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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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Clementine stared in horror. From the crack in the door, he watched the six huge, hound-like creatures tear into Ian's body. Their fur was as black as night, blue auras floating off them like smoke on water. Leathery, bat-like wings clung to their backs, and each of them was easily bigger than a horse...except one. The one he'd seen before—the one he'd seen clearer than the rest. That smaller hound stood beside the largest and only one of them that possessed a pair of crimson, deer-like antlers; it wasn't tearing into Ian's body as savagely as its packmates. It stood there, staring at the corpse, and when the horned beast snarled, it hesitated...but took a bite.
He had no idea what these things were. At first glance, he might think wolf walker, but wolf walkers didn't have wings or horns. The potent stench of sulphur and wet fur grew thicker, and as it began burning the insides of Clementine's nose, he frowned in revolt.
"Clementine," came Elliot's voice.
Suddenly, one of the monsters raised its head and looked in his direction. It snarled quietly, and when the others stopped eating the corpse and also looked over at the door, Clementine was struck with dread.
He backed away from the door, turned around, and hurried back up the hall to join his allies. "Let's go," he uttered, hastily leading them away.
"What is it?" Mathew asked as they turned into another corridor.
"Were they moving Ian?" Mavis asked.
Clementine's heart was already racing; his legs were trembling, and he felt his headache returning. He needed to stop. "Yeah," he huffed, slowing down as they approached the stairs that led up to the dormitory floor.
"What happened to him?" Elliot asked. "It kinda looked like what happened to the kids at the party."
"I heard someone say he got a taste of his own poison," Mathew said.
"Probably," Elliot uttered.
Clementine did his best to keep his struggled breaths quiet, leading them upstairs. He gripped the handrail, pain pulsing up his legs each time he took a step, and when they reached the top, he exhaled deeply and leaned his back against the wall.
"Clemytine?" Mavis asked in worry.
"You okay?" Elliot asked.
"Should I fetch a nurse?" Mathew offered.
He shook his head, taking a few deep breaths. "I'm all right," he told them. "Just a little tired."
The whispers began to fade, the place warmed up, and Clementine's racing heart settled a little.
