by Jan Stryvant
But if you prepared the terminus for one, you could open a portal to it a lot more easily, and you could do it from almost anywhere. Especially if it was only a temporary portal and not a permanent one.
Oh, it still took a lot of power, more than most mages or even a lot of the most powerful of wizards had. But Dan was starting to realize that he had a lot, and that was before he even needed to draw on the girls.
The opening spell was easy enough to learn, and he quickly committed that one to his store of spells.
The one for creating the terminus, however, that one was a lot more involved. It was a combination of spells, cast in order, some of them requiring a number of material components. It involved wards, surface preparation, drawings to be inscribed on the surface, even an incantation. It looked like it took days to do it, and memorizing all of it wasn't going to be an easy task, especially as he'd have to understand how it all worked together first.
But none of it looked hard. It was just time consuming, and you had to be prepared.
He wondered why the book had been so expensive if everything in it was so easy?
"We're here," Wrath said. "Where do we want to do this?"
Dan put the book away. He'd figure that out later.
"That McDonald's looks good," he said, looking out the window.
"You want to have a meeting of mages in a McDonald's? Herman asked with a bemused expression on his face.
"It's got lots of windows, clear lines of view, and it's very public," Dan said with a shrug. "Makes it hard to sneak up on anybody, and hopefully it'll encourage everyone to behave themselves."
"You're not as trusting as you used to be, you know that?"
"Yeah, I've been finding out a lot of people aren't trustworthy. Hasn't been a lot of fun learning that, either. So call him up and let's see who shows."
Herman nodded and pulled out his cellphone, and they all listened in as he asked Royce to meet them at the McDonalds.
"He'll be here in five minutes," Herman said. "He's at a diner down the street. Apparently the address he gave me wasn't for his home," he finished with a sigh.
"I like him already!" Olivia said with a chuckle.
"I guess I'll stand outside so he sees me." Herman shook his head. "Maybe I'm the one who's too trusting."
"You have changed some, Dan," George said after his father closed the door. "But with all you've been through, I don't see how I can blame you. I mean, if it'd been me? I'd be dead."
"I hope I didn't upset your dad," Dan said, giving a small shake of his head. "I'm not a kid anymore. It's been a tough year."
"Yeah, well, it couldn't have been all bad! I've been noticing how Olivia here leans into you and Wrath keeps checking on you in the mirror!"
Dan smiled. "Yeah, it was worth it. They were worth it."
"I think that's him," Wrath said as a man waved at Herman, who started walking over towards him.
"Well, let's go meet this Royce, and hopefully nobody kills anybody," Olivia said.
"Yeah, I really have been getting tired of that shit," Dan agreed.
Getting out of the van, he looked Royce over as they walked up to him. He looked older than Herman, probably late 50s or early 60s. He was clean-shaven, with gray hair, an average build, slightly ruddy skin that made him look like an outdoorsman, and green eyes.
"So you must be Daniel," Royce said, holding out his hand.
"Dan's fine," Dan said shaking it. "Is it just Royce?"
Royce nodded. "Yup. That's all I go by in the magic circles. Aren't you a little young to be taking on Weson?"
"Oh, I'm sure they're going to be bitching about that for years to come after I take over Sacramento as well," Dan said with a smile.
"So, introduce me to your women there."
"This is Wrath; she's a felish, as I'm sure you can see," Dan said, bringing Wrath forward and noticing that Royce wasn't afraid to shake hands with her.
"I've heard of you," Royce said. "Seems you had quite the shakedown going on downtown up until about a decade ago?"
Wrath nodded. "Then Weson asked me for help, and screwed me over after I was done."
"Sounds about his speed."
"And this is Olivia," Dan said next. After they shook hands, he added, "The rest of my wives are at home.
"Yeah, Stidham here mentioned you'd taken on five demon lovers. Wives, huh? Didn't know they went in for that kind of commitment."
"For the right man, we will," Olivia said with a smile.
