Page 27 of Guardian of the Cursed Egg (Dragonis Academy #2)

Callan

Winter break has brought us back to Abraxis’s chalet in the Blackhaven nest site, where the air is sharp with the cold bite of snow and pine.

The faint scent of burning wood drifts from the main house, mingling with the earthy tang of frost. Mina spends her days with Cerce in the main house, carrying around the eggs with an almost feral protectiveness.

No amount of coaxing or reasoning from any of us has convinced her to leave them behind in the egg chamber.

The eggs are her world now. Especially since she’s foreseen them as being her mates in the future.

Today, the air hums with anticipation. We’re expecting Cora and her mate to arrive for the first time.

I find Mina and Cerce perched on the high stone wall, their silhouettes framed against the pale, overcast sky.

A crisp wind rustles through the trees, and the snow crunches beneath my boots as I make my way over.

I settle beside Mina, the chill of the stone seeping through my pants, and lean in to kiss her temple. Her warmth contrasts against the icy air, and her low purr vibrates against my lips, a sound that sends a ripple of satisfaction through me.

“They’re due here any minute now,” she says, her voice soft yet charged with excitement. Her breath clouds in the cold, the warmth of it barely brushing my cheek.

Cora’s roar shatters the stillness, a haunting sound that reverberates through the valley.

Mina’s face lights up, a glow so radiant it seems to warm the surrounding air.

She grabs Cerce’s hand, and they dart down the stairs, their laughter trailing behind them like the faint jingle of wind chimes.

I’m quick to follow, my boots thudding heavily against the stone steps as the frigid air fills my lungs.

The courtyard is alive with energy. Abraxis, Leander, and Vaughn converge there, their breaths steaming as they wait. Abraxis catches Mina as she bounds to a stop, her excitement bubbling over. His hands steady her, though a crooked smile betrays his amusement at her barely contained enthusiasm.

“They’re almost here,” Mina breathes, her hand tightening around Cerce’s.

Her pulse is so strong I can almost feel it, a rhythmic thrum echoing in the charged air.

Vox strides out from the shadows, his presence like a looming storm, and tries to gently pry Cerce from Mina’s grasp.

The tension between them is a palpable thread, strung tight.

A second roar slices through the cold air, this one deeper, resonating in my chest like a drumbeat.

The courtyard falls silent. Mina freezes, her eyes fixed on the sky.

Cora’s small black dragoness circles above, her wings cutting through the air with a sound like silk tearing.

Snow swirls in her wake as she descends, landing in a graceful, controlled sweep of her wings.

Moments later, a large bronze male dragon lands behind her, his size and presence undeniable .

Mina’s eyes narrow as she sizes him up. A flicker of possessiveness and rivalry sparks in her gaze. “I’m bigger…” she mumbles under her breath, her tone bristling with quiet defiance. She gestures slightly toward the bronze male, her posture radiating dominance.

Abraxis buries his face in her hair, his shoulders shaking. He’s trying to muffle his laughter, but the way his breath escapes in uneven bursts gives him away. The warmth and scent of him wrap around Mina as she tilts her head, clearly unimpressed by whatever has him so amused.

Cerce and Vox step forward to greet Cora and Warrick.

The cool night air feels heavy with tension, carrying the faint metallic tang of dragon magic.

Mina is still glaring at the male as he shifts back, the heat of her agitation radiating toward me like a furnace.

I can almost feel the sharp edges of her anger scraping against my skin.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, my voice low, cutting through the charged silence before Abraxis can speak.

Mina’s eyes go distant, clouded with something fierce and primal.

Unease prickles along my spine as I step in front of her, trying to shield her from view.

“Close your wings,” I snap at Abraxis, my voice sharp as a blade.

He obeys immediately, folding his massive black wings and pulling Mina against his chest.

The faint rustle of his wings barely settles before another dragon’s roar splits the air—a low, guttural sound that vibrates in my bones and echoes across the courtyard.

