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

form crouching like that, ass toward me… not the worst sight in the world. Hekate gave me a nod, but as we made for the ledge, Goldi took a step back.

“Maybe I take my chance with the gods,” she said.

“We don’t have time for this!” Hekate said, reaching.

“I can fly, but not… like that.” Goldi pulled back. “Go to hell. I’m not jumping.”

“Your bears are down there,” I reminded her, trying to hit that nerve that I knew would do the trick with me. “They’ll be waiting for you.”

She clenched her jaw, then ran and jumped, straight up to the ledge and over. We all went after her, me letting out an excited yell as the air took me. We passed by explosions and shots from the gods, past balcony’s with more of them and their confused faces and even Shades that were starting to charge, to jump after us.

Hekate signaled, and then made her portal directly below Goldi. A split second later, Goldi was gone. We all redirected to the portal, with me being the last. Only, as I passed through it something tugged at my foot and as I adjusted I saw a bright form of purple at my side, coming through with me. I had no idea what or who it was as the light took me, but knew I’d soon find out.

66

Emerging from the portal and into the main room of the mansion, I stumbled at the sight of Persephone on all fours, shaking her head clear. Apparently, she’d been what had latched onto me.

“Oh, shit,” Chris said, and I turned to see him and the others charging in. They formed a semi-circle around the room, with me, Elisa, Hekate, and the Golden Goose taking up the defensive and starting to move toward them.

“Anyone but her,” Sharon muttered, coming up alongside me and helping me stand. “Wh—what happened?”

“She grabbed hold, but Hekate—”

Hekate was holding her bloodied arm, but shook her head. “We can deal with me after… this.”

“You won’t be dealing with me,” Persephone said, finally pushing herself up to stand. She turned to take in her surroundings, then scoffed. “I should’ve known this would be the place. Ironic, isn’t it, that this would be the sight of the final showdown.”

“Fuck,” Elisa said. “Kill her!”

“It’s too late,” Persephone said, throwing her arms out to create a shield as attacks came from Red and Hekate simultaneously. “The signal has been sent. Ra and the others will descend on us in no time. And all for what?” She turned to the Golden Goose, scoffing. “Didn’t you tell them, you can’t make them more powerful?”

“It’s not for us,” Red said, who was now recovering from being knocked on her ass by Persephone’s shield.

“No?” Persephone’s eyes landed first on Elisa, then scanned again, slowly narrowing. “Her brothers, but…. There’s someone else, isn’t there?”

“You’ll find out soon enough,” Sekhmet said, and she stepped in with Bastet. Gods, was I glad to see them.

At the sight of the two, Persephone stepped back, shield faltering, and she seemed to be preparing to go on the offensive.

“What Persephone is slowly realizing,” Sekhmet continued, “is that she’s fucked. Isn’t that right?”

“The attack is coming,” Persephone protested. “I don’t have to win, just survive long enough until they get here. Then I’ll stand over your corpse and laugh.”

“Except that we won’t be here,” Elisa said.

Sekhmet chuckled. “One thing their kind never understood—a house is just an object. A valuable one in this case, but… it’s still just that, not worth protecting if it means any sort of added risk to anyone on our side.”

“What are you saying?”

“The portal,” Sekhmet said, nodding to Hekate. “Can you get us to a location if I focus on it?” At Hekate’s nod, she added, “Do it. All of us.”

Sekhmet then lunged for Persephone, Bastet coming around behind her so that when the attack came to fend her off, Bastet was moving in, too. Before she could get involved, though, the Golden Goose spun sweeping a wing out so that one of her feathers flew and brushed against Bastet.

In an instant, the cat was gone, the goddess Bastet stood in her place. Like her sister, she was feline from the neck up, though her gorgeous, nude body was much darker—almost as dark as it could get. Watching her move was paralyzing. At one moment she was amazed to be out of her cat form, the next she was returning to a solid fighting stance, breasts swaying with the movement. Her magic pushed Persephone forward and countered her spell. Sekhmet spun and grabbed her, thrusting her into Hekate’s new portal as we all went through.

We emerged on the side of a hill, tall eucalyptus trees surrounding us and a city visible in the distance. Also, I detected a movement of something like a shadow, but in the air.

“This is the spot,” Sekhmet said, pinning Persephone down with one hand, her other taking one of her layers of dress from her shoulders and tossing it to her sister.

“Thank you,” Bastet said. It was a regal expression, one directed at all of us, though her eyes finally landed on the Golden Goose, and she gave a nod.

“Well, Golden Goose,” Elisa said. “Are you ready?”

“Please, call me, Huera,” the Golden Goose replied.

Elisa nodded, and Huera stepped forward, ready to go through the portal. Taking my eyes from the now covered form of Bastet, who was openly eyeing me, making my staring very awkward, I first let them roam back over Huera, then quickly remembered myself and stared at the ground. Fuck, with all these beautiful women around, and especially when there was nudity involved, I might as well have gotten a blindfold.

Before anyone had a chance to comment, though, if they had noticed, Persephone roared, struggling to break free. She almost made it, lunging away from Sekhmet, when Sharon was there with a good kick in the face.

“You’re not winning this time,” Sharon said, and transformed into her large wolf form, leaping to tackle