Night Guardians
William was a soldier until an IED severely wounded and scarred his body. Now he lives a quiet life in a small village in the Black Forest and is the caretaker of the church and caregiver to the local priest.
He’s grown fond of the two stone gargoyles on the bell tower and often speaks to them, reminding himself of Quasimodo. But on his thirty-seventh birthday he learns a stunning secret—the gargoyles aren’t what they seem.
EXCERPT
That night, William made his way up the bell tower. The Harvest Moon glowed brightly, lending a certain cheer to the night sky. The rich orange color was cheery and contrasted sharply with the menace of the Black Forest and its reputation.
William reached the top of the tower and stepped onto the balcony. He took a deep breath of the fresh air and smiled as he looked over at the gargoyles.
Only… they weren’t there.
William froze, unable to comprehend the truth in front of his eyes. Where his stone friends had once stood, now were empty spaces. Breath catching in his throat, William finally managed to stumble forward to investigate, to find anything explaining what he wanted to refuse to believe. It didn’t take him long to find large chunks of stone scattered over the balcony. He nearly tripped over a few before he crouched awkwardly and picked up one large piece. He couldn’t say which gargoyle it had belonged to, or what part of the body, and it was all he could do to keep from crying. His throat tightened as he fought against the tears.
Who could have done this? How? When? Only a few hours ago he was in the courtyard beneath the bell tower, raking leaves and caring for the few bushes and trees offering a bit of life in the house of stone. Did it happened during dinner? But who would dare cause such sacrilege? As far as William knew, the entire community took pride in their church—the architecture, beauty, and history it offered. Did a pack of delinquents break in and do this?
William shook his head. No. He always kept the bell tower locked, and he didn’t any indication of a break-in. And even the youths had respect for the church and especially Father Adler.
A shadow fell over the moon. William jerked up his head and narrowed his eyes. Standing slowly, he leaned against the railing and scanned the skies. It was a large shadow. Or were the night and eerie moon playing tricks on him? It was probably just a bird.
Another shadow flittered and William jerked back. That was no bird. Gripping the railing tightly, William managed to watch the progression of the shadow as it dipped low, turned sharply, then landed in the courtyard below. Even as his mind reeled at a potential answer to what that thing was, another similar figure followed the path of the first and landed next to it. Then, as one, the shadowy figures turned their heads and looked up at him. Their eyes glowed under the light of the moon.
A strangled cry escaped William as he backed away from the edge. This couldn’t possibly be happening! It was inconceivable!
The words of a man long-dead echoed in his mind. A self-proclaimed sorcerer confessed to creating creatures of night.
