by Jan Stryvant
Red Skies
Published by Jan Stryvant
Copyright 2018 Jan Stryvant
Copyright Jan Stryvant 2018
Cover Credits: eBook Launch (http://ebooklaunch.com/)
No part of this eBook may be reproduced in any form without expressed, written consent from the author. The material in this story may feature graphic depictions of a sexual or adult nature and is intended for a mature audience only. All characters in this story are fictional and of the legal age of consent for any activities they engage in. Any resemblance between characters, places, or things in this story, and people living or dead, actual places, or events, is purely coincidental. It's fiction; I made it up.
License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be copied and given away, or copied and sold, to other people. Got that? No copying, please! If you would like to share this book with another person, it would be really nice if you purchased an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use, please consider purchasing your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
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Jan Stryvant Books:
The Valens Legacy:
Black Friday Book 1
Perfect Strangers Book 2
Over Our Heads Book 3
Head Down Book 4
When It Falls Book 5
Stand On It Book 6
Vegas Rules Book 7
Desperate Measures Book 8
Secret Treaties Book 9
It Ain't Easy Book 10
Shadow
Table of Contents
Catch Your Breath
Simple Things
Shaken, Not Stirred
Change Two
Rude Awakenings
Sawyer's Antiquities
Wedding Bells
On The Road Again
In This Place
If It's Not One Thing...
The Space Between
...It's Another
Greasing Palms
Somersault
And Justice For All
Next Morning
Awakenings
Weapon of Choice
Just Gazin'
Afterword
Catch Your Breath
Sean stood looking out the window of his workshop, watching the sunset. He'd just finished the fifth tag machine, he'd been grinding out necklace machines, tag machines, and he'd even made a machine for the Secret Service to enchant their badges, just as he had for Roxy's father in Las Vegas. Last week, everything had seemed to come to a screeching halt. The feds had fallen on the Vestibulum like a ton of bricks, hauling not just the senior council in for 'questioning', but a fair number of their rank and file as well.
Then three days ago Todd 'Quincy' Adams, the North American leader for the Vestibulum, had been murdered by a suicide bomber on his very own doorstep.
That had left both the government and the magical community spinning in circles.
Sean had his own suspicions as to just exactly what had taken place, but other than taking Card aside and informing him of what had happened, he'd kept them to himself.
Not his circus, not his monkeys.
'So what's our next step, Dad?'
'Canada, of course.'
'I meant after that. And don't say "Mexico",' Sean said with a mental snort.
'I told you before I didn't want you distracted from the task at hand, Son.'
Sean noticed the stress on the word; the First wasn't going to tell him.
'Well, obviously if it's enough to distract me from freeing lycans, it must be something pretty damn important.' Sean replied, hazarding a guess.
'Wheedling isn't going to work here, your current task is too important.'
'Well how am I supposed to get ready if you won't tell me what's going on?'
'Don't worry; I'm taking care of it.'
Sean snorted out loud this time. 'Dad, that isn't going to cut it, and you know it. At least give me an idea of what needs to be done. If it's important, I'm sure we'll need to prepare.'
'I told you, don't worry.'
'Worrying is what I do best...'
"Sean?" Oak stuck his head in the door.
"Yes?"
"There's a man and a woman out at the gate with a truck, said they're here to see you?
'That would be Sky and Lark,' the First told him.
"Send them up," Sean said to Oak. He knew Sky and Lark; Sky was a lion, and Lark was a lioness. They were pretty much a couple, though a couple of what Sean wasn't quite sure. They weren't related, and they didn't appear to be mated or married. But all the times he'd seen them in lion la-la-land, they'd been almost inseparable.
'They're on-again, off-again mates,' the First supplied. 'They'll dally with others at times, but they always come back to each other.'
Sean shrugged and wondered why they were here, but he knew he'd find out soon enough. He was pretty sure there were other lions in the U.S., but for reasons that hadn't been explained, and which he hadn't pressed for an answer on, none of them had been helping him. Sometimes he wondered if he was too trusting, but up until now he really hadn't had any spare time to think about it.
'And you still don't,' the first reminded him. 'You need to run to the Carson City Dwarven Hall and see how Maitland and the chief weapon smith are doing.'
'And I need to sit Steven down and ask him to go to DC for me and get involved in all sorts of skullduggery,' Sean added.
'I'm sure he'll love it.'
"Yeah, but what if he says no?" Sean asked out loud. "Or worse yet, Teri says no?"
'You could always order him.'
'First off, Dad, Steven isn't a lycan. Second off, he's my best and oldest friend. If he says 'no', it's 'no'.'
'I don't know, Son, Chad was right about...'
"Dad!" Sean growled.
'What?'
"No means no!"
"Oh, I'm sorry, are we interrupting something?" Lark asked coming into the room.
"Sounds like he's arguing with his royal nibs," Sky said with a chuckle as he followed Lark inside. Both of their accents were British, though Sean had the distinct impression they were both quite a bit older than the country.
