Semiautomatic Sorceress Boxed Set One: includes: Southwest Nights, Southwest Days, and Southwest Truths

by Kal Aaron

  “No, you didn’t leave anything. Nice guns.”

  “I like them.” She smiled.

  “It’s stylish.” He smiled and extended a hand. “Luke.”

  “Lyssa.” She shook his hand. “Please don’t tell me this is the part where you give me tips on my shooting.”

  It had come out bitchier than intended. While she didn’t want to cause trouble, she didn’t need amateurs telling her how to shoot.

  Luke laughed. “I don’t think I can give you tips. Your control and accuracy are damned impressive.” His gaze lingered on her face for a moment. There was a hint of open admiration in his eyes. “You doing anything after this?”

  “I’m going home,” Lyssa replied. “Why?”

  Luke laughed. “I was wondering if you’d like to get a bite to eat.”

  He wasn’t bad looking, and he had a slicker vibe than the last man who’d hit on her. Nice shirt, nice slacks, nice shoes, but she had work and family to worry about, and she still wondered about possibilities with Damien. Not that they were going anywhere.

  Lyssa sighed. This would be awkward, but Luke was a big boy. It wouldn’t be that bad.

  “I’m not really in the market right now. Sorry. I don’t want to waste your time.”

  He snapped his fingers. “Damn. I didn’t even get to my B material, but I appreciate you saving me time.”

  “No problem.” Lyssa nodded at the door. “I should get going.”

  “Wait.” Luke’s smile returned. “That’s not why I stopped you, but it was worth a shot.” He winced. “No pun intended. Anyway, I was serious about your shooting. You do competition shooting?”

  “No.” Lyssa shook her head. “I’ve never been interested in competitions.”

  “You military or SWAT or something?” Luke sounded surprised. “Because that was competition-level skill.”

  “I’m just a woman who wants to make sure she can protect herself,” Lyssa said. “And I can’t do that if I can’t hit the target both quickly and accurately.”

  “Why the two guns?” Luke asked. “When I saw you had both of them, at first I was like, ‘Oh, it’s some woman who’s watched too many movies, but then I saw what you did to those targets. Is it, like, a luck thing with the two guns? You were alternating in the range.”

  That small choice might have saved her from being recognized. She’d been tempted to do some dual shooting. Since she planned to come to the range again, she’d have to keep that in mind for the future.

  Lyssa allowed herself a wry smile. “Something like that. I think a lot of weapons have a spirit to them, and I feel like these have a joint spirit. I don’t want to keep them too far apart.”

  “You are coming very close to telling him the truth,” Jofi said. “I advise caution.”

  Lyssa ignored the spirit. Some random guy in the range wasn’t going to figure out anything about her pet spirit and true identity from a comment like that. She hadn’t felt any sorcery other than the enchantments on her guns since leaving home.

  Sometimes it was nice not to have to lie. A future where regalia existed but didn’t double as a disguise would be nice.

  “Huh. Spirit of the gun? That’s deep.” Luke stared at one of her holsters. “It’s like martial arts for guns. The Way of Shooting. I could learn a lot from you. No wonder you’re so good.”

  “I think it’s less my attitude and more that I’ve been shooting almost half my life, fourteen years.” Lyssa patted her holsters. “It’s funny you mention martial arts. I grew up doing only martial arts at first. I was kind of following in the family's footsteps, but then I got my hands on a gun, and I fell in love with it. I didn’t neglect my other training, but I threw myself into guns, too. Always nice to have tactical options. You never know what’s going to happen out there.”

  “A woman who can kill me fifteen different ways. Nice.” Luke whistled. “And I know what you mean. A woman’s got to protect herself. But wow, fourteen years? I’ve only been shooting for about five.” He smiled. “You have to forgive me for hitting on you earlier. Seriously, that wasn’t really why I approached you.” He chuckled nervously. “It’s not that you’re not attractive, but I saw the double holster and realized you were on lane four, and I had to talk to you. I didn’t get a good look at you before, but I need you.”

