Tricked

question, and I began to whittle quick stakes out of a small pile of firewood. Granuaile came over to squat down beside me and looked up at her SUV embedded in the roof.
    » Easy come, easy go, eh? « she said.
    » Let’s hope they got burned bad and Frank can talk a good game, « I said to her. » They’re a whole lot smarter than they were before, and I don’t have anything to throw at them. This magic is beyond me. «
    » Can’t Colorado pump you up to match them? « she asked. » Seems like you’re holding your own so far. «
    Her tone lacked concern, and that concerned me. » No, Granuaile, it’s the Navajo magic that’s far more effective than mine, « I said. » Whatever spirits are driving those men, they are old . They are able to juice up those bodies more than Colorado can juice up mine. I might be stronger, but they’re much faster. All I’m doing is using the leverage Frank provided us. Druids aren’t omnipotent—not even close! Gaia gives you an edge over the average person, but it will always be your wits and your paranoia that help you see the sunrise more than brute strength or speed. If magic was the answer to everything, you wouldn’t need a twelve-year training period in languages and lore to become a Druid. It’s your mind that matters. Clear? «
    Chastened, she nodded. » Clear. «
    » All right. Listen, « I said in a lower voice as I continued to sharpen stakes. » Fear is a weapon. Leaders use it to manipulate the people they lead and to cow other nations. Your enemies will use it to manipulate you. So that means you might be averse to using it yourself, because in your experience it’s only bullies and bad guys who use it. But I’m using it right now to manipulate the skinwalkers, because it’s not exactly the kind of ethic that stands up when your survival is on the line. Frank is threatening them with light, because they’ve been burned by the Blessing Way ward and they don’t want to get burned again. That might prevent them from attacking us further, or it might just delay the next attack; we’ll see. But is it only the light from the magical spectrum that scares them? «
    » Well, the way you ask that, I’m going to say no, but what do you mean? That we can go out there with flashlights and scare them away? «
    I gave her a tiny shake of my head, then jerked my chin toward the fire pit.
    » Oh … « she said. » If we’re sitting in a structure made of wood, why haven’t they burned us out and picked us off? «
    » Exactly. «
    » They must be really scared of fire. But you would think the human side of them wouldn’t have a problem with it. «
    » I don’t think the human side of them is running the show right now. «
    As if to confirm that, the skinwalkers roared defiantly at something Frank said.
    » They don’t sound very scared, « Granuaile observed.
    » Rage is a tonic for fear. They have plenty of both, I think. I need you to set up a chair or tables under your SUV so we can get to the cab area, all right? «
    Looking at her SUV sagging into the structure, she considered the assignment doubtfully. There wasn’t enough space for someone to crawl inside, and broken glass lined the edges of the windows, which were slightly compacted from the impact with the roof. But she shrugged and said, » Okay, sensei. «
    » Thanks. «
    As Granuaile moved underneath her vehicle and Ben came forward to ask if she needed any help, Sophie Betsuie finally communicated enough information to her grandmother to hang up, turn around, and see what had caused all that unholy racket. And she promptly freaked out.
    She knew at a glance that there was no possible way the roof could continue to support that vehicle, yet two people were walking right underneath it. She heroically shouted at them to move out of the way and demanded an explanation. » Why didn’t it fall through? « she wondered aloud.
    No one had an answer for her. I wasn’t about to explain that I magically reinforced the roof with steel. Granuaile doggedly continued to set up a makeshift access to the cab area, ignoring Sophie’s assertions that she’d be squashed like a roach.
    I called Ben Keonie over and asked him a question. » Are you guys required to have a fire extinguisher in a structure like this, considering that you have a fire pit in here and all? «
    » Yeah, we have a small one stashed in that locker over there, « he said, gesturing near the door.
    » Excellent, « I said. » Would you mind