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

the goddess, both rolling down the hill to slam into a tree. As the rest of us started to react, Sharon shouted, “She’s mine!”

And we all backed off, though my hand didn’t leave Excalibur. If there was even a chance Sharon would get critically hurt in this fight, I planned on intervening before that happened—her request be damned.

The two circled, Persephone doing her own transformation now. One moment she was a tall, slender woman, the next swirling black smoke took her leaving a demonic being in her place. She still had a womanly feel to her, but was twice as tall, with purple and blue flames coming from her eyes and hands, shadow forming black armor and long claws. They met in a blast of energy and raw power, neither falling back but the rest of us being pushed away, having to throw up shields and defenses to keep from being harmed.

A side of Sharon I’d never seen was coming out, and it was much more than simply being the large wolf I knew she could be. When her attacks hit, it was with a force of shadow magic, a blast that exploded on impact. Each hit served as a reminder that Persephone and the other so-called gods were indeed nothing more than very powerful fairy tales. That, or Sharon was more godly than we expected, because she was kicking the other woman’s ass.

Blood sprayed when Sharon tore out a chunk of Persephone’s bicep, but then the weirdest thing happened—the blood flowed back into the woman. Triggered, the goddess’s eyes lit up and the fire struck Sharon, so that the wolf fell back, whimpering and rolling.

“Enough,” I growled, charging forward.

Red caught me, shaking her head and pointing. Sure enough, Sharon was back up and on Persephone, the flames turning a dark, almost purple shade. The Big Bad Wolf looked like a hell hound, and now the flames actually seemed to be hurting the goddess.

I stepped back, lowering my sword and watching with amazement. Persephone started darting about in jolting teleportation spells, it seemed, but she couldn’t shake Sharon off. At last she reached out and summoned a sort of fiery spear, which she managed to use to whack the wolf aside. She held it high and charged, but just before contact Sharon returned to human form and rolled out of the way, then turned back into a wolf as she lunged, catching the demon goddess by the arm and, this time, tearing it completely off.

“Your wolf’s a badass,” Chris said at my side.

I grinned, then gave him a nod. “All of these ladies are.”

“Fucking right,” he said, holding out a fist for me to pound while Sharon tore into Persephone, teeth ripping flesh, and blood spraying everywhere. Fuck it, I pounded his fist again with a chuckle. As gruesome as the sight was, I felt relieved to see the so-called goddess bled like the rest of us.

Finally, Persephone went limp and Sharon had her jaws open around the woman’s head when Red shouted, “That’s enough!”

Sharon turned on her, snarling.

Red took a step toward them, careful not to slip on the hillside. Hand out, she said, “Sharon, you do this, there’s no coming back. Remember, you’re on the side of right now.”

“Come on,” Pucky interjected, holding out a hand. “Get back over here, we’ll take care of the rest.”

Sharon still didn’t look convinced, long teeth exposed and saliva dripping down onto the tattered goddess. After a moment of this, though, her eyes met mine. I nodded, offering a smile.

That’s all it took, apparently, to tip the scales. A moment later she was walking toward me with clothes hanging, torn from her transformation, blood along her chin. It was disturbing… and kind of hot.

Meanwhile, Sekhmet and Bastet moved in, working their magic to bind the goddess.

“Hurry,” Red said, ushering us on. “We’ll keep her in check.”

Elisa nodded, motioning me to come along, the Golden Goose in tow, and a moment later we were crossing into the shadow to go back to the Fae world.

As soon as we were through, one of Elisa’s brothers was signaling the others. They sprung up from their camp, Arthur, Nivian, and a moment later the fairy queen with them.

Eyes moving to Huera, all stared in awe.

“This is… her?” Elisa’s oldest brother asked.

Huera nodded, giving them a bow.

“We can find clothes,” Arthur said, looking around as if he expected to spot extras right there.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Huera said, and laughed. “I have no use for such frivolities. Now, who here is in need of my services?”

“All of us,” Arthur said.

“And… quicker is better,” Elisa noted, glancing back at the portal.

Huera stepped up to Arthur first, holding out her wing. “A fresh feather, given by me. It contains the magic.”

“Not the eggs?” I asked.

She turned to frown at me, and laughed. “Oh, gods no. Those contain a different magic altogether.”

“I have to pluck a feather?” Arthur asked.

She nodded. “If you were to take one without permission, or try, anyway, your hand would become stuck to me, and anyone who tried to help you, stuck to you. It’s a messy and complicated affair, but one we don’t have to worry about here. I only have a limited number until they have to grow back,

“What about the snakes and leaves thing, like before?” I asked.

Arthur shook his head as he selected a feather. “This isn’t the same—that has to deal with bringing people back from the dead, in a sense. Here, we’re spirits without bodies, mostly.” As the feather came loose, gold light flowed from it, circling him with tiny specks like dust reflecting in the sun but so much brighter. It then flowed into him, and he was no longer glowing blue and semi-translucent, but complete with a real body, a slight golden glow to his skin.

Nivian embraced him, the two kissing while Huera stepped towards Elisa’s brothers next. Two of them went through the same routine before Red appeared in the portal.

“It’s time. We have company.”

Arthur glanced back at