Howdy,
Today I'd like to introduce you to Gore, a recurring villainous character in The Allison Lee Chronicles. In Dragons Walk Among Us, Gore tries to kill Allison twice, nearly succeeding the first time. He has powerful patrons in The Blood of Faeries, and he's up to no good. But where do his loyalties lie—with his employers, or is he always looking out for number one?
Where were you born?
I was born in Bellingham. It's in Washington, up near the border with Canada. It's not far from North Cascades National Park. I spent a lot of time there hiking and camping with my dad.
On one of our hiking trips outside of the park, we had a run in with some racist lowlifes. They were harassing a group of female hikers that included some minorities. My dad intervened politely but firmly. For his trouble, those thugs murdered him before my eyes. Beat him down with their fists and stomped him to death. I was nine at the time.
My mother tried to help me. She tried, but I was angry, and I wanted revenge. I didn't care that the law had caught most of those men and thrown them in prison. Within a year, I discovered I had powers. The ability to move things and hurt animals without even touching them. First, I was scared to death of the power, the magic.
But then I figured the magic was a gift. With it, I could have my revenge. Sometimes I dream about those big, bad men begging for their lives when I caught up to them. Makes me smile.
What is your favorite color?
Black. Given the vocations I've pursued, blending in with the night is always preferred.
What is your dream job?
My current job is the best I've ever had. Chief of Security. People call me Chief. I admit it, okay. It strokes my ego. Pays well too.
You want know who I work for? Are you sure about that? I can tell you, but then I'd have to turn you inside out. I mean that, literally.
What is your favorite food?
Well, you might not be able to tell by my svelte build, but I could live on pepperoni pizza. I can eat it every day for every meal and the snacks in between. I don't mean eating a slice here or there. I mean, eating a whole damn pizza every time.
My appetite started about two years after my father was murdered by those miscreants. You see, I got away cleanly killing the ones locked up in prison. That was easy. Magic is powerful stuff, especially when it comes to killing. I should know.
You see, back in those days, regular folks didn't know about magic or dragons or skaags. They believed what they wanted to believe. So when those bastards started dropping dead behind bars, they figured it was due to accidents or undiagnosed health problems.
Of course, I didn't get caught because there aren't many magicians in the prison system. Any magician worth their salt could easily break out, or even better, not get caught in the first place. But that was the rub. One of those men never went to prison. A man named Charlie Gibbons. A real piece of work. I saved him for last. He owned a gas station, and that's where I took him out while he was working behind the register. He didn't have any security cameras because he did all kinds of things at that station he didn’t want recorded.
The only problem was the gas station wasn't all that secluded. It was out by Deming, which is a roundabout fifteen miles or so from Bellingham. So the local coven detected the magic I worked on Charlie Gibbons. The cat was out of the bag, and they were on to me like pigs in shit. They were scoundrels, using their magic to pull off small-time robberies. When they got hold of me, they quickly realized I had the potential to be far more powerful than any of them. That scared them and made them excited. They had visions of robbing banks and becoming millionaires.
Anyway, circling back to the pepperoni pizza, under the tutelage of the coven, I started doing magic regularly. After performing spells and whatnot, I’d have this insatiable hunger that, you guessed it, only pepperoni pizza could satisfy. I wasn’t particular about the brand or anything. All I needed was a pie piled high with pepperoni. Woowee, just talking about it makes me ravenous.
How do you spend a typical Saturday night?
My gig is basically 24 x 7, so on a typical Saturday night, I'm either in my bunk trying to get some shuteye while on call, or I'm out on assignment.
No, I'm not going to give you any details. Do you want me to turn inside out? I don't mind. I know the magic to do it.
Young adults who enjoy fantasy adventure and rapid action tempered by thought-provoking growth will find The Blood of Faeries a powerful study. It unfolds all kinds of changing relationships that prompt Allison to walk into new possibilities and her own inherent identity. Its gripping mercurial scenarios will keep YA readers thoroughly immersed as the revelations unfold. - D. Donovan, Sr. Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
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