The ones who live hidden in plain sight (A discovery of witches story)

31- Without you

Andrew POV: 

Andrew was outside, getting some fresh air on the playground during a well-deserved break. He took out his phone to take note of what his colleague had reminded him. A message from Camille appeared on the screen, and he immediately smiled. But his smile froze instantly when he read the message.

Sos. Bad wizards in the house.

An icy shiver ran down his spine. His heart raced and his mind went blank, leaving room for only one thing: panic.

He frantically pressed Camille's number. His phone rang once, twice... No answer. Andrew swore through his teeth, an empty feeling in his stomach. He sent her a quick text, his hands shaking.

'Camille, what's going on ? Please answer me.

Still nothing. The phone was silent. Every second that passed seemed like an eternity. He tried calling her again, his heart beating faster with each failed call. Again, no answer. His breath became shorter and shorter, and a wave of fear and helplessness swept over him.

He quickly dialled the flat landline, praying for an answer, even a signal, something... But nothing. Just a heavy, suffocating silence.

He made an effort to calm himself down, but the panic was building inside him, uncontrollable. He rushed towards the headmaster's office. As soon as he entered, he spoke quickly.

- I have to leave, family emergency,' he said in a trembling voice.

The headmaster looked at him in surprise, but nodded quickly, understanding the urgency in Andrew's voice.

Andrew didn't waste another second. He rushed to his car, his hands shaking as he took out his keys. As soon as he was behind the wheel, he called Camille again. Once again, no answer. He bit his lip, his hands gripping the steering wheel. Every second spent on the road seemed to last an eternity.

Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, he dialled Marcus' number to see if he'd heard anything.

- Marcus, it's Andrew. Camille has sent an SOS, there are wizards in our house. I haven't heard anything, I'm on my way. Have you? If you can, go for it.

He hung up after leaving his message. The road flashed before him in a frantic race. He felt his heart beating so hard in his chest that he feared it would explode. Finally, he reached the flat. Without thinking, he rushed out of the car, leaving the door slammed behind him, and raced up the stairs.

The front door was slightly open. This detail alone was enough to raise his adrenalin to a new level. He stormed into the flat, ready to face anything.

Camille was on the floor, unconscious, while Celeste was crying in her seat, her little arms stretched out towards nothing. Andrew felt a pang in his heart, a sharp pain shooting through his whole body. Everything froze for a split second, as if his world had stopped.

He rushed towards Camille and immediately put his hands on her, his panic turning to intense concentration. Almost instantly, he detected the spell weighing on her: a sleep spell. Rage burned inside him, but he had no time to give in to it. Andrew quickly gathered his magic and channelled it to break the spell. A subtle breath passed between them, and Camille seemed to regain some of the colour in her cheeks. But she wasn't waking up yet.

He quickly checked that she had no visible wounds, and a wave of relief, however small, swept through him. Camille was alive, just asleep.

Andrew lifted her carefully, carrying her to the sofa. Then he rushed over to Celeste, who was still sobbing her heart out. Her little hands clung to her father as soon as he took her in his arms, but her crying wouldn't stop. He tried to rock her, to reassure her, but nothing seemed to calm her. He kept glancing at Camille, terrified at what had just happened.