Page 36 of Dig Your Grave

The atmosphere inside was stifling.The other two students, older than me, Anubis’ age, a man and a woman, wore matching black cloaks, their faces partially hidden.I didn’t recognize them, but he gave them a curt not.They glanced at me but said nothing.I followed Anubis’ lead, staying quiet.

We drove away from campus, the road empty except for an occasional headlight in the distance.After fifteen minutes, the SUV turned down a narrow lane lined with tall hedges.Through a wrought-iron gate, we entered the private estate grounds of the Alumni House so wide that the building itself wasn’t visible until we rounded a final bend.

Lights glowed from tall windows, but all around, the property was eerily silent, as if the night itself was holding its breath.

The driver parked, and we filed out.My heart pounded so loudly I thought everyone could hear it.A cluster of robed figures congregated near the stone steps leading into the mansion, their low voices murmuring.

Anubis rested a protective hand on my lower back, guiding me forward.I recognized Sophie immediately, though she wore a black half-mask that emphasized her sharp cheekbones.She raised her chin, scanning the arrivals.When her gaze locked on me, I felt a stab of dread.

“Welcome,” Sophie intoned, her voice echoing.“Our newest aspirants have arrived.”

Someone else emerged from the shadows, a tall man with silver hair, also masked except for his stern mouth.I realized it was Anubis’ father himself, Osiris Edenvane.His presence made my skin prickle.

Sophie beckoned us up the steps, inside the foyer.Dim overhead lights cast the entire room in a golden haze.A few suits of armor lined the walls, and an ornate black-and-gold crest hung above a massive fireplace.It wasn’t the Edenvane crest I was used to seeing.It was the stylized skull.

As the robed figures fanned around us in a circle, I counted about fifteen or so.Some might be older students or alumni, impossible to tell under the masks and hoods.Silence descended, interrupted only by the crackling of flames in the fireplace.

Sophie stepped into the center of the circle, graceful and poised as ever.“Tonight, we begin the Bone Trials,” she announced.“We do so to test your courage, your loyalty, and your willingness to bind yourself to something greater than you.”

Behind her, Anubis’ father, remained silent, arms crossed.The presence of the top authority figure at Edenvane confirmed how deeply sanctioned this was.

I glanced at Anubis.His expression was schooled into a mask of calm, but his hand clenched at his side.

Sophie continued, “Each pair will face a trial.Succeed, and you earn your place.Fail, and your future at Edenvane…dies.”

No one asked if the threat was literal or metaphorical.The hush spoke volumes.

She gestured to the corner of the room, where a small table held silver chalices, one for each pair.The woman who arrived with us stepped forward first.She and her partner took their chalice in trembling hands.Sophie murmured instructions, too low for me to hear.The pair left through a side door, accompanied by two silent masked watchers.

I swallowed hard as it dawned on me that each pair would undergo separate tasks.Ours might be last or next.I didn’t know which was worse.

One by one, other pairs were summoned to collect their chalice and vanish into the corridors.The hush, the oppressive sense of ritual, left me half-suffocated.

Finally, it was our turn.Sophie lifted a chalice and handed it to Anubis.Then her gaze slithered to me.“Nubia,” she said, using my supposed code name.“Step forward.”

I glanced at Anubis.He nodded, so I joined him before Sophie.Up close, I could see a gleam of triumph in her eyes, like she was savoring my tension.

“Your test,” Sophie said softly.“They say only those with unwavering loyalty to their partner can succeed.In the eastern wing, you’ll find a locked room.Inside is a puzzle that must be solved using…familiar knowledge.”

A puzzle?It sounded too mild for what I’d imagined.But I sensed a catch.

Sophie trailed her gloved finger over the rim of the chalice.“Drink together first.Then go.The watchers will remain outside.If you fail, you’ll beg to join Toccara in the river.”

My teeth clenched at the mention of Toccara.I forced myself not to glare at her, but my heart hammered so fiercely I could barely focus.

Anubis raised the chalice, tipping it toward me in a silent toast.My mind screamed caution.What if it’s poison?But everyone else drank from theirs.If I refused, that was an automatic fail.

I inhaled shakily and took a sip.Some thick, bitter liquid coated my tongue, tasting like herb-laced wine.My stomach lurched in protest, but I forced it down.

Anubis drank the rest, then set the chalice aside.Sophie stepped back, gesturing to a masked attendant, who motioned for us to follow down a narrow hallway.The flickering wall sconces made the corridor feel endless.Already, my head felt strangely light, my pulse skipping.

At the end, the attendant pushed open a carved wooden door, revealing a small library-like room lined with shelves.No windows.A single overhead light buzzed, illuminating a large table in the center with odd symbols etched into it, plus a small chest with a lock.

Clunk.The door closed behind us.A click indicated it was locked from the outside.

I spun, looking at Anubis.“A puzzle?”I whispered.

He nodded, stepping unsteadily toward the table.“That drink…makes me feel weird,” he muttered.“Maybe it’s intended.Some kind of truth serum or hallucinogen.”

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