Free Blood From a Stone by Cynthia Lucas

ve i ns ti nct f orced h i m i n s t ead t o head f or t he graveyard. H e d i dn ’ t w ant t o go but so m e k i nd of i nv i s i b l e m ag i c or so i t see m ed, f orced h i m t o p l od, s t ep by pa i n f ul s t ep t o h i s des ti na ti on. T he des ti n a ti on t hat he dreaded and t hat he knew w as go i ng be t he e nd of h i m …at l east f or fift y cyc l es.
    Just be f ore m i dn i ght he f e l t t he fi nal s t age of t he change t ak i ng p l ace. A t t hat po i nt he cou l d not fi nd t he m e n t al s t reng t h t o t ry t o fi ght back as h i s eyes s t opped w ork i ng and h i s m i nd s l o w ed t o no t h i ng but a d i s t ant echo and h e cou l d no l onger m ove.
    La t er t hat n i gh t , D an i a w ept as she s t ood i n f ront of t he gargoy l e. H i s f ea t ures no l onger rese m b l ed t he han d so m e young m an she had l oved and her heart ached at w hat had co m e t o pass. She knew t here w as no t h i ng she cou l d do, as her m o t her ’ s spe l l w as bound t o h i m and she had g i v en up her o w n po w ers by shar i ng her body w it h h i m .
    She knee l ed bes i de h i m t ouch i ng h i s gnar l ed f ea t ures as her t ears f e l l on t he t op of h i s head.
    “ M y l ove, I am sorry f or w hat des ti ny has be f a l l en you. D es ti ny i s but a pa t h…and w e choose w h i ch w ay w e w a l k. Y ou chose your pa t h by your ac ti ons. I can on l y pray t hat t he ange l s of your G od w il l w a t ch over you and by t he i r hand sha l l you so m ehow fi nd peace.”
    She t urned and w a l ked a w ay f rom t he s t one f orm kno w i ng h i s f a t e w as sea l ed and she w ou l d never see h i m aga i n.
    A nd t he next day and f or m any days,  w eeks and m on t hs a ft er, h i s f a m il y searched i n va i n f or h i m , w onder i ng w hat had happened t o t he i r son w ho ’ d s i m p l y d i sa p p e ared and dropped f rom t he f ace of t he ear t h. N o one ever knew w hat beca m e of t he w ea lt hy l and baron ’ s son and t hey he l d on t o t he i r gr i ef f or years t o co m e.
    A nd of course, t he care t akers of t he graveyard had f ound a new gargoy l e l y i ng at t he base of one of t h e bu il d i ngs, and w ondered w here i t had co m e f ro m . P erhaps a scu l p t or co mm i ss i oned by t he C hurch had l e f t i t w hen no one w as abou t ?
    Shrugg i ng, t he m onks ho i s t ed i t up w it h s t rong ropes and a tt ached i t t o t he s i de of t he bu il d i ng w here i t w ou l d do it s j ob and s t and guard, keep i ng a w ay ev i l f rom t hose w ho ’ d crossed over i n t o  t he peace f ul s l eep  of dea t h  i n  t h i s ho l y p l ace.
    A nd t hat i s exac tl y w here Sa m son had Aw akened fi f t y years l a t er t o beg i n h i s cen t ur i es l ong j ourney of be i ng gargoy l e and m an as one…a j ourney w h i ch had kept h i m i n m i d d l e E urope f or a coup l e hundred  years, t hen  he had s e cured h i s passage t o Am er i ca and he ’ d spent decades here perched on a f ew d iff erent bu il d i ngs and m auso l eu m s . A l w ays t ry i ng t o fi nd t he cure, a l w ays t ry i ng t o unders t and how t h i s had happened, and a l w ays t ry i ng t o undo t he co l dne s s i n h i s soul t hat had l ed t o t h i s…and u lti m a t e l y a ft er f a i l i ng at ever y t h i ng e l se, t ry i ng t o co mm i t su i c i de several ti m es i n one Aw aken i ng and t hen ano t her.
    B ut i t w as t o no ava il . So, even t ua ll y, he ’ d g i ven up on t hat goa l , and i ns t ead ded i ca t ed h i s prec i ous t i m e as a m an t o fi nd i ng w ays t o m ake each Aw aken i ng eas i er t o t ake and as en j oyab l e as poss i b l e.
    A l ong t he w ay he ’ d l earned qu it e a f ew  l essons, a l w ays hop i ng and even pray i ng t hat so m eho w , so m e w ay, m aybe one of t hem w as t he key, j ust li ke i n a f a i ry t a l e, t hat w ou l d break t he curse…or spe ll … w ha t ever i t w as, and set h i m f