Determinant, a YA Paranormal Romance (Book 3 of The Guardians of Vesturon) Read online

  DETERMINANT

  A. M. HARGROVE

  BOOK 3

  THE GUARDIANS OF VESTURON

  DETERMINANT

  BOOK 3: THE GUARDIANS OF VESTURON

  Published by A. M. Hargrove

  Copyright 2012 A. M. Hargrove

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever including Internet usage, without written permission of the author.

  Digital edition produced by Maureen Cutajar

  www.gopublished.com

  Acknowledgements

  Many thanks to my family ( Henry, T.A.C and McIntyre) and friends for all their support and contributions to this latest addition to The Guardians of Vesturon. I’d also like to thank all the Determinant Beta Readers—Terri, Midu, Lissa, and Becky for their awesome contributions in this whole process. I couldn’t have done it without you!

  I’d also like to thank my son T.A.C for his ingenious idea for the character of Tak. This requires a bit of explaining. Tak was originally named Tak Herdekian. My son wanted to be named for a villain so I decided to grant him his wish. He and I sat down one night and he came up with the name “Herdekian.” When the story began evolving and the character Tak Herdekian developed, I discovered he could not be put to rest with this one book, for he had his own complicated story to tell. In fact, I decided that his species, The Praestani, deserved a book of their own (or perhaps even a series). I also realized that this spin-off would have to be written in the adult genre, since Tak, whom I have since renamed as Jurek Herdekian, is the ultimate bad boy and will play by no one’s rules (but perhaps his own)!

  And finally, I’d like to thank my editor, Jennifer Nunez for her patience, skills and all the hours she spent with me on the phone!

  I hope you enjoy DETERMINANT.....

  For more information about A. M. Hargrove and her upcoming book releases,

  please visit her at:

  www.amhargrove.com

  www.amhargrove.blogspot.com

  www.twitter.com/amhargrove1

  www.facebook.com/guardiansofvesturon

  www.goodreads.com/amhargrove1

  You can contact her at [email protected]

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Book 1

  January St. Davis

  Book 2

  Rykerian

  Book 3

  January

  Book 4

  Rykerian

  Book 5

  January

  Epilogue

  Prologue

  The six men moved through the city streets in a triangular formation. Not a single soul paid them a bit of attention. Dressed unusually, even for a large metropolis such as Atlanta, they were donned in snug black leather pants, black vests and wore unusual criss-crossing bands on their bare chests. They looked like a scene from a fantasy movie. Their bare arms were heavily tattooed and their hands were covered in black gloves. However, the few that glanced their way didn’t notice any of that. Utilizing an advanced form of technology, unknown to humans, the men had altered their appearance and speech. To anyone watching, they appeared as six jean-clad men in their late teens—college students perhaps, out for a night of fun.

  Conversation between them was minimal. The language they spoke, while it sounded like English to any human within hearing distance, was most definitely not. It was a guttural mix of sound that didn’t exist on Earth.

  The men were tall and self-assured. Their eyes were an unusual color—a blend of lavender and indigo with flecks of silver. No one stopped to look at them long enough to notice, and if they had, all they would have seen would have been six pairs of brown eyes. The men weren’t exactly handsome, but they were nonetheless impressive, with their rugged features. Power, strength, and fearlessness emanated from them.

  Never hesitant in their steps, they moved along in an unhurried, but purposeful manner toward their destination, as if they had been there dozens of times before. The leader directed them not with speech, but by the movement of his head. They carried no weapons that one could see, but they were most definitely armed. A single glance from one of them could annihilate an entire city. Not only were they their own deadly weapons, they also possessed strength, unknown to humans, and powers that would be considered impossible by any human standard.

  The group separated as they neared their destination. To avoid suspicion, they would access the building using two different entrances. Once inside, they would reconvene near their goal.

  Minutes later, the façade of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention came into view. Three of the men entered through the main doors and the other three went in through a side entrance. It was late evening when the premises would be mostly vacated, except for essential personnel, so it would be unlikely anyone would interfere. That wasn’t much of a concern for the men. Interfering humans were quickly indisposed by a few simple tricks. Locked doors and high security areas didn’t pose a problem either. It would be a simple task to retrieve what they came for and they would be gone in a moment, leaving no trace of their break-in.

  They moved as a group of six again and traveled through the maze of corridors as if they had done this daily. It was a surprise to them when the figure of a young woman came into view, for most employees should have vacated the premises by now. What surprised the leader even more was her proficiency at mind communication, which was an impossibility for humans. He knew with certainty she was otherworldly, but from where, he could not discern. Her pale eyes intrigued him and he experienced the briefest feeling of regret for what he was about to do. He forced himself to shove that thought out of his mind, as the choice was not his to make. His family would die if he weren’t successful in this mission.

  His fleeting encounter with her ended as quickly as it had begun and he was on his way to completing his task at hand. He moved through the secure area and headed for the cryogenic containment section where the variola major specimens were located. He gathered the most deadly of them with efficiency and replaced them with the influenza specimens given to him by the lab director he had so eloquently threatened. Moments later, his group was back on the streets of Atlanta, putting into motion stage two of their mission.

