Many people who know me personally think I’m a sweet little old lady. I know, right? Those who have read a lot of my work (not many, to be sure) know I can go pretty damn dark.

This is one of those times. Today’s sample is from my just-re-released science fantasy novel, THE WOLVES OF PORT NOVO.

The Plan

excerpt from THE WOLVES OF PORT NOVO
by Marian Allen

Guerrero scowled. “Mind your own business. We’ve got a deal.”

“What deal?” asked Loach. “She’s in danger and you’re not, she does all the work and you just stand around and look fierce? Some deal.”

“She agreed.”

“She’s backing out. Muriel, stick with old Loach, will you? I’ve charged you first-class prices for second-class coral, and I’ve swiped your tips, but I’d never –”

“You did what?”

Guerrero waved a hand for the others’ attention. “Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Muriel and I have an arrangement. You don’t like it. I don’t care. As a relic supplier, Muriel will have access to every reaver and every temple in the Eel. As her bodyguard, so will I. Without her, I won’t. Now, Muriel, if I help you get this churchwarden alone, does our arrangement still stand?”

“Let’s just say,” said Loach, “if you don’t, it doesn’t.”

“Will you mind your own business?”

“If you don’t, it doesn’t,” Muriel repeated.

“Maybe you’ll like this better,” Loach offered. “The best we could do here in Batumi is ambush this warden, scare her, hurt her, and hope we get away with it.”

Muriel nodded. “That’s good enough for me.”

“But, if we ambushed her in the desert, we could take her armor and weapons. You could wear them. You could escort me back to the sea, then you and Guerrero could ride right up to any reaver in the Eel, and have a knife into him before he blinked. You could just walk into any temple you wanted and back out with any treasure you could carry.”

“If we did that,” said Muriel, “we’d have to kill her.”

“So?”

“And take the armor off her dead body, and I’d have to put it on and wear it?”

“Sure. It’ll be fun.”

~*~

You can buy THE WOLVES OF PORT NOVO to have for your very own! Right now, it’s only available through Amazon in print and for Kindles and Kindle apps, but you can always order it through your friendly neighborhood bookstore using ISBN #1942166605. Once it works its way through distribution, it’ll be available through Indiebound, B&N online, and pert’ near everwhar, as we say down home where I come from.

A WRITING PROMPT FROM ME TO YOU: What vengeance to imagine wreaking on your worst enemy. No, don’t tell me. It would frighten me.

MA