Breaking Magic

Chapter 18: Felix

I'll admit I lose my cool a little when I see the hotel room, and about fifteen year of my mom's genealogical research scattered around the room, ripped right out of the binder by a magical whirlwind.

Adam's pretty apologetic and offers to help put it all back in order, but I tell him not to touch anything and start passive-aggressively picking it all up off the floor by myself.

My mood isn't much improved when I find that he's eaten most of the pizza by himself, but I guess that was my fault. I can put away half a large pizza on my own, and I've seen Adam at lunch at St. Bosco's enough to know that he eats enough for two or three people.

I order a second pizza and keep attempting to reorganize my mom's research, making what feels like hardly any progress at all by the time the delivery guy shows up twenty minutes later.

I stop to eat, and only then do I grab my phone from where I had left it on the bed before storming out of the room earlier and check my messages.

My heart stutters in my chest and my stomach drops as I see six missed calls and fifteen texts from Eleanor Fuentes. I'd forgotten I'd turned it on silent at the airport, and neither Adam nor I had noticed the messages coming in.

I quickly scroll through the texts first.

Answer the phone
Pick up, it's an emergency
Where tf r u?
There's been a raid
Srsly where r u?
ANSWER UR PHONE
Felix
Felix
Felix
Felix
FELIX
This is SERIOUS where r u guys?
IM FREAKING OUT RIGHT NOW EVERYONE IS ASKING ME WHERE ADAM IS
Ms Cross is gonna be here soon, I need u to CALL ME ASAP
For fuck's sake WHERE R U?????

I don't bother with the messages, I just call her back right away.

The phone rings.

And rings.

And rings.

"This is Eleanor Fuentes, please leave a message."

I hit the call back button and try again without leaving a message.

Adam notices, in my expression or my body language or something, that something's wrong.

"What is it?" he asks, but I wave a hand to shut him up.

It goes to her voicemail again, and this time I wait until the beep.

"This is Felix," I say to her answering machine. "I just got your texts, call me."

I hang up, and go back to my own voicemail. Out of six missed calls, she's left five messages. I listen to the first.

"Oh my god, oh my god, this is serious guys... I have to make this quick, I've snuck away for just a second but my parents are freaking out and they'll lose their shit if they think I'm gone too. Morgana's tits, my house was raided! The fucking MRF showed up, they came to the house! Like ten of them kicked down the door and raided my damn house! They're looking for Adam, thank Solomon you guys left when you did. We didn't even know it was happening until they had us surrounded in our living room. My parents were actually going to fight to keep them from looking for Adam, so I had to tell them that he wasn't here anymore. They know I know where he is. Shit, there's my parents, I have to go. Don't call me yet, I'll let you know when I can talk."

Second message.

"Okay, I have a moment to talk. Call me when you get this."

Third message.

"Where the hell are you guys, answer the phone! I probably won't have long to talk. My parents called Ms. Cross, she'll be here soon, and my parents are already asking me where Adam is. It was all so insane, they tore the entire place apart while telling us that they weren't going to hurt us and that they aren't the bad guys and all that bullshit... They were pissed though when they didn't find Adam, and then they just took off, vanishing into thin fucking air. They were powerful, really powerful. If they find out where you guys are, you'll be in serious trouble. Okay, I have to go before anyone notices I'm on the phone. My parents have been trying to get me to tell them where Adam is, and I think they suspect I'm in contact with him somehow. I've been deleting all these texts and messages and stuff, but I don't know how long I can keep them in the dark if they're serious about finding him."