⊹ 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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(Please note that a character in this chapter has a written accent. If you cannot read it and would like a version of this chapter without the accent, let me know! I'd be happy to accommodate you!)
⤠ ≻ ◈ ≺ ⤟
Sebastien's mate died in his arms.
He couldn't stop it—he'd failed to save Clementine. But he sure as hell wasn't going to sit around and accept the shitty hand he'd been dealt.
That was why he was sitting across the street from the Penndragon Hotel in Eimwood, Uzlia's most esteemed city.
He held onto his cappuccino like it was his nemesis' throat, watching each wealthy businessman and expensively dressed guest head inside the golden-edged doors, flaunting their Balaur Blană suits and sunglasses like they were daring some desperate street rat to rob them.
Sebastien was convinced they were the kind of people who wiped their asses with coronam notes. But none of them mattered to him. His only interest was the man hosting the party they were all so eager to get into. The man who would undo his past.
He waited for the perfect moment like a wolf on the prowl, and when Mathew—the lanky, pale boy he'd graduated Aldergrove Academy with—tried to barge past the hotel guards, Sebastien abandoned his table and hurried down the bustling street.
As quickly as he could, he crossed the road and headed down the alley to the right of the hotel. He then darted behind the cover of a large air-conditioning unit and glanced at his watch.
Any second now....
Dead on time, one of the kitchen staff kicked the back door open and dragged several trash bags towards the bins.
Sebastien moved swiftly and silently—there was no time to waste. He slinked into the kitchen, where everyone was too busy preparing food and yelling at one another to notice him. So, he hurried through, dodging the rushing chefs and desperate little servers trying to gather everything up.
When he reached the service door, he stepped out into the red-carpeted corridor. He followed the dark-panelled golden walls to the service stairs, and once he climbed to the top, he crossed the hall and stepped into the staff changing room.
He stopped to take a breath...and then hastily checked each locker.
"Come on, come on," he uttered, and when he finally located a bellboy coat, he pulled it on and headed for the door.
But that was when he heard voices.
Someone was coming.
Sebastien stopped in his tracks and looked for somewhere to hide, and when he spotted a changing cubicle, he flung himself inside and closed the door.
