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“Ah, my dear—here you are! I didn’t expect to find you wandering in the garden.” Goody Albright gave me a one-armed hug—she was holding a teacup in her other hand.
“I was just admiring your new, uh, statue.” I nodded at the gray marble statue that now stood, presiding over her wildly colorful garden.
It was the strangest statue I had ever seen. From the front it looked like a gargoyle with a sneering, leering face, its mouth open to show fangs as long as my fingers. Bat wings poked the air on either side of it and long, wickedly sharp horns rose from either side of its forehead. But if you walked around to look at the back, you were faced with, well…a whole other face.
This side of the statue was devastatingly handsome. It was a man with flowing hair and feathered wings outstretched as though to catch an updraft and fly away. He had chiseled features (no pun intended) with high cheekbones and an aquiline nose above full lips.
Both sides of the statue wore a kind of necklace—or maybe it was a collar—round their neck. It seemed to have a small lock in the center and—looking closely—I could just make out a tiny keyhole in the lock.
All these little details were fascinating, but they weren’t what drew my eyes the most. The artist had not been shy about making sure everyone knew this creation was male. The size of the package dangling between the statue’s thighs was truly awe-inspiring—and in the case of the gargoyle side, downright scary. Was that a barb on the end of his cock, where the head should be? Ouch!
“He looks like a fallen angel, don’t you think?” Goody Albright sighed wistfully as she gestured with her teacup to the handsome side of the statue. “I bought him at a rather special auction of magical artifacts last month and he only just got delivered today.”
“What’s he supposed to be?” I asked, walking around to look at the gargoyle side again. The sneering, leering face looked out at me with cold stone eyes, making me shiver.
“Why, he’s a Guardian, my dear! Sworn to protect and care for females—or so the seller told me. Look—read the poem at the base of the statue.”
I looked where she was pointing. Sure enough, down at the statue’s feet was a small stone plaque and on it was carved a poem.
Though I am carved of coldest Stone
And stand here bare and all Alone
She who holds my locket’s Key
Will be the one to master Me
She shall 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 murmured, after reading the poem. “That’s intense! And kind of beautiful, too.”
“Yes, it is rather beautiful, isn’t’ it?” Goody Albright murmured. “Of course it’s all nonsense—the only thing this fellow will be watching over is my garden. Still, I think he makes a rather nice centerpiece, don’t you?” She raised her eyebrows at me.
“He’s certainly very eye-catching,” I said, smiling. “But I didn’t come to admire your new statuary—I have some news.”
“Oh, you got the job at The Lost Lamb, didn’t you?” Goody Albright started to clap her hands together and then remembered she was holding a teacup. She set it down carefully on the marble statue’s base and gave me a hug instead.
“I did, but that’s not the news.” I told her. “Rath and I are planning a marriage, er, a Joining and we wanted to know if we could have the ceremony here—in your garden.”
We had debated on having it different places—his house, my house—but we wanted our friends to come and The Red Lion was centrally placed. I knew most everyone in Hidden Hollow now and I had yet to meet anyone I didn’t like—even Chester, the deaf centaur who had accused me of wanting to buy a lust potion to trap a man, wasn’t bad once you got to know him.
“Oh my dear—I would be honored!” Goody Albright squeezed me even tighter. “I’m so happy for the two of you! I just knew you belonged together!”
“We’re Heartmates,” I said simply, smiling.
