❝I- what? What are you talking about? Who is this?❞ ❝Well the bathroom stall says that this number is the gateway to a good time, and unless you're trying to say that a bathroom stall is lying to me, I think I need a little more information to be sold. Do you have like a yelp page I could look up? Past customer reviews? How many stars out of five?❞ ❝What are yo- oh my god, I'm going to fucking kill Marie.❞ (alternatively called: a lot of people shit with pens) written in dialogue // cover by xhemmingshugsx

The life before 564 became Amelia Reyes is a gruesome one; a story that she could not and would not tell to many people. She had been labeled at a young age by three small numbers tattooed on her wrist. She had been taught to fight for her life and show no mercy. She had been used as an example to others and her bravery gained only hatred from her owners. But it only caused an admiration to be built in the hearts of her friends in the orphanage. The falls she took for all of them only raised her into a hero. She was a legend, a savior, and was respected greatly among the children who resided there. Until the day she was forced to abandon them- the day her heart broke and the day she no longer considered herself a hero. 564; Amelia Reyes; the girl with the numbers on her wrist and the scars on her back. ______________________________________________________________________ © 2015-2016 Katherine Hinchley (Wattpad user -MidnightStories-) All Right Reserved. No parts of this story may be transmitted/plagiarized/copied through any means without the prior written consent of the author. Nor should any part of this publication be reproduced, modified, adapted, or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the author. If you see a book similar to or a copy of mine, please contact me via PM. _____________________________________________________________________ The pictures used throughout the story are not mine and all rights go to the owner/maker of the images. The cover was made using Pixlr with an online photo, but all the work done to it is completely done by me, the author.

Best rank: #1 in Action! Included in Action's Featured List! Amelia Reyes has been raised within an orphanage her entire life, but she just recently broke free of their grasp. The men who raised her taught her the skills of a street fighter. They taught her to take pain. They taught her how to survive. They taught her to give no mercy. They showed her pain. They gave her the 564 that is engraved on her wrist. But that 564 is a reminder. A reminder of love, of mercy, of hope. They took her innocence and her freedom, but they did not take the fire in her heart. ______________________________________________________________________ Thanks to @captainmarvel165 for designing this beautiful cover, and thanks to @LeagueofGraphics who featured it in their book and for everything they helped with for this wonderful piece of art! © 2015-2016 Katherine Hinchley (Wattpad user -MidnightStories-) All Right Reserved. No parts of this story may be transmitted/plagiarized/copied through any means without the prior written consent of the author. Nor should any part of this publication be reproduced, modified, adapted, or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the author. If you see a book similar or a copy of mine, please contact me via PM. _____________________________________________________________________ The pictures used throughout the story are not mine and all rights go to the owner/maker of the images.

Sam is the most promising swordsman among this year’s crop of Paladin trainees...and knows it. Brash, cocky, and unbeatable with a sword (well, almost), Sam is the kingdom of Thule’s best hope against the violence wrought by demons. The only problem is that Sam is really Lady Samantha, daughter of the seventeenth Duke of Haywood, and if her father has his way, she’ll be marrying a Paladin, not becoming one. But Sam has never held much interest in playing damsel-in-distress, and so she rescues herself from a lifetime of boredom and matrimonial drudgery. Pity that Tristan Lyons, the Paladin assigned to train her, is none other than the hero of her childhood. He hasn’t recognized her as Lady Samantha--yet-- but if he does, he’ll take away her sword and send her packing. Sam is not the only trainee hiding secrets: Braeden is a half-demon with a dark past that might be unforgivable. Sam, Braeden and Tristan set out for the western coast, charged with rooting out an infestation of demons that has made the West unlivable. As they travel, they uncover a deep-seated corruption of power that threatens to derail everything they stand for. Rebellion stirs, led by a rival faction of warriors who tempt Sam to join them with an irresistible offer. A war between men is coming, and Sam must pick a side. Will saving the kingdom cost her life -- or just her heart? Reminiscent of Mulan, but with a medieval fantasy twist, Paladin is a tale of adventure, action, and romance.