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

He frowned. “Your best guess?”

“With the agents.”

Mowgli sighed, eyeing me for a moment, then Chris. He sighed again then, turning to the table and taking a seat. “Let’s think here, people. If she’s with the agents, an attack on them might be the right move, but that’s huge. We have to weigh each possibility.”

“Maybe we’re looking at the wrong Legend?” Pucky said. “Arthur, the Lady of the Lake…?”

I wanted to hear this, but honestly my bladder was about to explode, so I excused myself and went for the restroom. The downstairs one was occupied, so I made my way upstairs and took care of business.

When I came out, Red was there and gave me a sigh and shrug before going in. I walked over to the railing that overlooked the floor below, watching as the others continued to discuss their options and what going for the Lady in the Lake would do. They seemed to move on to other ideas, and a moment later Red joined me.

She motioned me to follow and we went to one of the outer patios instead, looking out over the ocean. The beach shimmered in the light, a low roar of waves carrying up and making me wonder if sleep would be a good idea—it felt so peaceful. The sun warmed my face, and I closed my eyes, simply enjoying it for a moment.

“It’s too bad we can’t stay here a while and take a vacation,” Red said, and I opened my eyes to see she was watching me, smiling. It was the first time I’d found myself alone with her in a while, and for some reason it felt awkward. She was frowning, staring at the wall while her tongue played with her lip piercing.

“Shouldn’t we be in there?”

She shook her head. “That won’t lead anywhere. It’s not so simple, that’s why I wanted to come out here. Let the fresh air open up my mind, help me think outside the box.”

I stood next to her in silence for a moment, thinking about what she’d said. But as the wind blew through my hair, my mind wandered to her and the way our relationship worked. It was strange that we hadn’t spent more time one on one, and that even when with the others, there was something different about her.

Finally it hit me why, and I turned to her, wondering how to ask this. “Red…?”

“Yeah?”

“You have something against me?”

She turned, surprised. “What?”

“I mean…” I shifted uncomfortably, cracking my neck. “Does something feel off here to you?”

“No.” Her frown deepened, and she looked genuinely offended.

“That’s not how I meant it.”

“How did you mean it then, Jack? Because it sounds like you’re saying you don’t feel a connection, or that—”

I stepped in, reaching first to see if she’d stop me, and then took her face in my hands and kissed her. She didn’t resist, but stared at me with wide eyes even as her tongue met mine. When I pulled back, she frowned, smiled, then frowned again.

“And what was that?” she asked.

“See, this is where I’m confused. There was passion, yes? A spark?”

She tried not to smile, but nodded.

“Okay, so then here’s the thing—before, don’t tell her I said anything…”

“Spit it out, Jack.”

“Right.” I glanced around, ensuring Pucky wasn’t there. “Well, I kinda heard you were more… open to sex than you’ve put on. So…?”

“That bitch,” Red said, flushing instantly and turning back the way we’d come.

“No, it’s not—”

“She told you I was slutty, didn’t she? Loose? Something like that?”

I racked my brain to come up with a lie, a way out of this, but nothing worked. “‘Biggest slut I know,’ were her exact words, I believe.”

“That bitch…”

“The point being,” I said, trying to bring the conversation back to where it was meant to be, “that doesn’t exactly add up with… us.”

Her angry glare turned my way, and she held it there a moment before saying, “Are you asking why I haven’t put out yet? Shit, man. How long have we known each other?”

“No, I don’t mean it like that. Of course, that makes sense. I’m only trying to understand—”

“Well stop, okay.” Red said, turning and glaring. “You want to know what… if I’ve slept with a lot of men? Here it is—of course! I’m hot, I’m a Myth, and I need to release steam sometimes after running from the fucking government agents or fighting Legends. So what’s the point?”

“That’s not what I wanted to know,” I countered, pulling my wrist away and glaring right back at her. “On the list of things I’d want to hear, that’s at the bottom. What I’d like to know is why not me? If all that’s true and you are so open with it all, well… it just doesn’t make sense.”

“Right.” She turned, took off her hood, and leaned over the railing, looking down at a cat running by. “The others fuck you because they care. I don’t fuck you because I care.”

“Huh?”

She reached a hand out to me, not even looking. When I took it, and stood next to her, she continued. “Those other guys were what I said—blowing off steam. I don’t want you to be just another one of them, you know? You… there’s a connection with you. “

“And the others?”

“What would it matter?” She scoffed. “You have other women.”

“Maybe it wouldn’t?” I said, though the words caught in my mouth. “Still… I’d like to know.”

She shook her head. “For one, I’m with you fighting jackasses all the damn time, how could I?”

“And for two?”

She smiled at me, but quickly looked away again, squeezing my hand. “I don’t want anyone else.”

It felt like a good moment to kiss her, and I was turning to make my move, when she suddenly straightened, her eyes following the cat.

“I’ve got it,” she exclaimed.

“What?”

“Our answer. Sekhmet.” She was already running back through the doors before I had the chance to ask what the hell she’d just said to me. I followed, and raced into the main room where