Chapter Eight: Gargoyle

Siannon was disappointed but not surprised to find the cathedral empty. She knew as soon as she entered the building. The grand stained-glass windows that Dylan had installed were covered in dust, further obscuring the dim light from the overcast world outside. The pews were scattered and overturned, and Father Antonio’s private quarters looked abandoned, as if no one had lived there for decades.

Siannon and Dylan had met Antonio on their honeymoon, and he came to Macnylleth to serve the kimdom from that point. He was a hero of the Norse War and instrumental in the quest to stop Penwik from unleashing demons upon the world. Antonio was also one of Siannon’s closest friends, and her realization that she had closed herself off from him after Dylan died filled her with remorse. She longed for one of his big, joyful bear hugs and to hear his laughter echoing through the cathedral.

She heard a scraping noise within the sanctuary and listened to locate its source. She saw a large gargoyle mounted high above the exit doors. She knew Dylan had never included these ugly winged creatures in his design, either inside or outside the cathedral. She walked quietly toward the exit, and as she neared the doors, the gargoyle extended his wings and swooped down upon her. Her reflexes were still sharp enough to avoid its first pass, but its wing clipped her heel and sent her tumbling on the floor, and that’s when it pinned her down.