  “Need me?” Lyssa frowned. “Look, Luke, I’m flattered, but I thought we already went over this—”

  “I need you for my team,” Luke sputtered. “I’m the captain of a regional pistol team. We’re one of the better ones, but if you were on our team, we could crush the competition. You’d come out of nowhere. You could end up a major player. We could probably compete on a national level.”

  “Oh,” Lyssa replied. “You want me to join your team? That’s it?”

  “Exactly.”

  She wasn’t sure if she was relieved or insulted. That didn’t change her answer.

  “Again, I’m flattered, but I can’t.” Lyssa shook her head. “I’m not much of a joiner. I’ve got a lot on my schedule, and I have an unpredictable lifestyle.”

  “Fair enough,” Luke said. “I’m not going to pester you about it, but I’m not blowing smoke up your ass about how good you are. I’m always on the lookout for new talent for the team, and the last couple of times I spotted someone as good as you, they were already on other teams. We can be flexible about your schedule if that’s your main problem.”

  Lyssa inclined her head toward the door. “I’m not saying I’ll never join, but it’s not something that’s going to happen for a few months while I get some things cleared up. I will be hitting this range more often, though.” She patted one of the pistols. “These guys deserve it.”

  “I’ll see you around then,” Luke replied with a broad smile. “Maybe you’ll change your mind.”

  “Maybe I will. It’s not a crazy offer.” Lyssa headed out the door toward her bike.

  Luke waved at her before heading over to talk to the man behind the main counter. He was smiling, to Lyssa’s relief.

  “That wasn’t so bad,” she said.

  “A shooting competition would be less satisfying than my use in battle,” Jofi said. “But I wouldn’t mind such an activity. It’s preferable to remaining at your home while you watch television.”

  “Ouch.” Lyssa laughed. “Way to hit me in the heart.”

  It wouldn’t hurt Lyssa to integrate better into the community. She had no idea how long the search for her brother would take and what would happen at the end. Tricia’s dream of a normal life for her wasn’t crazy. A hobby related to her Torch training was tempting and wouldn’t be a bad choice.

  “We’ll see what happens,” Lyssa said. “It doesn’t hurt to keep my options open for the future. Just because I was mostly a loner in California doesn’t mean I have to be one here.”

  Lyssa’s phone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket and frowned at the unknown number. Unlike the average person, she couldn’t risk ignoring calls. She let it ring as she continued toward her bike, then answered, “Hello?”

  A faint click sounded in the background. A computerized woman’s voice came next, reading off a sequence of numbers Lyssa had been forced to memorize a week before, along with her numeric code.

  Lyssa leaned against her bike. She looked around to confirm no one was close before offering the counter-code and saying, “I didn’t know you were so eager to use the new system, Damien.”

  “I’m doing this out of an abundance of caution,” he replied. “A secure line was necessary.”

  “Why? Is there some sort of special trouble?”

  “Yes and no.”

  Lyssa scoffed. “That’s clear. You’ve been taking lessons from Samuel. Thanks for that.” She took a deep breath. “It this one of those ‘One of these guards always tells the truth, and the other always lies’ things?”

  “You got angry when I showed up at your place, so I figured I’d do things differently and see how it works out,” Damien said. “We need to talk,
and you’re ready to work, right? That’s what I’ve heard.”

  Lyssa’s breath caught. “I am. Definitely! What’s the job? It doesn’t sound like an emergency, but I can start today if you need me.”

  “It’s time-sensitive, but there’s no active threat at this exact moment. I need you to come to the EAA Field Office in Phoenix. I’ll explain everything then. Remember, we’re in a fed building sharing with other agencies, so it’s best if you come as Hecate. I’d like to meet today, and it sounds like you’re ready to go.

  “Does Samuel know?” Lyssa asked. It was pointless to go to the EAA with an Elder opposing her.

  “I’ve already contacted him,” Damien replied. “He confirmed your availability and eagerness.”

  “Then I’ll see you soon.”

  Lyssa grinned. Forget sorcery. Bitching had real power.

