Firestarter

by Jan Stryvant

  "No, we'll take her 'Cuda. It'll be just you, her, Jo, and me. Like old times," Sean said with a snort.

  "What about Cali and the others?"

  Sean snorted. "I got the distinct impression they had something else planned for tonight."

  "And here I thought you'd missed it."

  "A good husband knows when to not pay attention to whatever mayhem his wives are planning."

  Shifting back into his lion form, Sean raced Roxy back to the ranch. He lost of course, but that just meant he got to enjoy the view.

  Storm Warnings

  "Sean, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Arthur said, coming over and shaking hands with Sean as he entered the room. "Jo, always nice to see you!" he said, giving his niece a hug. "Daelyn, Roxy, good to see you both as well," he added, giving each of them a hug, too.

  "I'm guessing this isn't a social call," Arthur said as he motioned to the couch and sat down himself, "seeing as you're not in your human form?"

  Sean nodded and sat down with his wives. "Apparently a lot of people are getting too familiar with it and starting to think I'm just some young man they don't have to pay attention to."

  "My, that doesn't sound good," Arthur said, his expression turning serious. "Surely I'm not on that list?"

  "No, you're not, but," Sean gave him a wry grin, "the time has come to talk of many things, of shoes and ships and sealing wax…and I'm about to be a bastard and start ordering you all around like a king."

  "Are you really sure you want to start doing that? There's going to be a lot of resistance, Sean. A lot of the magic users around here aren't your biggest fans after what you did to them last year."

  "And that's why I'm going around like this now. To remind everyone who and what I am, and that if I have to be a complete asshole, I can and will be. This isn't something I want to do, Arthur. But it's something I definitely have to do, because quite simply, I'm not so sure most of you are going to live through what's coming if I don't put my hand in."

  "Why do you say that?"

  "How many of your people have you evacuated from Reno? Fifty percent? Seventy?"

  Arthur looked at him, blinking. "We haven't evacuated anyone. Is there a reason?"

  "Arthur, right now I'm considering not even wasting the time and effort to defend it."

  Sean didn't miss the shocked expression on Arthur's face. "You're not? Why?"

  "Because no matter what I do, Reno is going to fall. We just don't have the ability to stop its destruction. The city is too big, has no natural defenses, and very few manmade ones. So I'm ordering all the mages to send their families south. Vegas is probably a safe bet. I only want those here who are involved in the fight, so when things do turn bad, we can get them out of here quickly."

  Arthur nodded slowly. "When you put it like that, it's hard to disagree…"

  "Though some people will," Jolene said snarkily.

  Arthur laughed. "Yes, Jolene, some people always will. But I don't think anyone has realized that things are so dire."

  Sean sighed. "Mainly we've been keeping those opinions quiet, and just hoping the changing climate with all the military here would encourage folks to leave. I didn't think I'd be the one to have to tell them it's time to go."

  "And what changed that?"

  "The actions of some of the people working for the city who are supposed to be building our defenses. I guess I shouldn't blame them; all of this is so far beyond anything they've ever experienced before. So of course they don't believe what's coming."

  "So you're taking over."

  Sean nodded. "I'm probably going to declare martial law and appoint myself military governor or something. I'd go for king," Sean said with a grin, "but I suspect most folks wouldn't go along with that."

  Arthur laughed. "Yes, I think it's been bred into most Americans to resist that idea. I'll call a meeting of the Sapientia local council immediately and tell them. How soon do you want everyone out?"

  "By the fourth, but sooner would be better. There's one other thing I want to show you. Do you have a map?"

  "Actually, I have several. I'm not exactly a fan of the online ones. Too old school, I guess."

  Getting up, Arthur led Sean over to a shelf, where he pulled out a Rand McNally for Nevada.

  "Great," Sean said, opening it up. He went through it and found the place he was looking for. It was south of Minden, on highway 88.

