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"Miss Williamson," Victor turned to 'Patricia' as Vera finished the bag search for the other Sibuna's, noting the way she was clutching her bag to her, "open your bag please."
The Sibuna's waited with bated breath as they expected they were going to be caught any second now with the Ox Bell...
Just after they had completed the task too.
'Patricia' hugged her bag to her as Vera and Victor rounded on her. Like two vultures circling their pray. Camilla taking the opportunity to study the girl, there was something off about her. What she was wearing, how she held herself... something that screamed not Patricia, though it only seemed to be obvious to herself and Fabian. Maybe all the summers of digs had taught them to subconsciously look for the smallest details because some of the biggest discoveries their families had found came from some of the smallest things.
The two took the bag of 'Patricia' both of them searching it but to the amazement of the Sibuna's when they looked up, they had disappointed looks on their faces. The Ox Bell wasn't in the bag like they had thought, or set up (which seemed more likely from the small strop Vera seemed to be having.)
"this is impossible!" Victor muttered, looking around the room at the group to see Camilla grinning which caused the man to roll his eyes. He should have known better than to try a simple set up with someone like Camilla there. She had Jerome had the two most devious minds on campus, of course, they should have double checked before pouncing.
Vera, however, was throwing out everything from 'Patricia's' bag, causing a right mess, as if somehow under all the papers the bell would appear, when she finished, she glanced at Victor to see the man looking to Camilla. The moment the woman made eye contact with the teenager Camilla waved her fingers at her. She had no clue what happened but she was more than happy to gloat this over the two adults. Taking a lot of joy from the dark look that fluttered across Vera's face. Both women at that moment knowing they had made enemies of one another.
"please, eh," Mr Sweet spoke up looking around the room at his students, "accept my apologies, we seem to have been acting on...unreliable information..." Mr Sweet glanced to Vera with an unimpressed look, causing the Victor and herself to leave. "now back to the joy's of Biology,"
This caused Alfie to groan slightly from between the twins, "I thought you liked biology?" Fabian asked as Amber and Nina rushed over to 'Patricia' to help her gather her stuff.
"Yes, but Sweetie has fastened all four legs of my chair to the ground so I can't swing back on it anymore," Alfie explained with a shrug as they joined the huddle of students leaving the room, ignoring the twin's laughter at his words.
"You are amazing!" Nina whispered to 'Patricia' as she and Amber joined up with the trio leaving the room.
"What just happened there?" Fabian asked as Nina fell into step with him, Amber taking Camilla's arm as she, Camilla and Alfie walked behind Fabiana.
"I don't know, but I think Victor's after more than a missing bell," Nina commented.
Camilla bit her tongue; they had just had a victory in the tunnels she didn't need to start yet another fight when it came to who really was the bad guy of their story. Victor wasn't it, Camilla just wished she had a way to show that to the Sibuna's.
"Do you think it was him who planted the bell in Fabian's room?" Amber asked them.
Fabian glancing to his sister to see her shaking her head causing a bemused smile to cross his face slightly, he knew of her 'Victor isn't a bad guy' thoughts better than anyone, he believed her because it was Camilla she wouldn't think it for no reason, he just wished Victor would show it to more than just Camilla sometimes.
"I don't have any other suspects," Nina shrugged as she led them into the science classroom.
"Well..." Camilla mumbled as Vera's look flashed through her mind again.
Thankfully nobody heard her as Amber had spoken up looking around at the empty corridor, "Where is Patricia?" she asked. She was sure the girl was behind her and Camilla when they were walking to class.
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Biology was boring and Camilla actually suppressed a cheer of joy when the bell rang indicating the end of class. The Sibuna's all left the classroom laughing, just in time to see Patricia waving them over from where she had been hiding in the bathroom.
"Guys over here..." she hissed at them, ushering them all over.
"What are you doing?" Amber asked as they hurried over to the girl.
"I had to get changed, remember?!" Patricia explained to the blonde as if it was obvious. "check it out," she smiled down at her new clean shirt, "100% vomit free."
"So, where's the Bell?" Nina asked confused, the twins glancing to one another over her head. This was the real Patricia so who was other Patricia?
Patricia looked around before opening her bag to show them the Ox Bell in her bag, Nina grabbing it before quickly stowing it away in her bag. "Jasper was in the library." Patricia explained at the confused look Alfie shot her way as to why she still had it. "we need to think of a way to put the bell back."
"you mean like stealing... but... in reverse?" Alfie asked as if he was trying to understand what she meant, causing Patricia to give him an amused smile.
"re-heist." Nina laughed slightly, looking to Camilla confidently. "we have just the brain to think it up too."
