“We can’t withstand too much more of this, Monty.”
“I…know,” he said, straining against the waves of power slamming into the Bulwark. “We’re too close!”
“This is one shift away from Archmage?”
“I may have slightly miscalculated the extent of her power,” Monty answered. “It would seem—”
“As First Elder,” Jen’s voice boomed across the area. “I, Orahjene find you, Toson of the Red Mountain sect, guilty of the crime of murder. A life for a life. Goodbye, husband.”
The power threatening to wipe us out subsided almost immediately.
“Anyone worth killing is worth overkilling,” I muttered to myself as I looked where Toson had once stood. “That’s some serious firepower.”
Monty dropped the shield, and we approached Jen. We must’ve looked like we’d been dragged from a warzone. Most of my clothes were wrecked. I didn’t point out to Monty how shredded he appeared, because he’d already had a few bad incidents with his jackets.
“I owe you a debt I cannot repay,” Jen said. “Before I go, what can I do for you?”
“What did you do to Peaches?” I asked as he bounded over, regular sized and in one piece. “Was that fire I saw come out of his mouth?”
“Hellfire,” she said. “I merely nudged it forward a little. It would have manifested soon enough.”
I looked around at the devastation in Times Square. I remembered what Dex had done in Japan to the damaged temple. Jen was probably just as strong as, if not stronger than Dex.
“There is one thing you could do for us,” I said. “Could you handle all this damage—?”
“Simon,” Monty said. “She’s the First Elder of the Red Mountain, and you want her to act—”
“As a friend,” Jen said, her voice holding a tinge of sadness. She formed a large orb of violet-white energy and released it into the air above us. “If you ever need my help, do not hesitate to ask. The Red Mountain is forever in your debt.”
Monty placed his hands together and bowed.
Jen returned the gesture and stayed there until Monty nudged me in the side with an elbow, reminding me to do the same. I put my hands together and bowed.
“Until our next meeting,” Jen said and disappeared. “Thank you.”
I looked around and Times Square was still wrecked.
“The place still looks like a warzone. Ramirez is going to have a cow. Forget that, he’s going to have a herd of cows. Maybe she still doesn’t have the hang of the whole First Elder thing yet?”
“Wait,” Monty said. “Give it a moment.”
“For what?” I asked, pointing at the orb. “I mean, sure that would be great as—I don’t know? Mood lighting? It’s not working as demolition repair. May as well start picking cities to move to. What do you think about Chicago?”
“They already have a wizard.”
“True, but they don’t have the Strong and Montague Detective Agency.”
“We aren’t moving,” Monty said, limping away. “We’ll be fine.”
“I don’t know how you can say that,” I argued. “Once Angel sees this place, he’s going to have a stroke, then kill us, and then have another stroke. This is—”
The violet-white orb above us kept rising for a few more feet. I followed it with my gaze, expecting it to float right out of the city when it exploded with a thwump, blinding me.
When I could see again, all of the damage was gone. I stood there turning in a circle surveying the completely undamaged Times Square.
“You better call Ramirez and tell him we’re done,” Monty said as he limped around the corner onto 6th Avenue. “Tell him the city is safe—again. At least for today.”
“How did she do that?” I asked, catching up. “Wait, the hub. Is Ursula going to come hunt us down when she discovers what—?”
“The permutational persistence will have run its sequence by now,” Monty answered. “It will revert back to normal.”
“Which means it’s not hammertime?”
“Exactly,” Monty said. “I need a hot shower, a hot cuppa, and perhaps two to three days of uninterrupted sleep.”
“That sounds like an excellent plan—if you just adjust that cuppa for coffee, it would be perfect. I have to make one stop before I sleep for a week. Did you still want your laxative cookies?”
“Digestives—McVities, and get me three boxes, not two.”
“McVittles, got it,” I said. “Sounds like dog food, but okay.”
He shook his head, opened a portal and vanished from sight.
I stepped into a bookstore across the street from the Library, and grabbed some books, before heading downtown. I arrived at the Bowling Green hub and parked behind Ursula’s Widow. I pressed a finger on her car, leaving a fairly large smudge on the immaculate wax job before stepping into the Oracle.
“He did it anyway, didn’t he?” she asked. “Even after I told him not to?”
“He’s not big on following orders,” I said. “I brought you this because you’ve had a deprived childhood.”
I passed her a large box.
She opened it and gave me a small smile.
“Thanks,” she said, placing the box carefully to one side. “Where do I start?”
“You start with The Hobbit, then move on to The Fellowship of the Ring. Make sure you call me when you get to Gandalf’s best part.”
“Will do,” Ursula said as I turned to head out of the Oracle. “Where are you headed?”
“I have to go get some laxative cookies for Monty, and then I’m going to swing by the place and get my favorite hellhound”—I rubbed Peaches behind the ear—“some pastrami. Maybe have a chat with Ezra.”
“You do realize who Ezra is…right?” Ursula asked. “Capital D?”
