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  The Guardian Mikhail

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  The Guardian Mikhail

  Sons of Terra Book 1

  Sarah J. Stone

  Copyright © 2017 by Sarah J. Stone. This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is entirely coincidental. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

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  Chapter One: Mikhail

  There weren’t many places in the modern world that I cared for. New York was at the top of the list for locations that I despised. Humans infested every square inch of it, like the roaches and the rats. I didn’t hold them in any higher regard than the vermin, and some of them were even worse than the disease-riddled creatures. I would never understand the Federation’s fascination with them. I could understand the need for them, but not for wasting my time on trivial missions like my current one.

  I had been sent to the city to find a female human. They had given me a photograph and location and nothing more. It was typical of the Federation to leave out any unnecessary details. To them, humans were held in high regard. They believed, like most of my kind, that humans were to be protected for the most part. A bargaining chip that they controlled over the other creatures that lurked among us. Yet here I was, hunting one down for extermination at their word. I only knew about her gift because of my father. He had let it slip the night before I left after a few too many arrowroot infusions.

  “Do you know why you are going, son?” he stammered.

  I shook my head. “I don’t know, nor do I care. It’s my last mission, and I will do as I am told.”

  “You have always been such a good and loyal soldier for the Federation. I believe you will be greatly missed.”

  “It was you who arranged my fate, not I.”

  “Yes, I know. A fate that you have no taste for. That will change soon enough. This mortal though, she is special. You must promise me that you will complete the task and return at once.”

  “It’s just a human! I don’t understand what the big deal is. Why not send one of the newer recruits?”

  “Because we cannot risk failure. To fail would doom us all.”

  I rolled my eyes. My father had a flare for the dramatic. He’d been with the Federation his entire life. He was respected and revered within our kind. His skills, intuition, and overall commitment were legendary. Young dragons wanted to grow up to be him, and old dragons wanted to know him. He put the Federation first above everything else to the point that I sometimes wondered if he loved the job more than his own family. He had not agreed to the arranged marriage with my mother at first, until the Federation Minister himself had approved.

  They all wanted my marriage to happen. It would bind together the two races in a way that had never before happened. I would be the leader of a new clan, a new breed entirely. Half dragon and half fae, my offspring would possess the skills of my kind and the magical properties of my betrothed. At least, that was what everyone was hoping for, and who was I to deny them?

  “I think that you are being a little dramatic. It’s just one woman. What could she do that would bring about our demise?”

  He leaned forward, swaying a little under the intoxicating effect of the arrowroot. “She isn’t like the other humans, son. She has the gift of sight.”

  I scoffed. “The gift of sight? I hardly believe that. No human has possessed that since the ban on fae and human relations over a century ago!”

  He shrugged his shoulders. “That’s why they are so concerned. Her parents are not fae; they hold no connection to them whatsoever. She seems to have developed the sight through some genetic anomaly. Nonetheless, if she is discovered by the vampires, night children, or others, she could offer them insight into the Federation that could cripple us.”

  “How is this possible?” I asked in shock.

  “We have no idea. All that matters is eliminating the threat. We will sort out the rest later. Do you understand now why you must be the one to take the job?”

  I nodded my head, and just like that, the conversation had ended. I hadn’t spoken to him again before leaving early the next morning with my mission in hand. I had four days to eliminate the girl and dispose of her remains. Then it would be all wedding bells and politics for the rest of my life. I was secretly grateful for the final mission before signing away my life to sitting around and shaking hands. Even though it was a messy job, I knew that I wouldn’t fail. Failure was never an option for the Federation.

  I took a deep breath and instantly regretted it as I took in the putrid scent of the city. It burned my lungs. I longed for the fresh, unpolluted air of my homeland. Soon enough, I told myself, I would be back home and away from the vermin of the lowest race known to my kind. Pushing open the door to the small café where I had tracked the girl down to, I found a seat and wedged my massive frame into it. It didn’t matter that I hadn’t seen her before. The photo told me everything I needed to know.

  She was attractive for her kind, but not remarkably so. Her raven hair and green eyes would have been coveted if she was a supernatural, but she wasn’t. She was just a human. The photo had been blurry, but it had given me a sense of who she was. Tracking her had been simple, as it always was for my kind. All I needed to do was close my eyes and envision where I wanted to go. At the time, I had wanted to find my target. I followed the trail of vibrations to the café where I was now waiting to catch my first glimpse of the doomed girl.

  I gazed out the window impatiently.

  “Hi there,” came a warm voice.

  I jumped, my senses on alert at once. I had never in my life been snuck up on. I could hear even the quietest of fae coming from yards away, and humans were nothing if not loud. Looking up, I realized that my target had found me instead of me finding her. I hadn’t been prepared for what I saw, though.

