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

those large statues, which I hadn’t seen again since that first day. And the lion? The rest of it?

On the morning of the fourth day, Pucky woke me up extra early, hand caressing my cheek, and her warm smile was a comforting first sight.

“What’s up?” I whispered.

She ran her hand down toward my crotch, then winked. “Just joking, I’m not that corny. Come on, I have something else in mind.”

I glanced around at the others in the tent, still sleeping, so pushed myself up to follow her, trying to stay quiet. She led me out to one of the nearby trees, then stopped and turned to me, head tilted as she stared into my eyes.

“What’s… up?” I chuckled. “For real, this time.”

She grinned, and then I noticed her horns glowing. “Just wanted to check on you, see how you’re doing with the training. It’s not much, but hopefully enough.”

“Is this another test?” I asked.

Her eyes moved across my face, as if reading me, then one hand went to my cheek, caressing it, moving through my hair. I started to lean forward to kiss her, but saw that wasn’t what this was. Her hands traveled down through my hair and to my neck, as her eyes penetrated me. Then they were back to the front, on my chest, stopping over my heart.

“You’re strong,” she said. “And I don’t mean just physically, though obviously the last few days have been kind to you.”

“In more ways than one,” I said with a grin.

She chuckled, then took my hands, and placed one on her cheek. “Look. See.”

I wasn’t following, but figured doing what she’d been doing was my best bet, here. So, moving my hand along her cheek, feeling her soft, warm skin and enjoying the moment for what it was, I stared into her eyes, looking for whatever I was supposed to be seeing.

“Look deeper,” she said, and moved my hand, up, so that as she dropped her hands back to my chest, I was caressing her temples, then her forehead. I paused, continuing to her horns. It’s a strangely erotic feeling, touching a woman’s horns. Every man knows the awkward feeling when they grab a cucumber or a banana and realize it must be similar to how a woman feels when she’s grabbing your cock. Well, horns like hers were similar, in that they weren’t bright blue or red or anything like that, but almost the same tone as her skin, and moving my hands along them I almost felt like I was stroking two cocks at once.

Yeah, like I said, weird… for a straight guy.

She bit her lip, enjoying the moment but also humored. “Focus.”

I nodded, eyes roaming over her, seeing every bit of her, even the small freckles around her nose, the little mole at her hairline, just barely hidden, the glow that radiated off her horns. Then my hands were in her hair, and she was breathing heavily as they ran down to her neck, over her shoulders.

That moment could’ve easily led into many others like it, but I knew that wasn’t the purpose of this exercise. Focusing, I ran my hands over to her heart, really trying to see, as she’d asked.

A glimmer formed, something there but not there, radiating out of her, then all along her skin. Suddenly, I was seeing her! Really seeing her, and I don’t mean some other version of her physical presence or whatever, but her life was before me, moments as a young teenager running from trouble, first learning how to use her powers and teleport, to the extent that she did. Then there was her with her first crush, a boy who looked very much like Prince Charming, or maybe it was one of the other princes, but he wasn’t giving her the time of day. Teenage Pucky crying, teenage Pucky in the gym punching the shit out of a punch bag until it burst, teenage Pucky with friends over the years. I recognized some of those friends from fairy tales, including Bo Peep, the Huntsman, and Little Miss Muffet—who happened to have spider eyes. Creepy.

“You’re seeing me,” she said, her voice carrying through his mind like a song.

“I am,” he replied. “Are you sure you want to show me—”

Suddenly my mind cut to her in a dark room, hand down her panties, as that’s all she was wearing, as she vigorously touched herself.

She laughed. “Relax, I’m only showing you what I want to show you. This…” The image changed just as younger-her reached climax, switching to her reclining with a cup of coffee, eyes closed as classical flute carried to me from somewhere… distant, in the memory I guessed, though I hadn’t heard any sound with the other memories.

Her smile felt different. Warmer.

The way her fingers found mine, more sensual. With a nod, she said, “You’re going places, Jack. I’m glad to be there with you.”

“Me too,” I replied, not really sure where to go with that, but knowing the moment didn’t allow for any joking or silliness.

“Ready?” Arthur’s voice said, and we turned to see him leaning up against a tree nearby, grinning.

I nodded.

Pucky gave me a kiss on the cheek and waved us off, then vanished back into the woods. I assumed to work on her own magic, or maybe just to think. How strange that she’d shown me such normal parts of her life, when I was certain there was so much more weird stuff she’d been through. What had happened was still beyond me, but while walking with Arthur I could sense a purity to the air I hadn’t noticed at first, even more than normal. With each step I was aware of my muscles, of the movement of the wind, and even of the magic flowing through me.

“Your team,” Arthur said, watching me as we walked, “they’re keepers.”

I laughed. “That’s the understatement of the year.”

He nodded. “I don’t know what I’d do without Nivian.”

“And… when she goes back? I mean, I assume she is going