Page 12 of Guardian of the Cursed Egg (Dragonis Academy #2)

Abraxis

The instant I see the smoke, the bond ignites like wildfire.

Mina’s emotions crash through me, unfiltered and raw—rage, pure and untamed, followed swiftly by worry.

Her thoughts are a storm: Callan, Leander, Ziggy, and the eggs Callan protects.

I catch flashes of memory of my father’s nest and my Chateau just outside the main nest. They’ve been there, Father will already know something is wrong.

Lightning dances along Mina’s spine, crackling with barely contained fury. I don’t waste time. Racing back to Vaughn, I yank him away from her frill before the energy can lash out at him. “We need to take flight, now, unless you want to get fried along with whatever just pissed her off.”

Vaughn gives a sharp nod, his features hardening as he shifts.

Gargoyle wings spread wide, catching the wind as he launches into the sky.

I count the seconds, the bond thrumming with Mina’s rage, before I sprint down her tail and leap into the air.

Mid-jump, I shift, my dragon surging into existence with a ferocity that feels almost sentient.

Midnight scales shimmer under the storm-choked sky, ridges glowing a deep crimson.

This is what humans fear: the Skull Dragon, harbinger of death and chaos.

Mina’s roar rips through the air, a sound so primal my scales ripple in response.

The sharp scent of ozone fills my nostrils as lightning races over her body and explodes from her jaws, striking the ground below.

The nest is under siege—fire drakes and magma mephits swarm what used to be a sanctuary.

The mephits are grotesque, their bodies ablaze, wings of fire and smoke making them look like nightmares given form.

I dive, acid pooling in my throat. As it sprays forth, I ignite it, unleashing napalm—fire born acid that burns through flesh and bone alike.

The creatures scream as they disintegrate, their deaths feeding the chaos below.

Mina and I circle the ruins, our breath weapons carving through the invaders until there is nothing left but ash and dying embers.

When the last of the creatures are gone, we land amidst the wreckage.

Mina’s dragoness roars again and again, each one a seismic force that shakes what little remains of the buildings.

Walls crumble, structures collapse, the earth itself seems to quake under her fury.

Finally, her roars subside, leaving a heavy silence that is almost worse.

We shift back to human forms, the weight of what we see settling in our bones. Mina stares at the destruction, her face blank but her bond a maelstrom of grief and rage. Nothing remains of what was once her home—just smoldering ruins and blackened earth.

I turn slowly, taking in the full scope of the devastation.

Smoke curls into the darkening sky, and the acrid smell of burnt wood and scorched stone clings to the air.

It’s worse than any battlefield I’ve ever known.

Worse than wars described in books fought over the centuries. This is personal. This is annihilation.

“I’m going to rip her to shreds...” Mina growls, her voice laced with a dangerous edge even in her human form. Scales ripple across her shoulders, rising and falling with every breath as her gaze fixates on the charred remains in front of us.

I step closer, keeping my voice calm. “We have to be careful how we go after her—because of who her father is,” I remind her, though I know restraint is the last thing she wants to hear right now.

Before she can respond, Ziggy materializes beside me, and Mina spins, a feral snarl ripping from her throat. Her golden dragon eyes blaze, talons extending as she crouches to strike. She’s pure, unrelenting fury.

“Whoa! It’s just me!” Ziggy yelps, throwing his hands up in surrender.

“Mina, it’s Ziggy. He’s here to bring us back to my house.” My words seem to cut through the haze, but her eyes remain wild, darting around the ruins as if expecting another enemy to appear. It takes several long, tense minutes before her breathing slows.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers, her voice so small it twists something deep inside me.

“Everyone settled?” I ask, turning to Ziggy.

He slowly lowers his hands, still wary. “Yeah. Your parents brought everyone into the main nest since … well, everyone’s bonded.” His gaze flicks to Mina, concern etched into his face as he watches her survey the destruction.