"Why are you looking at me?" Camilla asked, but Nina didn't say anything, she just looped her arm in Camilla's and pulled her down the corridor, "seriously, I don't like that look in your eye. Fabian help me!"
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Thankfully the library/exhibition was open to students all day bar lunch, so Jasper smiled at them all brightly as they wandered into the building. His niece and nephew were regulars to visit him, but it was always nice to see it when they brought their friends along. Camilla knew she was the overseer of their plan so Camilla and Alfie climbed up to the upper level of the library so they could watch over their friends as they attempted to put the bell back. The plan wasn't a plan, not really but that was because they didn't have much time to put the bell back. So, the Sibuna's split up to wait until Jasper left to give them the opportunity to try to put the bell back.
"So, Cam," Alfie's sentence causing the girl to glance left to look at him. they were both leaning on the railing looking down at their friends, their book bags by their feet. "while we are waiting, I guess we should talk about your little breakdown..."
Camilla groaned slightly but she knew it was going to happen eventually, "I know its better not to avoid all this so, ask what you want."
"Who else knows?"
"What?" the question surprised her causing Alfie to let out a small laugh at her expression.
"Who else knows about your feelings for Jerome? You know, so I can help them set you guys up. I'm going to assume Amber does," He laughed nudging her with his elbow causing Camilla to laugh a little.
"This is all very new for me. You know, talking to you about love and my feelings..." she told him softly, unsure of how to tell him what was going on her brain because honestly now she knew of her feelings that didn't make things any less complicated. The one thing she knew for certain was the one thing she knew even when she was crushing on Alfie. All she ever wanted was someone who would love her back for nothing more than being herself.
"Good new, or bad new?" Alfie asked earnestly because he wanted to be there for his friend. He might not be the best when it came to 'boy chat' and hell even now he acted wrong when it came to him and Amber getting together the first time, she was an awesome human and he had put her on a pedestal that was why they didn't work out, now he was getting to know Amber as a person he couldn't help but be in awe of her genuine beauty as a human. But Amber wasn't what they were discussing, it was Camilla. The girl who put everyone before herself, who would rather put herself in danger if it meant helping someone else. If anyone deserved their happy ending it was his best friend.
Camilla looped her arm in Alfie's and gave him a bright smile, "great new," she whispered to him. There was a moment of silence as she leaned her head on his shoulder and the two watched their friends pretending to be busy below, "you are my family Alfie," Camilla whispered slightly after a moment, "Anubis house is my family."
"We have a very dysfunctional family..." Alfie commented but the tone of voice he used was one that told Camilla that their Anubis housemates were his found family too. His brothers and sisters – something as an only child he couldn't help but feel lucky to have.
"the best kind of family." The boy couldn't help but agree with the girl's comment. Their odd group was better than any family he could ever have imagined up himself.
The two watched as Jasper lead an older gentleman out the room, Alfie making a soft pigeon cooing noise-causing Patricia to look up at them and nod her head in understanding, it was time for the re-heist.
"Showtime," Alfie muttered to Camilla as she picked up his book bag and slowly slunk off away from the boy.
Jasper walked back into the library and smiled around at the Sibuna's until his name was called from the level above. "Jasper," Alfie asked, walking over to a bust of a pharaoh, "how heavy is this?" and with that he picked it up, causing both Camilla and Fabian to flinch unintentionally as they saw Alfie hold the priceless antique without gloves but they knew it was to clear their name.
"Alfie no!" Jasper shouted but it was too late as he picked it up.
"Whoa!" Alfie staggered a little, "deceptively heavy," he shouted.
"Don't let it go!" Jasper screamed.
"I should let it go?" Alfie asked, looking over the balcony with it hanging over the edge.
"I said don't let it go!" With that Jasper raced up the stairs, Camilla racing down the opposite set as they didn't have much time with the boy distracting the man to work.
Fabian rushed over to his uncle's desk with Camilla by his side, the two feeling if anyone was to go through his work at least they were family, Nina and Patricia keeping watch as they did.
They eventually found the key's in a drawer and threw them across the room to Nina who caught them and opened the exhibition case before putting the Ox Bell in and closing it again. Locking the case and throwing the key's back to Camilla who placed them in the drawer and slammed it shut just as Jasper finished dealing with Alfie. The bust now back on its pedestal on the upper floor.
Jasper let out a gasp of relief as he looked down at the students who where all grouped together looking up with amused looks (bar the twins who reasonability looked worried for the artifact) as if they had been watching their interaction the whole time. "while it is wonderful to see such enthusiasm and a thirst for knowledge, don't you all have a class you need to get too?" he asked them all, wanting Alfie out of the building ASAP.
