Chapter 3 ~ House of The Black Bird
"Nina." A woman's voice whispered. "Sarah?" Nina asked. "No, my name is Senkhara. You need to know, Nina, that the black bird still watches." Nina sat up in bed, drenched in sweat. "Who is Senkhara?" Nina asked herself. "And what does she want from me?" Nina still hadn't had a chance to look at the painting. The night she came, she had been too tired from all the work she had to do, and the next night she couldn't escape Trudy. She REALLY needed to find out, but she wanted to call a Sibuna meeting first. Not tonight, and not here, but soon. "Justin!" Amber cried in her sleep. "Justin! I love you! No, don't run away from me!" Nina chuckled. Amber was dreaming about meeting Justin Bieber again.
"I need to see Nina, Fabian, Patricia, Amber, Jerome, Alfie, and Joy in my office immediately." Victor barked. It was a few minutes before breakfast the next morning. The seven aquolites/Sibuna members filed up the stairs behind him. "I thought that you would be interested in this." He threw the obituary page from the Liverpool Times onto his desk. "It's an obituary for...for..." Jerome stammered. "Yes, yes, it is an obituary for Rene Zeldman. Otherwise known as Rufus Zeno." The guardian of Anubis House simply rolled his eyes. When the children were back down the stairs at breakfast, the most Jerome could do was stare in shock. Nina whispered into Fabian's ear. "Sibuna meeting tonight, at seven o'clock in the woods. Jerome and Joy need to bring something to sacrifice. Pass it on." Fabian quickly told Amber, who passed it on to all the Sibuna members. Luckily, Mick and Mara didn't seem to notice. "Hello." Jade said, taking a seat at the table. Everyone fell silent. "Hi." Mara managed to say. Jade smirked for some reason. "Do you ever take those glasses off?" Jerome asked, annoyed. "That is none of your bussiness." Jade said smoothly. "I have some exciting news!" Trudy said, carrying a plate of toast into the room. "Yes?" Mick asked. "The new students will be arriving later today." Everyone groaned. "We haven't had new students, besides Nina, since we were eleven." Patricia whined. "The school is expanding." Trudy said sternly. "Anubis House will be gaining three new girls and three new boys. Jade will reside in the attic, and everyone else will be gaining several new roommates. I have your new assignments here-" Trudy pulled a thick piece of paper bearing the school's crest as a watermark from an envelope in her purse. "In Nina and Amber's old room will be Nina, Mara, Joy, and a new girl named Cori." Once again, Nina looked at Joy and Mara and thought "They're my housemates, but we're like strangers." "In Mara and Patricia's old room," Trudy continued, "Will be Patricia, Amber, and two new girls named Ashley and Ariana." Patricia and Amber exchanged glares. Neither of them looked very happy. "Can I room with you?" Patricia asked Jade. "Sure." Jade shrugged. "In Mick and Fabian's old room will be Fabian, Jerome, and two boys named Mike and Ryan. In Jerome and Alfie's old room will be Alfie, Mick, and a new boy named Jay."
To Be Continued...