  Chapter Seven

  Lyssa strode into the federal building in full regalia, complete with a shadowy aura that stood out in the Arizona sun. The crowd of suited men and women returning in the lobby from lunch parted as she stepped through, murmuring and pointing at her. A couple took pictures. She remained silent and walked toward the security checkpoint, where Damien waited behind the metal detector.

  Two white-uniformed security guards frowned and looked at the EAA agent, their hands on their guns. She bit her tongue to stop herself from making a snarky remark.

  Damien shook his head at the guards. They stepped back. He motioned for Lyssa to go through the metal detector.

  She wasn’t sure how she felt about their fear. Criminals and rogues needed to fear her, not random office workers, but a dangerous reputation never hurt someone like her. Whatever encouraged people not to shoot her was a good thing.

  “Thanks for coming on such short notice, Hecate,” Damien said.

  “I assume it’s important,” she replied, making her voice even lower than her regalia’s normal ragged offering. Nothing wrong with adding to her reputation.

  She stepped through the metal detector. It beeped, but the security guards did nothing. They’d not taken their hands off their guns, but with her regalia and vest on, they wouldn’t be able to down her before she disarmed them on the off-chance they decided to be morons.

  “Yes.” Damien nodded toward an elevator and headed that way. “We’ll talk in my office.”

  As she followed Damien, Lyssa flared the bottom of her coat for dramatic effect. More people began filming her. She snickered quietly and joined him in the elevator before the doors closed with a ding.

  He pressed a button and frowned. “I set this up for you, but I’d strongly prefer if we met at your place. I can dress down and not use a government vehicle. People will just think I’m your handsome boyfriend.”

  “I bet you’d like that,” Lyssa replied. “What’s wrong with meeting an EAA agent in the EAA field office? Doesn’t that make things easier for you? It’s not like everybody doesn’t know what you people do.”

  “Come on, Hecate.” Faint exasperation crept into his voice. “You strolled into a federal building in full regalia and spooked a bunch of people. You have to see that this could be inconvenient for me.”

  “You’re saying I make people nervous?” Lyssa asked, trying not to laugh.

  “Yes,” Damien said with a nod. “Exactly that. You’re not exactly the cuddliest Sorceress out there.”

  “A Torch wouldn’t be a good Torch if they were cuddly.”

  “You know what I mean.”

  “They don’t even know me. They should see my favorite t-shirts.” Lyssa kept her arms at her sides, though something about that felt unnatural in the small space. She wasn’t claustrophobic, but she liked to have room to move.

  The elevator door opened, and they stepped out. Damien led her down the wide hallways to a dark wooden door with a simple black sign reading, US Extraordinary Affairs Agency, Phoenix Field Office. He opened the door. There were three cramped desks with computers and phones, but no one inside.

  Lyssa closed the door behind her and looked around. “They didn’t seriously send you here by yourself, did they? That’d be a dick move even for the government.”

  She was not used to dealing with a huge number of agents. The EAA preferred to dedicate an agent as the handler for an Illuminated on a one-to-one ratio, with other agents and staff providing support, but she’d never seen a field office with only one agent.

  Damien chuckled and took a seat at his desk. There wasn’t much decoration unless she counted the nameplate that read Agent Damien Riley. Now that she looked around, she noticed other nameplates. A little observation would have answered her question.

  “Everyone else is at lunch,” Damien began, “but it’s like I’m always complaining about. The EAA is supposed to manage all you sorcery types with a tiny budget and staff.”

  Lyssa grabbed a chair from behind the desk belonging to Agent Rick Thompson. “You guys outsource all the hard work to us.”

  Damien frowned. “Thanks for that. I appreciate the respect.”

  “Oh, don’t get all huffy. You’re a big boy.” Lyssa scoffed. “No one trusts us, so you’re there to keep us on a leash, but we’re the ones who hunt down our own. It’s just the way things are. I don’t know if I’d set up a different system.” She waved a hand. “Forget it. I didn’t come here for my Bitch of the Year competition entry, which I already earned anyway. I came because you needed me. Before we talk, I want to confirm something.”

  “Okay, what?” Damien asked, his face relaxing.

  “I’m curious if you guys are keeping the same procedure the EAA had before concerning contract approval,” Lyssa said. “I never thought to ask when I moved here.”

