⊹ Book 2 of the Aldergrove Duology ⊹
{ONC 2023 Shortlister}
Desperate to see his dead mate again, Sebastien makes a deal with the Devil. But the price he has to pay is much more complicated than simply handing over his soul.
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⤠ ≻ ◈ ≺ ⤟
Alderon was plagued by thick, swampy-green fog the early morning sunlight couldn't pierce. The tires of Sebastien's car churned up the mud covering the road, and the few people walking the streets looked like mere apparitions inside the murk.
Where could they be heading so early? If this were a city, he'd understand, but it was just some small town. Could they be heading to Ulrora Slope to begin their workday?
Sebastien continued up the road, but that was when he saw a man stumbling forward while he coughed coarsely. And then he dropped to his knees, spluttering like he was choking on something. Every nearby person walked faster to get away from him, and when his coughing led to him throwing up, Sebastien grimaced in disgust and drove a little quicker. Despite the fact that demons like him couldn't catch human illnesses, he didn't want to risk it.
But on his way through a street lined with boarded-up shops, he saw another coughing man...and a woman, too. Evidently, there was something going around.
He reached a fork in the road at the end of the street. The car's headlights cut through the fog just enough for him to make out what the signs ahead had written on them. The sign pointing to the right said Aldergrove Academy, 25 miles. Next to it and pointing to the left was the sign for Ulrora Slope, which was 53 miles away. And the last sign—which pointed down the road in front of him—had Alder Estate, 15 miles painted on it.
He didn't immediately drive off, though. The weight of his fatigue felt like a tonne of bricks on his head and even more on his shoulders. His back ached, his legs were starting to feel numb, and no matter how hard he tried to ignore his body's plea for sleep, he was getting weaker.
Somebody honked their horn.
With an irritated grunt, he drove away from the sign and down the road leading to Alder Estate. He pulled into a parking space beside a bus stop and shut off the engine. And finally, for the first time since arriving in DeiganLupus, he reclined his seat and leaned back, letting himself rest.
But just like any other time he closed his eyes and tried to sleep, all he could see was Clementine's dying face.
Sebastien opened his eyes as pain struck his heart. He missed Clementine so much; if he'd known that the time he would have got to spend with him would have been as short as it turned out to be, then he would have cherished their moments more. He would have stopped with all the stupid teasing and flirting and taken more chances to gaze into the boy's captivating blue eyes. He'd have made the most of being able to hold his hand and feel his warm skin. And hear his voice. And become lost in his sweet natural aroma of lily and sycamore trees.
Thinking about Clementine wasn't doing him any favours. It made his heart ache and his chest tighten. A piece of him died the day Clementine did, and the weight of his loss cut like a serrated knife.