“Like Monty said…in the end, we all sit at his table. I’m just doing it now, while I can still enjoy it.”
I left the Oracle, jumped behind the wheel of the Dark Goat after the Sprawlmeister got comfortable in the backseat, roared the engine a few times, and headed uptown.
THE END
Author Notes
Thank you for reading this story and jumping back into the Monty & Strong World.
Writing this story (even in the midst of con-crud) was a great adventure. Hopefully by this point you’ve read the book, if not go back to the beginning—here be SPOILERS.
It was exciting to see the development of MS&P along with Cece and other assorted characters. Yes, we will see more of the young Jotnar ice mage in future MS&P stories as well as the Brew & Chew where she, Peaches, Rags, and Frank wreak havoc on an unsuspecting city, all while saving it. Hey, they had great teachers in the wreaking havoc department.
Peaches gets HELLFIRE in XL battle-mode! WHOA!
Felt like that needed its own space there. Peaches is growing and evolving(and negotiating…anyone want to form a Hellhound Onion?) along with Simon. This story is setting the foundation for what starts happening in the next few M&S books. Monty was willing to take the Dark Death, while Simon rejected the allure of power. The Dark Council has unofficially declared MS&P targets and placed them on a Kill On Sight list, which will make their difficult lives a bit tougher. In addition to all of that, there are forces from Simon’s past that remember…and plan to remind him. Painfully and violently.
I’m really excited to reveal what’s coming in the MS World in the next books, but Peaches just growled at me and promised to remove one of my arms if I did. I need my arms, so I will refrain…for now.
Even though there was a bit of destruction in this story, it couldn’t be permanent. Even M&S know better than to destroy Time
s Square if they want to continue living in the city. Another factor for the lack of destruction is that their past is slowly catching up with them. There is plenty of destruction that has gone unanswered, and those accounts are coming due…can anyone say Archmage Julien and The Hybrid?
On the subject of Chi, we don’t know where she is…yet. What we do know is that there are factions within the Dark Council that want MS&P eliminated, will do everything to remove her from power, and are willing to plunge the Council into a civil war.
That will all be explored in a story of her own titled: BLOOD ASCENSION-RULE OF THE COUNCIL, which will be the first of three stories culminating in her return, and facing off against the forces of the Dark Council. Michiko will do everything in her power to prevent the destruction of the Dark Council, but the cost she eventually ends up paying may be an ultimate one…we’ll see.
With each book, I want to introduce you to different elements of the world Monty & Strong inhabit, slowly revealing who they are and why they make the choices they do. Along with this, I hope to show how they are evolving and coming to terms to the changes in their lives. Simon, at some point has to accept he isn’t entirely human anymore. Monty must deal with the allure of dark magic, and Peaches…well, a hellhound has to deal with getting enough meat, because we all know…Meat is…you know the rest.
Many times you will feel like Simon, a little out of your depth. We’ve all been there. Some of us visit that state daily. The state of confusion, uncertainty, or insecurity. He hides it well with his snark, but behind the sarcasm is—fear. The fear he will lose his family and all he holds dear and precious. There is also the fear of losing himself. He has seen what power can do—he doesn’t want to go down that path. The dilemma he faces is...he may not have a choice.
This situation is intentional, because we’ve all been where Simon finds himself. We’ve all had experiences where we didn’t know what was going on. Simon lives that everyday. He deals with it by being a smart ass and occasionally speaking before he thinks, except now, he’s realizing that with great power, comes great coffee—and stronger enemies willing to erase you from existence.
This is currently BOOK TEN of the M&S series…WOW! I never imagined when I wrote Tombyards & Butterflies three years ago (Feb 2017) that I would still be jumping into adventures with them three years later. I owe that to you…THANK YOU! Here’s to many more years of MS&P!
If you want to know how Monty & Simon met, that story is told in a short titled: NO GOD IS SAFE, which explains how Tristan and Simon worked their first case, and how Simon became a cursed immortal. It wasn’t due to his great charm…trust me.
There are some references you will understand and some…you may not. This may be attributable to my advanced age, (I’m older than Monty, or feel that way most mornings) or my love of all things sci-fi, fantasy, cyberpunk, Whovian, and other assorted realms I visit in my life.
As a reader, I’ve always enjoyed finding these “Easter Eggs” in the books I read. I hope you do too. These references occur spontaneously and I barely have control of where they will pop up. Simon is an avid Star Wars fan, while Monty prefers the cerebral Star Trek, for example. If there is a reference you don’t understand, feel free to email me, and I will explain it…maybe. Bribing with large amounts Deathwish coffee and chocolate has been known to work wonders.
Simon is slowly wrapping his head around the world of magic and his role in it, but it’s a vast universe, and he has no map. Bear with him—he’s still new to the immortal, magical world he’s been delicately shoved into. Fortunately, he has Monty, Peaches, Dex, LD, TK, and Chi (to name a few) to nudge (or blast) him in the right direction. Each book will reveal more about their backgrounds and lives before they met. Rather than hit you with a whole history, I want you to learn about them slowly, the way we do with a person we just met—over time (and many, many large cups of Deathwish Coffee).
