Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 70779 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 354(@200wpm)___ 283(@250wpm)___ 236(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70779 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 354(@200wpm)___ 283(@250wpm)___ 236(@300wpm)
“That’s quite understandable,” she nodded. “And of course, you don’t have to use your Power. After all, it lay dormant inside you all the time after your Grandfather passed until tonight. You can just go back to living your life and ignore it…if you can.”
“If I can? What does that mean?” I asked, frowning.
“Well…” She sighed. “It’s different with different magic users, but sometimes once the Power in your blood wakes up, it’s difficult to put it back to sleep again.”
“I don’t care how hard it is—I never want to use it again!” I said firmly. “I just want to get back home to New Orleans and run the shop and live a normal life. Well, as normal as I can,” I added.
Goody Albright patted my hand.
“I completely understand. Just wait until the morning before you go home. As I said, you want to give that door you opened to the Other Side time to close.”
“I don’t know,” I said frowning. “I left the shop’s back door wide open. What if somebody robs the place? Or what if my cat, Miss Sassy gets out?”
“Better to lose a little money than your life,” Goody Albright said sternly. “You need to wait until its safe to go back. The light of day will be a good protection against any evil spirits or demonic creatures who are trying to get to you. Stay here for the night—I’ll put you up in one of my guest cottages. I think The Flower Bower is free right now.”
“Well…all right,” I said grudgingly. “But how do I get back home when I’m ready to go?”
“Oh, that’s easy—you hold the key to getting home right in your hand—literally.” She nodded at the iron key. “Just imagine where you want to go, draw a doorway in the air, and wait for a door to manifest. Then push it open and walk through. The door will disappear on its own afterwards,” she added.
“Wow—I didn’t know it was that simple.” I looked down at the key, feeling tempted to try it right away. But then I remembered the three-headed Hell Hound and decided it wasn’t such a good idea. Besides, I was bone weary. As worried as I was about the shop and Miss Sassy, I needed to get a little shut eye.
I can get up early at the crack of dawn and go back, I told myself.
“Do you have an…” I yawned. “Sorry. An alarm clock?” I finished. “So I can wake up early?”
“Yes, my dear—there’s one in the cottage I’ll be putting you in,” Goody Albright assured me. “It’s at the far end of the garden. Just let me put away these tea things and we’ll get you settled for the night.”
She bustled away with the tea tray and I rose and went out into the garden.
By the light of the moon, I could see the other side of the hideous gargoyle statue. It was, as Goody Albright had said, an extremely handsome angel. He had chiseled features and a short beard. The wings on this side were feathered instead of leathery and they were spread as though the angel was just about to fly away. Around his neck was a chain with a small lock that hung in the hollow of his strong throat.
He really was gorgeous—a literal angel, I thought. And he was definitely a male—the artist had carved him an extremely impressive piece of equipment.
Curious, I went to the gargoyle side to see if he was the same size. It was just as large as the angel side, but…was that a barb on the end of his shaft where the head should be? Ouch—no thank you!
Then something else caught my eye. There was a kind of stone plaque at the base of the statue. I shouldn’t have been able to read it—even in the moonlight there were shadows everywhere. But the letters carved in stone almost seemed to glow—they caught my gaze and I couldn’t look away.
Feeling almost hypnotized, I braced my hand on the statue’s thigh and leaned over to see them better. As they glowed even brighter, I began to read aloud, murmuring the words to myself.
“Though I am carved of coldest Stone
And here I stand bare and Alone
She who holds my locket’s Key
Will be the one to master Me
She may wake me from my Sleep
When her need for me is Deep
My wings shall shield her from her Fears
My softest feathers dry her Tears
My deadly fangs shall tear her Foes
My faithful ears shall hear her Woes.
Until she deigns to set me Free
Her Faithful Guardian I shall Be.”
“Wow!” I muttered as I finished reading. “Must be nice to have a gargoyle-angel to watch over you! I could have used someone like you tonight, buddy,” I added, looking up into the carved stone face. “I wish I had a protector, considering the mess waiting for me when I get home.”