Page 22 of Stone Temptation

“Monster!” I yelled back. “Now what?”

Its furious green eyes darted between me and the sword. “When will you stony scumbags ever mind your own business?”

“Whenever you stop pissing in everyone’s cereal.”

The creature snarled. “You are a monster too. Look at you. Why do you get a free pass?”

“This isn’t the time for chin wagging.”

The man slid backward on his ass, putting some distance between him and his attacker.

What was going on here? Had the human given up his protection? I checked with my second vision, switching from full color to black-and-white. Apart from the man—he emitted strong green light, fully protected.

“What were you up to?” I asked, switching back to first vision.

“None of your business.”

“Hello? Gargoyle here. Course it’s my business.”

“Doesn’t have to be. You could pester another world. Let us have this one.”

I placed my free hand on my hip. “We’re not doing this tonight, knobhead. Now kindly piss off.”

Winnie the Pooh pulled a strange face, the bear features trapped somewhere between agony and laughter.

“A curse on your kind, gargoyle. Doom be upon your head. You will burn. You will fall. This world will be ours!”

Yeah, because I’d never heard that one before.

I charged, driving my sword into its stomach.

That shut it up.

Those green eyes blinked in surprise, the flies rippling across its body. I twisted the weapon for good measure, tearing up those insides.

“No…” it rasped.

“Yes,” I answered. “Yes. Yes. Yes.”

It wailed its final sound, melting into oblivion.

“Toodles.”

I helped the human to his feet.

“Thank you so much,” he said breathlessly.

“Welcome. What happened?”

“The usual. Tried getting me to give up my protection, said he’d never leave me alone until I did. Promised me endless sleepless nights.”

“Always with the same spin.”

“He scared me. Normally I’m good at keeping my head down, but he rattled me.”

“Hey. It happens.”

He nodded. “Thanks again for helping.”