"This is my son, George," Herman said then, introducing him.
"Ah, yes. Good to meet you George. Longtime friend of Dan's, I take it?"
George nodded.
"Tell me, do you still trust him?"
George looked surprised. "Of course I still trust him! I mean, he's changed—you all know what Weson did to his father and his family—but he's still my friend."
Royce smiled. "That's all I wanted to hear." He turned back to Dan then. "Okay, I'm in."
"Just like that?" Dan asked, a little surprised.
"Weson's a jackal, and Wiles isn't much better. After so many years of chaos, we could use a headstrong young man. What we need now is continuity. It'll take a decade or two to undo the mess those idiots have caused with their constant fighting.
"So just tell me when and where to show up to start planning, and I'll be there."
"Do you swear to support me to the best of your ability and not to betray us?"
"Do I get to live in peace, and will you swear to treat me as an ally and never betray me?"
"Of course. I so swear, in return for your oath."
"Then I swear as well," Royce said, and he and Dan shook hands.
"I guess I need to move down closer to the action. I'll get a room in Roseville somewhere. Can't wait to move back into my old house. Here's my cell," he said and rattled off a number, which Dan memorized. They'd need to get new phones soon.
"Any advice on Takett?" Dan asked.
"He's a lot younger than me, so he's gonna want a piece of the action."
"I'm giving everybody what Umber gave his people. It kept them happy, so I don't think anybody will complain."
"Perceptive! I like it. Well, I'm going inside to get a shake, and then I've got work to do. How soon should I expect a call?"
"Sunday at the latest."
"Oh! Then I really need to get moving! Bye!"
With that, Royce went back to his car and got in, then pulled out of the lot.
"Sunday?" Herman asked, sounding a little surprised.
"I want to attack him on Monday if we can. Definitely sometime this coming week."
"That's too soon!"
"Yeah, and that's what Weson and Wiles will both be thinking. I don't think it's gonna be over in a day or two; I know he's got a lot of resources. But we just killed a bunch of them last week, and the longer we wait, the more he'll get back."
"So you're Daniel?" Takett said, walking up to them outside the Jack in the Box, giving Dan the once over.
"Yup, that'd be me," Dan said with a nod as he looked Takett over. Takett was somewhere between late twenties and early thirties, best Dan could tell. He was wearing a nice pair of slacks with a dress shirt and a sport coat. He was also sporting a fair amount of jewelry, which Dan figured were probably magic items.
"So why the last-minute change of location?"
"That's my fault," Herman said with a sigh. "I made the arrangements without checking with Dan first."
"So you like fast food or something?"
Dan shook his head. "No, I just don't like giving folks a chance to set up an ambush."
"Why would I do that?" Takett said with an angry look.
"Because neither of us know each other?" Dan replied with a shrug. "Nobody's agreed to anything yet, and I know the rumors claim that I'm being controlled by a succubus."
"Where is she, anyway?" Takett asked, looking around.
"I left her at home," Dan said. "I didn't want people to think she really is
controlling me. Plus I've noticed a lot of people seem to be afraid of succubi for some reason."
Takett scowled. "Of course they are! They're supposed to be evil!"
Both Wrath and Olivia snorted at that.
"Hardly," Dan said, noticing the look Takett gave the two of them. "Especially not compared to Weson, and before we continue, this is Wrath," he said, putting a hand on her elbow, "and this is Olivia. They're both my wives, just as the other three are. I believe you know Herman, and that's his son, George."
"Wives? You married them?" Takett said, giving him a suspicious look.
"Yes, Takett," Herman said, speaking up. "He did. He's got a pretty solid claim on them, too."
"You've met them?"
Herman nodded. "Yes, all of them, including the succubus—and no, she's not controlling him."
"You sure? Wiles says she is."
"She's not."
"Then why is he saying that?"
"Because I wanted him to believe it," Dan said.