"Alfie," Camilla called holding up the boy's bag, Alfie nodding before running down the stairs to join his friends.
"Okay," Nina whispered as they left the building, "now we can go back down to the tunnel. Trish, Ambs, you guys are on looking, we'll head down the tunnel," she divided the roles easily and they all nodded their heads.
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The next task chamber was a little further away than any of the other's seemed to be, there was a bit of a walk, "we must be really far under the school's grounds by now," Camilla commented as she watched Fabian and Alfie pointing their torches about the dusty tunnel.
Fabian came across a symbol of Horus and shone his torch on it, "Horus..."
"God of the sky and kingship, The divine child of the holy triad, heir of Osiris and Isis which made him the true ruler of Egypt." Camilla answered instantly as if writing down an answer to a test, causing Alfie to let out a laugh before he and Nina wandered into the task chamber. Camilla hung back as Fabian was staring at the symbol oddly. "Fabby?" she asked quietly causing the boy to blink and turn to her.
"Hmmm."
"All okay?"
"Yeah, yeah... I just..." Fabian turned to look at the golden symbol again, something about it felt warm and familiar, it was an odd feeling but that didn't bother him much. "you know what, it's nothing." He told his sister with a smile before moving after Nina and Alfie. Camilla giving him a curious stare before following after him.
The task chamber was about as large as the potion one, but instead of a huge statue in the middle there was 7 hands rising up from the ground, their hands cupped as if they were to hold something. A concentrated beam of light coming down from a glass dome in the ceiling aimed on one of the hands.
"Look at these hands," Nina commented looking at them in awe.
"they look like they're meant to be holding something," Fabian pointed out.
"What though?" Alfie asked in confusion as he looked up at the beam of light, Nina, Camilla and Fabian seeing the purple sparks that bounced around the beam telling them there was something magical about it, Alfie only seeing the beam of sunlight – which in itself was cool to see.
Fabian and Camilla turned to look at the walls, most of the time there was always some kind of clue to be found on the walls.
"Guy's check this out," the twins turned around at Alfie's comment to see him looking at something on the ground by the wall on the opposite side of the room to them.
"It's a riddle," Nina excitedly spoke up as she followed the words around the room.
"In 7 little stars that borrow light," Alfie read aloud as Fabian got his phone out to record the riddle, as the group of four walked around the room reading the riddle, "a secret falcon takes it's flight. Seek the star in the jackal's lair, be always vigilant and beware, for the quest that completes this task you'll find the chamber of the mask." Alfie let out a sigh, "yep, that's defiantly a riddle."
"on 7 little stars that borrow light, the secret falcon takes it's flight," Nina repeated, as she looked at the hands pointing to them as she counted them all.
"the falcon is talking about Horus," Camilla added what she could, "the jackal could mean Anubis. That's the symbols of those gods."
"What we need to do is make some kind of constellation shape, probably a falcon as we saw Horus's symbol coming in, with 7 stars that borrow light." Fabian summarised simply. "from this beam," he added pointing to the magical beam of light.
"Well there are 7 staffs," Nina pointed out as she finished her count.
"So we are looking for 7 objects to put on them." Alfie added.
"so what borrows light?" Fabian asked them all.
"Shiny things reflect light?" Alfie offered with a shrug.
"Yes!" Nina and Camilla spoke as one.
"Alfie you are a genius!" Nina added as she opened up her bag looking for the compact mirror Amber got her for Christmas the year before. She held it up to them all before putting it on the ground and stepping on it to divided it up into pieces.
"SEVEN YEARS BAD LUCK!" Alfie couldn't help but shout as he watched her do this.
Nina shot him a look as Camilla simply laughed, "guys, we're cursed already," she told them.
"We live with Amber," Camilla told the girl as she picked up a piece and put it on the first hand, "we could have gotten more mirror's easily."
They all looked around as nothing happened when the mirror was placed onto the beam of light, "I guess mirrors don't work." Nina commented with a sigh.
"Or it has to be specific reflection things," Camilla offered as a way to keep the moral high.
"maybe," Nina agreed but she didn't sound to confident.
"Wait," they all looked to Fabian who had wandered over to the end portion of the riddle, "the quest that completes this task you'll find the chamber of the mask," he read aloud for them all again before looking up at them with a wide smile on his face. "are you guys thinking what I'm thinking?" he asked watching as smiles crept onto the faces of Nina and Camilla as the realisation dawned on their faces. Alfie soon joined a little later.
"this could be the last task." Nina excitedly squealed, "that might be the last tunnel we ever have to go through,"
"Amazeballs!"