  This phase would be completed rapidly. Entering various locations, they would spread the virus. He was glad his species was immune to this deadly disease. Humans had eradicated this illness in the 1970’s and had ceased vaccinating against it. Since he had stolen most of the viable strains, the feasibility of recreating a vaccine was nonexistent. The disease would spread rapidly and a pandemic would ensue. Once again, he felt the brief pangs of his actions, but pushed the thoughts out of his head. His family was more important to him than a group of unknown humans, no matter the number of casualties.

  The virus needed to be spread quickly. Infected aerosols would be the most rapid mode of transmission, so the mercenaries released some of the virus into the ventilation system in the building before he exited. His group then proceeded to enter a few of the dorms on the Emory University campus to repeat their actions. The summer session was ending and the students exposed would shortly be traveling home before the fall semester would begin. This would give the disease a wide and various possibility of dissemination. His goal was to have an epidemic in place before he left Earth.

  The men visited the most populated buildings in the city and lastly they arrived at Hartsfield International Airport. This was the ultimate place for disease transmission. With travelers moving around from plane to plane, and country to coun
try, it wouldn’t take long for this illness to manifest itself worldwide.

  Book 1

  January St. Davis

  Present Day

  The fever consumed me. I gripped the steering wheel until my knuckles were white and close to bursting through my skin. I was wracked with chills, which I thought odd. How could I be freezing and burning up at the same time? I had never been sick a day in my life, not a cold, strep throat, nothing. Payback was hell and I was living through it now, literally burning in it. What a way to make up for eighteen years of health.

  I must have contracted the flu. I had worked with the influenza virus all summer at my internship with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. My eight-week program had ended and I was on my way back to Cullowhee, North Carolina to resume my fall semester at Western Carolina University where I would start my junior year.

  The fever had begun last night. I felt flushed and went to bed thinking it would be gone in the morning. I forced myself to pack up my scant belongings and dragged my achy body to the car for the drive home. It was just past noon when I left. I had anticipated arriving by four as it was about a three and a half hour drive.

  I hadn’t been in the car for thirty minutes when everything went south. What in the world is wrong with me? The chills hit first. Then I was alternately burning up and shivering violently. It was hard to keep my car in the lane with my uncontrollable shaking.

  The headache turned into a crushing vise. My head was piercing with pain. It started inching its way down my neck and into my back. My stomach rolled with nausea. I finally pulled off the road into a rest area. I fumbled around in my purse, hoping to land on some Tylenol but came up empty handed. Leaning my head against the steering wheel, I dozed.

  I opened my eyes to the darkness of the night. Geez, how long did I sleep? My eyes tried to focus on my watch but my vision was blurred. Did I sleep or pass out? My goal was Cullowhee, so I pulled the car back on the road, heading in that direction. God, please let me make it home.

  My vision was deteriorating. I could barely discern the trees as I passed them. Even though it was dark, I shouldn’t have trouble seeing the trees. I knew I was very ill and my heart skipped a beat as I wondered what was wrong with me. I began to worry in earnest about whether I could make it back to Cullowhee. Oh God, what am I going to do? I don’t know if I can keep driving! I didn’t have a choice. I was in the middle of nowhere, Timbuktu if you will. There wasn’t a hospital or motel anywhere near me. I pushed on, praying I would make it back safely.

  The chills and fever continued. I was using my air conditioner and heater back to back. I realized I was becoming disoriented and dizzy. I knew I should stop but I forced myself to continue driving. I was trembling, whether it was from fear or the chills from fever, I didn’t know. The road began to move, like a wave. I made several turns and the fisting of my stomach made me aware I was hopelessly lost. Where am I? None of this looks familiar! I stopped my car.

  Looking for a place to sit, I wandered. My little brother and sister, Tommy and Sarah, were up by a tree, so I stumbled toward them. Oh, thank God! They can help me. Right as I was about to reach them, the ground came up to meet my face…

  Chapter 1

  Three Years Ago

  The incessant chirping of those pesky birds awakened me. They loved to perch on the huge tree right outside of my bedroom window. Sometimes I wished I had a BB gun to silence them. I loved animals, I honestly did. However, at 5:30 a.m., the only thing I wanted to do was sleep. Those tiny peeping creatures with ten thousand decibel chirps were doing their dead level best to prevent that. It was blissful to imagine a chirp-free morning though…where I could wake up to my alarm instead. I flung my pillow at the window hoping to scare them. It didn’t work.

  I rubbed my eyes as I sat up in bed and realization dawned on me. Today was the day. It was graduation day at last and I would be giving my valedictory speech! My dreams had come true and all of my hard work paid off. I was graduating first in my class! My heart started banging in my chest. Oh no! I could feel my palms getting sweaty. I rubbed my hands across my quilt and took a deep breath to calm myself. My nerves roared at me as the thought of public speaking made me quake.

  Focus on the positives, January. That’s it…at least pretend you’re excited. Maybe you can redirect that anxiety into something good.

