Lachlan hissed when he burned himself trying to turn a burger. “Fuck. We need to be all strategic and shit with this. Tricky-ass flames. I think I prefer a microwave.”
“Wonder what Sun Tzu has to say about barbeque,” Shorty mused aloud.
Royce wandered over and laughed. “The closest thing I can think of is, ‘When the men do not hang their cooking-pots over the campfires, showing that they will not return to their tents, you may know that they are determined to fight to the death.’”
Trey furrowed his brow. “So a motherfucker who doesn’t get the wood in his pit burning is ready to fight to the death?”
James grunted. “They deserve to die anyway for disrespecting the barbeque.”
Everyone laughed.
Alison and Shay wandered over from Father McCartney’s table.
“What’s so funny?” the teen asked.
“Barbeque,” Trey explained.
Alison and Shay both groaned.
A couple of hours later Alison was on her way back home from the park, a smile on her face. She loved the School of Necessary Magic, but being with James and Shay had reminded her what it was truly like to be loved and cherished by a mother and father, even if Shay wanted to keep insisting she was nothing more than her aunt.
Just wait and see. I’m sure Dad will make a move sooner rather than later.
Alison grinned at the thought.
“Aren’t we a sweet young thing?” came a voice from behind her.
The teen spun, frowning. She shuddered at the lust and general vileness in the energy of the man behind her.
“Excuse me. I was on my way home.”
The man shook his head. “Ain’t no one around, girl. Maybe you should keep me company. Or you can give me anything you have on you, and I’ll walk away. Nice necklace. Pretty sweet deal, don’t you think?”
Alison took a deep breath. She didn’t need the Aegis Pendant for an idiot like this.
Okay, how would Dad or Aunt Shay want me to handle this?
The girl painted her face with an arrogant smirk. Confidence was key in the early part of a battle.
“Walk away, dirtbag, and you won’t get hurt.”
The man snorted. “You keep running that mouth, little girl, and this is gonna hurt a lot more than it needs to. Now give me the fucking necklace and anything else you got on you.”
Alison shook her head. There were so many things she could do to him, but for some reason, she wanted it to be a little more visceral and a little more painful. If she were too subtle, he wouldn’t learn his lesson.
There was a sudden snick, and she could see the energy of a knife.
The man pointed into the distance. “We’re gonna walk between those two houses, and you’re gonna keep your mouth fucking shut if you know what’s good for you. Last chance, bitch.”
Alison lifted her hand. “It’s actually your last chance to walk away.”
“I’ve had enough—”
He screamed as her summoned flames burned the hand with the knife. He dropped the weapon and clutched his hand. “What the fuck?”
Alison shook her head. “I gave you a lot of warnings. You don’t really have anyone to blame but yourself.”
The man sprinted away, whimpering.
Alison’s heart rate kicked up as someone shouted from behind her and she spun, lifting her hands.
Two men were rushing toward her, but she relaxed after a moment. The souls were familiar, as were their voices. Shorty and Max.
All the men now knew her secrets, which annoyed and comforted her at the same time because they’d become more protective of her.
Shorty arrived first. “Yo, Alison, you all right? We saw that bitch pull that knife, but we was way far out.”
Max nodded.
Alison snorted. “Bitch, please. He didn’t stand a chance.”
Shorty and Max laughed.
She shrugged. “You don’t fuck with a Drow princess, especially not Alison Brownstone.”
Brownstone on Audio
Have you heard the audiobooks for this series? Book one, Feared by Hell is available now.
Order Now at Audible or Amazon
Author Notes - Michael Anderle
August 14, 2018
First, THANK YOU for not only reading this story, but also reading through the back to our Author Notes, too!
When I was working on the beats for this book, I had a hard time getting into the groove of a story. Any story for this book.
The problem, I finally figured out, was I didn’t know who the bad guys were. Normally, James is fighting someone physically and everything plays out from there. Occasionally, it is an antagonist with a bit more of a non-physical challenge, which often requires physical reactions.