  "Okay," Sean said, marking a small spot. "There's a safe house here. Only you, me, and my wife Estrella know of it. This is for your use only." Sean wrote down the few notes Sawyer had given him on how the safe houses worked, along with the exact address. "Commit this to memory, then burn it. Don't tell anybody about it unless you're sending them there."

  "What they don't know they can't share, right?"

  Sean nodded. "Exactly so. I'm going to give Joseph a different one for his people."

  "What about the other councils?"

  "The Sorceress Guild, but that's it."

  "Why them?"

  "Because Deanna is my mother-in-law?" Sean said with a smile.

  "And they've always been good to you," Arthur agreed.

  "That, too. Okay, the next order of business. Starting this weekend, I want the magic users who are working with us to start bunking with their respective units."

  "Are you sure about that, Sean? Sleeping with them?"

  Sean snorted. "I'm not asking them to sleep together in the same bed; that's up to them. But they need to start living with their teams. We don't have the time or the means to keep flying them out to meet their team each time something comes up. It's time for them to become a part of those teams, and that means living together.

  "That needs to start immediately."

  "I have to warn you, you'll probably lose several magic users."

  Roxy spoke up, "Tell them they're going to be living with the only armed people who can protect them. See if that changes their minds."

  Jolene nodded. "Really, Arthur. They've been working with these teams for weeks, if not months. I'd think they'd be over any prejudices by now."

  Arthur smiled. "I think it's more a matter of them not wanting to give up their current level of luxury. None of us are very good at 'roughing it'. Even I have grown rather fond of the pleasures that living in a nice house bring."

  "Well, they might want to get used ta the idea," Daelyn said with a snicker. "Because we're all gonna end up refugees here soon enough. And even after the war's won, I suspect we're all gonna find that a lot of our homes are gone."

  "As much as I'd like to disagree with you, I suspect you're right," Arthur said with a heavy sigh. "When I traveled as a young man, I saw far too often what conflict did to a town or city, and we're going to have a full-blown war coming through."

  Arthur paused a moment.

  "So you really don't think you're going to be able to save Reno?"

  Sean shook his head.

  "Could you at least try? That's a lot of people, Sean. Even if you can only put off the inevitable for a little while, every day will count."

  "I'll see, Arthur. A lot is going to depend on what happens when I go in there and lay down the law tomorrow. If I have to kill people to get them to comply, that kind of defeats the whole purpose of trying to save them."

  Arthur snorted. "Maybe you should think of it as denying the demons a food source?"

  Jolene blinked. "I had no idea you could be so cold, Arthur."

  "Hard times call for hard measures, Jolene, and I'm starting to worry that maybe I've been ignoring the coming realities. There are things worse than death, and I would say having your soul eaten qualifies, wouldn't you?"

  "Yes, Uncle," Jolene said with a sigh. "I would."

  "You know, I never thought I'd miss the days when all we were worried about was fighting the magic users," Roxy said with a laugh.

  "Life is funny that way," Arthur agreed.

  "Okay, here's the last order of business before we go."

  Arthur looked at
Sean curiously. "Yes?"

  "We need someone to organize Sapientia to fight in this war. I'm not just talking about the Reno council; I'm talking about all the councils. I don't care how you do it, but I need someone I, or my generals, can talk with about deploying your people. Not just here in Reno, but anywhere in the country. I need a liaison; I need your version of a general for the war."

  "That's a pretty big order, Sean."

  "I know, but once you admit Reno will fall, you realize we're going to be having problems all over the country. So if I'm going to be able to get any help from the mages, I need a single point of contact. I'm hoping I only need one, someone who can deal with all the different councils, major and minor. But if I have to get someone from each of the councils, I will."

  "And where do you want this person?"

  "I want them sitting at my conference table. I want them to take part in our planning, and for them to know everything we know as soon as we know it. It's not going to be an easy job for whoever ends up with it. But I need someone who, if they make a promise, it'll be carried out or heads will literally roll."