  “Is that important?” Damien looked confused.

  “It depends,” Lyssa said. “The previous primary agent assigned to me never talked to Samuel directly. At least that’s what he told me, and Samuel never gave any indication that he was lying.”

  “Oh. That.” Damien nodded. “I haven’t talked to him directly either. I call a number and lay out the information, and somebody else calls me back. That a problem? I always figured the Elders don’t like talking with Shadows.”

  “No, it’s not a problem.” Lyssa shook her head. “I wanted to make sure Samuel wasn’t messing with me, and I’m eager to get back to work, but I also needed to make sure everything is working like it did before. Don’t be offended, though. I think in Samuel’s case, it has a lot more to do with him being a fossil who can barely stand to use a cell phone. It’s like it’s an insult to everything he believes in to acknowledge technology can be as impressive as sorcery.”

  Damien laughed. “Okay, that makes sense. And I’m not offended. I’d rather talk to my field equivalent anyway.” An uneasy expression settled on his face. “I want to make one thing clear.”

  “Go ahead.” Lyssa folded her arms. “Short of trying to shoot me or dissing Kawatsu-chan, I doubt you’re going to offend me. It’s been that kind of week already.”

  “We didn’t reach out to you for any contracts in the last month because Samuel specifically told us you weren’t available,” Damien said. “I’ve been suggesting for a while that we should get you back into the field. I think it looks bad when not every Torch is working. We don’t want people to think we have a shortage and get ideas that they can pull crap.”

  “I know. I don’t blame you. I don’t even blame him. Things happened, and everyone was trying to do the right thing.” Lyssa nodded. “I care more about what’s going on now than the past. You said you have a job for me, and I want to get out there and vent my stress on whatever idiots were dumb enough to get the government to look my way.”

  Damien nodded. “Sure. You’re right.” He took a deep breath. “Here’s the deal. We’ve got a situation, a nice local one in Arizona. By the way, I don’t want to get in the middle of Society politics, but I got the feeling Samuel didn’t want you doing this either, but he had no choice. It’s just the way his response was quoted back to me.
It’s not anything I can put my finger on.”

  “I’ve been loudly insisting,” Lyssa noted. She didn’t care if Damien knew how annoyed she was about being benched. “He might have run out of excuses.”

  “I don’t know if you have your ear to the ground,” Damien replied, “but the other nearby Torches need some time to recover from their most recent contracts. It’s exactly what you were worried about—a personnel shortage.”

  Lyssa nodded. “Then everyone’s a winner here except the criminals. What’s the job?”

  “Simple recon.” Damien’s casual words didn’t match the seriousness of his tone.

  “Simple recon can turn complicated, depending on what I’m looking for,” Lyssa replied, leaning forward. “Make sure you’re not leaving anything out. I don’t want any mysterious shard ambushes.”

  “I was getting to the rest of it,” Damien said, “it’s recon and a potential monster hunt follow-up.”

  “Monsters?” Lyssa snorted. “I’m guessing these monsters aren’t something that has been around for a while and just stayed under the radar.”

  Damien shook his head. “We don’t know a lot of the details, but we have strong indications of sorcery-enhanced creatures on the loose in southern Arizona. We’re coordinating with the Mexican government since the location in question is close to the border, but they’re not having any trouble on their side. They’re leaving it up to us, though they’re stepping up their patrols in case something big and hungry sneaks across. Cross-border incidents can get messy.”

  “Monsters don’t pop out of nowhere, no matter what Shadows think,” Lyssa said. “If you’re finding monsters, a Sorcerer is making them. That means we have another rogue to deal with.” She rubbed her hands together. “I could use another high-profile case.”

  Damien didn’t need to know about her attempts to get back to Last Remnant. She saw no reason to hide her enthusiasm.

  He nodded with a grave expression. “I’ve expressed the concern about another potential rogue to Samuel. He’s made it clear the Society will not send an Eclipse without the explicit identification of the Sorcerer responsible for the monsters. Until then, the Society feels it’s a job for a Torch. The EAA will be authorizing bonus pay because the job could go sideways.”