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

a wicked claw strike that left my shirt torn and some cuts that Ebrill had to heal.

“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” I said, glad to feel that the water and pain had caused my boner to subside.

“What you’re ready for is a change of clothes and some rest,” Kordelia said with a laugh. “But… let’s see what you’re made of.”

I stepped into my best defensive stance. “Bring it.”

“Jericho,” Steph said, clearly trying to stifle a laugh. “You’re not going to be able to take her without magic.”

“But my magic would tear her up,” I replied.

“Fuck you.” Kordelia charged me, picking me up and slamming me into the far wall with a thud that knocked the wind out of me. “Do your worst.”

My eyes bugged, my lungs burning as I gasped for air. They couldn’t seriously want me to hit her with my magic, could they? She slammed me again, and this time it was instinctive—the Liahona appeared in my hand, the ice claw shooting out. It went for her arm but she released me, rolling back. As the Liahona formed into a glowing ball, my next attack came as a burst of those ice claws, shooting out at her and attacking from multiple directions with what looked like glowing chains connected to me.

She spun, knocking some aside with her wings while others hit her, covering her in sections with ice and scraping flesh in others. Her roar filled me with dread and I cancelled the spell.

Ebrill was there in a flash, hand to Kordelia’s head and green light pulsating between them. Kordelia’s wounds healed, the ice gone, and both looked at me with wide eyes.

“I—I’m sorry,” I said, hand gripping the Liahona tight.

“Don’t be,” Kordelia replied. “That was exactly what I wanted from you.”

“It was badass,” Steph added, nodding enthusiastically. “Even Aerona was impressed.”

Aerona nodded, stepping over to me, hand going to the Liahona. She ran her finger along it, then met my eyes. Apparently, she had realized how suggestive the situation was, and pulled her hand away as her golden cheeks turned rosy. I dismissed the ball.

“Again,” Aerona said. “Let’s see how it does against all of us.”

“It?” I shook my head. “Me.”

“Sure, okay.” She winked, stepped back, and then chanted a spell. Blasts of fire and striking light shot out at me, while Kordelia and Ebrill took the hint and leaped up, circling around me to follow up on the attack.

I had the Liahona again in an instant, parrying magic and shooting out a wall of ice, followed by yet another, then causing crackling electricity to leap from it with my elemental strike power. The electricity shot out and took Aerona in the chest to send her spiraling back, and then I turned to block a strike from a wraith knight.

“Not fair,” I said as six other wraith knights came at me, Kordelia and Ebrill along with them. Then again, it was pretty fair I realized as my magic energy surged. With a blast of energy, I sent them all back to the walls, where my magic held them in place.

“What now?” I shouted, playfully. Seeing that they weren’t looking amused at all at being frozen in place like that, I released the energy and then, awkwardly, the Liahona. The wraith knights faded.

Ebrill stretched her wings, glanced my way, and chuckled. “With that sort of power, I don’t think we’ll have much to worry about.”

“Never underestimate the enemy,” Aerona said.

104

Following the ass-whupping I had given my team, I would have thought they would be annoyed, or maybe timid. Instead, they were all eyeing me with curiosity or lust, depending on the lady. A bit of both, mostly.

“Maybe,” Steph started, but then shook her head. “Nah, it’s stupid.”

“What?” I asked.

“I was just thinking, wouldn’t it be cool if you could somehow use the Liahona without that awkward way you hold it?” She glanced around, noticing the remnants of a desk in the corner. “Like if you had it attached to a staff.”

“A true mage’s staff!” I exclaimed, loving the idea already. Kneeling beside the desk, I caused two legs to morph together and then twist until it looked like a proper staff, and this time when I summoned the Liahona, I made it so that the metal ball affixed to the end of the staff. The same amount of power surged through me, then a bit more.

“It’s helping you focus,” Aerona said, nodding at Steph with respect. “I should’ve thought of that.”

“It’s nothing,” Steph replied with a blush.

Wand waving, I created a circle of ice above my head, then let it burst out to slam into the walls like spears. This was going to be so epic. But for now, I released the Liahona, keeping the staff because it was fun to hold. Gave me a sense of mage-ness.

“That was… hot,” Kordelia admitted.

“We should rest,” Ebrill said, stepping close and then running her hand along my waist. “The enemy could fall into our trap at any minute.”

“I could watch,” Aerona said, then bit her lip, followed by a laugh. “I mean, keep watch. For the enemy.”

“You and Shisa,” Kordelia said.

My eyes snapped to Kordelia with a confused excitement. “You…?”

“You’ll join us?” Ebrill asked.

Steph eyed the large gargoyle, clearly as excited by the prospect of her joining as I was.

Kordelia tilted her head in consideration, then nodded. “It might be some effect from the magic, I don’t know. But… don’t try to talk me out of this. I’m ready.”

“No argument here,” Steph said, wrapping her arm through mine. “Should be… fun.”

“Fun,” Kordelia replied, eyeing the petite woman on my arm with a new hunger. “I want to watch him dominate you.”

Steph blinked, turned to me, and shrugged with a hint of a smile. I stood tall, not wanting to appear meek or any less of a man in front of Kordelia but having no idea what ‘dominating’ someone really meant. After a quick breath and knowing all eyes were on me, I cast my new staff to