Page 10 of The Last Gargoyle's Christmas Wish
Smiling, Grady reached down and grabbed it.
CHAPTER 6
Motionless but ready to swoop into action should the need arise, Uzoth gazed into the alley behind the bakery.
The snow fell and settled against his skin. The warmth from the apartment bled from his skin as the cold returned, sliding its fingers deep into his core.
After a while, the door to the apartment opened. Lachlan and Kit came out and walked down to the bakery. The sky began to lighten. A couple more of Grady’s siblings, the twin brothers, left the apartment and also went into the bakery.
Uzoth remained still and watchful.
Then Grady stepped out of the apartment.
Uzoth’s skin prickled. Grady pressed his hand to the closed door, whispered, and charged the protection charm.
Grady looked up. He saw Uzoth. He smiled and gave a small wave.
Uzoth stared down at Grady, uncertain how to respond to the gesture.
Should I wave back?
Uzoth considered. But whilst he pondered whether he should wave in return, Grady dropped his gaze, ran down the stairs, and entered the bakery.
A sense of disappointment settled inside Uzoth’s chest. He’d never been greeted with a wave before. It had not been the gargoyle way. Nor had it been the way of the great sorceress who had created him.
What was the appropriate way to respond to such a greeting? He supposed the human way to respond, which was also the way of many creatures, would have been to wave back. But Uzoth was not a human or a being that waved.
So what should he have done? And if Grady waved again, what should Uzoth do?
Uzoth did not wish to offend the witch.
Uzoth watched those who walked through the alley, continuing to ponder. After an hour of thinking, Uzoth decided he would wave back if Grady greeted him in such a manner again.
After a while, Grady exited the bakery. Uzoth prepared to wave. But although Grady glanced up and smiled, he did not wave.
Had Uzoth offended him by not returning the first gesture? Uzoth hoped he had not.
Uzoth had been alone and without any true contact with anyone for so long. He did not wish to have offended the first being he’d had contact with in all those years.
Last night, Uzoth had spoken. He’d used his voice, and not just for a couple of sentences to warn off an attacker or to tell the victim they were safe before said victim then fled him in terror.
He had spoken full sentences to Grady. And Grady had spoken to him with no fear or terror in his gaze. He’d thanked Uzoth. And when Uzoth offered to leave, Grady had protested. He’d wanted Uzoth to stay.
A strange feeling bloomed in his chest, a loosening of tension he’d not known was there.
Throughout the day, Grady passed below Uzoth a few times, always glancing up and smiling. But not waving again.
Had Uzoth missed his chance?
The sun moved low across the horizon until the darkness grew and the sun set completely. Fewer pedestrians walked the streets. Several of Grady’s siblings returned home.
Grady had not. Which was not unusual. Still, considering what had occurred the previous night, Uzoth remained on alert.
Finally, he spotted Grady coming down the alley. He looked up and stared at Uzoth. He smiled. When he had gotten close to the stairs to his apartment, he didn’t go up like he usually would. He paused in the alley below, staring straight up at Uzoth.
He waved.
This time, Uzoth was ready. He lifted his hand into the air and moved it from side to side.