  The unfocused picture had not done her justice. Right away, I felt my loins start to react to her rare beauty. She was a sight to behold. Her eyes weren’t just green. No, they were the color of rare emeralds mined from the dunes in Kantilla, a small island known only to my kind. They vibrated with dark and light streaks. I could have gazed into them for an eternity and still would never know the depths of their rare beauty. That was only the beginning.

  Her body was slight with an athletic frame that told me she was a runner. Her chest was larger than I would have anticipated, but I had no complaints. Part of my mind was already suckling on them while the rest of me fought to regain control. She was just a human; there was nothing magical about her. Yes, she was stunning, but even the lowest of creatures had to get it right occasionally.

  “What can I get you to drink?” she asked with a friendly smile.

  My mouth fell open, searching for some reply as I watched her lips move. I longed to kiss them, to crush her tender, cherry red smile against my own mouth. I shook my head, forcing myself to regain control before I lost it forever.

  “Um,” I stammered, “what do you recommend?”

  A smiled graced her lips. “The Triple X coffee is good if you’re looking for something strong.”

  I nodded my head, “Yeah, sure. That’s fine.”

  “Okay, be right back,” she said as she spun and trotted away.

  “What the hell is wrong with me?” I
hissed under my breath.

  No woman – dragon or otherwise – had ever stirred such a sudden reaction within me. I was shocked by it. I knew that I needed to keep it under control if I was going to succeed. I carefully counted my breaths – not that I needed them at all. but it was a trick that all Federation members were taught to help us blend in. I could sit as still as stone if the need arose. It was even more relaxing than keeping up the facade of being one of them.

  “Here you go,” said the girl.

  I reached out for the steaming cup, and our fingers gently brushed against each other. She gasped and jumped away from me, a glossy look in her eyes that I’d never witnessed before in another. My reflexes were fast, but I was so consumed by her reaction that I let the cup fall to the floor where it shattered into a dozen pieces. The hot, black, liquid splashed up onto my arm, but I barely noticed. I couldn’t take my eyes off the raven-haired beauty.

  “Is everything okay?” I asked quietly.

  Fear replaced the dazed look in her eye as she stepped away from me, “What are you?”

  Instantly, the spell was broken. She really did have the gift of sight, and now I understood its danger. My eyes narrowed. I fought to control the dragon inside of me. I knew that if I let him loose now, my eyes would turn as black as onyx and only frighten her more. Quickly running through my options, I took in the crowd around me. A dozen patrons were now looking away from the scene that was transforming and turning back to their drinks.

  “What are you talking about?” I asked, doing my best to look stunned. “Are you okay?”

  She continued to back away from me, the color draining from her face. “Yeah, sorry. I just…I’ll get something to clean this up.”

  Before I could protest, she was retreating to the kitchen. I listened carefully for the sound of her footsteps, a task that should have been easy, but she wasn’t like the other humans. She was something else altogether. When I finally picked up the sound of her walking, I realized she wasn’t coming back to where I was at. She was heading in the opposite direction. The sound of a backdoor opening was all it took for me to jump up from the booth and race out the front door. I did my best to keep my pace slow, still fast for a mortal, but not so quick that I would draw attention.

  I met her at the end of the alley as she skidded to a stop.

  “Listen, I don’t know what you are, but I have pepper spray and I’m not afraid to use it!” she hissed.

  I couldn’t help but laugh. “Do your worst. I promise, it will have no effect on me at all.”

  She glared at me. “Get away from me, you freak.”

  “I have done nothing to harm you, yet.”

  “You don’t know who you are messing with, pal.”

  “Of course, I do. I think that I know more about you than you realize,” I said, taking a step closer. “Now, we can do this the easy way or the hard way.”

  She backed away from me. I never liked the hunt unless it was someone who deserved to be eliminated. This woman was different, though; she had done nothing wrong. Already, I was struggling with my mission. She got to me in a way that I never could have foreseen. As she turned away from me and ran down the other end of the alley, I had to force myself to give chase. I didn’t want to complete my mission, but I had no choice. Just as I caught up with her, another scent filled the air, this one far more familiar than I would have liked. Vampires.

  Four of them came around the corner and glared at me as she skidded to a stop. They weren’t just street rats. I could tell from their matching black outfits and dark glasses that they were soldiers just like me. They didn’t hold the same playful regard for human life that most had. No, they were there for another reason. They had a mission just like I did, and I was starting to realize that our missions may have involved the same woman.

  “This woman is the property of the Federation. Go before I am forced to act.” I said so quickly that the girl wouldn’t be able to understand what I was saying.

  The largest of the group, and probably the oldest, spoke, “You have no jurisdiction here. She isn’t going anywhere but with us.”

  “Do not force my hand, bottom feeder. You will lose.”

  He looked at the other three and sneered. “There are four of us and only one of you. Our boss wants this one for himself. I suggest you let it go. The Federation has no business here. We have paid for her in fair trade to your kind.”

