Dragon Hoard and Other Tales of Faerie
Page 5
There was no line in front of the church this time, but the girl came to the side to wave at him anyway. Then she spun around until her skirt was as full as a bell. Her lacy white dress was longer than the first, and she looked radiant in it.
“Isn’t it beautiful? We went to ever so many shops to find the right one. My whole family’s here to cheer me on, but I wanted you to see it, too.”
The gargoyle would have blessed her, if his blessing had any power. All he could do was watch.
“There you are,” Steven said. “I should have known you’d be talking to your gargoyle.” He had grown much taller, and his glasses were now gone. The handsome man who put his arm around the girl might possibly even deserve her. A sculptor could have used him for a model for the archangel on the tower. “C’mon, we don’t want to be late for the ceremony.” His voice lowered as he added, “Or the honeymoon.”
“Oh, you.” The girl seemed flustered, but recovered enough to say, “You just can’t wait to try out that new rock-climbing gear.”
Her husband-to-be murmured in her ear and she blushed. She took his hand and followed him, but she turned her face upwards as she did. “Wish me luck!”
The gargoyle wished her far more than that, but his wishes had no power. He could not lift even a scaled claw to protect her. If only he could remember his name, he was sure he could do more.