Biography

Marla Vance took the badge in Derryshade Hollow because someone had to stand between ordinary folks and the things that preferred them quiet. At first, it was standard small-town rot—domestic calls, late-night drunks, kids daring each other to break into the abandoned mill. Then the missing reports started repeating in the same handwriting… years apart. Marla learned to keep two sets of tools: the ones the department approves and the ones she hides. A salt shaker in the glovebox. A pocket flashlight whose beam has been painted with protective sigils so it “burns” certain shadows. A worn badge she still polishes, not for pride, but because in Derryshade, symbols matter. As an opponent, Marla is a stubborn wall. She doesn’t panic, doesn’t grandstand, and doesn’t waste a bullet. She hunts like a cop and survives like a folk hero—by doing the unglamorous steps every time, even when fear begs her to run.

Quotes