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⊹ Book 1 of the Aldergrove Duology ⊹
After being told he has only six months left to live, Clementine decides to track down his sister's murderers, leading him to Aldergrove A...
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The next morning, Clementine woke to snow falling outside his window. But it was the sound coming from the lounge that kept him from getting an extra twenty minutes of sleep. Creaking floorboards, quiet, worried mumbles, and Elliot's voice.
At first, he tried to roll over and ignore it—he even tried holding his pillow over his head, but nothing drowned out the increasingly annoying noises his roommate was making.
With an aggravated grumble, Clementine sat up, pulled on his socks and shirt, and then stormed out of his room. Elliot, who was pacing back and forth in the middle of the lounge, immediately looked over at him and frowned in worry.
"What is it?" he asked as calmly as he could.
Clutching an opened letter in his hand, Elliot shook his head. "It's from the guy Carmichael was supposed to be staying with."
"Okay...."
"He said Carmichael hasn't turned up yet—neither have Bernard or Stanley. They were supposed to meet him at the station on Sunday, but it's been two days now and they still haven't turned up!" he panicked.
Clementine frowned. "Maybe they got caught up or something," he suggested. "The train could have been delayed. Don't worry so much about it. Carmichael and that can handle themselves."
"But what if something terrible happened?"
"I doubt it, Elliot. Just...focus on today and try reaching out again in a few days."
Elliot sighed deeply, placing the letter down. "Yeah, I guess."
"Go back to bed—"
"It's almost time to get up," he interjected. "Maybe we can get an early start? The carriages are already outside." He hurried over to the window and pointed outside. "You can see them...right there."
Clementine yawned as he headed over to the window and peered outside. He was right. Five black horse-drawn carriages were waiting in the courtyard. Their coachmen were all sitting around a levitating, glowing ball of fire, chatting and laughing as the snow fell around them.
"Are we even allowed to head out now?" he asked, looking over at Elliot. "Don't we have to wait?"
"I don't know. Maybe we can go and ask."
"I don't want to," he mumbled, heading back over to his room. "I'd rather wait—"
"But if we wait, we might not get one in time! Five carriages between ninety...well...eighty-seven students? Those things can only sit four people, you know."
