Stone-Cold Heart (Excerpt), Mythos Legacy Book Four

Chapter One, Part Two

After the moment passed, she went back to rescue Brianna from responsibility for the suitcase, and her former roommate followed her up the stairs. "Thanks, Kell. Not all of us can be über-tough Sarah Connor Terminator chicks."

Just the ones who had to be that way to live. Exercising to the point of exhaustion-pushing herself to be stronger, faster, better-was a healthier distraction from the memories than drowning herself in drugs or alcohol. Even that idiot of a counselor she used to see had said as much.

Brianna entered the apartment and whistled. "I think my dorm room was bigger than this."

A wall to the left of the door separated the small bathroom and closet from the main space and beyond that lay the alcove for the bed. Bedbugs or not, the queen-size mattress would be downright luxurious come bedtime. A mini-kitchenette filled the corner on their right, and a dresser sat along the back wall.

But the windows-the windows were what made the location great. As Brianna had noted, the center of the building inset at the fifth floor, so this unit was like a corner apartment, with two tall windows opening to the fire escape above the street and two more overlooking the roof of the lobby and common rooms. Despite its small size, it felt bright and airy, and that trait was virtually impossible to find at this price range.

"No kitchen? God, you're going to be eating those pre-packaged crap meals all the time now, aren't you?"

"Fridge, microwave, toaster oven. What more do you need?"

Brianna checked the view from each of the windows. "Well, you can't see the river from here, but you have this bonus square footage of the roof area." She opened the window facing the central roof and climbed out.

Raquel lunged to the window. "Wait, do you think that's safe? What if you fall through?"

"Kell, even though I weigh twice as much as you, that grotesque"-she pointed to the larger-than-human-sized stone sculpture in the middle of the roof-"weighs a ton more than I do. Trust me, if the roof can hold up his weight, you and I are fine."

Under her breath, Raquel grumbled, "You better not get me evicted before I even move in."

She followed Brianna out the window. The roof's surface was solid under her feet, and piles of cigarette butts in the inner corner where the inset met the rest of the building proved others had come out here and survived. It would be nice to have a place to stretch out and do her exercises without fear of smacking a wall or being stared at in a public gym.

A quick check of the surroundings reinforced her gut instinct. The building across the road was one story shorter, a sidewalk tree and a wall along the roof's edge mostly hid the location from street level, and the only other apartment overlooking the roof was the corner unit at the opposite end, but that resident had covered the windows with furniture.

For being in the middle of the city, the rooftop was surprisingly private and secure. The light color of the roofing surface reflected sunlight, and the elevation of several stories even caught a breeze, keeping the heat at bay.

"Wow, this thing is huge!" Brianna stood at the foot of the sculpture.

The gargoyle was taller than her former roomie, despite the fact that the creature was crouching. Horns protruded from the top of its head, and wings spread from its back, stretching about eight feet tall. Hopefully the beastly shape wouldn't star in her nightmares later. That was the last thing she needed.

The statue perched several feet back from the edge of the roof. She approached the monster and circled. Long, clawed toes gripped the edge of its low pedestal, and matching fingers curved around a shield held in front by its extended arms. Its face was frozen in a permanent snarl, displaying long canines, top and bottom. Yet other aspects of the creature were human looking, like its broad shoulders and six-pack abs.