Chapter 41: ... And A Happy New Year
Summary: Sibuna Snacks are VERY important and Eddie tries Yoga.
Evies Notes: Guess who has COVID?! It sucks, but it also gave me motivation to finish this chapter so I don't have to focus on the super gross taste of the meds or the pain. Sigh, the perils of working in health care... I hope y'all enjoy this new update it actually has some plot in it to go along with all the fluffy moments. The author clearly needs to stop getting side tracked with side quests; but come on... if you read T.O.G you know that isn't going to happen and there are birthdays coming up soon! Enjoy the story!
Frobisher Academy, which had been largely dark and dreary over the break, as much of the student body had gone home for the holidays, was suddenly bright and bustling with life. Classes resumed Tuesday morning marking the beginning of the Anubis Student's final term. There was a noticeable buzz of excitement amongst all of the year twelve students that morning at breakfast.
"Aww guys" cooed Amber from her place by Nina at the head of the table. "This is our final first day of term breakfast together"
"Picture time!" declared Liliana, handing her camera to Jerome and directing him to use his long arms to make sure the whole table was in frame. The thirteen residents all posed happily with their breakfast memorializing this special day.
* Scent of Lavender * Scent of Lavender *
"I still can't figure out why our ritual failed," snapped Nina frustratedly. Scribbling furiously in her grimoire as she read over the recipe.
"Don't beat yourself up over it Nina, you did the best that you could" comforted Patricia.
"It just doesn't make any sense. I swear we did everything perfectly" sighed the girl disappointedly.
"Try talking to Amneris about it tonight, maybe she can tell you what we did wrong" suggested Alfie.
"Yeah, that's a good idea" agreed the American girl, deciding to put it out of her mind for now and talk to the spirit later.
* Scent of Lavender * Scent of Lavender *
Sunday January 7th was a hard day for Nina. Luckily though she was surrounded by her loving Anubis family. She had permission from Mr. Sweet to skip her morning classes, in order to video chat with Gran. The pair held their usual memorial, happy to be able to comfort each other even though they were an ocean apart. Nina then spent the rest of the day with her Sibunas, cuddled up in her and Amber's room playing games and eating sweets. The Sibuna Club did their very best to support their leader and make her feel loved on this difficult day. As Nina drifted off to sleep she felt loved, protected and very grateful for her Anubis Family.
* Scent of Lavender * Scent of Lavender *
"We still have two more riddles to figure out" bemoaned Amber as she walked to school hand in hand with Alfie. The couple were accompanied by Lili and Jerome.
"I know! I swear Frobisher's riddles were easier during Sophomore year" agreed her boyfriend.
"Well I wasn't around for those, but I figure we're doing pretty well" encouraged Liliana.
"You guys had already found all of the puzzle pieces by the time I got involved" added Jerome. "All that's left is Patrica's 'In the summer house beneath the weeds' and your family's 'The lodge's heights are hot indeed'."
"Both are referencing locations on campus so I figure we should hit up the Frobisher Library and see if they had any maps stashed there" suggested Liliana
"Fabian's word-nerdiness already figured out that 'heights' probably means a mantle of some sort. So when we find the building we'll just have to check out the fireplace. I have to say these clues at least are less ominous than the ones before… 'ket inferno' and 'demisphere hidden below' were a bit creepy" remarked Amber as the quartet passed through the School's main hallway.
"Well this is me guys, I'll see you at lunch" cut in Alfie, pressing a kiss to Amber's cheek before heading into his classroom for calculus.
The remaining trio kept walking another few paces before entering their own classroom for their statistics lesson.
* Scent of Lavender * Scent of Lavender *
"Did you guys hear about Amelia?" asked Nina from her place at the head of the library table.
"No, what about her?" wondered Fabian as he leafed through various historic papers Frobisher had collected over the years.
"I noticed she wasn't in business studies but I just figured that she was sick… is something wrong?" worried Liliana, looking up from the scrapbook made by Louisa she had been flipping through.
"Apparently her parents decided to pull her from the school"
"No way! Well doesn't that sound frightfully familiar" snarked Patricia bitterly.
"I know, that's what I thought at first too" agreed Nina. "But given that she's living in Isis house, and was close with Abigail and Jason… it makes sense that she'd want to be with family".
"I wouldn't be surprised if more and more students are pulled out given the way this school is going" sighed Jerome.
"It's weird to think that some parents might actually care what happens to their kids" hummed Amber, only to freeze and hastily add, "No offense Nina, your Gran is great and tends to be the exception to the rule"
"None taken" laughed Nina, "I know I'm lucky and if Gran ever caught wind of any of the stuff going down here on campus I know she would be pulling me in a heartbeat. Unfortunately I just have the awful habit of being the focus of the crazy, perils of being the Chosen One I guess".
