Excerpt from Guardian of the Elements Book One: The Paladin and the Pirate by Jarucia Jaycox Nirula

Varuna (Una) Kannon lives an ordinary, American life. She loves books, movies, and hanging out with her best friend, Reed. The last day of school is the first day to signal something unusual on Una's horizon. Increasingly strange things happen to Una, leading her to believe she's cursed, though her mother insists it's something else. In the days that follow, she's plagued with questions. Why is Reed acting weird? Why are her parents so indifferent? When her thirteenth birthday arrives, its time for Una to accept her fate, which will lead to a calling no one has yet to imagine.
 
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