This one is different. It carries with it a challenge, a promise of destruction.

Mina growls in response, the sound a deep, rolling thunder from her throat.

“He’s coming,” she says, her voice a razor-edged whisper that cuts through the tension. Without hesitation, she shoves Abraxis’s wings apart, stepping into the open with predatory grace .

“Who’s coming?” I ask, my gaze flicking between Mina and the storm-laden sky above. The wind shifts, carrying with it the acrid stench of ozone and something darker, like scorched earth.

“Attor,” Mina snarls, her words laced with venom. “He followed them.”

Mina strides into the center of the courtyard, her movements fluid yet charged with an electric intensity. Abraxis and I follow close behind, the sound of our boots crunching against the gravel drowned out by the rising hum of tension.

“Mom, take them inside!” Mina yells, her voice cutting through the chaos like a whip. She turns, thrusting the egg carrier into my hands with enough force to jolt me. Her gaze locks on mine for a heartbeat—fiery, unyielding, and filled with a quiet resolve.

“Get down!” she roars, shifting without warning.

Her emerald and silver dragoness erupts into existence, a force of nature that demands awe and fear.

Her wings unfurl wide, glinting like molten metal under the fractured moonlight.

The air thickens with the sharp, electric scent of ozone, stinging my nostrils and setting the hairs on my arms on edge.

A deafening crack of lightning splits the sky, followed immediately by the buzzing hiss of its impact. Abraxis winces, his expression tight with pain as he turns to me.

“Mina just took a direct hit from Attor’s breath weapon,” he growls, his voice tense. “She’s fine. But pissed.”

Mina remains motionless, her wings still spread wide, crackling with residual energy.

The smell of ozone intensifies, thick and oppressive, until she roars—a sound that shakes the ground beneath us.

The air hums with power as her breath weapon rips forward, searing through the space between her and Attor with a blinding burst of energy.

The sizzling impact is followed by a dull, bone-shaking thud as Attor’s dragon crashes to the ground, smoke rising from its charred scales.

Mina lowers her wings slowly, her golden eyes locked on the smoldering beast. She growls low; the sound rumbling deep in her throat like an earthquake, her scales flaring to make her appear even larger and more menacing.

Vox steps out cautiously, the faint shuffle of his boots the only sound against the heavy silence.

He approaches, his movements calm yet deliberate.

“I don’t think he expected her to fight back,” Vox says, his tone laced with grim amusement as he pats Mina’s front leg.

Abraxis follows him, his eyes scanning the downed dragon.

Attor’s beast lies on its side, partially burned, each labored breath a rattling wheeze.

Its eyes, wide with pain and disbelief, remain fixed on Mina’s dragoness.

“It’s okay, Mina. I think it’s over,” I say, stepping out from beneath her massive chest. My hand rests against her scaled neck, the heat of her body pulsing under my palm. She shakes her head slightly, her breath coming in sharp, shallow huffs.

But something’s still wrong. The tension in her form hasn’t eased, and her eyes remain sharp and scanning. The prickling air and faint hum of power tells me this isn’t finished—not yet.

“Can I check your scales?” I ask Mina, my voice steady despite the weight of everything that just happened. She’s watching Abraxis and Vox, who stand near Attor’s burned blue dragon. The acrid smell of scorched flesh and charred stone still hangs in the courtyard air, sharp and unrelenting.

Slowly, she lowers herself to the ground, her golden eyes glinting faintly in the torchlight.

The rough scrape of her scales against the cobblestones echoes as she extends a wing for me to climb onto her back.

Her tall frill stretches, catching the faint light of the moon, and I notice the scorch marks marring the leather.

In several places, Attor’s lightning burned straight through the delicate membrane.

Her emerald and silver scales, dulled by soot and blackened at the edges, shimmer faintly under the grime.

The heat still radiates faintly from the burned spots as I run a cautious hand over them, the texture smooth in some places and jagged in others.

