A Tale of 3 Witches Read Online Free PDF Page B

between his teeth. "Still smells like her." He brought the coin down. "It also smells like trouble. Wanna tell me what's going on?"
    *   *   *
    Gus and Mara filled him in on what was happening in Amethyst.
    He spit on his own floor, muttering, "Soul Stealer!" Then, louder, "Not on my watch!"
    He made his way towards a large vase that sat near a worn out recliner and dropped the coin in. Then he left the room.
    He was gone for several minutes when Gus said, "What are we supposed to do?"
    "Wait, I guess." Mara said. "I wonder if there's a light switch in here?"
    "He's blind. He probably stopped paying his electric bill about a century ago." Gus pulled open a blind to let the sunlight in and choked on the resulting dust cloud. "Which apparently, is also when he stopped dusting," Gus said, coughing.
    The cat narrowed its eyes at Gus, accusingly.
    "Stop looking at me." Gus told the cat.
    The cat hissed.
    "I hate this cat," Gus told Mara.
    "I think he knows that." Mara laughed.
    They heard some load banging and saw, through the open doorway that led to the next room, boxes being tossed about, papers swirling through the air.
    "Damn it all, where in Hades is it!" The old man shouted.
    "This place is like Hoarders for the Disabled." Gus muttered. "I'm surprised he hasn't killed himself yet."
    "Do you need help?" Mara called out.
    The racket stopped and the man appeared in the doorway. He looked like he was trying to stand taller, but it wasn't going so well.
    "Young lady, judging from the sound of your voice and the scent of your cheap perfume..."
    "I don't wear perfume." Mara said. "Hate the stuff."
    "Then your boyfriend's cheap perfume..."
    "Hey!" Gus protested. "This is Guerlain. You have any idea how expensive it is?" Then, to Mara, "See? I told you I should have blended my own."
    "Regardless," the man said, interrupting. "I'd bet the farm I've been retrievin' souls before either of you were a gleam in your mama's eye. So no, thank you, I don't need no help from Donnie and Marie!"
    He turned and went back to tossing the room apart.
    "Aren't Donnie and Marie in their fifties?" Gus asked.
    "I think it was a metaphor."
    "I hate old people." Gus sighed.
    "One of these days, we're both going to be old."
    Gus gasped. "Bite your tongue, you evil woman. That's what Botox is for."
    Mara tried to peer into the room. "What do you think he's doing?"
    "If he wasn't one of Birdie's friends? I'd think he was looking for a shotgun and a cooking pot. He's probably planning to have human veal for dinner, and share our bodies with the cat."
    "You're just being silly." Mara looked at the cat, who was winding around her legs. "Isn't he, sweet pea," Mara said to the cat, squatting down to stroke its fur.
    The cat gave Gus a look of triumph.
    Gus narrowed his eyes at it. "At least I don't have to use a litter box, you flea-bitten furball."
    The cat hissed at Gus again, and then rubbed against Mara.
    After what seemed like the length of a really bad double feature, the man returned, brandishing the shiniest, thickest sword Mara had ever seen.
    "This is for twinkle toes," he said.
    Gus and Mara looked at each other.
    "I think he means you," Gus said.
    "I mean whichever one of you is stronger. It takes muscles to wield this baby." The man snorted.
    Gus stepped up and took the sword, his arms dropping with the weight.
    "This sword was specially forged to deal with demons like this one. It's got meteoric iron mixed into the silver in the blade and galena in the hilt. It will send any entity back down to the netherworld." The man cackled. "I expect it returned. Cleaned of any residue. You treat tools like this with respect."
    "Yes, sir." Gus said.
    The man melted back into the far room again. But it didn't take him as long to find Mara's weapon. He came back, holding it reverently.
    "A wand?" she asked.
    "No! Not just a wand!" He muttered, "Amateurs, always amateurs." He handed the crystal wand to Mara and said, "It's a collector. It vibrates at a higher