Page 71 of Twist of Fate

Some of Luke’s worry finally eased.

Then movement along the far wall caught his eye.

Three stone figures stood between the flowering vines. They were positioned several feet apart, each facing into the chamber with folded wings and clawed hands resting against powerful thighs.

They had not been there when Luke checked on Gomez earlier that morning. He would have noticed them.

Luke went still.

Gomez followed his gaze. “Those are new, right?”

“Not new,” Connal said behind him. “They arrived while we were occupied.”

Gomez immediately looked from the statues to Luke. “Occu⁠—”

“Not one word,” Luke warned.

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You were about to.”

Gomez grinned. “I was about to ask why three large rocks appeared in my bedroom while no one was watching, that’s all.”

“Sure, you were,” Luke said.

The statue on the left moved.

Luke stepped between it and the bed before the scrape of stone had faded. Connal caught his arm but did not pull him back.

“They are not a threat.”

“That one moved.”

“They are capable of movement.”

The stone statue stepped away from the wall, enormous wings still folded behind him. Stone shifted against stone with a low grinding sound as he straightened.

Gomez recoiled into his pillows. “Nope. Absolutely not. I saw that.”

“You were intended to,” Connal said.

“That does not make it better.”

The second statue turned his head toward Gomez.

“Luke,” Gomez said carefully, “please tell me I’m not being watched by haunted architecture.”

“They are gargoyles,” Connal said. “They serve the king.”

“Those are gargoyles?” Gomez gasped.

“Yes.” Connal glanced at Luke, clearly wondering why Gomez sounded so surprised. Luke must have looked equally stunned, because Connal’s brow furrowed.

“And you waited until now to mention that some of the castle guards turn into giant stone creatures?”

Luke let Gomez continue the interrogation while he looked more closely at the first gargoyle. The shape of his face was different in stone, but the broad shoulders and heavy build were familiar. He had seen all three of them in the castle the night before, moving through the corridors in forms that looked far closer to human.

“They were guards,” Luke said.