#GoBigBOOM! (#aAmIRight?)
But, what to do when the story is about Alison’s adoption? THAT was supposed to be the big deal of the book, and how is that much of a challenge?
Well, except the teenager part, that’s always a challenge.
Then, EUREKA!
I realized that those damned Drow I thought were gone would absolutely not appreciate what was going to go on, and the government would likely try to minimize the blowback by supporting an effort to make sure Brownstone couldn’t adopt Alison. “Oh shit,” I thought to myself. “That wouldn’t go down well at all.”
Then, it occurred to me that in court, the government would be seeking to prove their point that Brownstone is not a proper person to adopt Alison. Further, he was going to need to do some defense, but how do you defend yourself?
He wouldn’t.
Nope, his friends—those he had helped—would stand up for him and prove the government was full of hot air.
Right up to the point the Drow queen would show up. Her little display would hurt Brownstone, perhaps. But it would do one thing for absolutely sure, which is make him decide it was time to take her out.
Because, die trying or not, Alison wouldn’t be safe until she wasn’t a problem. “Aunt” Shay would take care of the government asshole, and we get a nice family finish.
Except, Alison didn’t get her time to shine.
Until the end.
“I’m Alison Brownstone, bitch.”
Those, I think, will be the first words of her new series after she graduates from the School of Necessary Magic.
Coming 1st Quarter, 2019
Ad Aeternitatem,
Michael Anderle
Other Revelation of Oriceran Universe Books
The Unbelievable Mr. Brownstone
* Michael Anderle *
Feared by Hell (1) - Rejected by Heaven (2) - Eye For An Eye (3) - Bring the Pain (4) - She is the Widow Maker (5) - When Angels Cry (6) - Fire with Fire (7) - Hail To The King (08) - Alison Brownstone (9)
I Fear No Evil
* Martha Carr and Michael Anderle *
Kill the Willing (1) - Bury the Past, But Shoot it First (2) - Reload Faster (3) - Dead In Plain sight (4) - Tomb Raiding PHD (5)
School of Necessary Magic
* Judith Berens *
Dark Is Her Nature (1) Bright Is Her Sight (2) - Wary Is Her Love (3) - Strong Is Her Hope (4)
Rewriting Justice
* Martha Carr and Michael Anderle *
Justice Served Cold (1) - Vengeance Served Hot (2) - Bounty Hunter Inc (03)
The Leira Chronicles
* Martha Carr and Michael Anderle *
Waking Magic (1) - Release of Magic (2) - Protection of Magic (3) - Rule of Magic (4) - Dealing in Magic (5) - Theft of Magic (6) - Enemies of Magic (7) - Guardians of Magic (8)
The Soul Stone Mage Series
* Sarah Noffke and Martha Carr *
House of Enchanted (1) - The Dark Forest (2) - Mountain of Truth (3) - Land of Terran (4) - New Egypt (5) - Lancothy (6) - Virgo (7)
The Kacy Chronicles
* A.L. Knorr and Martha Carr *
Descendant (1) - Ascendant (2) - Combatant (3) - Transcendent (4)
The Midwest Magic
Chronicles
* Flint Maxwell and Martha Carr*
The Midwest Witch (1) - The Midwest Wanderer (2) - The Midwest Whisperer (3) - The Midwest War (4)
The Fairhaven Chronicles
* with S.M. Boyce *
Glow (1) - Shimmer (2) - Ember (3) - Nightfall (4)
Books by Michael Anderle
For a complete list of books by Michael Anderle, please visit
www.lmbpn.com/ma-books/
All LMBPN Audiobooks are Available at Audible.com and iTunes. For a complete list of audiobooks visit:
www.lmbpn.com/audible
Connect with Michael Anderle
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http://kurtherianbooks.com/
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Alison Brownstone: An Urban Fantasy Action Adventure (The Unbelievable Mr. Brownstone Book 9) Page 20