“If it’s just surface damage, will she lose it the next time she sheds?” I call down to Abraxis, glancing at him as the guards drag a newly shifted Attor to the dungeons. His feet scrape against the cobblestones, the sound oddly satisfying in its finality.

“Depends on how deep the burn goes. Dad, come look with me,” Abraxis says, gesturing for his father to join us.

The wind stirs as Abraxis climbs up with me, carrying the faint, bitter tang of blood and ash. Mina shifts slightly beneath us, her breathing calm but heavy, like she’s trying to contain the storm within.

“The way that hit looked, I would’ve thought there’d be more damage,” Vox says, his voice tinged with awe as he examines her. When Mina flexes her frill, the movement is subtle but deliberate, and Vox gasps.

“Oh, wow... He burned through in spots,” he murmurs, running his fingers lightly over the damaged edges. The leather feels fragile, thin in the places where it’s been eaten away by fire.

“Mina, can we check your wing leather?” Vox asks. Her massive wings unfurl slowly, the movement creating a soft, leathery rustle.

The difference between her wings and her frill is stark. Her wing leather gleams faintly, covered in a layer of tiny, intricate scales, while her frill is bare and delicate in comparison. The scales catch the light like scattered stars, reflecting hues of emerald and silver.

“She shouldn’t have scales on her wings,” Abraxis says, leaning in closer, his voice tinged with confusion.

“Why?” I ask, frowning. The idea of her wings lacking armor seems absurd.

“Scales are heavy and not flexible. Yet she has tiny scales covering the leather of her wings,” Abraxis replies, his tone edged with curiosity. He glances toward the nest. “Does Mom have scales on her wing leather?”

Vox stops, his movements freezing as he looks between Abraxis and Mina’s wings. “I’m honestly not sure,” he admits, his tone more curious than concerned.

The vibration of my phone in my pocket pulls me back. I text Vaughn updating him on the situation. The faint tapping of the keys feels oddly grounding amidst the chaos.

“Vaughn is bringing you a robe, Mina, so you can shift back when you’re ready, just in case you want it,” I say.

As we climb off her back, her steady warmth lingers, even as the cool night air bites at my skin.

She stays where she is, stretched out in the courtyard, her gaze fixed on the stars above.

“Is something else coming?” Abraxis asks, standing beside me.

“No clue. She didn’t get to tell us what she saw before the attack happened,” I reply just as Vaughn and Leander arrive, the clinking of dishes accompanying them as they bring food and a robe for Mina.

Effortlessly, she shifts back; her form snapping into place with practiced ease. She slips into the robe, her movements sharp and angry as she shoves her arms into the sleeves. “Stupid blue drake... I should have killed him,” Mina growls, her voice low and feral as she glares toward the barracks.

“What did you see before you shifted?” I ask, seizing the moment while she’s distracted.

“Attor came to kill Warrick to claim Cora as his own,” she snarls, the sound reverberating through the courtyard. It’s primal, powerful, and it sends a shiver down my spine, raising the fine hairs at the back of my neck.

“You stopped that, love... Everyone is safe now,” Abraxis says gently, his hand rubbing soothing circles on her arm.

“You don’t understand,” Mina snaps, her eyes blazing. “The blue dragons will keep coming—for her, for him. Maybe for me, too, if they find out how strong I am.” She takes the egg carrier from me, her grip firm, and turns to head inside, leaving us standing in stunned silence.

The weight of her words settles heavily in the air. A war is brewing—on three fronts now. The fire drakes. Her father. And now, potentially, the blue dragons.

“What do you suggest we do?” I ask, glancing between Vox and Abraxis.

Vox’s expression hardens as he contemplates.

“Try to talk the females into combining nests for safety. During the school year, maybe have Cora and her mate in the same hallway as your nest in Malivore. For now, I’ll offer Warrick and Cora the guest house that’s close to your place, Abraxis.

” Without another word, he strides off, his determination clear as he moves to put his plan into motion.