Page 17 of Guardian of the Cursed Egg (Dragonis Academy #2)

Callan

Abraxis orchestrates the chaos with his usual calm precision, arranging for the entire nest to be fitted while Mina chooses her gown for the winter formal.

He insists that we all coordinate, since we’ll be seated near the head table she’ll start at during the event.

Of course, he’s kept Mina in the dark about his plans for us.

“It’s supposed to be a surprise,” he said with that smug, knowing grin of his.

Now, here we stand, dressed to the nines in stiff, formal suits, waiting for her to emerge.

Abraxis’s mom and sister arrive just as the restless energy in the room peaks.

He’s on them in seconds, shushing them and enlisting their help in keeping our arrival under wraps.

Cerce flits between us, adjusting ties and smoothing hair, her sharp eyes sparing no detail as we await Mina’s entrance.

Then, the moment we’ve all been waiting for.

“Cerce?” Cerce’s name rings out, clear and musical, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps. She runs towards the curtain, and Cerce freezes, her expression a mix of shock and delight. Whatever Mina has chosen, it’s about to steal the breath from all of us.

“On the count of three, I’m opening the curtain,” Cerce says, moving to her place by the cables.

Her voice trembles slightly, as if even she can’t wait to see.

“One... two... three.” The curtain sweeps back, and the air in the room shifts.

It punches out of my lungs, and for a moment, I can’t breathe.

Mina stands there like a queen descended from legends, draped in a gown of black and crimson. The fabric hugs her frame, the deep colors mirroring the three dragons tied to her soul. The black and crimson particularly evokes Abraxis, whose scales share the same duality. She’s breathtaking.

“Do I look okay?” Her voice is soft, uncertain, the question trembling between us. Our silence must feel damning to her.

“You look absolutely stunning,” I manage, the words rough with awe. I lift a hand and motion for her to spin. She does, the gown flaring out with her movement, and my chest tightens.

She’s done it on purpose. Her scales—green and silver—glimmer in the light, all of them on full display for the event. A deliberate statement, bold and unyielding.

“Mina...” Abraxis’s voice is a low growl, possessive and raw, and Mina’s cheeks flush at the sound.

“The most feared general of our time deserves to have the world know he has a powerful mate at his side,” she says, and with a graceful flex of her back, her scales catch the light, shimmering in an almost hypnotic display.

Confidence radiates from her, a living testament to her strength and the bond we share .

As she approaches, I can see the glint of mischief in her eyes. She stops in front of Leander, her voice soft. “I have a request, if it’s permitted for the processional.”

Leander raises a brow. “What is it?”

She steps closer, her hands brushing against his face.

“Will your Nightmare carry me in the procession? I don’t trust myself on a warhorse I’ve never ridden, and to be honest …

I’ve never ridden a horse at all. The idea of being thrown scares me.

” Her touch is gentle, and the significance of her bare hand on Leander’s face makes Cerce gasp softly. She understands.

We all do.

Mina’s spine stiffens as the realization settles over her. She’s touching him and no one is getting sick. Before anyone can react, she bolts for the nearest dressing room, retreating into its shadows. Abraxis moves to follow, but I block his path, my hand firm against his chest.

“Talk to your mom,” I say, meeting his intense gaze. “I’ll handle our mate.”

He hesitates, the protective fury in his expression softening into reluctant trust. With a curt nod, he turns to deal with his mother, leaving me to step into the quiet storm Mina has become.

“Mina, please let me in.” My voice is soft, almost a whisper, as I rest my forehead against the closed door. The cool wood presses against my skin, grounding me even as worry churns in my chest.

“I messed up, Callan... I really messed up...” Her words are broken, choked by the soft sobs spilling through the barrier between us. It cuts through me like a blade .

“It was bound to come out eventually,” I murmur, hoping my words carry some semblance of comfort. “At least it’s now and not during the formal.” But even I don’t know if that’s enough to soothe her.

The click of the lock disengaging is deafening in the silence.

I exhale slowly, the weight of her letting me in, hitting me as powerfully as anything.

Abraxis must have cleared everyone else out, giving us space to deal with this privately.

When the door creaks open, I see her—broken, vulnerable.

Her makeup is smeared, black streaks of mascara tracing the path of her tears.

Those pale gold eyes of hers search mine desperately, as if I hold the answers to questions too painful to voice.

I take her hand gently, guiding her back into the room.

The gown she wears is stunning, but it’s like armor she no longer wants to bear.

I help her out of it with care, my hands steady despite the storm inside me.

Now isn’t the time to let my base urges surface.

Right now, she needs comfort, not desire.

“What are we going to do, Callan?” Her voice trembles as she dives into my arms the moment she’s changed. She presses her nose against my throat, her eyes falling closed as though she’s seeking safety in the scent of me.

I wrap my arms around her, drawing her close and breathing her in.

My response is measured, calm. “There’s nothing to do.

Powerful dragonesses throughout history have had large mated nests.

It’s not our fault Cerce had an arranged marriage.

” I hold her tighter, grounding her even as Vaughn quietly enters the room.

“She was more shocked he’s a prey animal than anything else,” Vaughn says, his tone casual, but his presence steady. Mina shifts in my arms, lifting her head to look at him, her brows drawn in confusion .

“That was it? Just that he’s a nightmare?” she sniffles, the disbelief clear in her voice. Vaughn steps closer, offering her a tissue and a packet of wet wipes without hesitation.

“Yeah. She knows he’s a good male—he’s worked with Abraxis for years.” He shrugs like it’s no big deal, as if the storm in Mina’s chest is only a passing squall.

