood at the back next to a very worried looking Eddie.
"Do I want to ask why Sweetie is so angry?" Camilla whispered to her male American friend, Eddie just glance to Patricia before shaking his head instantly causing Camilla to let out a sigh as she leaned back against the wall. This wasn't going to be good.
"I have listened to everything here today," Mr Sweet spoke up in a stern cold voice very unlike him, which caused the room to go silent, "and have found no weight what so ever to any of the claims against Vera."
"quite right," Victor spoke up from the front of the room causing Camilla to roll her eyes as she saw Vera smile at him sweetly, "and I hope you will deal severely with Miss Jaffrey. Her claims were nothing more than the fabrications of a spiteful girl,"
"Victor come on!" Camilla couldn't help the comment that left her mouth causing a wave of laughter from students as the man turned to look at her. Camilla looking at him shocked as she felt he was laying it on a little thick.
"Quiet!" Mr Sweet shouted looking from Victor to Camilla who was having a silent conversation he didn't understand but eventually Victor turned back to face the front his arms crossing. Whatever conversation the two had the younger girl had clearly proven her point as the man shut up. "the behaviour of the students of this school, has reached an all-time low and I will not stand for it. For one moment longer!" with this shout Mr Sweet looked to Camilla and Eddie who both looked to one another confused. "it is time, for it to stop." Camilla's eyes widened in understanding as she finally realised that Eddie must have said something to cause Mr Sweet to be in such a bad mood.
"Mara," the teacher's words caused her to whip her head to the front, "you have attempted to ruin the reputation of one who wants only to look after you." If Sweetie had been in a better mood Camilla would have laughed at this comment, "your transgression leaves me little option. Mara Jaffrey, you are expelled!"
Gasps were heard around the room at this as Mara burst into tears.
"Fabian was right, this is terrible." Camilla couldn't help but mutter as she watched Joy and Trudy race over to Mara to comfort her, Camilla glancing to Vera who looked almost smug causing the dislike of the woman to grow only more in Camilla. Unknown to the girl Victor had to been watching the woman's reaction keeping his facial expression neutral.
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As some of you may have heard this is a LONG planned series, which I have split into 2 sections, the HOA series which is the series/movie and then my own set of 3 books. here are the planned books below!
Book 1: Impossible; House of Anubis (FanFiction)
Book 2: Unsteady; House of Anubis (FanFiction)
Book 3: Endgame; House of Anubis (FanFiction)
Book 4: Sibuna; And The Son of Osiris
Book 5; Sibuna; And The Book of Thoth
Book 6; Sibuna; And The Curse of The Pharaohs
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Love ya
Sarah xxx