All His Wrath

“Hi, girl! I’m sorry to have woken you up again, so early in the morning…” Danielle’s words came unevenly as she struggled through the weariness that builds over several nights of interrupted sleep. “Oh, but that’s a good Anja.” The dog’s tail swished back and forth across the floor, while her mistress gave Anja a long hug and many loving pats on her head.

Anja had been added to the Wheelens’ household within one day of their return home from their terrible adventure. It was crazy to think about: the strange key her parents had unearthed during an expedition just before Danielle was born was actually from another race of creatures. Gargoyles had burst into their lives, some seeking the key to complete its evil purpose, while others protected Danielle and her parents in her quest to destroy it. Still, their house was destroyed early on in the struggle. When Danielle’s parents met with the police to file a report on what happened to their old house, they came up with a convincing story that didn’t include gargoyles. Then, they had to meet with their insurance agent, too, about what would be covered—and what wouldn’t—and when they could get into a new house. To the great relief of the Wheelen family, the fire department had already concluded that something went terribly wrong in the kitchen that had led to the fire that destroyed most of their house. But even with those important meetings during that first day back, they made sure to get to the pound to find a dog. As big and fiercely protective a dog as they could find.