This is a big surprise to a lot of you (I can tell), and I hope this lives up to your expectations!

I don't own House of Anubis. Or anything else.

"Hi, Nina," chirped Talya the next morning when we were alone in the hallway. She was chewing on a piece of gum. "I heard a lot of noise from your cabin. Like the door opening and closing, and some interesting conversations." She smirked and blew a bubble, and it popped right in my face. "And I'll be sure Victor hears about this."

I was shocked. I just stood there, my mouth open as I stared after Talya, who had already turned and walked down the staircase.

I didn't really tell anyone until first period, but that was really the only time I had to talk to Fabian.

"So... Talya knows?" Fabian asked as I leaned over my textbook, and I just shrugged helplessly, because I knew that Talya had the nerve to tell Victor, but did she know?

"I hope not but..." My voice trailed off, but Fabian got it. Did she? Would she tell anyone, if not everyone? Fabian and I shared a shared an uneasy look, and he looked as if he wanted to say something, but got interupted by Mr. Sweet, who decided to begin the lesson, and I wasn't sure if he'd heard our conversation or not.

The rest of the day was flooded with so many assignments, I didn't even think of Talya. Well, not until I trudged home alone, my backpack feeling like it was stuffed with bowling balls. And then Amber flounced over to me. "Soooooooo," she said in her voice reserved for gossip, "has Fabian asked you out yet?"

"What?"I asked, sounding startled and horrified. "Amber, what are you up to now?"

My best friend sighed. "Nines, you can't be that thick! Fabes has tried to ask you out a total of three times since the kiss!"

"He has?" Hope bloomed in my chest.

"Nina! Are you telling me that you didn't even notice? Really?" Amber seemed in shock, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Well, it probably was, but still.

Amber kept chattering, completely forgetting our previous talk, and was now on the subject of Victoria Beckham's spotting with her rumored boyfriend. (Wow, did I just say that? I guess my best friend's rubbing off on me.)

I listened halfheartedly. How could I give celebrity gossip my full attention when there was so much to figure out- Fabian, the mystery, how to get Talya to go back to America... oops, I guess my imagination ran a little wild. Sorry. Anyway, that night, at the Sibuna meeting, we were in the attic, watching the Order's meeting.

"We all know what we're here for," began Victor, "To honor Anubis, and finally get what we wanted- the scepter. Thanks to our special guest... we have reason to believe that the children are on to us."

Victor stepped aside to reveal a tiny, slim frame in the signiture gold hood. The person slowly lowered her hood down, revealing a head of glossy, perfect blonde hair. Talya.

I almost gasped in surprise and terror. Then I finally got it: Talya had been a spy. She had planned everything out cunningly, I have to admit. First there was her flirting and fighting, trying to distract us, and then there was her slow torture, trying to get us too think she simply heard us breaking the rules, and threats to tell Victor.

"I don't think the kids can figure it out so soon, so we still have some time. As soon as I know, you'll know." Talya said. She looked so bright in the dark room, standing out almost instantly, like a Barbie on a stack of trolls, not to mention that she sounded like a news reporter.

So you've discovered who not to trust? Sarah asked in my dreams.

"Yeah. Talya."

Yes. Good. Remeber: Talya is now a memeber. Don't trust her...friends.

"Who?" I asked.

You know who I'm talking about, Nina. And with that, she vanished.

The next day, we were in my room as I held the latest clue- a big metal rose.

"We should stay away from Talya," I whispered out of the corner of my mouth to the Sibuna Club.

"Traitor." Patricia sniffed. One thing she despises is being betrayed.

I looked at the rose and thought back to when I found it.

There I was, in the panel. The new section of tapes played.

Everything was normal. I tilted my head back against the wall and looked at the ceiling. Then I saw it: a duct-taped flower, the petals red and the stem gold, carved with saphires and rubies and pictures and... some words that were probably written in a differant language.

So, curious, I got up and grabbed my necklace. Quickly, I opened the door, got a chair, and rushed back in the panel, closing the door back up.

I stood on the chair and stretched my arm, barely able to reach the stem. I grabbed it and jumped down, before racing to tell everyone what the new clue was.

I messed with the flower. It was silent as I pulled on the stem- and it promptly fell out. Everyone looked at me in surprise. It was silent, and then there was a shudder.

Now, I don't mean a shudder, like through the air, but the house physically shuddered.

Incase you forgot, the house was alive- it was still alive, it had just, I don't know, fallen asleep or something.

So it was probably woken up.

As if by magic, the stem, which had fallen out of my hands when the house shuddered, rolled back over to me. I picked it up and looked at.

The words were now readable. They said: This is what you're looking for: the Was Scepter.

The end! Hahahaha. No, there's the sequel, Hopeless, coming out very soon, so look out for that! I still would appreciate reviews, though.

~RosePedal51