Amazingly, it works. I feel the tension in her body melt away, her breathing steadying as Vaughn’s casual assurance sinks in.

We step outside, the cool air prickling against my skin. Only Leander waits for us, standing like a sentinel. I scan the area, keeping Mina tucked tightly at my side. “Where is everyone?” My voice cuts through the quiet as I glance around. Even Cerce and Cora are gone, their usual chatter absent.

“Abraxis was called to the northern border,” Leander replies, and I immediately feel Mina tense. Her eyes flicker with a wildness I’ve come to recognize, an unspoken storm brewing within her.

Leander steps forward, positioning himself directly in front of her.

His tone shifts, steady but honest. “Normally, I’d try to lie or sugarcoat it.

But not this time. I won’t hide the truth from you, Mina.

Abraxis is heading into a fight with wyverns.

He needs to focus, and if he’s worried about you, it could cost him. He could get hurt.”

His eyes glow then, the fiery orbs of his Nightmare peering into Mina like twin flames. It’s unsettling—those burning eyes seem to stare everywhere and nowhere at once, their intensity filling the air between us.

Mina doesn’t flinch. Instead, she reaches up, her hand cupping Leander’s cheek in a gesture so soft it contrasts the steel in her voice.

“If I sense he’s in danger or injured…” Her words come slow, deliberate.

“Th ere is no one on this campus, in this life, or the next, who will stop me from going to him.”

The calm in her voice sends a shiver down my spine. She’s not making a threat; she’s stating a fact, one backed by unshakable certainty. I swallow hard, trying to shake the prickling unease as her unwavering resolve sinks into me.

“We’ll all go with you,” I add quickly, meeting her gaze. My words feel like a promise, solid and unyielding. Her lips twitch into a faint smile, one that momentarily softens her hard edges.

“Let’s go home,” she says abruptly, turning to walk away, her steps already determined.

Leander shifts beside me, his expression easing into something playful.

“Do you want to try riding my Nightmare?” he asks, his tone light but carrying a challenge.

Mina stops mid-step, the question halting her momentum.

“We’ve got just under three weeks. Plenty of time to get you used to it.

Callan can even saddle me up for the processional,” he adds with a smirk.

“Though I draw the line at reins and a bit.”

The corners of Mina’s mouth lift, and for the first time since the chaos with Cerce, she laughs—a low, genuine sound that cuts through the tension hanging over us. It’s fleeting, but I’ll take it. Anything to see her smile again.

There are old legends about Nightmares—how they can steal your soul or rip the breath from your lungs. Some say they’re harbingers of death, others whisper they are death itself. As I watch Leander tilt his head, stepping away from us to shift, I’m reminded of every warning I’ve ever heard.

When his Nightmare form emerges, it’s breathtaking.

Massive, the size of a draft horse, its pitch-black fur seems to absorb the surrounding light.

The long fur above his hooves glows, flames licking upward with an eerie, steady pulse.

His mane, fiery but oddly not burning, flickers like a warning in the darkness.

“Whoa…” Mina’s voice pulls my attention as she slowly circles Leander, her eyes wide, awe written on her face.

She moves like she’s afraid to miss a single detail, her gaze trailing over his flaming tail as it sways behind him.

Leander’s head follows her, watching her every step.

When she stops at his side, her expression shifts to amusement.

His back is even with her shoulders, and she laughs. “I need a stepladder or a boost.”

Hearing her, Leander kneels, one front leg stretched forward while the other bends gracefully beneath him. It’s an offering, a silent acknowledgment of her importance. Mina realizes what he’s doing, her lips curling into a smile as she grips his fiery mane and hoists herself onto his back.

Vaughn and I exchange a glance before stepping closer, flanking her as Leander slowly rises, careful to keep her steady. “I can only assume,” I say, breaking the quiet, “that this is as important for his Nightmare as it was for my gryphon—or Vaughn’s gargoyle—to carry you.”

Leander’s Nightmare tosses its head, a motion so deliberate it feels like agreement.

I pat his shoulder before stepping back, letting the change sweep over me.

My gryphon form surges forward, and I stretch my wings, shaking off the shift’s residual tension before moving to Vaughn.

I nudge him with one wing, and he gives me a look but climbs on without protest. It feels strange carrying another male—unnatural—but it’s better than slowing our pace to match his.

Mina threads her fingers into Leander’s mane, taking a deep breath that’s audible even over the quiet crackle of his flames. “Let’s start with a walk,” she says, her voice steady, but I can see the excitement bubbling just beneath the surface.

Leander obeys, his first step deliberate, the ground briefly glowing beneath his hoof before dimming.

I keep to his side, my blind spot turned toward him.

It’s safer that way—I can avoid bumping into him or losing track of them.

They move steadily, the heat from his hooves radiating toward me, but Mina’s laugh breaks the tension like sunlight through storm clouds.

“Let’s go!” she says suddenly, leaning forward, one hand gripping his mane while the other braces against his shoulder. Leander responds immediately, his steps shifting from a walk to a gallop in a heartbeat.

I launch after them, wings pumping as I race to keep up. Each of his steps sets the earth alight, flames trailing in his wake like a living wildfire. And there she is, astride him, her laughter spilling out into the night like music.

Mina looks … free. There’s no other word for it.

Pure, unrestrained joy lights up her face as they tear across the ground, the fire of his hooves marking their path.

For a moment, I forget the legends and the danger.

All I see is her, wild and untouchable, and I wonder if anyone else realizes how much power she truly holds.