  "Now that is a tall order. But it is one we've been anticipating. I'll talk with Duncan."

  Sean smiled and, standing up, he bent over and shook hands with Arthur. "Thanks, Arthur, for everything. I'm not sure when we'll see each other again. In a few days the main gateway opens, and I suspect we'll both be far too busy for social calls or personal meetings."

  "I'm sure you're right. Good luck, Sean. I'll get it taken care of."

  Sean opened the door and showed Roxy, Jolene, and Daelyn out. Starting out after them, he stopped and looked back at Arthur.

  "Just for the record, the oldest of us are over two hundred thousand years old. We started out around the same time as modern humans, and had a lot to do with the extinction of the Neanderthals. We ruled for tens of thousands of years, and ran some of the bloodiest wars you could possibly imagine, and we did it all for sport. We raised armies of millions and pitted them against each other until none were left.

  "And we did it for nothing more than bragging rights. That's why the lions refuse to rule the world ever again. It was foolish, and it was stupid. We had all the power in the world, and precious little wisdom to temper it. Now I wasn't there for all of that, and I'd like to believe we've moved beyond that as our wisdom and experience has grown with time."

  "They're coming back, aren't they?"

  Sean sighed. "I think this war is going to determine that. We're lions. We're possessive. Territory is everything. And dammit, this planet is ours. Just because we handed it over to you humans to run it, don't ever think it doesn't still belong to us."

  "Why are you telling me this?"

  "Because after all the teasing I've done this last year, I thought you deserved to know why we're doing this. To know that we're committed."

  Sean left the room then, closing the door behind him.

  "Did that really answer any questions?" James asked, looking at Arthur.

  "Actually, yes, I think it did, James. Now summon the council, I need to call Duncan and get things rolling."

  Sean's visit with Joseph wasn't much different than the one he'd had with Arthur. Only two things had gone differently; Joseph had already started evacuating his people, and he didn't need a safe house for emergencies, he already had several of his own.

  Sean also didn't make his little speech; he figured Arthur would share that on his own eventually.

  Deanna was quite grateful. They didn't have all that many families in the Sorceress guild, a lot of the sorceresses came from other councils when they started to chafe at the restrictions many of them still put on women.

  There were also no complaints at the idea of bunking with the units they were working with. To be fair, a lot of the sorceresses were already doing that, having brought their mates or partners with them.

  "So, Claudia's?" Daelyn asked as they left the Sorceress Guild.

  "Yeah, that sounds about right," Sean said with a sigh. "Do you think I need to talk to your uncle or the other leaders of the Carson City dwarven hall?"

  "Nah, they'll just seal it all up and put guards on the entrances. Ain't no djevel or demon out there that's ever gonna break into a dwarven hall. They've been beefing up the defenses since you ordered all those swords. You gotta remember, we've been down this road before."

  "Fifteen hundred years ago," Roxy pointed out.

  "Two things dwarves never forget, Rox: Friends and enemies, as well as how to deal with both."

  "Well, considering how you all reacted to Sean, I can believe it."

  Sean thought about that while they made the quick drive to Claudia's, trying to think if there was anybody else he needed to have a talk with. Maybe he should send some folks to Sacramento and some of the other cities to warn them what was coming.

  "We're here!" Daelyn said, sliding the car to a stop.

  "I noticed," Sean said. Getting out, he helped Jolene out of the back as Claudia came walking up to them quickly.

  "Wow, I thought you'd make me come to your office!" Sean said with a grin.

  Claudia snorted. "I've learned better than that, thank you. So what brings you here? And why are you going around furry?"

  "I think I've been going too easy on a lot of people. The time to crack the whip is here, and if people see a big ass lion instead of a wet-behind-the-ears college kid, I think they'll start to realize I mean business."

  "I've been following orders!" Claudia said, looking a little nervous for a change.

  Sean nodded. "I know, but I'm still going to be a bit of an asshole. I want you to evacuate everyone who isn't necessary to the war south to Vegas."