"Why?" Takett asked, looking back at him.
"Because it's a lot easier for him to believe that I'm being controlled by an evil, powerful succubus than it is for him to realize that a nineteen-year-old kid has a bevy of demons at his beck and call, isn't it?"
Takett snorted. "Yeah, which is why I'm finding it hard to believe as well."
"You know about the curse Weson put on my father, all my family, right?"
Takett frowned, but he nodded. "Yeah, he made sure we all knew about it. What's that got to do with anything?"
"It's got everything to do with it. I buried my father, then I had to bury my mother, and I spent months living on the street with everyone and their brother trying to kill me. I've had to fend off assassins, even teams of assassins. Hell, Weson blew up a hotel in Auburn trying to kill me!
"You don't survive that without growing up and learning how to be strong."
"I thought your demons took care of that for you?"
"They helped a little," Dan admitted with a smile. "Though I think they helped a lot more with making a man out of me than with anything else."
Dan almost laughed as Takett grumbled at that.
"So if you're so strong now, whaddya need me for?"
"It'll be easier for me to rule Sacramento if I have you on my side before I take it, won't it?"
"Wait, rule Sacramento?"
"Of course! You don't think I'm just gonna walk away after I kill Weson, do you?" Dan gave him a look. "Why would I do all that work and then just walk away?"
"But what about Wiles?"
"Do you think I'm going to let a weakling like that just mosey in and take over after I've done all the heavy lifting?"
"Weakling? I don't know that I'd say Godfrey is exactly weak."
"Then how come he hasn't been able to win against Weson? Against Dale?"
"Maybe because he knew whichever one he took on, the other would come after him next?"
"Yeah, we call that weak," Wrath said with a snort.
"Oh? Well, I don't see you going after either of them."
"We already did," Olivia said with a grin. "Dale's gone."
"What! But Wiles attacked him just last week!"
"And discovered she was no longer there," Dan said.
"I don't believe you!"
"Look up whose name the house is in," Wrath said. "It's Dan's."
"I didn't know that," Herman said.
Dan shrugged. "The paperwork only just went through. Oh, and I changed my last name; it's no longer Westridge."
"Why'd you do that?"
"To get out of being cursed," Olivia said with a snicker. "Dan here figured out that was all he needed to do to beat it."
Now it was Herman's turn to look shocked. "What?"
Dan smiled. "Weson isn't as smart as he thinks he is."
"Okay, now this I gotta see," Takett said, pulling out his cellphone. He tapped and swiped on it while they all watched.
"Son of a…" Takett looked up at him. "What did you change your last name to?"
"Sobek."
Takett swore, then laughed, shaking his head as he put his phone away. "Christ on a cracker, but that's impressive! Okay, I'm interested. But what's in it for me?"
"I'm giving everyone who helps me the same deal Umber gave his people."
"Okay, but why?"
"Huh?" Dan blinked. "What do you mean?"
"If you took Dale out under everybody's nose, without any of us knowing, what do you need me for? You already have Herman there, and I suspect Royce signed on as well, right?"
"Oh, right. Well, it's like this. I don't want people to think I'm just a figurehead, that demons are running Sacramento. Yeah, they're my wives, and they give me advice, but I need guys like you, Herman here, and Royce giving me advice as well. I mean, I love 'em and all, but," Dan looked at Wrath and then Olivia with a smile on his face, "their advice for dealing with people isn't always the kind I'd want to unleash on the populace."
Takett smiled and laughed. "Well at least you're honest about what they are."
"Course I am, and I love 'em for it, too. But I'm not stupid."
"Well, it's not hard to see which way the wind is blowing, and I'm not stupid, either. Offers like yours only come around once in a lifetime. So yeah, I'm on board."
"Do you swear to support me to the best of your ability and not to betray us?" Dan asked.
"Do you swear to at least hear my advice when I give it, to support me when I need it, and never betray me as well?"
"Yes, I swear it, in return for your oath."
