Southwest Days (Semiautomatic Sorceress Book 2) by Kal Aaron (best book recommendations TXT) 📕

“I can do some crazy things with my body to get through tight spaces, but it’s tiring,” Antoine told her.

Lyssa nodded. “Same here.” She motioned down the tunnel. “Just don’t run out too far in front of me. These things aren’t super-fast, but they’re relentless. I’m not willing to bet you’re sensing bats.”

Antoine whistled and headed down the tunnel. He tapped his staff on the ground in a rhythmic beat.

“Let’s stay as quiet as we can when not talking about the mission,” Lyssa said. “We’re both using night vision, but these things can see in the dark, too. They’re also sensitive to sound. I’d rather decide when the fight starts.”

“Ah. My bad,” Antoine said.

They continued, the only sound the light scuffle of their boots and the occasional drip of water. Antoine pointed his staff along the way, but Lyssa didn’t need much help. He was leading her back to the hatchery and queen’s chamber, further removing the chances of a hidden bat colony she’d somehow missed.

She moved in front of him as they closed on the first chamber, the decaying bodies managing to smell even worse than the last time she’d been there. The only good news so far was she didn’t see any new monsters or eggs.

Lyssa swept the room with her guns, regretting not remembering to bring nose plugs. “Does that mask block out smells?”

Antoine chuckled. “Not in itself.” He made precise motions with the staff. “But now I’m not suffering.” He whistled at the sight of the dead queen. “You really can fight. Way to go, Torch. I would so be dead if I had come here.”

“You’re sensing the life from here?” Lyssa asked. She didn’t hear or see anything. “Are they in the tunnels?”

He pointed the staff toward the far wall of the queen’s chamber. “Beyond there. There are lots of living critters, and now that we’re closer, I can single out some big ones.”

“Big ones?” Lyssa groaned. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Like as big as the queen?”

“Around that size, yes.”

“Damn it.” Lyssa jogged toward the queen’s chamber and traced the edge of the water to have to avoid wading through the muck. “I wonder why they didn’t come out the first time. There’s got to be some sort of secret lever or activation sigil. That rogue bastard’s smarter than I thought.”

“You’re complaining because you didn’t have to fight more than one giant monster at the same time?” Antoine asked. “You’ve got issues, Hecate. Just saying.”

“He has a useful perspective,” Jofi said. “Depending on the concentration of lesser enemies on the other side, you could easily be overwhelmed. He has already expressed his lack of significant combat ability. Immediate pursuit of the enemy is not a wise course of action.”

Lyssa frowned. “We’re supposed to finish this, not postpone it.”

Antoine shrugged, not realizing she wasn’t talking to him. “I can do okay, and you’re a Torch, but if you felt what I felt, you wouldn’t be so eager for a meet and greet. There’s a lot of meat on the other side of that wall. That’s all I’m saying.”

“We can’t just let a huge monster horde continue to breed.” Lyssa kicked the wall. “It’s like the bastards set this up with different levels to convince people it was over and stall us.” She kicked the wall again. “Did Samuel tell you about what happened in the first fight?”

“He gave me the bullet points. I’m not saying you’re right, but if the Shadows sent in troops or cops, they might have gunned down some of the small ones and called it a day.” Antoine shoved a snake-roach over with his staff. “Now that we’re here, it’s like…” He shook his head, and a hint of wonder infiltrated his voice. “They’ve got a lot of monsters over there. From what I can feel and based on what I see, I think it’s a lot more than you fought before. You were damned lucky, Hecate.”

“This one is smart,” Jofi said. “Listen to him.”

Lyssa stomped toward Antoine. “All the more reason not to leave them. I was already worried about them attacking people. If there are even more, it’s only a matter of time before somebody else gets hurt.”

“I’m not saying we let them do what they want. I’m saying you should call in backup. I’m not trying to tell you how to do your job… Actually, yes, I’m trying to tell you how to do your job.” Antoine smiled. “Sometimes you just need a team.”

“Most of the nearby Torches are recovering,” Lyssa replied. “We’re running out of time. Halloween’s coming up. I’m not sure there’s a ritual involved, but we can’t ignore the possibility.”

“Then get ones who aren’t close. It’s not like I live in Arizona,” Antoine said. “Call in some friends even if they aren’t Torches. Elder Samuel has pull. It’s not like you’re asking people to help you move. I know you Torches like to do everything yourself, but I heard you cleared a big contract with help not all that long ago.”

“The use of the showstopper isn’t recommended in this environment,” Jofi said. “It risks severe structural damage to the cave system that might result in your death. Additional allies would be prudent.”

Lyssa hadn’t thought about using it since returning to the mine, but Jofi must have been thinking ahead. She hadn’t ended up needing it last time, but she’d come close while fighting the queen. His point was well-taken, as was the healer’s. His final comment had even pointed to a specific solution.

“Okay,” Lyssa said. She holstered her guns, confident Antoine would have sensed anything coming for them by now. “I’ve got at least one idea for help, but she’s not going to like having to wear shoes.”

“I’m a pro-shoe kind of guy,” Antoine replied, sounding confused.

“I’ll contact Samuel.” Lyssa headed toward the entrance to the hatchery. “It’s like you said. He’s taking this seriously, so it’s time to throw everything we’ve got at it.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Lyssa stared at her