I see the question forming in his eyes, and I shake my head subtly. No. My mate is not alright. As much as she hated this place for everything her father had done to her, her mother, and her sister, it was still her home. And now it’s gone.

“Mate?” I say softly, extending a hand toward her. “Let’s go. My mother will want to check on you.” I wait, giving her the space to decide.

She turns slowly, her golden eyes dulled, and nods before taking my hand.

The instant her skin touches mine, the torrent of rage and grief in our bond goes silent, like a storm swallowed by the abyss.

Without a word, she leans into my side, seeking the comfort of my presence.

When she taps my wing, I instinctively unfurl it and wrap it tight around her, shielding her from the world.

I nod to Ziggy, and in a blink, we’re moving through the threads of time and space, landing in my mother’s nest. Mina stays silent, her steps slow, her energy subdued in a way I’ve never seen before.

My mother approaches cautiously, lowering her head in respect. “Mina? I’ve prepared a bath for you.” Her voice is gentle, as though speaking too loudly might shatter Mina completely. Mina nods, her movements mechanical, and follows my mother with her head lowered.

It’s not like her at all.

I watch them go, a weight settling in my chest. The storm inside my mate hasn’t disappeared. It’s buried, festering, and when it surfaces again, it will be a force no one can stop.

Several hours crawl by before Mom and Mina emerge from wherever they’ve been.

The moment I see them, my stomach sinks.

Mina’s face is pale, her eyes shadowed with something I can only describe as being haunted.

Mom, usually so composed, looks like she’s been shattered into a million pieces.

When Dad glances at me, I nod, silently giving him permission to approach Mina first.

Callan and Vaughn move to follow, their concern clear, but I raise a hand to stop them.

“Let my dad try first. He can sense what’s wrong with someone.

” My voice is tight, almost cracking. It hurts to wait, to stand back when all I want is to hold her and take her pain away, but Dad might be the only one who can help her right now.

Mina looks at me, her expression unreadable, and I give her a reassuring nod. Slowly, she allows Dad to wrap her in a hug. The moment his wings unfurl and encase her, I flex my own, an instinctual reaction to shield her, even if it’s through him.

Then, I feel it .

The bond between us pulses violently, a torrent of memories and emotions slamming into me with enough force to make me stagger.

Scenes unfold in my mind, disjointed and brutal: the gauntlet she was forced to run, over and over.

The way she was broken down piece by piece.

First, the idealized version of events plays—the lies she told herself to survive.

Then, the truth. The real version, raw and bloody, rips through my mind like claws tearing away flesh.

She isn’t haunted by visions. She’s reliving them. Over and over. My chest tightens, and a growl rumbles low in my throat. My mate is suffering from PTSD.

I pull Vaughn and Callan aside, my wings flaring briefly to shield us from prying eyes. “Did you see what I just saw? Or was it just a dragon thing?” My voice is low, rough with restrained rage .

They exchange a glance before shaking their heads. “No, we didn’t see anything,” Vaughn admits.

“Mina’s suffering from PTSD,” I tell them, each word like a blade. “The visions she’s been having—some of them aren’t visions at all. They’re flashbacks. She pieced it together tonight, and that’s why she’s been spiraling.”

“Oh, shit,” Callan breathes, realization dawning in his eyes. “That makes so much sense.” His voice softens. “The academy has counselors who can help her. We can set something up.”

“Who’s going to talk her into going?” Vaughn sighs, his gaze flicking toward Dad and Mina. Dad is still holding her, whispering something I can’t hear.

“Let’s give her some time to settle down,” I say, forcing myself to stay calm. My hands curl into fists at my sides as I watch Dad finally unfurl his wings and press a kiss to Mina’s forehead.

“Let’s get you fed and tucked in for the night,” Dad says gently, and Mina nods, following him without hesitation.

