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

“Sure.”

My mind tried not to focus on the images I’d seen, of that army of fallen Drow. We made our way up to the roof because I wanted to look out at the city, to see the sunrise hitting the National Cathedral on one side, the hint of the Capitol we could just make out on the other. I walked along what was once a rooftop garden, stopping next to the statues of Kordelia and Ebrill. They both stood tall and proud, hands at their sides as they looked out at the city. I could almost imagine they had never woken at all, that their waking and my adventures with them had been a dream.

I was glad that wasn’t the case, though. No matter how bad it all got, I wouldn’t give up any of this for a second. Even the horrible dream place was leading me somewhere, I was sure of it. We had one of the Nine as our prisoner, an invitation to some event by Galahad himself, and a strange area with runes in the floor to explore.

That would be our next step, the runes, but first I turned to Steph and eyed her. Her outfit was now a more conservative skirt and blouse taken from my aunt’s collection, and the effect was that she looked less like the witch she was and more like a high-class member of society.

“You’re making me nervous,” she said with a laugh. “What?”

“Just… you’re gorgeous, you know that?”

A glance away, and I stepped up to her, taking her hand in mine. “When you broke free from the curse, you didn’t have to stay with me.”

“It’s weird,” she admitted, “how we met. Most people meet at a bar or online, maybe through friends. We met because I was under a curse meant to steal your power or to use your power to get access to the Liahona, I guess. Hell, the stories we’ll tell our—”

“Oh, shit.” I pursed my lips, glancing down. “Kids? Are you…?”

“Pregnant? Goddess, no!” She laughed. “I was going to say friends, but then started wondering what sort of friends we’d have or would be able to tell the truth to. But damn, the way you reacted!”

“I just—I was getting ready to start college, not have kids.”

“You can’t seriously think I’m ready.”

“No, I mean, I didn’t think about that.”

She shook her head. “Trust me, not anytime soon. But the way you keep sticking that thing around, who knows what’ll happen.”

I glanced over at the gargoyle statues, wondering. “Yeah, maybe we pick up some condoms when we’re out today?”

“Might be a good idea. Breakfast?”

“Please.”

We started heading out, and as we went I couldn’t help thinking about what she had said about friends. “So, if I start hanging out with a buddy, I mean, like meet a guy and we’re hitting it off—”

“You coming out to me?” she asked. “Nothing wrong with that if you want to try it.”

I laughed. “No, sorry. Not my thing. What I mean is, that whole friend thing. I wouldn’t be able to tell him about this, huh?”

“He’d either think you were crazy or end up getting involved. I’m not sure which would be worse.”

“Life is going to be a bit different going forward.”

I held up a hand and went off to use the bathroom, and soon we were on our way again, hitting up a corner spot with a killer breakfast burrito. Bacon and eggs for her, chorizo for me, and I had a horchata as well. It was bliss, and for a moment I could almost believe we lived a normal life, were just another couple waking up early for breakfast in D.C.

“Definitely Mt. Fuji,” she said, when I asked where she would go if all of these worries were gone and we could do whatever we wanted.

“Why?”

“I’ve always heard how magical it can be, climbing at night and getting to the top in time to watch the sunrise. Can you imagine?”

I frowned. “And Ebrill? The rest? I wonder if they’d even see the sunrise, or if they kind of fade out before that, you know?”

“Good question. Like you said, though, that’s if circumstances were different. Still, maybe we’ll find a way in that direction someday, find a nice little ryokan near Hakone lake, one with outdoor hot springs we can all enjoy,” she leaned in, “in privacy.”

“Sounds perfect,” I said, already imagining us out on a starlit night, the shoji-screen doors lit up behind us as we all made love. “Maybe…” I frowned, wondering how it would work. “I don’t know, but maybe there’s a way to create a similar atmosphere at the house?”

“As you get more powerful, there’s not a lot you won’t be able to do, I imagine.”

The slightly older woman to our left looked up from her laptop, stared at us, then returned to whatever she was working on with a smirk. Apparently, she had taken that in a manner not intended.

“Let’s get out of here,” I said, grabbing two coffees for the road.

We made our way to the corner, where we stood watching people walk past. Steph eyed them over her coffee, then noticed me looking at her. She grinned, took another sip and said, “You need to stop it.”

“Just can’t get over all of this,” I said.

She nodded. “I get it. Can you believe these people are going to school, work, whatever... without a clue about what really goes on all around them?”

“It’s crazy. And not long ago, I was one of these ignorant assholes.”

“Fuck you too, pal,” a man in a suit said, shoving past me. He bumped my shoulder, causing coffee to slosh out and nearly get on his suit. As he walked, he glanced back, glared and a car nearly hit him when he stepped into the street. That resulted in a new tirade aimed at the driver of the car, and left me arching an eyebrow at Steph.

“See, assholes.”

“What came first, the prick or the asshole?” She winked.

“You’re implying