"I feel a research session coming on," Fabian laughed excitedly smiling at Nina. The girl laughing as Alfie and Camilla dramatically groaned and leaned onto one another as if the thought of it bored them that much. "oh, ha ha you two, lets go." Fabian lead the way out the tunnel, Alfie on his heels but Camilla and Nina where stopped as the spirit turned up.
Camilla taking a step-in front of Nina instantly causing the woman to sneer at her, "The girl who holds half of the bond of old..." she greeted Camilla.
"Spirit bitch," Camilla cheerfully greeted her as if she was some old-time friend.
"I am not here to harm," she told them, "you have done well to progress this far, Chosen One and Protector. I trust you have learned your lesson," The woman's smile fell back into the sneer as she glanced at Nina, "do not ever disobey me." Camilla felt Nina grab at her wrist tightly as if she was trying not to show her fear. Thankfully before Camilla could say anything more the spirit faded away.
"don't worry," Camilla whispered putting a hand on top of Nina's hand, "nothing's going to happen to you, not if I can help it." She told the girl reassuringly.
Nina looked at Camilla and nodded her head. Something deep down in her knew Camilla would fight tooth and nail to make sure Nina didn't get hurt, hell the girl had already saved her life in these tunnels already. As long as she had Camilla around, she was safe.
"guys..." Fabian's called caused Camilla's head to look around to see her brother at the end of the tunnel, "you coming?"
"Yeah..." Nina told him instantly looking to Camilla as if to make her silently promise not to say anything about their little visit. "we're coming."
Camilla took Nina's hand and gave it a squeeze, her way of promising not to tell Fabian... for now. Before the two girls ran down the tunnel towards their friends, excited to tell the rest of Sibuna what they had found out.
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Camilla knocked on the door to Joy, Patricia and Mara's room, ignoring the calls as they shouted at her not to come in. if they where naked it wasn't like she hadnt seen girl bits before so who cared. Though the moment she did walk in she understood why, on the bed was a clone of Patricia.
"Oh My Gods... What in the name of Isis is going on?" She asked looking to her Anubis girls instantly.
"Camilla meet Piper, Pip meet Cam... the female half of the Rutter twins." Joy spoke up.
"The better half you mean," Amber corrected with a smile to Camilla holding her hand out to the girl to join the huddle.
"Ah finally someone who understands the pains of being a twin!" Camilla spoke up as she grabbed Amber's extended hand causing Piper to laugh at her dramatic exclamation.
"okay shoot." Patricia demanded looking to her sister crossing her arms.
"I ditched a trip to Europe," Piper instantly spoke up, "the school thinks I went home ill, mum and dad think I'm in Milan for music week." Camilla and Amber's mouths dropped as they heard that the girl in front of them passed off the opportunity to go to Milan for Anubis house. It explained the lack of fashion sense immediately.
"Trust me, no one would ditch a trip to Milan," Amber sounded so shocked, "it's every fashionista's spiritual home."
"We are planning our graduation trip there already," Camilla explained to the girls in the room, Amber nodding her head.
"Milan's okay," Piper sighed, "it's my school that's the problem."
"Oh, the special music Academy, for special music genius's? Yeah... that must be rough" Patricia sarcastically spoke up, leaving their little huddle to stand by the door, leaning against it crossing her arms as she looked at her sister, "so what? So, you wanted to come see what school for Muggles is like?"
"actually, I missed you Trix."
"this is really touching and all," Mara spoke up, nervousness heard in her voice as she was clearly thinking about what would happen if they all got caught, "but, how are we going to hide you from Victor?"
"well," Joy sat down next to Piper on the bed, "so long as no one see's them together it should be fine."
"Classic twin switch." Camilla agreed pointing to Joy.
"Plus, Camilla is Victor's favourite so if worst comes to worst, she could always talk him into letting Piper stay." Joy added teasingly causing Camilla to roll her eyes at her. "I'm in favour,"
"I'm always game for a little chaos." Camilla laughed.
"okay fine," Mara agreed, the two girls seemed confident in being able to deal with Victor and that was enough for her.
"seriously, Milan?! What a waste." Amber was still hung up on the topic of missing the trip, Joy and Piper looked at her expectantly, "oh, in favour defiantly." She added with a smile.
"okay we need to keep this a secret," Patricia told the girls in the room, "just between us, cos the more people that find out, the more chance Victor will too, and then, with or without Cam, we are toast."
The girls in the room all looked to one another with smiles. They could keep this secret that's for sure. What harm could having another Williamson girl in the house really do?
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Piper is here!
and they are almost at the mask! There is so much still to go but we are so close to the end too how mad is that?!
what is your favourite part of the book so far and your least favourite bit, and what are you looking forward too in book 3?
Fav, Comment and Share
Love ya
Sarah xxx