Mom approaches then, her face pale but her eyes blazing with fury. Her next words shock me to my core. “I want to kill Abaddon myself and hang him by his intestines,” she growls, her usually sweet, gentle demeanor shattered.

“Mom!” I step forward, gripping her shoulders gently but firmly. “What did she tell you? Please, I need to know.” My voice is barely above a whisper, a plea I’ve never uttered in my entire existence.

Mom draws in a shaky breath. “He killed her because he found out she had sex with someone before being mated to you. If it wasn’t for Iris, she wouldn’t be here with us now.” Tears spill down her cheeks, and my heart feels like it’s been ripped from my chest .

Mina told us she had died before but never why. “She said it was a malfunction,” I murmur, glancing at Vaughn and Callan, who look just as shaken.

“It was a malfunction,” Mom says bitterly. “But one he caused. Mina figured it out after she was healed.”

“He tried to teach her a lesson,” Callan mutters, his face ashen as he staggers back. “And it went too far.”

“Exactly,” Mom confirms.

The weight of her words presses down on me, suffocating, but I force myself to move.

We follow her into the dining room, where Dad sits with Mina, coaxing her to eat and drink.

She looks so small, so fragile, and it takes every ounce of control I have not to scoop her up and vow vengeance right then and there.

But vengeance can wait. Right now, all that matters is her.

The moment the guys and I step into the room, Mina’s gaze snaps to us.

Her eyes linger on my father, and then she’s moving—quickly, purposefully.

Without a word, she draws Vaughn, Callan, and me into her orbit until we surround her on three sides.

For the first time since her world shattered, I see her take a full, deep breath.

She closes her eyes and leans back, her head resting against my chest as though I’m her anchor.

Her hands press lightly to Vaughn’s and Callan’s chests, grounding herself in us.

“I’ll be okay,” she whispers, her voice low but firm. “Vox says I should talk to someone.”

She lifts her head, glancing between the three of us, searching for something. “I can take you to see the school counselor,” Callan offers, his tone gentle as he reaches out to touch her cheek .

“Can you go with me, Callan? Or … can I bring Ziggy so I can leave quickly if I need to?” She shifts her gaze between us, her vulnerability bleeding through.

“I’ll go with you,” Callan says with a small laugh, his fingers brushing her cheek again. “Why me?” he teases, leaning in to kiss her softly.

Mina smiles, a faint but genuine curve of her lips, and boops him on the nose, playful despite everything. “Because I’m not afraid of you losing your temper.” Her words are light, but the meaning behind them settles like a stone in my chest. She trusts him to hold his temper in check.

She tugs on my arm next, pulling me toward a table near where my parents sit.

I let her drag me, her small hand warm against my skin.

Once we’re there, she pushes me into a chair, climbing onto my lap without hesitation.

Her fingers find my wings, gently coaxing them until they fold around her.

A cocoon of shadow and warmth. “Oh, I want my eggs,” she says suddenly, sticking her hands out toward Callan with an expectant look.

Callan sighs but gives in, handing her the carrier with obvious reluctance. Her delighted squeal is sharp and bright, cutting through the tension like a blade.

“Eggs?” My mother and father speak at the same time, their voices tinged with disbelief.

Mina doesn’t miss a beat, holding up the black and red eggs with a reverence that’s both fierce and tender.

“Meet Klauth,” she says, lifting the red egg before pulling it back to her lap.

“And meet Thauglor,” she adds, displaying the black one with the same proud energy.

Once both eggs are nestled back in her lap, she strokes their surfaces gently, her contentment palpable as she leans fully into me again .

“How did you end up with two cursed eggs?” my mother asks, handing Mina a steak kebab without hesitation, as though this situation is entirely normal.

“Lucky, I guess,” Mina says with a mischievous smile, biting into the kebab as she nestles deeper into my chest. Her fingers tug my wings tighter around us, her small laugh soft but real. The warmth of her trust—fragile, but growing—is something I’d guard with everything I am.