Page 60 of Eternal Surrender

I turned my head toward the center isle of the long line of pews.

Sebastian was standing there. “There’s a young man dragging a coffin across the foyer,” he said, his expression incredulous. “Friend of yours, is he?”

I sat upright and slid off the altar.

“Has someone died?” he asked.

I was about to throw in not yet but stopped myself.

“This place is huge.” Sebastian came closer. “You’re probably wondering how I found you?”

“Yes.”

“You told me, remember?”

“Wasn’t that specific,” I said.

“Process of elimination.”

“Sebastian, what do you want?”

“To thank you.” He gave a weak smile. “For saving my life.” He took in the chapel. “I fell asleep and didn’t get to⁠—”

“You didn’t need to come here.”

He ran a fingertip over the edge of the nearest pew and examined the dust. “Why didn’t you say goodbye?”

“Don’t take it personally.”

“Was it something I did?”

“No,” I said with a convincing shake of my head.

“Can I ask you about that night?”

“What about it, Seb?”

He grinned but it was the uneasy kind.

I went to say something, anything that would deflect his question and felt relief when Alex appeared in the doorway.

“Sebastian, meet Alex, my brother,” I said.

“Half brother,” said Alex.

Sebastian stepped forward to shake Alex’s hand, but Alex ignored him.

“Same father?” Sebastian dropped his arm to his side.

“Not that kind of half,” Alex redirected.

“That coffin?” Sebastian began to ask.

“Halloween,” I said.

Sebastian’s brow furrowed. “Bit early.”

“It’s a gift.” Alex turned back to me. “For William.”