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Duke of Two Cities Chapter 17
In what seemed to be a continuing trend ever since he left the house, Devon had only continued to benefit from strangers at the cost of his own dignity. All he wanted to do now was get to his suddenly free hotel and go to sleep. The line for the convention reduced some from earlier, but there was no avoiding the wait. Back he would need to go into the sun. The heat of the day had reduced from blazing to merely stewing hot. The worst of the day’s sun was over, leaving its scorched slag behind. Heat radiated from the sidewalk and everyone who stood upon it was an upright sausage roasting in casings of felt, plaster, and sculpting foam. No dogs allowed at the NHCC, but if any dogs could walk along that sidewalk, they would have been overwhelmed by the collective chemical screams of over a hundred people at once.But despite the opinions of certain staff members of the NHCC, Devon and the convention goers were, in fact, not animals. The only messages they heard during the half an hour w
Duke of Two Cities Chapter 18
Panic shot through Devon’s brain like an icicle dropped on his head and melting to his knees. He patted down his pockets. Already he could hear the hurricane whirr of Tamara roaring. With trembling hands, Devon opened his bag and— —there it was, sticking out of his pants pocket.“Oh, thank god.” Devon pulled out the registration receipt and handed it to the ticket girl. “Here. Sorry about that.”The ticket girl took the paper, smiling. “No worries,” she said. “Breathe. You look like you’ve been through hell today.”Devon laughed nervously, nodding. Man, if this girl is saying I look like shit… man, I must really look like shit. “Well, relax, you made it. It’s this heat!” laughed the ticket girl. “It’s making everyone a bit crazy.”“Oh, I know that for sure,” Devon said. Behind him, Tamyra’s suppressed, screaming tantrum sounded like a very small jet-engine about to take off, her rage barely restrained by her hungry-looking companion. To Devon’s horror, the ticket counter girl supp
Duke of Two Cities Chapter 19
With the opening of those doors, it was as though all of Devon’s dreams had come true.The main convention hall was far bigger than he had ever imagined, jam-packed with booths and stations to fit every niche and need. Off in the corner were colonies of booths devoid to science fiction. Spaceships from a hundred stories of and shapes and sizes soared through electric nebulae and star-packed skies. Aliens of every description, lovingly crafted and designed, menaced the stalls with terrifying wonder. In the fantasy corner, castles from around the world lay above lofty crags, promising battles with ferocious dragons and deadly breaths of a thousand colors. Wizard towers, tall and mysterious, promised tales of magical delights beyond description. There were sections entirely devoted to tales of horror, with zombies and vampires revealing their terrifying glory. And there were more! Devon’s eyes watered with the breadth and depth of the convention’s offerings. There were separate viewing
Duke of Two Cities Chapter 20
Slowly, floor by floor, the elevator rose. The elevator cart had taken on the polite, frustrated quiet that seems to grow out of closed elevators. Even the witch-girls, bubbly and carefree a few moments ago, had quiet grown on them as though someone had cast a spell. One of them took out a phone from between her cleavage.From behind Devon, the young man started to choke. The girl looked from her phone towards the sound and saw the young man, his face nearly glowing read and sweating. She rolled her eyes and shook her head and went back to tapping at her phone after giving her companion a small nudge. Her friend curled a glittery lip in disgust. Their floor arrived. They marched out with a stomp of their heels and a swishing of bejazzled skirt. The large pumpkin man went out soon after, squeezing through Devon with a muttered apology. Soon, Devon and the young man were alone.For the first time, Devon could get a better look at the young man—and a man he was, though just barely. Hi
Duke of Two Cities Chapter 21
Across the city, Maryanne Tomson, mother of two, tried to reach her son. Like many other things Maryanne tried to do, she failed.Earlier that day, they had fought. It was one of the worst fights they’d had in years, all over some silly little hat. Devon, her son, had spent an ungodly sum on something that he’d likely wear once and then put away in a closet somewhere. Three hundred dollars wasted to sit on a shelf and never be used again. A silly, stupid purchase. And after she had made her feelings known, her own son chose the hat over their family. She had cried. There was no shame in admitting it. Did their family mean so little to him? Did she mean so little to him?Maryanne cried and prayed all that morning. When the crying wouldn’t stop, and the prayers didn’t work, she turned to her greatest refuge—sleep. Many women her age struggle with sleep, but Maryanne had always been a dreamer. In the days that she used to have friends, they would all complain about their various sleepi
Duke of Two Cities Chapter 22
Now filled with dream-laden purpose, Maryanne marched out of her room down to the kitchen where Neveah sat. Apparently, she hadn’t moved from the kitchen since the morning. “Neveah, have you seen my phone?”Neveah looked off to the side at the corner of the wall. “Why?” “I need to call your brother,” Maryanne said. “Where’s my phone?Neveah’s eyes went as wide as teacups. She did not look at her mother. “I don’t know? It’s probably where you last left it.” Beneath the annoyance in her voice was a layer of fear. Maryanne glared. “Did he call?” she asked. Neveah shrugged her shoulders, but still avoided her mother’s gaze. “A shoulder shrug is not an answer, missy. Did your brother call, yes or no?”“What am I, your secretary? No! Devon did not call. OK? Happy now?” Neveah brushed away a lock of hair from her ears as she stood up from the table and marched off to her room, her voice trailing away. “My god, can you for two seconds talk about something else other than Devon!”“Don’t
Duke of Two Cities Chapter 23
Devon picked up the phone as it vibrated, looking at it. “More of Neveah’s bullshit, I’m sure.”But what if it wasn’t?Maybe it really was Momma reaching out to apologize—or at least talk. But what would he say?Buzz-buzz. Buzz-buzzGripping his lips, he picked up the phone. “Hello?”ClickWhoever was on the other line hung up. “Goddamnit. Neveah probably has Momma’s phone again… the snake.” He tossed his phone on the bed and refused to look at it, at least until dinner. There were more important things to do—first of which being a long shower. Devon stripped down and tested turned the faucet tap. A spray of steaming hot water blasted out with such force that Devon almost leapt back. Dozens of thin streams hissed from the shower-head, each with enough pressure to clean the dirt out from between tile grouting. Devon swept his hand underneath the stream—wonderful, cool pressure dug gently into his skin. “That is—ooh!” Devon grinned. It was by far the nicest shower he had ever used.
Duke of Two Cities Chapter 24
Silently, with the reflexes of a desert tiger, the man pulled out a cell phone. “Your father calls again, My Prince.”Ali pushed the phone down, his eyes darting around. The executive lounger concierge peered over from his desk. “Is this man a guest of yours?” The concierge asked.“Yes! OK, yes, thank you!” Ali said, waving. He gave the suited man a pat on the arm.“Friend! OK, thank you!”Satisfied, if confused, the concierge turned away and shuffled papers around on his desk. Ali gave the man’s arm a squeeze. He slipped back into his native language and his voice took on a distinct, sharper tone. “What did I tell you about using my formal title here? Again, you have forgotten, Zadik!”The man bowed. “I’m sorry! But please, my Prince— Ali glared. “When we are abroad, we follow the customs of our host. We of House Zhabaiye are not savages, yes?”A constipated look passed over Zadik’s face. “My deepest apologies… bro.”“See, that was not so bad!” Ali beamed. “With some practice, I t