Myths and Gargoyles by Jamie Hawke (interesting books to read in english txt) 📕

like Arthur,” Elisa replied. “Because they reached a certain level of enlightenment before… being defeated, they’re able to remain here.”

Arthur grunted at that. “A true blessing.” His voice betrayed his sarcasm.

“You’re still with me, at least,” Nivian said. “I for one would rather that than the alternative.”

He offered her an apologetic look, then nodded. “Me too, of course. I just mean, it’s a strange sort of existence, being unable to fully operate as a human, unable to return to the real world.”

“But this is real,” I protested, feeling sheepish for saying so. “Isn’t it?”

“In a way.”

“And you’re not exactly ghosts, right?”

Arthur shared a look with the brothers, one that said they weren’t quite sure of the answer to that.

“We don’t know what we are,” the eldest of the brothers said. “We’re vaguely aware when we’re called upon for help, though in truth we never leave this place.”

“And the other brothers?”

“Off on a quest,” the younger brother replied.

“This place,” Elisa interjected, “is like Earth, but with a much smaller, and much more magical, population.”

“One difference,” her eldest brother added, “is the fact that here, magic isn’t hidden.” He looked at me for a moment longer, then leaned in, voice hushed. “And what are you hiding? What’re your intentions with our sister?”

“You seem romantic with more than one of these ladies,” another chimed in. “How exactly does that work?”

“I…” Shit, how was I going to explain this one?

“Brothers,” Elisa said, and she was glaring. “My personal life is none of your business.”

They frowned, but seemed to be okay with dropping it for now.

“At any rate,” the oldest brother said, “at the moment, our brothers are searching out a legendary item said to have the power to bring people back from this world to yours. Back from the dead, some say.”

I turned to Arthur and Nivian at this, excited at the chance for them to be together again in the real world.

Arthur shook his head at my look, though. “Rumor of anything like that existing doesn’t mean it truly does. We have magic, but that doesn’t mean all magic is possible. Truly bringing someone back from the dead…”

“But you returned from here once before,” I protested.

His voice was much more sorrowful when he said, “That time was different. I had entered of my own will, not… defeated, as I was this time.”

I got the implication there—that something similar had happened with the brothers. Not wanting to pry, I nodded, lowering myself to sit by the fire on one of several logs they’d pulled up around it.

“He’s curious,” the older brother said.

“Might as well tell him,” the younger replied.

With a sigh, the older brother turned my way, leaned forward, and said, “Never, and I mean never, try to fuck Rapunzel.”

“Stop it,” Elisa said with a laugh.

“I still blame her for it!” her brother said, his face only betraying the smallest hint of a smile. “You think she has a lot of hair upstairs? Try downstairs! I was trying to work my way into her entrance, but man—”

“That’s when the attack came, catching us off guard,” the middle brother said.

“All of you?” I asked.

He leaned back, grimaced, and shrugged.

“We were kinda… tag teaming her,” the older brother said.

“To be fair, it was more of an orgy,” the younger brother cut back in. “I still remember the way Prince Charming was watching as one of the evil step-sisters and Cinderella were going down on me, while the other step-sister was fingering my bum. It was all sorts of fucked up.”

“But you loved it,” the older brother said, laughing.

“I’m so sorry about them,” Elisa said, looking horrified.

“Ah, come now,” her older brother said. “As if your friend here hasn’t had his fair share of fun? You playing innocent now, sis?”

She blushed, turning to the fire. I refused to say anything on the matter.

The younger brother scoffed, then looked at me with skepticism. “You’re treating her right, aren’t you?”

“He’s the perfect gentleman,” Pucky said, joining me with a hand on my shoulder. “Now, weren’t you telling a story?”

The older brother grinned. “Ah, right. So there I was, finally through the forest that is Rapunzel’s nether regions, when a ball of flames erupted just outside the window. Screams followed, and all of us ran out to fight… forgetting we were naked.”

“We still took out a good twenty or so of the witches before they had us.”

“The witches?” I asked.

The oldest nodded. “Hekate wasn’t among them. I hear she’s on your side now?”

I nodded.

“Well, good. These ones served her, so if we ever meet the lady, we might have words to exchange.”

“Noted,” I replied.

“And you?” Nivian asked, turning the conversation back my way. “You’ve been doing well out there?”

I glanced around, wondering where Sekhmet and her sister were, but remembered the question. “Actually, it’s been more of a struggle than I thought. For one, my clothes are still wet from when a fight took me into the river.”

Red perked up at that, looking at me with concern, but it was Pucky, still standing at my side who ran a hand down my shirt and started to pull at it.

“We need to dry you off, get you out of these wet clothes,” she said.

I pulled back, covering my torso again. “Maybe… not right here?”

Nivian looked away as if that would be enough, but Arthur chuckled, pointing back toward the other side of the clearing. “We set up a couple of tents over there, figuring staying here instead of trudging back would make sense. We had them for longer excursions, though Sekhmet took one.”

“Yes, I was wondering about her.”

“She went to find answers,” Red said. “We told her she’d be better off waiting, but she insisted. Said she’d be fine, being a goddess and all.”

I frowned, then chuckled. While they were all basically either Myths or Legends, it was interesting the way some considered themselves above the rest, simply because of how humanity had labeled them at some point or another.

“Well, I imagine she’ll be fine,” I said, then started toward where