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

stumble back as stone broke free, blue light shooting out as the gargoyle rose with a roar. Even as changed as she was, I recognized her instantly.

Yenifer.

The large, hugely muscular woman in her time was now more beast than woman, more terrifying than any of the others. I stood back, ready to watch her tear them to bits, ready for her to thank me and rejoice at joining the others.

Instead, she gave one more roar, looked at us with red, glowing eyes, and then charged out of there. Breaking through walls. Gone.

The two witches shared a confused look, but that didn’t last long. One shouted in surprise as Megha leaped onto her back, hands glowing as she reached into the witch’s head. But the other was fast and hit Megha with a blast of green, sending her falling to the floor, writhing.

I healed Megha, then cast an Ice Claw at the witch while Megha thrust up her hands from where she lay on the ground, pulling so that purple flowed from her attacker, draining the witch.

My attack took the other witch, cleaving her in two, but a moment later a creature on six feet plowed through another wall, followed by Kordelia. The two were grappling, Kordelia winning, and she looked up at me, shouting, “Go! Get her out of here!”

“Not without the rest of you.”

“We’ll be right behind.”

I hated it, but it was the mission. They were strong, capable. Megha was still recovering, her powers unknown to me. As quickly as the two had come, they were off again, and I was left with Megha and two dead witches.

There at my side, Megha was recovering. I tried to heal her again, but my power wouldn’t come.

“Let’s move,” I said, and this time we followed the path made by Yenifer. In part, I hoped to find her, to call to her for help. But there had been something in her eyes, a discouraging look that made me wonder if she was with us yet at all.

Two rooms in, and Megha was back with me, holding tight, eyes darting around. I held her close, trying to comfort her.

She’s coming. Riland sent us a mental warning, and I understood Megha’s reaction.

A moment later, a section of the ceiling imploded and Fatiha crashed in, following up with a series of attacks. Each one connected—magic strikes that left me yearning for death, screaming in agony.

But, Ebrill followed her down and immediately started casting her healing spells on me. Then the others followed, too. Shisa with his glorious shield, giving me a moment of respite, to think. In a blink of an eye, I was mentally capable. I could use my transmutation powers to finish the healing process.

Only, Fatiha was on me suddenly, hands on my face, fingers going to my eyes, and we were whisked out of there, the two of us suddenly in darkness. I could smell her, a scent that reminded me of the peaches and candle wax of Gertrude’s house. Even Shisa’s magic defenses hadn’t kept me safe from this witch who I had once thought to be Gertrude’s servant and dear friend.

“Welcome, boy,” Fatiha said, “to my special place. My happy place.”

Candles burst to life, showing runes I instantly recognized… Summoning runes! Fatiha stood back, hands spread, fingertips glowing as if pressed to a flame. Her eyes flickered in the candlelight, robes turning to flames that didn’t burn her.

“They wouldn’t have come just for me, but to have another go at you?” Her smile widened. “You can surely believe they would return for that.”

“Who would ‘they’ be?” I asked, mind reeling, trying to figure a way out of this. My energy was low, and even as I tried to sense the others, to connect and create an escape from this room, I felt the runes and even deeper magic pushing back. Cancelling out my magic power.

“Witness,” Fatiha said.

At that moment, the flames around her surged out, taking shape, and my mind cleared enough to give me the answer. She was bringing back Thiten. Only, there was more than one forming. I stumbled back, fell, then pushed back as flames burst out, the room completely ablaze and light from the candles forming patterns in the air—new, other forms of runes beyond my comprehension.

“Thiten and Thiton,” Fatiha said. “Sisters, equal in power and will. I present to you… your future.”

With that, they formed, two women of incredible beauty and power. Two goddesses, one with her net of glowing embers, the other with flowing hair of fire. Two of the Nine.

“We will take this offering,” Thiten said. “We as one. As Thitis.”

They stepped together, flames merging, burning, and creating one more powerful being. A being that was suddenly adorned in jewelry and robes of ruby red, rising, about to consume me.

My ice walls shot up as I sent my calling out. A tunnel—Shisa! Maybe the lion-dog was there, maybe not… but either way, his shield was around me, protecting me. Had I created it myself? I couldn’t know. All I knew was an urge to be gone from that place. So overwhelming was that urge that I actually felt my body start to leave, to teleport.

Only, something happened then that drew my attention back to the room.

The Eye of Balor—a necklace around Fatiha’s neck—was pulling at Thitis, taking purple power as I had seen Megha doing to the other witch. Absorbing this goddess, taking her into herself.

Thitis turned, screaming as flames shot out in every direction. “You dare betray your master?”

“I am the only master here,” Fatiha replied in a low muttering voice. “And I will have you all. All of the Nine. Upon that day, I will be unstoppable.”

With a final burst of purple, the light shot out around Thitis, engulfed her, and the flames went out as the energy shot back into Fatiha. She rose, laughing, body convulsing as the power surged through and became hers. The runes lit again, but they were different, glowing purple as did the Eye, and other