Page 99 of Foes & Cons
He slows from his usual jaunty walk and his smile slowly drops from his face as he realises the noise and upset he’s walked in on is directed at him.
“Sorry, what’s this . . .” he starts, but Vivian steps forward and puts her hands up for quiet.
She gets it.
“Is it true, Felix? Is this the last VF convention?”
Felix blinks at her, his mouth opening and closing like he’s considering different words then deciding against them,until finally his eyebrows angle up above his glasses and he deflates. I straighten up and try to focus on him, but I feel dizzy.
“I’m afraid it’s true,” he says, nodding.
The noise in the room starts up again and Felix looks from face to face, unable to answer any questions at the rate they’re being thrown at him. Charlie Chamberlain steps forward.
“What happened, Felix? I mean, I’ve heard some stuff but . . .” he says, shrugging and looking around.
“I’m sorry . . . I’m sorry, truly,” he says, putting both hands up in surrender and sighing. “Believe me, nobody wants this less than I do. Ultimately, this is a business, andI’ve been forced into this decision because of a number of factors, all to do with money. I was going to make an announcement tomorrow but . . .”
He doesn’t have it in him to even finish his sentence but looks at us all, chewing the inside of his mouth. Suddenly, he starts nodding and holds his hands out like he has some kind of offering.
“But I’m not totally out of the game: I’m partnering up with Dragon Events to work in a wider range of conventions.”
There’s some nodding and murmuring around the room and Felix swallows a nervous lump as he smiles tightly. People ask him when Dragon Events will announce guests and what the venue will be, until a loud noise cuts through all the interest inthe shiny new convention.“BOOOO!”
“Stop it,” hisses Vivian.
“Was thatme?” I say.
Vivian nods.
I totally knew it was me, I just couldn’t hold it in.
“Honestly, guys, they’ve got some excellent guests lined up already, including some of the OGs fromVampire Falls, but I’m really excited about some of thefresh blood, pardon the pun.”
Felix pauses, his face hopeful when he gets a few claps from around the room. I put my hands behind my back in case they suddenly clap together of their own accord, and someone mistakenly thinks I’m on board with this change of direction, because I don’t know if I’ve made this clear, but I AM NOT.
“Thanks, guys. I knew you’d be supportive.”
Not me. I’m not supporting Felix’s non-Vampire Fallsventure one bit. This is the worst thing that could possibly happen, on top of all the other worst things that have happened.
“Where are you going?” asks Charlie.
“To my room,” I say, shaking my head. “To pack.”
Maybe I’m the only true fan here or maybe this weekend means more to me than everyone else, because nobody else looks as though their entire life has just shattered to pieces. I turn away, slinging my bag on my shoulder, and slam right into a wall. Or it feels like a wall before I look up and see Chip Rodrigo standing right in front of me.
“Well?!” he says, but I don’t know if he’s talking to me because he’s pinching the bridge of his nose and tilting his head back.
I look round, and shrug.
“Well, what?” I say, barely able to muster words.
He flinches as he looks down at me briefly, then tilts his head back again.
“You gave me a nosebleed!” he says.
“Well,theygave me a nosebleed as well,” I snap. Doesn’tChip Rodrigo realise my entire life has fallen apart in less than twenty-four hours? Surely a bloody nose is a hazard of the job? A wave of misery crashes over me and I look up at him, trying to blink away tears. “A nosebleed in my heart!”
“Eliza,” says Vivian, reaching out to me, but I shrug away from her claws.
