LOT'S MOUNTAIN

CHAPTER TEN: In the Garden of Angels

When I turn around, there's a stone angel with jet-black eyes, standing behind me. It's made out of some kind of gray rock and must be pretty old because most of its face is worn away. The right side looks like a bunch of melted wax. I can make out what used to be cheekbones and a small lump of a nose. A thick line of dark spray paint blackens its neck and jaw. This thing kind of reminds me of the faceless girl from my dreams, except it's obviously a guy. What is it with me and faceless people?

Anyway, besides being so screwed up, this thing looks just like one of those statues in the city cemetery. But those things are supposed to stay put. They're only concrete. After seeing this stone thing move, I'll never look at garden gnomes the same again.

The thing walks forward with fluid movements, its hand drifting down to a sword that's sheathed by its waist. Its stone robes ripple around it like they're made out of heavy velvet, as the statue moves to stand between us and Shard.

It's pretty obvious this creature's not one of those Stone Men jerks in their fancy shirts and ties. Just because it's not diving in to join the cemetery hounds doesn't mean that I need to be jumping up and down and hugging this thing. For all I know, it'll turn on me after it's done with the hounds.

Like he knows I'm gonna make a run for it, Grim reaches over, pinning me to the spot. He must have blinked out and back to be beside me. The cemetery hounds don't do a dang thing.

Finally, Shard pipes up with a low growl and says, "We are here for these two in the name of the Stone Men."

The stone angel kneels in front of us, turning its head slowly to face Shard. There are about ten cemetery hounds now.

"The Stone Men do not walk here. Nor shall you. Here their names are meaningless," the angel replies, its voice sounding rough, like two rocks grinding against each other.

Growling, a few of the hounds take a step forward.

The angel says again to the stone hounds, "The Stone Men do not walk here. Nor shall you."

Then Shard snarls, "And you think you're going to interfere with us? You are not even a true monster. The breath of magic makes you what you are and when it is gone, you will be nothing but a rock by the roadside."

How is this thing not a real monster?

I don't have any time to think about it because Shard growls something that I can't make out. I'm guessing he's not wishing the angel a happy birthday, but the stone angel doesn't bother saying anything back. With a grating whisper, the sword slides out of the sheath. That's when the cemetery hounds turn tail and just take off. But not Shard. Shard backs up real slow, easing into the fog.

"A rock by the roadside." After adding a final ear-splitting howl, Shard disappears.

And then we're alone with the stone angel.

We're like that for a while — Grim and me staring at the angel, who is staring right back, its black eyes not blinking even once.

Finally, with a slight nod of its head, the angel rises from where it was kneeling right in front of us and then looks at Grim, crossing its arms over its chest. I can't tell if it's mad or not, but Grim looks down like his dad is fussing at him.

"Thanks for getting the cemetery hounds out of here," Grim mutters to the angel. "And you know Shard is full of crap. That stuff he said about you ..."

"What the hound says about me is without meaning. Be drawn to this place no longer, wisp. You belong upon the shores of Belle Lake with the witch-woman." It rises and starts to walk away. Then it stops.