  “Then pick another. This one is not on the market.”

  He shook his head. “I don’t think so. You see, there is something about her that my boss likes. I didn’t understand it at first, but if the Federation is sending their men here, then he must be right. What is it about this human that intrigues you?”

  I growled. “None of your business. Go. Now.”

  He looked at his comrades and nodded his head. In the blink of an eye, one of his men had grabbed ahold of the woman. She screamed out, but it was no use as no one could hear her. In my own haste to finish the job, I had placed a barrier around the alley, preventing any noise from going out into the streets. I wasn’t supposed to use my magic, but it was for a mission so I wouldn’t be in too much trouble. The remaining three men attacked me at once, their quick reflexes and number giving them an advantage, but not for long.

  I grabbed the first vampire just as he sank his teeth into me. My hand plunged through his stone-like skin and ripped out his still beating heart. He fell to the ground, nothing more than a pile of dust. There was no blood and no trace of a battle. The other two went into a rage, lunging at me at the same time, but I was ready. I was already healed from the first wound, and I made short work of the other two vampires. As they turned to dust, I looked at the fourth who now reeked of fear. His grip on the woman had tightened.

  “One more step, and I crush her ribs, dragon.”

  “If you do that, I would have no reason to let you live. Leave now, and you might have a chance.”

  He looked at me then back to the main road. The decision was made in a split second, and he tossed the woman away from him. I caught her just before she hit the ground. She was struggling to breath, though her heart was racing. As we collided together, her eyes once again glassed over, and I wondered what she was seeing this time.

  “You saved me,” she whispered.

  I winced. “I am no hero, but this place is not safe. We need to leave.”

  She struggled against me. “No. I’m not going anywhere with you.”

  “There will be others, ones that are far more dangerous than those idiots. You are not safe here any longer.”

  “I don’t care. I don’t need or want your help.”

  She stood up, and I reached for her, unsure if I should finish my task so quickly or not. The decision was made for me, though, when a low growl came from the other end of the darkening alley.

  “Shit,” I muttered.

  “What?” she asked, spinning around.

  She gasped and reached for my arm when she saw what was waiting at the other end. A pack of wolves – at least ten thick – were slowly walking toward us. There were only four vampires, but this was an entire pack of werewolves. I wouldn’t be able to protect the woman and take on all of them. They couldn’t kill me, but they could wound me enough to flee with her. Then my mission would be twice as hard.

  “We need to leave,” I whispered to her. “Now!”

  I scooped her up into my arms, ignoring her protests and ran from the alley. The wolves were right behind us, but not for long. I no longer cared about being seen as I changed speeds from a human runt to an immortal race against the pack. Within minutes, they were nothing but a memory, but I knew that it wouldn’t be the last that we saw of them. It was then that I realized my victim had a scent that was so unique, she would be tracked anywhere we went.

  As I slowed to a stop in the thick woods outside of town, I set her down. “Do you know you smell like wildflowers?”

  She glared at me. “Really? After all that, that’s what you have to say to
me? Who the hell are you?”

  “My name is Mikhail, and you are in danger.”

  “I guess I should ask, ‘What the hell are you?’”

  I took a step closer to her, our bodies touching and sending shivers of desire through my spine. My mind was racing. I didn’t know what to do anymore. I needed to finish the job. I needed to dispose of the girl and be done with it and move on with my life. Something was holding me back, though. There was something about her that made me want to protect her instead of kill her.

  I gazed into her eyes. “Why don’t you tell me what I am.”

  She shuddered at our closeness. “You are a dragon, aren’t you?”

  Chapter Two: Veronica

  I couldn’t believe what had just happened. I had gone from planning my first college party and working, to standing in the woods with a wild beast of a man. My body shook as I looked at his golden eyes. There had to be a reasonable explanation for what was happening, I just had no idea what that was. A shiver rocked through my body for a second time. He stirred a desire in me that no man had ever aroused before. He oozed danger and mystery, the kind of man that I deliberately avoided. The kind of man that my ex had been.

  “What do you want from me?” I asked softly. “Why are those things after me?”

  “Because they know how valuable you are. They know that you have the gift of sight,” replied the man.

  I snorted. “I think you are all insane. I don’t have any gift.”

  “You are lying, even I can see that. You can see the future. You saw what I was as soon as our hands touched, and that is a dangerous gift for a mortal to have. Even the fae no longer have that kind of power. They will not stop hunting you.”

  “What about you? You saved me. Does that mean that you are here to protect me?”

  I watched him think about how best to respond. He didn’t know that I already saw the future. I knew why he was there. He had been sent to kill me, or at least that was what my vision had shown. I knew that the future wasn’t certain. I only saw one of the many possible outcomes. Why was he sent to kill me, though? I had lived a pretty boring life and had never hurt anyone. Now, suddenly, my life was twisting into a contorted picture that I didn’t recognize.