Just want to say I'm enjoying writing this and hope you enjoy reading. I'd love to hear theories about who you think Apophis is (because Luce sure doesn't know) and who/what you think Luce is.


Chapter 7

House of the Raven

Sarah snuck out of our room around midnight and, as planned, Anubis met me by the front door five minutes later. "If we get caught I'm going to kill you," Anubis hissed clearly meaning it. "Alex and I snuck out to go to a club once last year, best fun ever. When we got caught we had to clean all the bathrooms. With a toothbrush!"

I had to stifle my laughter as I pictured the boys scrubbing toilets with toothbrushes while singing "It's a Hard Knock Life." Following my instructions Anubis had dressed dark, but I worried that his lighter hair would be seen in the full moon light. I began to feel doubts about taking him, but it was too late. We'd formed Sibuna and now there would not be any going back.

"Cheer up," I whispered to him before sliding out the door and into the chilly December air. "If Andy goes and checks rooms there won't be a single person in bed. He can't make us all scrub bathrooms now can he?"

I heard Anubis scoff as we made our ways across the dewy lawn," Yes, yes he could."

"Well then it won't take too long with 8 of us working now will it?" Despite my brave words I too feared retribution. Not from the headmaster, Mr. Rutter knew what we were up to and had basically sanctioned it. No, Andy would be the worst. Since the first day I had yet to be alone with him, but every time our eyes met the familiar tingle of fear reemerged. Could he be the serpent Apophis? No. He'd been hired as soon as the old caretaker, Victor, left. No one could hide being evil that long and he would have grabbed whatever he wanted long ago if he was the chosen of Apophis.

It was one of us, one of the kids, and I knew for sure it wasn't me.

Or was it? Nina's words echoed in my head. She might no longer be the Chosen One, but she knew about my odd eyes that I'd hidden out of fear. Nina said she knew who I was, but I didn't. Of course I knew who I was! I was Lucetta Ra a perfectly normal human being.

But what if I wasn't? What if I was Apophis's chosen one and everything I did was exactly what he wanted? Was I being manipulated by the serpent? It would explain why everyone felt weary around me, why they hated me. Four of them were chosen by the gods who hated Apophis-maybe their hate was justified. Maybe I was evil?

Can you be evil and not know?

"Earth to Lucy. We're here." Anubis's soft voice shattered my thoughts and I found myself standing outside the ivy covered museum.

"My name is not Lucy. It's Luce," I told him a bit louder than I meant to.

"What was that?" I didn't recognize the slimy voice who spoke first, but when his companion spoke I knew we were in trouble.

"It's probably children out of bed," Andy growled. "You know how they are, Victor."

Victor? As in the old caretaker? "But my parents said he was ancient as their caretaker 25 years ago! How is he even still alive?" Anubis pointed out.

I didn't know, but from the sound of approaching footsteps I knew we needed to get away fast. Fumbling with the key, I quickly opened the door and slid inside before looking around for the secret tunnel. Spotting it quickly I opened up the vent and crawled in. Anubis clearly wanted to protest, but he knew how much trouble we'd be in if caught and followed my lead. Hidden (unless they knew about the tunnels) we stopped moving and crouched, silent, to hear what they were saying.

"And you're sure that it still exists? I thought it got melted," Victor questioned.

"Yes," Andy agreed. "I have it in my office now, hidden of course. If you supply the touchstone and I the cup..."

"We have all we need," Victor confirmed.

"I've checked all around. There is no one here. Unless they're escaped into the tunnels..." Andy replied and fear gripped me. If they found us in here listening in... we would be in more than just trouble. We'd probably be dead because I'd bet all my money Victor was the Chosen of Apophis and that's how he's still alive. Boy this was not good.

"No," Victor told Andy causing me to breath a sigh of relief. "With Miss Martin back here any miscreants investigating would have her necklace. They wouldn't need to know of the library passage." Library? I thought this was a museum. Anubis must have saw the confusion on my face for he mouthed back that it had once been a library converted to a museum.

"That is true. They've definitely been going into the tunnels using the basement," Andy told his friend/partner. "The Rutter girl has the necklace and now she's gotten the whole house involved! Minus her of course." Her? He couldn't possibly mean me, could he? What was so special about me that Victor knew who he meant by jut the pronoun her?

"You should crack down on them. I think the threat of scrubbing bathrooms always kept them in line," Victor answered proudly.

"Like you ever kept them in line!" Andy snapped back furious to be criticized by his predecessor.

Through the grates in the vent I could just make out greasy haired middle aged Victor making his way over to Andy, "You're lucky. At least you weren't trying to keep a Chosen One and her Osirian in line! I was practically fighting the gods!"

Andy scoffed but the receding footsteps brought me peace. When I heard the door slam shut and saw both Victor and Andy gone I pressed ahead into the catacombs of Anubis house.