  "So you really are giving up on Reno?"

  "Sooner or later, Reno is going to fall. You know that, Claudia."

  "Still, I was hoping we'd make the attempt. The longer they're attacking Reno, the less they're attacking someplace else."

  Sean nodded, conceding the point. "I think a lot of it is going to depend on tomorrow's meeting with the mayor."

  "We're having a meeting tomorrow?" Claudia asked, looking surprised.

  "Let's just say I'm expecting several irate phone calls come the morning."

  "So your wives really are going…" Claudia stopped when Sean raised a hand.

  "I have no idea about anything they're planning, and I prefer it that way."

  "Then what makes you so sure?"

  Sean snorted. "Cali and Estrella were both raised to kill things and have little patience with disrespect. I don't think I need any kind of crystal ball, do you?"

  Claudia shook her head with a grin. "Can't say as they don't have it coming, either. Honestly, I was surprised you didn't rip a few throats out then and there."

  Sean nodded. "Yeah. Maybe I should have. Look, I have the location of a couple of safe houses I want to share with you. You can't tell anyone about it unless you're sending them there."

  "Do you really think we'll need them?"

  Sean shrugged. "I'm not sure. I think when Reno does fall, things are going to be really confused, and until we figure out how to deal with it, there's probably going to be a lot of possessed people and disguised djevels running around."

  "We can always go to the dwarves," Claudia said with a nod towards Daelyn. "In fact, we were already discussing that with Roloff. Once they have to seal up their mountain, it'll be beneficial if they have some lycan warriors to help them."

  "That's a good idea," Sean conceded. "Still, you're probably going to need a few places for people or things you don't want to expose them too."

  "Well, I won't turn down anything that might help." Claudia pondered a moment. "What about your helicopter repair facility and all those mechanics you've got up there?"

  "We need them too much to send them all away yet," Sean admitted, "but I don't think we're still going to be there a month from now. Once it looks like we'll be moving, we'll send them out first."

  "Any idea where?"

 
; "Well, if we end up making a stand at Reno, I'll probably send them south to the airport. A lot of it is going to depend on just what kind of a fight we've gotten ourselves into at that point. We're still dealing with a lot of unknowns here. We think they'll form up raiding groups and travel in columns, like that first big group that got out did. But…" Sean shrugged again.

  Claudia nodded. "Well, come on in and you can show me where those safe houses are. After that, we can talk about tomorrow. I can tell you the mayor's just a little bit scared right now, and if Cali and Estrella do what Peg threatened," Claudia snorted, "she's going to be in a complete panic."

  "Yeah, I hate the idea that I have to play the heavy. I'm sure she's never going to look at me the same way again."

  "You say that like it's a bad thing." Roxy snickered.

  "Roxy has a point. You're not one of them; honestly, you never were. Now you're someone special. They need to remember that, and act accordingly."

  Sean looked at Claudia in surprise.

  "What?" she said, looking back at him. "You of all people should know that I know exactly who and what you are. You may drive me crazy at times, or piss me off, but I've learned enough to know you are what you claim to be, and you seem to have some sort of mystical connection and know things the rest of us don't.

  "Besides, you've always played fair with me and all the rest, even though you made it perfectly clear with Michael that you didn't have to."

  "Yeah, I'm sorry it came to that, but he wasn't taking care of his pack, and he was an asshole."

  "You won't get any arguments from me on that!" Claudia laughed. "I was going to undercut him and take it out from under him. Putting your friend Chad in charge was a good move. He's a solid alpha, and he got that pack cleaned up in record time."

  "And he married your daughter," Roxy added with a laugh.

  "All the more proof that he's the perfect wolf for the job," Claudia agreed. "Wolves have been putting the moves on her for years in the hopes of getting a leg up in my pack. I'd brought her with me to meet him, figuring I'd get a move on his pack, and what does she do? Dumps her own mother and mates with him!"

  "You do know they knew each other before they met?"