Southwest Days (Semiautomatic Sorceress Book 2) Kal Aaron (read along books txt) 📖

expected different possibilities, but not a Sorcerer showing up in full regalia. He didn’t have a weapon, and he didn’t seem to be in a hurry. That took guts, arrogance, or both.

“Stop right there,” Lyssa shouted, her hands on her guns and ready to draw. “Identify yourself.”

The plague doctor laughed and offered a merry wave that didn’t fit the image of his outfit. Lyssa didn’t move her hands from her holsters. He might not be able to pull off a spell instantly, but she didn’t trust the vials. She’d seen a lot of deadly potions in her Torch career. Some were terrifying weapons.

He raised his hands above his head. “The Shadows know me as the Plague Doctor, but I bear the Challenged Healer regalia. Greetings, Hecate, and please don’t shoot me. It hurts.”

Lyssa drew her guns and aimed at him. She crept toward him, ready for him to make a move. “I’ve been looking for someone who can make monsters. A Sorcerer in a plague doctor-looking regalia fits the bill. You have to understand my suspicion.”

“But I don’t make monsters.” The Plague Doctor kept his hands up. He didn’t look at the deputies. Once Lyssa was less than a yard away from him, he whispered, “I’m Antoine Keller. Elder Samuel sent me to help you out.”

She narrowed her eyes. She’d heard the name but didn’t know much about the man other than he had a life essence and spent most of his time in the Seattle area. Fortunately, Samuel had provided the final key she needed.

“Angel,” Lyssa whispered.

“Lighthouse,” he replied.

Lyssa holstered her guns. “This would have been less tense if Samuel had explained he was sending backup. I thought I was getting some shards dropped off.”

The deputies murmured to one another before getting back into their car. They looked annoyed at having to deal with both a skull-faced witch and a plague doctor, not the most attractive pair.

Antoine chuckled. “Sorry to spook you. I forget how touchy you Torches can be. Not that I blame you. If I was getting shot at all day, I’d be pretty jumpy, too.”

Lyssa frowned. “That’s right. You’re not a Torch. Why are you here, then? This is a monster hunt, a bug-splattering, cover-the-walls-with-viscera kill-fest.”

Antoine reached into the backseat of his car and pulled out a wooden quarterstaff with a silver snake entwined around it, a Rod of Asclepius. Holding it with one hand, he rested the bottom of the staff on the ground. “Elder Samuel thought you’d need someone with my skills and sorcery specialties.”

“Are you any good in a fight?” Lyssa asked.

“Not really,” Antonine replied cheerfully. “I’ll need you to take care of me, but as long as I’m not dead, I can bring you back from the edge of death.”

“I’ve got healing herbs, among other things,” Lyssa replied. “What else you got?”

“Ever try taking an herb when your arm is ripped off?”

“Almost, but I see your point.”

Antoine lifted his and twirled his staff with both hands. “Healing’s nice, but that’s not why I’m here. Elder Samuel told me you weren’t sure you had cleared everything out. He figured it’d be real nice if you had someone along who could sense living things even through walls.”

“Oh. That makes sense.” Lyssa nodded. “I crawled all over the mine, including into holes most people can’t fit through, but during my first inspection, I didn’t find a huge monster until she bashed through the wall.” She shrugged. “I’m grateful you’re here, but I’m surprised he pulled you into this kind of job.”

Antoine pointed his staff at the mine. “That means he’s taking this seriously. Is me helping you going to be a problem?”

“Why would it be a problem?” Lyssa asked. “You’re a lot better than a shard.”

“I’ve heard you’re a bit of a loner,” Antoine said. “I’m not here to pretend to be a Torch or steal your thunder. I’m here to track down the monsters and lead you to them to finish them off or verify you already cleared them out. I need you to do all the heavy killing, but it’s not like I’m going to fall and break my ankle in there. I might not be a Torch, but I’m still a Sorcerer, and I have my pride.”

“That works, and I’m glad you’re on board for my kill-fest.” Lyssa patted her pockets. “I’m loaded and ready to finish off anything else we find in there.” She drew her guns and turned to the mine entrance. “There’s no light in the mine. Are you going to be okay? I can see in the dark thanks to the Night Goddess.”

Antoine raised his staff and chanted in Latin. A faint pulse of sorcery followed.

“Now I can, too,” he replied. He pointed the tip of his staff at his mask. “I’ve changed my eyes temporarily.”

“Good. Let’s go find some monsters. Or better yet, let’s not find some.”

Five minutes into the mine, Antonine whistled. “There are all sorts of critters down here. It’s funny when you realize how much life there is underground. It’s enough to make a man think.”

“Critters as in bugs or as in monsters?” Lyssa asked. “The snake-roaches—”

“Snake-roaches?” Antonine laughed. “This is why Torches shouldn’t name things. You people are always too serious. There’s no pizzazz in that name.”

“Forget my naming ability.” Lyssa snorted. “The smallest ones are about the size of a dog, and they get larger than that. I figure there can’t be anything natural in this mine that’s that big. Are those still around?”

“I can’t tell the size of things unless I’m pretty close,” Antoine replied. “But I can tell you there are a lot of living things still in this mine, and they are clustered pretty close together. It’s way too much to just be bugs. You run into any bats in here before?”

Lyssa shook her head. “I didn’t.”

“Bats are fun.” He pointed down a tunnel. “That way.”

“That’s the general direction where I fought the monsters the last time.” Lyssa nodded. “At least we’re not going to have to