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

guess, a voice said, “That’s the Evening Star on the right.” A moment later, Maleficent was there at my side, materializing next to me with a flash of purple and fairies darting about her. “I’ll take her.”

That left the Morning Star and the Midnight Star. Cool, I could try for two ancient goddesses. Why not?

“Good to see you,” I said to the queen of fairies, pushing energy into my sword and preparing for the charge.

She nodded, then pointed to my left. Crows were coming together in that spot, a moment later forming into Toewi.

“The one on the left?” Toewi asked with a wink.

Both of my new friends flew forward in bursts of darkness and color, but I had to rely on my feet to charge. Roar joined me, and I leaped up onto his back so that when I met the Morning Star in a clash of swords, it was leaping from Roar’s back and striking as I fell. She parried the blow with a flash of light that left me seeing spots, but my lion attacked her from the other side and gave me time to recover.

Remembering that I had my illusion skill now, I pushed it out so that it seemed there was three more of me crouching there. She struck, blade gleaming as it cut through the watery mist of my illusion, leaving her open for my strike. My blade slid along her arm, cutting a thin line along her cheek.

She was fast, but silver blood dripped down to her jaw, telling me she wasn’t invincible.

“Who the fuck do you think you are?” she said, touching the blood, eyeing it, and then flicking it aside. Interestingly, it never touched the ground, instead floating off and becoming one with the air.

“Just Jack,” I said with a grin, and attacked again.

This time her confidence was down, a fact made even more true by her buddy yelping in pain as Maleficent broke the goddess’s arm. When I came in for a strike, she flinched and I faked with the sword to, instead, catch her with sweep of the legs that sent her to the ground. She flew out of the way of my sword as I brought it down, as if space had moved her on its own, but Roar was on it, darting left and coming back in to maul her as Toewi cast a spell that hit her goddess and mine with black roots from the ground, holding them in place.

Mine screamed as Roar did his thing, and then I came in for the final swing.

Head removed, she didn’t seem so badass anymore. Toewi had pulled two short, curved daggers from her belt and quickly ended hers as well. Morning Star and Midnight Star were both gone, their ichor flowing into us—one each.

“Sorry, was I supposed to give you that?” Toewi asked.

I laughed, dodging out of the way as the Evening Star’s arm went flying by. “No, I don’t know why my team always does. They need it too, I should think.”

She nodded. “Next time, just let me know.”

We both turned to help Hekate, but she was standing with both hands in the goddess’s chest, silver blood washing over her, taking on her form. I shrugged, figuring it was done, but Toewi cursed and charged in.

I was confused, but when Toewi grabbed Hekate and there was no reaction, I realized that silver blood must’ve had some power of its own. Toewi had both hands on Hekate, then, but seemed to be losing her focus as well, eyes going distant.

Without a clue of what to do here, I saw Arthur land nearby with his blade of light cutting a god in half, then spinning to cut through two more.

“Arthur!” I shouted, and a moment later he was at my side, Nivian following closely.

“This isn’t good,” he said, but turned to me. “Together, okay?”

“I…” Images of that silver blood taking over me, moving into me and filling every orifice tore through my mind. But what could I do? I nodded, reaching out with him.

“Focus on your Tempest abilities,” he said. “And on me.”

We laid hands on them and I felt like the damn Brer Rabbit with the tar, even feeling the silver enter me. It was too strong, even with my focus on Arthur and our connection to the elements. My energy was being sucked out, any connection with who I was.

Except, I still had unused ichor, and Roar was nearby. Focusing on that, I channeled myself into him, helping to break the bond the silver had on us. There it was like I was sitting on Roar’s back, and Arthur was suddenly with me, and we were staring at the goddess with darkness and discs floating all around, as if the three of us were in space. She turned her attention to us, and I was about to attack but for a hand held up from Arthur.

“This one’s not physical, friend,” he said.

Understanding, I focused more of my energy into the link and our powers, and as she started to scream, to break apart, the link broke in a flash of silver. Thrust out of this other plane, we all fell to the ground, all but Maleficent and the goddess.

The difference though, was that now Maleficent was herself again. She chanted, runes appearing around her forearms, silver receding. A moment later, the goddess exploded into nothing, leaving only the ichor behind.

She waved it toward me, collapsing to one knee. But I waved it back to her, pushing it in as I helped her to stand. “You need it more.”

“You…” She shook her head, then smiled. “I might have underestimated you.”

Toewi was looking at me with awe, too. “We’d be goners if not for you.”

“And Arthur, and Roar,” I said.

“You named your lion, your spirit animal… Roar?” Toewi laughed, then threw her arms around me. “You’re weird, but… thank you.”

All around us the fighting continued, and we could see the agents and military fighting the enemy in the distance, Chris