Red Skies

by Jan Stryvant

  Taking a quick swipe at it with his sword, Sean stopped its forward charge as it dodged his attack.

  "You will die, lion!" it snarled in a voice that sounded like it gargled with razor blades and broken glass, and then screamed loudly, the sound of it hurting his ears.

  "Daelyn, Peg! Help Roxy, I got this one!"

  "You can't beat me, lion!" It laughed.

  Sean stomped forward with his leading foot and faked a fencer's lunge, using the sword in a point forward position. It wasn't the best way to use a two-handed sword, which was really made more for cleaving than close combat, but Sean was remembering the last time he'd fought one of these, and he'd all but had his ass handed to him.

  The djevel flinched at Sean's lunge, then snarled when it realized Sean had only been taunting it. It charged in then and batted the blade aside, ignoring the cut on its arm as Sean turned the blade so the edge scored down along it.

  It took a swing at him next, trying to rake its claws across his face, forcing Sean to duck, then it kicked him in the stomach with one of its cloven hooves and sent him flying back to land on his ass in the dirt.

  'Use your sword!' the First yelled at him. 'Or do you want me to tell Keairra she's been wasting her time on you?'

  Sean gulped and sprung to his feet, the thought of getting on her bad side scaring him a lot more than the screaming devil that was charging him now. Taking a firm grip on the sword, he charged back and, dodging to the side at the last minute, he unwound and brought the sword around, aiming for a body shot.

  The djevel dodged at the last moment, and he missed the body. But he got the left arm, which fell to the ground and immediately started to smoke and dissolve like the other demon he'd killed.

  Spinning around, Sean moved to charge it from behind, but the djevel obviously expected the attack, and was already coming back at him, screaming hideously as it came.

  Dropping to his knees just before it hit him, Sean brought the sword around again and took one of its legs off at the thigh. He got sprayed with some sort of black ichor as it fell, and he leapt up off the ground and into the air. Swinging the sword around as he came back down, he twisted his body to bring the point of the sword down first onto the djevel's body as it tried to crawl out of the way. The sword almost hesitated as it hit the hard skin of the djevel's back, but several hundred pounds of lion was behind the sharp point of the magical blade and it sank through the body, pinning it to the ground.

  Jumping off to the side, Sean looked at it as it screamed and thrashed on the ground, pinned in place by the sword, but still not dead. Reaching behind him, he drew the other sword, the hilt of which was still sticking up out of his collar behind his neck, and bringing the sword down, he took off the raseri djevel's head.

  Looking back at Roxy, he saw Daelyn's hammer hit the minion she was fighting in the head, causing it to fall on its back as its legs were apparently rooted to the spot by magic. Roxy took advantage of the minion's temporary distress to take its head off.

  'Check the girl, make sure she's dead,' the First told him.

  Grabbing his sword and wrenching it out of the now dissolving body, Sean quickly ran over to the body of the girl.

  'The minion must have killed her,' the First noted as Sean saw that her head had been smashed with a rock.

  "Where do you think the summoner is?" Daelyn asked, looking around.

  'These weren't summoned. They're a scouting party.'

  "A scouting party?" Sean said out loud. "What do you mean they weren't summoned?"

  'Sometimes there are leaks between the fabric of the worlds. A small gate must have opened around here someplace, and these three either came through on their own, or were sent by others, to look for bodies and souls to bring back.'

  "Why?"

  'Why does anyone want that which they do not have?'

  Sean frowned at the cryptic response and told the others what the First had told him.

  "Do we need to find that 'leak'?" Roxy asked.

  'With these three dead, it should have closed by now. Just be glad the opening couldn't support more than three of these creatures.'

  "Let's see if we can find the rest of the kids," Sean said after he'd told them the First's words.

  "You know, that whole idea doesn't sit well with me," Roxy grumbled. "We had that Walker guy making deals with devils, or demons, or whatever you want to call these things, and now three of them show up almost in our own backyard?"

  "Yeah, I can't say I care for that much myself," Daelyn agreed.

  "Me neither," Peg added.