"Hey guys! I think I found something!" cheered Alfie, spinning the scrapbook he had been pursuing around to show the group a photo of a familiar looking house and an elegant looking couple standing outside it with a little boy.
Patricia took the photo out of the book and flipped it over to read "Claude and Milldred Zeno with their son Rufus outside Gate Lodge"
"The Lodge's heights are hot indeed… this is my rhyme guys!"
"Wait… but isn't that the Gate House… you know… where Ms. Denbey lives?" asked Liliana worriedly.
"Well I never said it was going to be easy to get the next puzzle piece" chuckled Alfie, putting the picture back and closing the book.
"I guess there is only one thing we can do," sighed Nina
"Stake out!" cheered Jerome, Alfie, Liliana and Patricia excitedly.
* Scent of Lavender * Scent of Lavender *
"Who the fuck let Amber pack the Sibuna Snacks" grouched Patricia from her spot crouched in the bush in front of the Gate House. In the Sibuna backpack was only water, rope, first aid supplies, the magic kit and trail mix.
"Yeah! Where's the cheeseballs" pouted Alfie
"Shhh both of you" rebuked Fabian, as he peered through his binoculars. "We don't want her to hear us".
"Plus trail mix is good for you, better than all the chemicals you're eating with those cheeseballs" sniffed Amber.
"Says the girl who covers herself in chemicals daily" sassed Jerome, tugging playfully on a handful of Amber's perfectly stiff curls.
"Fuck off Clark" snapped Amber, throwing a handful of mulch at the smirking meerkat.
"All of you shut up! Here she comes" hissed Nina, lifting her own binoculars to watch the door pad as their teacher approached. Liliana whipped out her cell phone and texted the door code into the Sibuna group chat as Nina recited them, 9.
"Perfect! Great job Sibunas!" cheered Fabian, once the woman was inside and the teenagers were clear. "Let's get back to the house. Some of us can come back and find the puzzle piece tomorrow during class when we know she will be otherwise distracted".
Agreeing with their second in command, the group of seven snuck back to Anubis House, their spirits lighter now that they had a lead.
* Scent of Lavender * Scent of Lavender *
Eddie did his best to focus on the scents and sounds surrounding him. The strong odor of incense and spice hung heavily in the air around him. The trickle of the tiny waterfall set up in the corner echoed in his ears accompanied by the ticking metronome. Beneath his cross legged body was an elegant rug made of dyed sheep wool braided with herbs Mr. Englavista assured him he would help with his meditation.
"Come on Greg, keep up," laughed Alana, entering into the meditation room of Pedro Englavista's manor. Eddie cracked open an eye to peek at his two new friends. The pair were dressed in black workout gear and dueling with a set of bo staffs.
"Oh shoot! Sorry bro, we didn't know you were here today" apologized Greg, as soon as he spotted Eddie sitting on the floor.
"It's fine" replied Eddie, yawning and stretching before getting to his feet. "I have been here for a couple hours. Your uncle asked me to come by for breakfast and an Osirian lesson. He suggested that I take some time to meditate and talk to my Osirian Spirit… though the thing is being rather elusive at the moment"
"No floating rocks today?" asked Alana, a twinkle in her eye.
Eddie glared at the pile of stones resting by his rug which had stubbornly refused to move while he had been meditating. "No, and no peep from the spirit either"
"Ehhh, you'll get it later, you probably just need to take a break and relax" suggested Alana.
Greg reached out a hand and helped pull Eddie to his feet. "Alana and I were thinking about heading into town to get some lunch, do you want to join us?"
As if on cue, Eddie's stomach rumbled loudly causing the other two to laugh.
"I guess that answers that question" chuckled Eddie, rubbing his neck ruefully. "I promised Joy that we would hang out today though, is it ok if we swing by the academy and grab her?"
"Sure" agreed Alana, snagging the keys from Greg's pocket. "It's my turn to drive though, so buckle up boys. We won't have any of your granny driving today".
Eddie and Greg traded terrified looks as they followed the adrenaline junky girl to the car.
Evie's Notes 2: Thank you all so much for reading 💕! I hope you enjoyed this update, let me know your favorite part of in the comments! I hope to see you all again 💗!
I love hearing from y'all! Let me know what you think of the chapter and the story as a whole in the comments or my Tumblr House-of-Secrets! Have a great week and stay safe! - Xo Evie🌺