Southwest Truths (Semiautomatic Sorceress Book 3) by Kal Aaron (the red fox clan .txt) 📗

or there’s a good chance your investigation will lead to him. I now have to assume my brother is dead, which means I need to get some revenge.”

“Revenge is pointless,” Tristan replied, sounding disappointed.

Lyssa scoffed. “Now you’re worried about me killing people?”

“I don’t mind if you kill people, but I think you should do it for the right reasons. I kill because some of our kind have forgotten their limits and seek to corrupt the Society and the greater world, not for a motive as short-sighted as revenge.”

“If you’re right, the person I want to kill is doing those things, so we don’t have to agree to disagree.” Lyssa patted her jacket over one of her holsters. “We can both want to take someone down for different reasons and leave the world a better place. Win-win, right?”

Tristan nodded. “I don’t have time to coddle you about your brother’s death, so I will get straight to the point. Our plan is already working, so something might happen soon.”

Lyssa asked, “Meaning what? What exactly is ‘something?’” She looked around, but the few people she spotted in the distance were having a picnic and not looking her way. “Someone’s following me? You spotted them, or one of your little pet spirits did?”

“I don’t know if they followed you here or they were already here.” Tristan motioned to the Heart. “Or they came from there.”

“Would you care to be a little less cryptic?” Lyssa asked. “I don’t mind being bait, but my life is on the line here. Did you see someone or not? I don’t know what’s happened other than I came here and all but confirmed my brother is dead. All I have to cling to is that it might have something to do with a mysterious conspiracy you claim exists and involves spirit magic. I’m not in the mood to be screwed with, even by the world’s most dangerous Eclipse.”

“Someone attempted to smuggle a spying shard into your room,” Tristan said. “Not the servant girl. I only know that because I was tracking her with a spirit at the time. I sensed sorcery from your room and was curious. I gained entry and found the shard with the help of another spirit.”

“Where is the shard now?” Lyssa asked. “We might be able to make someone nervous by asking about it.”

“It’s deep in the water now,” Tristan replied, not sounding apologetic.

Lyssa groaned. “Come on! I know you’re an assassin, not a detective, but we could have used that.”

“The people we’re tracking aren’t going to panic because I found one shard,” Tristan said. “And given where we are, you can’t take the risk of letting any unknown shards be around you. I was only able to determine part of what the shard was doing. It could also have been a bomb.”

“Fine. Someone wants to spy on me. Okay. That makes sense, but that’s not a huge deal yet. Are we worried they now know you’re working with me?”

“I took measures, but you’re right. It’s not impossible they now know. That might make them more cautious, but it also might make them act rashly. I wanted you as an initial distraction, but I have no problem making it clear why I’m here.”

Lyssa inclined her head toward a marble street in the distance. “No one’s tried to kill me yet or even take a poke at me. I figured last night was the best opportunity. I was exhausted from the trip and not at my best. I set up a few defensive spells, but I wouldn’t have put up a good fight if a team of killers with shards ran in and unloaded on me.”

“I also assumed last night was the best time to attack you,” Tristan replied. “Which is why I monitored your room.” He fell silent, looking her way, his face hidden by his veil.

“And?” Lyssa gestured for him to continue.

“I saw nothing unusual, but there was something strange—a brief perturbation of the spirits, but not one I’m familiar with.”

“Jofi, did you sense anything unusual last night?” Lyssa asked.

“No, I didn’t.”

She regretted asking the question as soon as she realized a possibility. The dream might have been more than a dream. On some level, she might be sensing the weakening seal.

Given what had happened in the other recent incidents, trusting Jofi to perceive his behavior change was a bad idea. The showstoppers used on recent jobs and the emptiness spirits had strained his seal. She did not doubt that.

Sharing that information with Tristan didn’t seem helpful. It was easy to warn the authorities to prepare for Jofi if it came down to it. They knew he was there, and they could call him in if necessary. Having a spirit expert with no qualms about killing nearby cut down on the risk.

Binding Jofi to Lyssa and her regalia had been a product of desperation. If he’d been conjured in Last Remnant, they wouldn’t have had to rely on such a haphazard strategy.

All he needed to do was last until they solved the current problem. Once that was over, they could revisit the issue.

Was that a good idea? Samuel might not be there, but the Tribunal knew about Jofi. Maybe she should go ahead and tell them, but she wasn’t sure their solution wouldn’t end with her death. She wanted a chance to take revenge before she died.

“You’ve fallen quiet,” Tristan said. “Does my revelation worry you?”

“Not really. Just thinking.”

Lyssa was almost relieved that someone had been spying on her. She’d worried she’d have to sit there for days brooding about her brother’s likely death without having anything to do but run around trying to distract herself with pointless sightseeing.

“What does it all mean, then?” Lyssa folded her arms. She needed to focus on whatever she could in the short term that didn’t involve volunteering to die. “I tried the hiding thing. I’m not going to do it again. If they want to come at me, I say let them. If we’re both ready for