Page 8 of The Last Gargoyle's Christmas Wish
Uzoth did not wish to leave the human alone. He could hear snores from behind the doors. Still, no one stirred. He considered waking someone again. But he felt strangely reluctant to give up protecting the man.
I will watch him until he wakes. I will guard him.
The minutes ticked by. Uzoth did not move. He just stood and watched the man sleeping. Grady’s cheeks flushed in sleep.
Uzoth stood completely still, gaze fixed on Grady.
Finally, after a couple of hours, Grady’s eyes blinked open.
CHAPTER 5
Grady’s stomach ached. His ribs ached. Sweat covered his body.
Slowly, he opened his eyes.
Horny hexes and witch’s tits!
The gargoyle loomed over Grady, filling his vision.
Grady couldn’t think, couldn’t make sense of anything. All he could do was stare at the gargoyle in his home.
Grady was by no means a short man, but the gargoyle would have been almost a head higher than himself. The glow from the fire flickered on the gargoyle’s chiselled jaw. Sharp fangs peeked out from dark lips. Thick horns protruded from his forehead, twisting upwards. Long black hair framed his face, ending mid-chest.
He remained completely motionless, thick arms crossed over a well-defined torso and stomach. He wore nothing but a loincloth over his groin and upper thighs, the rest of his grey muscled legs on full display. Taloned claws pressed into the wooden floor.
The gargoyle’s wings remained tucked behind him right now. But Grady had seen those dark wings open wide, flapping as the gargoyle carried Grady through the air. Then what hadhappened? Grady had grown dizzy and then…nothing. He must have passed out, and the gargoyle must have looked after him.
The gargoyle’s black gaze fixed on Grady. But Grady remembered those eyes glowing bright red in the alley when the gargoyle saved him from the goblin and cyclops who’d attacked him.
“You saved me,” Grady said when he finally found his voice.
Slowly, the gargoyle uncrossed his arms and lifted his chin.
It was the first time he’d seen the gargoyle move despite all the times he’d stared up at him on the rooftops above.
But of course, that wasn’t true. He’d just seen the gargoyle move as he’d defended Grady in the alley.
“You were attacked and in need. I intervened,” the gargoyle said, his voice deep and rumbling. Grady imagined the gargoyle sounded like what stone would if it came alive and spoke. It sent a shiver down Grady’s spine.
“Thank you,” Grady said, still in shock.
The gargoyle bowed his head, the movement glacially slow. So different from the lightning-fast attack on the goblin and cyclops.
“You are not afraid of me,” the gargoyle stated.
“You saved me,” Grady pointed out. “Why would I fear you?” He tried to prop himself up. But his stomach spasmed with pain, and all the blankets on top of him weighed him down.
“I have saved many in this city. They still fear me afterwards when they look upon my terrifying countenance. I am monstrous to behold,” the gargoyle said, tone measured and devoid of inflexion.
“Well, you can definitely be scary, especially when you are fighting someone,” Grady acknowledged. Then he shrugged. “But I’ve always found your presence kind of reassuring, seeing you up there looking down on us, watching us. That’s what gargoyles are meant to do, right? Watch and protect.”
Grady felt sure he’d heard that before. Of course, he couldn’t remember where. “Or is that just a myth or something?”
The gargoyle didn’t speak for several moments. “It is true. Gargoyles were called into being to act as sentinels and guard those within our protection. That was my purpose.” The gargoyle straightened his arm and pointed down. “I located food and drink.” He paused. “I believe humans require such things for sustenance.”
“We do.” Grady glanced down at the water, bread, and…the mix of salt, flour, ash, and spices they sprinkled when performing magic rituals.
Grady suppressed a laugh. He didn’t think it wise to laugh at the gargoyle who’d rescued him for mistaking that mixture for food. And it wasn’t a completely ridiculous assumption; after all, it did include mostly foodstuff.
