I, PALADIN chapter 2 preview! #urbanfantasy #vampires #fridayreads

I, PALADIN

Strange Allies #3

The story of how I got drafted into the world-savin’ business isn’t so complicated. 

Amelia Thornhill directed a vampire at me.

Turns out, I have a higher calling and I feel horrible every time I have to lie to Mama about my job. It's been the two of us since I was five years old, so leaving home is painful, but Amelia says I put people in danger by staying.  Because I’m not a normal girl, there will be no college graduation ceremony, no wedding to a nice man, and no grandbabies for Mama to spoil, but I'll let her hold on to those dreams as long as possible. Making sure she’s taken care of always comes first.

Agent Seven’s origin story.

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Chapter Two

My days started early.  Mama dropped me off at school at 7:00AM on her way to the diner.  Breakfast service started at nine (except Sundays), but restaurants required a lot of prep work.  After school, I’d walk to the diner to put in my shift until sundown, and then walk home, or sometimes if it was a quiet night she’d let the staff run the dinner shift and we’d come home together.  I wasn’t going to be valedictorian, but I got good grades, participated in activities, and did some volunteer stuff. 

My focus was on college.  Didn’t know what came after that.

Sunday mornings, Mama and I went to church together, then she’d be at the diner for lunch hours while I did any Friday-assigned homework until youth group in the evening.

Like I said—normal.

Guthrie was a 10,000-ish-people town thirty minutes outside Oklahoma City.  The first capital of the state, matter of fact.  We had a Historic District and everything, but the major point was nothing exciting or seriously dangerous ever happened here.  I would know—my family had been in the area since the Land Rush in the 1800s.

By the weekend, there had been no more weirdness and I started to breathe easier.

Nothin’ but a bad dream. 

Until Mom came home Saturday. 

The crazy English lady met with my mother, spinning a compelling tale about representing a summer camp looking for smart teens with a penchant for service.  Humanitarian aid training, focus on the downtrodden…all the right buttons to push in a Bible-believin’ mother.  Bonus: they were offering a scholarship so I could attend for free.

“Mama, don’t you think it’s kinda weird she shows up out of the blue with offers on a silver platter?”

“Gladys from the Episcopalian church vouched for her. Oh, Della, it’s only a summer program. This’ll be good for you! You love hearing about faraway places when the missionaries visit.”

“I don’t wanna go. I don’t think she’s tellin’ us everything.”

Her pale blue gaze pinned mine.  “You’ve gotta trust people sometimes, Della Garvison. Now quit fussin’ about it. I already filled out the release form and that’s final. If you want out of Guthrie, we’re gonna need some help and this will look good on your college application.”

There was no arguing with her once she made up her mind.  “Yes, Mama.”  She wanted me to save the world with good intentions. 

Little did either of us know, it would mostly happen at the point of a sword, but I’m gettin’ ahead of myself.