  "That makes four of us," Sean said with an unhappy sigh. "I know I need to sit down and talk to the others about this, but until we're done with Canada and Mexico, I don't think I'm going to get much of an answer."

  "Somebody needs to call me," Roxy growled.

  "Yeah, they do," Sean agreed, "but for now, let's find the other kids."

  "Umm, Sean?" Peg said.

  "What?"

  "Maybe searching for the kids looking like a big lion-demon might not be a great idea?"

  Turning to look at Peg, Sean saw that she was back in her human form. He looked over at Roxy, who shrugged and then shifted back as well.

  Snorting, Sean shifted also.

  "Let's circle the area first and see if we can see anything," Sean said, and led them around the base of the rock pile. They'd gotten maybe a third of the way around it when two reservation police cars came flying up to them, lights flashing.

  "Drop the sword!" a deputy said, opening the door and drawing his gun.

  "Kweeda sent us!" Sean yelled back and dropped the sword he'd been holding in his hand.

  Sean heard some muted conversation, but couldn't make it out. Then the deputy yelled again, "You don't look like lycans!"

  "We didn't want to scare the children," Peg said.

  "Assuming any are left alive," Sean sighed.

  "What do you mean?" the deputy asked.

  "We found a dead girl over by where we killed the djevels." Sean pointed back to where they had come from.

  "You mean the evil spirits?"

  Sean nodded. "Come on, I'll show you. Girls, stay with the other deputies in case they need help."

  "Hey, I'm in charge here!"

  Sean snorted. "Not anymore you're not. These things are nasty, and your guns won't stop 'em. I think we got them all, but I don't want to take any chances, do you?"

  The deputy frowned, said something to the other one inside the car, and then walked over towards Sean. "Okay, show me what you found."

  The other deputies got out of the cars as well and walked over to the girls as Sean led him around the rock. The black puddles the djevels had left on the ground as they died were still there, though they looked more like some sort of tar now.

  "Don't touch that," Sean warned. "Not until one of your Shamans has come down here to deal with it at least."

  The deputy just nodded, then walked over to the dead girl's body and swore.

  "You know her?"

  "Yeah, her name is Katie, her father is my wife's cousin. She's their eldest."

  "I'm sorry," Sean told him. "I got here as fast as I could; I guess it just wasn't fast enough."

  "Yeah," the deputy agreed unhappily.

  "Shonnie, we found them!" the deputy's radio suddenly squawked, breaking the silence.

  "How are they?" Shonnie asked, keying the mike.

  "Alive! Scared and a little banged up, but they're alive. They're asking about Katie."

  "We'll be right there." Shonnie turned to Sean. "Well, you didn't get here too late for the others, at least. Come on, let's go find out what happened."

  Change Two

  "Where were you four?" Roberta asked as they all walked into the living room. Sarah was sleeping on the couch by her mother, who was definitely starting to look pregnant.

  "A couple of demons, or djevels, or whatever they hell they call 'em, came through from the underworld and attacked a bunch of kids up on the rese
rvation." Daelyn sighed.

  "And after we killed them, the reservation police wanted us to come back to the station to tell them what happened.

  "They believe you?" Roberta asked.

  They all nodded.

  "The reservation police are all Indians," Sean told her. "They're a bit more in touch with the supernatural, especially these days."

  "I take it they're all okay?"

  "No." Roxy sighed and dropped down on the couch, waking Sarah, who started to rub her eyes and look around. It was after two, Sean was surprised she was still up.

  "One of the girls, the one who was supposed to be in charge, sacrificed herself so the others could get away."

  "Oh," Roberta said as Cali and Jolene came into the room.

  "Damn, that sucks," Jolene said.

  "Still, she saved the others, that is what matters, right?" Cali said, yawning.

  "What's a sacrifice?" Sarah asked getting to her feet and weaving a little as she ran to Sean and wrapped her arms around his legs. "Daddy's home!"

  "It's been a long day, pumpkin, and it's way past your bedtime," Sean said and yawned himself.

  "Awww!"

