Page 8 of Guardian's Dilemma

A shiver of disgust worked its way up my spine. They hoarded all their wealth and killed to get it. I’d take great pleasure in killing the dragon who guarded this place. They always left a sentry on duty.

The only thing that I couldn’t control about my body during a fight was my smell. Dragons – like a lot of animals – had a keen sense of smell and they were able to use it to identify where their prey was. I rubbed a special lotion on my skin each morning, and it was only a blend of different herbs but it did mute my own scent. Not for long, but just long enough.

In this instance, it had been long enough to get me inside.

I might have the advantage over the monster for a few minutes, if it didn’t scent me approaching. Once it knew I was there, though, it would be able to identify my smell – the blend of herbs and my own scent underneath that.

It meant I only had a short time to find the sentry dragon and kill it.

If I could kill it quickly, I could call the Council here and get them inside without the rest of the dragons up at the castle even knowing about it. We could take out the whole clan in one night.

I stayed alert as I moved through the long corridors and into a large room. It had a high ceiling and I almost couldn’t believe that we were underground. It was lit in the centre by a chandelier and the light pooled in the middle of the room and left the edges in gloom. All around were display cases containing vases, golden statues, a ruby necklace and matching earrings… It was almost like walking into a high-end store or maybe a museum.

I stood in the centre of the room and looked around me, peering into the shadows at the edges of the room. Then I saw it. A figure, standing very still in one of those shadows.

My heart leapt in my chest, thudding loudly. This was the sentry I was going to kill. I let my eyes move on and pretended to look around some more, all the while keeping that figure in my peripheral vision.

It moved. I drew my sword reflexively. It was instinct, when faced with a dragon.

All pretence was gone. We now stood facing each other, ready to fight.

The figure stopped moving and I got the impression it was confused. It tipped its head to one side and then it slunk round the outskirts of the room, partially blending with the shadows. I followed the movement, keeping my sword drawn and my eyes rivetted to the dragon.

“Huh,” it said.

It sounded surprised.

Against my better judgement, my mouth opened and I asked, “What?”

I don’t even know why I asked. I didn’t mean to. I didn’t mean to speak to the monster at all.

It said, “You can see me.”

“So?”

“So that’s… unusual.”

He spoke slowly, as though testing the words, and as he spoke, he moved forward, step by step, moving into the light until I could make out his form.

He was a young man, although with dragons their appearance could be deceptive. They aged slowly and what looked like a young man could be up to a hundred years old.

And he was beautiful.

I didn’t mean to notice that but I couldn’t help it. He just was. The most entrancing-looking being I’d ever seen in my life. He wasn’t bulky or broad-shouldered but slender and graceful-looking, with fiery red hair and pale skin, waif-like and delicate.

It was probably an illusion. A trick to make his prey confused, to make them susceptible to attack.

I adjusted my grip on my sword, ready to use it.

The dragon circled me but I followed its movement round the whole room, never turning my back on it.

“Yes, you can definitely see me. Interesting.”

“Why is it unusual?”

He shrugged, a graceful movement that made my eyes flicker down to his shoulders and the glimpse of pale skin I could see below his neck.

“Most people can’t, that’s all. Even my elder can’t see me when I use my power.”

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