Lark was a very attractive woman, appearing as probably late twenties, with long, wild blond hair and a dancer's build. She stood a few inches shorter than Sean. Sky was built almost exactly the same, just a little more muscular, and he had straight black hair that he wore to his shoulders. This was the first time Sean had seen them in their human forms, but interestingly enough, he recognized them immediately, seeing through to their inherent lion nature quite easily.
"Lark, Sky," Sean said, shaking hands with each of them, "nice to finally meet other lions in the flesh."
"You knew Sampson, didn't you?" Lark asked.
"I was still human then," Sean admitted. "You two are the first since I became one of us. Which, of course, leads to the first question: Why the hell doesn't anyone ever visit me?"
"What? Being together with all of us up on that bloody mountain isn't enough for you?" Sky teased.
"I'm still getting used to the idea that I can have these out-of-body experiences," Sean admitted. "But still, you guys are here, but the First tells me you're all busy?"
"Well, yeah, we are," Lark admitted.
"With what?"
"It's a secret," she said with a grin.
Sean sighed and rolled his eyes. "You guys too?"
Sky shrugged as Lark nodded. "You're new, you've been doing a great job, nobody wants to see you distracted."
Sean just sighed. "Well, now the second question: Why are you here?"
"Didn't his nibs tell you?" Sky
asked.
"Dad?" Sean asked out loud and tried not to notice as Sky snickered and Lark laughed.
'They're here to take one of the tag machines and one of the necklace machines.'
"Wait, what?" Sean said, shocked. "I just made those!"
'Well, yes, but we need a set someplace else, to keep them safe. Right now all the machines are in this one town. Plus we have need for one somewhere else.'
"Dad! You can't just march in here and take shit without asking me!" Sean growled.
'Of course I can.'
"Oh no you fucking can't!" Sean growled back, getting angry. "You want something, you need to ask, or at least warn me in advance! I've made plans for these! You should have warned me!"
'Just who do you think you're taking to?' the First growled back.
"My father, who is most certainly going to get his butt kicked!"
"Uh, oh," Sky whispered.
"Sean!" Lark interrupted. "Surely you can see it's a good idea, can't you?"
"That's not the point!" Sean growled. "He keeps me in the dark on everything! Everything! Well, this isn't something he can just come along and tell me I didn't need to know, because I do. I'm starting to get tired of his whole 'high and mighty' attitude! He could have at least warned me."
"He has a point, you know," Sky said, nodding slowly. "His nibs has been a bit short with him of late."
'Shut up, Sky,' the First grumbled.
"I don't think he can hear you, Dad, and no, you're not taking these machines. You can wait for the next set."
"Ooh! Did he say something rude?" Sky laughed.
Lark rolled her eyes. "Sean, we really need these. Really. Would you please let us take them?"
'I could order them to take them by force,' the First warned.
'I'd kick their asses, and you know it, too!' Sean warned him silently. 'You'll do no such thing!'
'I think I liked it more when you were afraid of me,' the First grumbled.
"I think I liked it more when you didn't take me for granted," Sean grumbled back.
"I think somebody owes Sean an apology," Lark suddenly said brightly. "Don't you, Sky?"
"What?" Sky said, and then smiled. "Oh, definitely! Most certainly! Without a doubt!"
Sean heard the First grumble in his head.
"Father, if you apologize to Sean, I won't tell Mother just how badly you've been treating him," Lark said, grinning.
Sean looked at Lark and got the impression that the First had just muttered an oath under his breath.
"The First is your father?" Sean asked, a little surprised.
"And Keairra is my mother," Lark said with a smile. "She likes you, you know. I'm sure she'd be very unhappy to hear just how poorly he's been treating you. Especially with how much you look up to him and treat him like he really was your father."
Sean blinked; he could feel it now, the First was definitely embarrassed.
'Okay, yes, I'm sorry I didn't warn you. I can't tell you where they're taking it, and I didn't want you bugging me about it, so I just left it. I should have asked.'
Sean blinked again, surprised. He'd figured he was going to get his ass kicked all over dreamland tonight.
"Wow, he actually said he was sorry," Sean told them.
"It was the Keairra threat," Sky said, grinning. "He's really quite afraid of her."
"Does that mean we can take them?" Lark asked, smacking Sky on the shoulder while glaring at him.
Sean sighed and nodded. "Sure, you can take them. If you could send me some money or gold or something, though, I'd appreciate it. With all the stuff I need to buy, I'm a bit worried about funds."
"Not a problem, Sean!" Sky said. "We'll make sure you get some form of reimbursement for them."
Lark nodded. "Now, can you show us how these work?"
It only took Sean a few minutes to explain how they worked. Both Lark and Sky were extremely quick on the uptake, and fifteen minutes later they'd loaded both machines into the back of a small truck, and secured them. After a hug and a kiss from Lark and a handshake from Sky, they were on their way.
"Who was that?" Roxy asked, coming over as the truck drove away.
"Two lions," Sean told her.
"What? Here? What did they want?"
"A necklace machine and a tag machine," Sean sighed.
"And you gave them to them?"
"Yeah, I sort of had to. I think they need them more than we do right now."