"Then I swear it as well."
They both shook hands then.
"So, when do we start?" Takett asked.
"We'll meet on Sunday to discuss our attack."
"Good, I hate waiting around. What about my people?"
"You have people?" George said, looking surprised.
"Course I do! I don't trust Weson or Wiles a single iota. Those bastards would kill me if they knew where I lived, I'm sure. I figured if I ended up stuck here in Yuba City, there was no reason not to enjoy it!"
Dan had to smile at that. "Bring whomever you need to feel safe. I'm not sure yet where I'm gonna set this up, maybe Roseville or Lincoln, or someplace like that."
Takett nodded and gave Dan his cellphone number.
"Well, that was easy," George said after they'd gotten back into the van.
"We appealed to his self-interest," Wrath said.
"How's that?"
"He knows, with him or without him, we're going to win. So now he not only gets to be on the winning team, but he gets to have influence with us afterwards."
"Which reminds me," Dan said. "From this point on, anybody who joins doesn't necessarily become one of my advisors. I think four's enough."
"Four?" Herman said. "But there's only me, Royce, and Takett."
"And George," Dan said with a nod towards George, who looked surprised.
"But George is only nineteen!" Herman said, causing his son to roll his eyes.
"Yeah, but he's still my best friend. So he gets to have a say," Dan said with a grin. "Besides, I think I'm done with going door to door. If any of the others are interested, they can come to me."
"But you only picked up two more! You're going to need a lot more than that. Weson's got like a hundred people working for him!"
"How many of them are magic users?"
"Umm…not that many. He's only got three…I think?"
"Yeah, and we've got that and then some," Dan said. "Also, we have something else you're not counting on."
"What? I took your wives into account."
"Demons," Dan said with a smile. "I've already told all the demons in Sacramento that if they help me, I'll treat fairly with them."
"You didn't!"
"Course I did," Dan said with a snort. "I plan on ruling them, too! Why wouldn't I? Umber did, after all."
"But Umber was a lot more experienced than you!"
"Umber didn't have five
of the most powerful demons in town as his mates," Wrath said from the driver's seat. "Now did he?"
"Unnn."
"She's got you there," Dan said with a laugh. "Trust me; none of them are going to be pulling any wool over my eyes!"
"Honestly, you're not thinking this through," Olivia said.
"How do you mean?" Herman asked.
"Any demons who live here or come here are going to see our Dan and realize he obviously knows demons and is strong enough to make us mind him. So they'll follow his rules and won't want to fall afoul of him.
"Then of course they'll all want to curry favor with him."
"Why would they want to do that?"
"Because that's just how most demons are," Wrath replied. "The strong rule, and the rest fall in line."
"And the weak protect themselves by being in league with the boss," Olivia said with a grin.
"So, what, you're going to raise a demon army?" Herman asked, looking concerned.
"Hardly," Dan said with a shake of his head. "Right now I'm just hoping I can get enough of them onboard to make dealing with Weson easy."
"But then you'd be invincible, right?" George asked.
"Yeah, no. Don't want to go there," Dan said, thinking about what he'd been told before about what demons feared the most these days.
"What about Layton, do you want to recruit him?" Wrath asked.
"I don't know; what do you think, Herman?"
"I can call him when I get home," Herman said in a thoughtful voice. "He might be interested."
"Well, maybe we can set up something for tomorrow," Dan said, thinking for a moment. "Just don't tell anybody where we live. Last thing I want to do is scare the neighbors."
"Do you really think you'll be ready to take Weson on by next week?"
"I don't see why not. I'm fairly sure he took a beating in the hotel last week, so I see no reason to let him rebuild before we attack."
Turning to George, Dan smiled. "So, what's been going on the last year with everybody?"
George spent the rest of the trip catching him up on their friends. It wasn't the most fascinating of conversations, and some of it seemed kind of childish now, but it was nice to hear about mundane things for a while.