  Well, I was looking forward to one thing. Perhaps he would finally notice me. No matter what I did, how hard I worked or what I accomplished, I never received any acknowledgement from my father. Nothing…nada. Maybe today would be different. This is what I had so diligently focused on over the years. A single nod or maybe a brief congratulatory comment…anything at all would make me ecstatic. I know it’s a stretch, but maybe, just maybe he would tell me how proud of me he was.

  I threw back the covers and clambered out of bed, slamming into the wall in the process. After a few minutes of hopping around while nursing my wound, the pain in my baby toe subsided so I hobbled down to the bathroom.

  My bedroom was in the attic…a place I had been relegated to when I was four years old. I would never forget the first night I spent up there. My terror had paralyzed me and my parents wouldn’t allow me to come back downstairs. I sat awake, jerking at even the tiniest of creaks, shivering and praying the monsters under my bed wouldn’t snatch me up and carry me away.

  When morning finally arrived, I bolted down the stairs and begged my mom not to make me ever go back up there. No such luck. That night I was back up there again, trembling and scared to death. Sleep eluded me for a long time. I got into tons of trouble at school that week because I kept falling asleep at my desk, on the playground, or anywhere I could. I was so sleepy my eyelids weighed a ton. I was only in preschool, but napping was not allowed except during the rest periods.

  Every day I was sent home with a note explaining to my parents that I had a complete disregard for the rules. As a result, I was punished again and sent to up my monster-filled torture chamber without dinner. I often wondered why they hated me so. What did I do to deserve such horrible treatment? It would be something I would continually ponder through the years.

  I took a quick shower and when I say quick, I mean light-speed. My showers were restricted to two minutes and if they lasted longer than that, my next one had to be taken in ice-cold water. I’m not quite sure why my parents insisted on this, but they did. It only took me once to get the two-minute shower thing down pat. Turn the water on, hop in, lather up then rinse. I was, if anything, very efficient in that regard.

  Next, I quickly brushed my teeth. For some odd reason I felt different today. When I glanced into the mirror, the reflection looking back was still the same old me…stick straight white hair and weird looking pale ice-blue eyes. Admittedly, I was a bit freakish. I knew in my heart my father thought so. I could tell by the distasteful looks he threw at me, not to mention the thoughts I could hear as they shouted to me from his mind. That was an anomaly I never discussed with anyone. Besides, I never felt like I fit in with the rest of the kids.

  Quit feeling sorry for yourself. This is your big day so stick a smile on your face and enjoy it.

  I darted back up the stairs to my own tiny world and picked out my clothing for the day. I decided on my blue dress since it was the best one I had. It was a plain shift that ended above my knees. It had capped sleeves that made my arms looked scrawnier than they truly were. Thankfully, my gown would hide them. I grabbed my strappy black sandals and threw them into the bag that contained all my graduation paraphernalia—cap, tassel, sashes, etc. I lifted my eyes to the ceiling and was bathed in memories of the years gone by. I would be leaving this room when summer neared its end. I had grown to love this little haven of mine. I often mused that I was the complete opposite of Harry Potter. Instead of “the boy beneath the stairs,” I was the girl up in the rafters.

  My attic bedroom was miniscule. It had those stairs that folded up and closed, acting as the door as well. On one wall i
t had one teeny round window that was up at the peak so I really couldn’t look out of it. My parents had never finished it off so it was bare-bones—rafters and insulation only. I had a small chest of drawers, a twin bed, a clothing rack and a mirror. My bed doubled as my desk. I used a piece of plywood for it that I stored beneath the bed. I never invited any friends to spend the night because I was embarrassed about my room…no pretty wall colors, no flowery comforter, or anything to give it that homey appearance. Be honest with yourself January, Mom wouldn’t have let you invite anyone over anyway!

  It was puzzling to me why they had put me in the attic in the first place. I was the only child until I was eight. Then my mom had my little brother Tommy and two years after that, Sarah was born. We had three bedrooms so initially two of them were empty. Then one went to Tommy and the other went to Sarah. I told my mom over and over that I wouldn’t mind sharing the room with Sarah, but she always ignored me.

  I quickly finished getting dressed…everything I did was accomplished in record speed with good reason. It was the best way for me to avoid the criticism my parents like to dole out. I gathered everything I would need for the day because I would not get a chance to come home before the actual ceremony. I was on the set-up and decorating committee and was needed before and after rehearsal since I was the valedictorian. That meant I had to take my dress, cap, gown, sashes, adornments and shoes with me this morning.

  With my arms full, I carefully navigated the narrow stairs, and dumped everything into my car. Then I went back inside and put the coffee on. I ate a bowl of Frosted Flakes, filled up my go-cup with coffee and headed out the door.

  When I got to my car I looked at my watch and started laughing. It was only 6:30 am and I didn’t need to be at the auditorium for another hour. I glanced at the passenger seat and the tickets for graduation caught my eye. Oops! I nearly forgot to leave them at home. I went back inside and wrote a quick note to my parents.