  "I only promised you could stay up until Sean came home," Roberta warned her. "Now it's bedtime, let's go."

  Sean picked Sarah up. "I'll carry her," he said and followed Roberta off to Sarah's room.

  "How did a couple of djevels get here? Who summoned them?" Jolene asked Roxy as Sean and Roberta left.

  Roxy shrugged. "Apparently sometimes gateways open, and some come through looking to kidnap people."

  Cali nodded vigorously. "Back in fædreland, it's not uncommon for temporary portals to open between our world and onderwereld, that of the djevels."

  "How often is 'not uncommon'?" Jolene asked.

  Cali shrugged. "Once a decade? Rarely less, but never much more."

  "Do any of you get the feeling that the 'First' isn't telling us everything?" Peg grumbled.

  Roxy, Jolene, Daelyn, and Cali all nodded vigorously.

  "He's definitely holding something back," Roxy growled.

  "Why?" Jolene asked.

  "He says he doesn't want Sean distracted from freeing everybody."

  Jolene snickered. "Distracted? Our Sean? Sometimes I think that boy can't keep a single thought in his head for more than a minute."

  "It's not his fault," Cali complained, rising to Sean's defense. "He hasn't had a single moment since I've known him where there wasn't something demanding his attention!"

  "She has a point," Peg said, and then smirked, "and half the time, that 'something' demanding his attention is one of us!"

  "Still..." Jolene started.

  "Says the second biggest distraction in the room!" Peg snickered, and Jolene blushed.

  "Only second?" Roxy snorted.

  "You're still number one, Rox!" Peg teased.

  Roxy nodded and grinned. "As it should be! Still. I told Sean I wanted the First to call me."

  "Why'd you do that?" Jolene asked.

  "Telling me won't distract Sean, but then at least one of us can make sure we're getting ready for what's coming."

  "Think he will?"

  "If he doesn't, I'll be sure to figure out a way to force the issue," Roxy said, growling warningly.

  Sean came back with an arm around Roberta.

  "Who's for bed?" he asked, smiling.

  "Notice he didn't say 'sleep'!" Peg snickered.

  "Oh, like you were going to let me do any of that!" Sean countered as they all headed off to the master bedroom.

  When they got to the bedroom, Sean pulled off his shirt and pulling Roberta, who'd already shed her ever-present robes, he started to kiss her as he walked her back to the bed.

  "I thought you were tired?" Roberta asked with a snicker.

  "I thought I was, too," Sean mumbled as he pulled Roberta down to the bed beside him, still kissing her while one of the others pulled off his shoes and removed his pants as they all joined him and Roberta on the bed.

  It had been a busy day, and Sean was getting the feeling that busier days lay ahead for him. So he wanted to make love to each of his wives tonight, while he still had the time. Each of them was a vital piece of what he was, and he wanted to be sure they understood just how much he loved them.

  Running his hands down over the slight curve of her belly, Sean was once again reminded that Roberta was carrying his child and was so incredibly happy that she had wanted his child.

  "That's right, Love," Roberta whispered, "you're gonna be a daddy soon."

  Sean smiled and, sliding his hand around to grab her naked butt, he pulled her close to him so she could feel just how excited he was.

  "Somebody sure likes that idea."

  "If he didn't, we wouldn't all be pregnant now, would we?" Jolene whispered in Roberta's ear as she slid up against her from behind. Using her leg to raise Roberta's, Roberta got the idea, and Sean suddenly found himself being guided into Roberta's wet and very willing body. Probably by Roxy's hands, as she was now pressing up against his back.

  Sliding his left arm under Roberta and Jolene, he pulled them both closer as his hips began to thrust his length back and forth into Roberta, who had wrapped her left leg around his hip, using it to pull him deeper as he worked.

  With multiple sets of hands stroking her and several of them kissing her, it wasn't all that long before Roberta was experiencing her own orgasmic bliss. While not the most adventurous of Sean's wives, like all of Sean's women, she had little resistance when it came to Jolene's wiles.

  But then, who did?