"Well, damn," Roxy growled. "Didn't we need the money from that?"
"I don't know that we needed it, but it certainly would've helped. Let's go have dinner, and then I think I need to go check on the dwarves, talk to Steve, and see if Chad's gotten any of those helicopters yet."
Simple Things
Roxy, Daelyn, and Peg accompanied Sean to the Dwarven Hall after dinner, so Sean could find out how things were progressing.
"Haven't you talked to your uncle about this at all?" Peg asked. She was sitting in the back next to Sean. Roxy, as usual, had claimed the passenger seat so she could enjoy Daelyn's driving. This, of course, made Daelyn drive even faster and crazier, if such a thing were possible. Sean was only surprised that Roxy hadn't shifted and stuck her head out the window.
"No," Sean said, smiling at the thought of Roxy with her head out the window, tongue lolling like a dog. "He's only been back to the house a couple of times since we brought him there."
"Wasn't that like, ten days ago?" Peg asked.
Sean blinked. "Damn, you're right! Where the hell did the time go?"
"It's all those machines ya been making!" Daelyn said from the front seat as she drifted around a corner at some obscene rate of speed, passing two cars in the process. "Ya really need to pace yourself more there, Hon."
"Yeah, I know, I know," Sean sighed, "but I really should replace that set of machines I just handed off to Sky and Lark."
"Who?" Peg asked.
"The pair of lions that showed up just before dinner," Roxy said from the front seat. "They took a tag machine and a necklace machine."
"And they didn't stick around to say hello?" Daelyn grumbled.
"I get the impression they didn't want anyone to know they were here, or where they were going," Sean said.
"Just where were they going?" Peg asked.
Sean shrugged as Daelyn put them in a four-wheel drift that just cleared the rising garage door as they came to a stop in the garage bay she always used when they came here.
"They didn't tell you?" Peg asked unbelievingly.
"I didn't ask," Sean replied. "I've got enough of my own problems right now."
"Like why you've been asked to get all these swords," Roxy said, opening the door.
"Oh, that's obvious," Peg said as Daelyn got out and folded the seat forward.
"It is?"
"To use ’em, of course!" Peg laughed and winked at Roxy, who frowned back at her. "But that does lead to another question."
"Oh?"
"When are we going to start training all of our people to use them?"
"Ummm..." Roxy looked at Sean, who face palmed.
'It's things like this I need to know about, Dad.'
'No use training them until you have something to train them with. Fae swords don't handle like regular ones. I was going to tell you once you had them, if Peg there hadn't beaten me to the punch. Smart lass that one, have I told you how much I like her?'
Sean sighed and shook his head; the First liked all of them. Then again, who wouldn't? They were all awesome, after all.
"Might as well get Cali to start training everybody," Peg said and shrugged.
"Cali?" Sean asked, surprised.
"After the way she took that demon apart?" Peg snorted. "Do you think you could possibly find someone better than her to teach them?"
"She's got a point," Roxy said as they followed Daelyn to the elevator.
"True, she might even be better than Keairra." Sean admitted.
'Don't let her hear you say that!' t
he First warned him.
"Who's Keairra?"
"That's the lioness in that dreamland he goes to when he's asleep," Roxy answered.
"Don't think I'll ever get used to him doing that," Daelyn said with a shake of her head.
The walk down to the master weapon smith's shop was about as long and cramped as the last time. Sean and Roxy both shifted to fit easier. Daelyn fit, being a dwarf, and Peg really wasn't tall enough to have a problem with it.
When they reached the shop, they were all surprised at just how busy it was. There were at least a half dozen dwarves in the room, most of them working at the workbenches in the room, and two running in and out of one of the backrooms, from which the sounds of hammering could be heard.
"Master Sjon will be with you in a minute!" one of the young dwarven runners said.
Sean shrugged his leonine shoulders and just sat on his butt, Roxy doing the same, as Daelyn and Peg grabbed a couple of empty stools to sit on. It was more than a minute, but not too terribly long before Maitland came out, accompanied by Master Sjon.
"Ah! Sean! Finally come to check up on us I see!" Sjon said with a laugh.
"I've been a bit busy," Sean said with a nod. "How's it been going?"
"We had some initial problems with raw materials," Maitland said and Sjon nodded, "but we got 'em ironed out, and we've got the first production run finishing up on the first group of swords. The first sets of armor should be done in a few more days."
Sean nodded. "How many?"
"Two dozen of the swords," Maitland said, "but only ten sets of armor."
Sean winced. "Please tell me you'll be able to make more at a time than that."
Sjon nodded. "On the swords, I think we can get production up to fifteen hundred or so a week by the end of the month. I'm not sure we can push much beyond that, we just don't have the facilities."
"Umm..." Sean started.
"But," Maitland interrupted, "Roland and Samis talked to a number of other Halls, and they're sending their smiths here to learn as well, so in a few months we should hopefully have that number up around twenty thousand a week."
Sean nodded slowly and did the math, that was about twenty-five weeks, or six months. He could feel the First mulling it over as well.