Thank you for taking the time to read this book. I wrote it for you and I hope you enjoyed spending a few hours getting in (and out of) trouble with the Trio of Terror. If you enjoyed this story— Please leave a review. It’s really important and helps the book (and me).
Plus, it means Peaches gets a new reinforced titanium bowl (he keeps chewing through them), industrial strength chew toys, and can get some extra sausage to impress Rags with. This will keep my shoes, assorted furniture, my arms and legs from random hellhound shredding.
Also, I get to keep him at normal size (most of the time). There is no way I could house a Peaches XL without the National Guard paying me a visit to intervene. They tend to frown upon extra large hellhounds running around the city. Who knew?
Thank you again for jumping into this adventure with me.
Special Mentions
Larry & Tammy—The WOUF: Because even when you aren’t there…you’re there.
Tammy: Because anything worth killing is worth overkilling.
Jim Z: For refractory casting that bends light around an object and is the basis for Simon’s first defensive spell—Camouflage.
Jim Z: for the monocle…get out of my head.
Luann & Diviana: For being even more amazing in real life than you are in this book. Keep making your mom proud and focus on being a better person each day. Luann, making the request puts you squarely in the awesome mom category. It was my honor and privilege.
Orlando A. Sanchez
www.orlandoasanchez.com
Orlando has been writing ever since his teens when he was immersed in creating scenarios for playing Dungeon and Dragons with his friends every weekend.
The worlds of his books are urban settings with a twist of the paranormal lurking just behind the scenes and generous doses of magic, martial arts, and mayhem.
He currently resides in Queens, NY with his wife and children.
Bitten Peaches Publishing
Thanks for Reading
If you enjoyed this book, would you please leave a review at the site you purchased it from? It doesn’t have to be long… just a line or two would be fantastic and it would really help me out.
Bitten Peaches Publishing offers more books by this author. From science fiction & fantasy to adventure & mystery, we bring the best stories for adults and kids alike.
www.BittenPeachesPublishing.com
More books by Orlando A. Sanchez
The Warriors of the Way
The Karashihan*•The Spiritual Warriors•The Ascendants•The Fallen Warrior•The Warrior Ascendant•TheMaster Warrior
John Kane
The Deepest Cut*•Blur
Sepia Blue
The Last Dance*•Rise of the Night•Sisters•Nightmare
Chronicles of the Modern Mystics
The Dark Flame•A Dream of Ashes
Montague & Strong Detective Agency Novels
Tombyards & Butterflies•Full Moon Howl•Blood is Thicker•Silver Clouds Dirty Sky•Homecoming•Dragons & Demigods•Bullets & Blades•Hell Hath No Fury•Reaping Wind•The Golem
Montague & Strong Detective Agency Stories
No God is Safe•The Date•The War Mage•A Proper Hellhound•The Perfect Cup
Brew & Chew Adventures
Hellhound Blues
Night Warden Novels
Wander•ShadowStrut
Division 13
The Operative•The Magekiller
Blackjack Chronicles
The Dread Warlock
The Assassins Apprentice
The Birth of Death
Gideon Shepherd Thrillers
Sheepdog
DAMNED
Aftermath
*Books denoted with an asterisk are FREE via my website—www.orlandoasanchez.com
Acknowledegements
With each book, I realize that every time I learn something about this craft, it highlights so many things I still have to learn. Each book, each creative expression, has a large group of people behind it.
This book is no different.
Even though you see one name on
the cover, it is with the knowledge that I am standing on the shoulders of the literary giants that informed my youth, and am supported by my generous readers who give of their time to jump into the adventures of my overactive imagination.
I would like to take a moment to express my most sincere thanks:
To Dolly: my wife and greatest support. You make all this possible each and everyday. You keep me grounded when I get lost in the forest of ideas. Thank you for asking the right questions when needed, and listening intently when I go off on tangents. Thank you for who you are and the space you create—I love you.
To my Tribe: You are the reason I have stories to tell. You cannot possibly fathom how much and how deeply I love you all.
To Lee: Because you were the first audience I ever had. I love you sis.
To the Logsdon Family: The words, thank you are insufficient to describe the gratitude in my heart for each of you. JL your support always demands I bring my best, my A-game, and produce the best story I can. Both you and Lorelei(my Uber Jeditor) and now, Audrey, are the reason I am where I am today. My thank you for the notes, challenges, corrections, advice, and laughter. Your patience is truly infinite. Arigatogozaimasu.
To The Montague & Strong Case Files Group-AKA The MoB (Mages of Badassery): When I wrote T&B there were fifty-five members in The MoB. As of this release there are over one-thousand members in the MoB. I am honored to be able to call you my MoB Family. Thank you for being part of this group and M&S. You make this possible. THANK YOU.
The Golem: A Montague & Strong Detective Novel (Montague & Strong Case Files Book 10) Page 18