Chapter One

They say the ones we love never really leave us and it’s true, at some point when we are young we lose our innocence and we become either too selfless or selfish. In doing so we lose a part of ourselves that we reminisce on. The girl I used to be, I miss her so much but I can’t turn back the clock, no one can and no one should.

      It had been a few days since I’d almost died. I couldn’t remember anything after that last beer. Apparently, I’d gone into a coma. I shook the thought away from my mind. When I’d come round I was in a cell. Luckily my mom had met me the next morning. She wasn’t upset. She was relieved as was my father. His behaviour had changed overnight from being the selfish, demeaning, threatening and unapologetic to sensitive, compassionate and I guess you could say, human.

            When I’d gotten home I was physically sick for most of the day, so bad that I could barely hold down water. I couldn’t eat as I had no appetite. The next day I only had a piece of toast. It took a good four days for my appetite to become somewhat normal. My friends had messaged and phoned me to see how I was doing. I told them fine, better. The truth was something was different, I was different.

            All the anger and pain from before had disappeared from within me. I was sleeping more, which I assumed was my body trying to recover from its ordeal. My mother would ask me twenty odd times a day if I was ok. A few times she said I was a survivor. I shook my head at the thought. I was already a survivor, now I was just me. I didn’t feel like there were standards I had to live up to anymore. I could just be.

A few weeks later I was waiting to meet a friend for coffee, or in my case hot chocolate, when a woman sat down across from me.

“Hello Jennifer.”

“I’m sorry, do I know you?”

“No but you I know you.” She flashed me a smile. “There’s very little about you online.”

“I know.”

“That’s unusual for someone of your generation.”

“So I’ve heard.” I shrugged. “If I wanted everyone to notice me I’d go around with a sign. I could care less about what others think of me and more about what I think of myself.”

She sat there frozen. I didn’t know whether I’d made her speechless or if she was processing it. Her lips slowly twitched back into a smile.

“Welcome.” She slid me a business card across the table.

Marina Johnson

CEO

Icarus Industries

“To what?” I’d never heard of the company.

“The beginning of the rest of your life.” And it was.

      Those events led me here, to the Ministry of Paranormal Operations and to me being a Guardian. Guardians aren’t paras we’re humans. We just protect the secret that the paras exist. Some of us have assignments, some don’t. I kinda do but I don’t. Turns out that I’m a human descendant of one of the vampires. To top it all off the vampire is the woman I met, and a member of the paranormal high council. Every country has a council and they answer to the high council.

      Speaking of which they wanted to see me. I glanced at my watch. Right now. I took my foot off the wall.

      The doors to the council chamber creaked open. I strolled in. I curtsied then proceeded to the centre of the room.

      “My child,” Marina, my ancestor stood, arms open as she stepped down from her pedestal. She embraced me. “Thank you for coming here today.”

      “It’s a pleasure to see you again.” I turned the circumference of the room. “As it is to see all of you.”

      “You humor us.” Cal, an Alpha wolf shifter nodded as Marina floated to her pedestal.

      “I hope we have not interfered with your duties.” Seren, a natural witch asked.

      “No ma’am.”

      “Good.” She relaxed into her seat.

      “Jennifer, as you are aware we need a new trainee ambassador.” Cal stood.

      “Yes, sir.”

      “It has been decided that you will be for a year.” My eyes widened in shock. He couldn’t be serious. “After which, you will be summoned to decide which world you belong in.”

      “Excuse me, sir?”

      “I may. What part of your orders don’t you understand?”

      “The reason behind them sir.” I bit my lower lip. “Surely there must be someone better suited to the role.”

      “There is my child,” Marina replied soothingly. “Yet it would take much longer for them to be approved.”

      “You were chosen for your unique understanding and views on the worlds.”

      I took a moment to gather my thoughts and compose myself.

      “Very well.” I sighed shaking my head.

      “There’s one more thing.” Cal’s voice became more authoritative. “You shall be under the protection of one of my kind.”

      My breath caught, it wasn't a request. Everyone knew shifters could be a bit assertive, especially to humans but this was pushing it.