  Rolling over, Sean started in on Roxy, who made it clear she wanted him on top of her.

  "Let me feel your weight, Sean," she purred in his ear as her legs wrapped around him. Sean didn't hesitate a moment, and entering her, he started to kiss and nibble at her ears while grabbing and massaging her tight ass with his hands. Once again, the others put their hands and lips to work as well, something Roxy had no problems with, having been 'corrupted' by Jolene long before Sean had ever met her. Though sometimes Sean wondered just who had corrupted who. Roxy never hesitated when it came to something she wanted, and tonight she definitely wanted to feel him and his love inside her, not releasing him from her grasp until he'd hit his own peak deep inside.

  Daelyn was next. Definitely the shyest of his wives, Daelyn had also come the farthest. While she was quite willing to do and try anything where Sean was involved, when he wasn't, she could still be hesitant at times. Tonight, however, all of her usual inhibitions seemed to have fled for the evening, and she kissed the others just as lustily as she was kissing him. She straddled him as he lay on his back, Jolene eventually joining her in that position and sitting astride his head, letting him put his tongue to good use as Jolene and Daelyn made love to each other as well as him.

  He could feel Peg and Cali's hands and occasionally lips as well, and when Daelyn finally hit her peak, Jolene took her place straddling his hips, while Daelyn laid beside him and they cuddled and kissed. Sean ran his hand over both of their bellies; neither was showing yet, though they were perhaps starting to thicken just a little, like Roxy was.

  When he and Jolene climaxed, she collapsed down on top of him, hooking an arm around Daelyn as the three of them kissed and cuddled until Peg and Cali had teased him erect once more. Sean could tell that Jolene was full up and sated magically, and just as Roxy and Roberta had cuddled up and fallen asleep, Jolene and Daelyn seemed to be doing the same.

  Carefully extricating himself, Sean turned to Cali and Peg and smiled. Cali was hands down the least shy of any of them, including Jolene, which was saying something. There wasn't anything sexually that Cali wouldn't do with the rest of them, and like Jolene, she seemed to have forgotten the meaning of the word 'no'.

  Peg tried to play at being as bold as the others, but there were times when Sean suspected she wasn't really any bolder than Daelyn. After Daelyn, she was definitely the least experienced of them all, well, excluding Sea
n, of course. But Peg was not one to refuse a challenge, and after all she'd been through, like Cali, she was so happy to be loved by the others that she couldn't refuse any of them anything.

  Sean entered Cali as she laid on her back and wrapped those long, luscious legs of hers around him, Peg sitting astride Cali's face this time, and Sean happily made love to the two of them, eventually lowering his own head to help Cali tease Peg to orgasm. They then switched up, and Sean helped Peg tease Cali with their fingers and their tongues as Sean rode Peg to another pleasant orgasm of his own, with Peg and Cali joining him.

  Curling up against Cali and Peg, Sean yawned and kissed each of them, then quickly fell asleep.

  §

  Sean was going over the fight with Keairra, with her showing him what he should have done, and why.

  "Now that you've fought one and won, you won't be so gun shy the next time," she told him.

  Sean nodded. "All I could think of was how tough it was the last time I ran into one. Having a weapon that can actually hurt them really helps."

  "Sean," the First said then, padding over in lion form.

  "Yes, Dad?"

  "We need to talk."

  "Uh-huh. You are going to call Roxy, right?"

  "Why would I do that?" the First asked, looking at him curiously.

  "Because you said you would, and because I'm the one who's going to be facing the brunt of her punishments when she decides to come after you."

  The First snickered at that. "We'll see. But that's not why I'm here."

  Sean looked at him expectantly. "Now what?"

  "You need to free all of the lycans in Canada by Saturday."

  "Tomorrow!? You want me to free them all by tomorrow?"

  The First rolled his eyes. "Of course not. A week from tomorrow."

  "And just how the hell am I supposed to do that?"

  The First just shrugged. "You'll figure something out, I'm sure."

  "And what about the ones in Mexico? You need them freed by then, too?" Sean asked hotly.