Page 10 of Progeny of the Cursed Egg (Dragonis Academy, Year 3)

“Do what?” I rasp, my breath catching in my throat. My gaze darts to Balor. His dark eyes gleam in the half-light, and for a moment, sadness softens his expression.

“I’m sorry, Mina. I love you,” he murmurs, and I feel a strange pulsing sensation behind my eyes. Like a heavy blanket settling over my mind, it presses me into obedience. All the fight drains out of my muscles.

“Abraxis, you are her first mate. It would be best coming from you,” Klauth says, and Abraxis steps forward. I can feel the warmth of his body as he moves closer, filling the tight space between us with his musky scent.

“What is wrong with your nest? What can we fix to make you feel safer?” Abraxis asks. There’s a soothing purr in his voice that washes over me, but I can still taste the metallic tang of panic in my mouth.

My words spill out in disjointed fragments.

“I don’t feel safe here. Buildings burn.

It’s not able to be defended. We’re too low.

” My lungs feel tight, and the closeness of everyone presses on me like a vise.

“I will be hunted for what I am. It’s not safe here.

No stone. I can’t shift in here.” My dragoness roars under my skin, bone plates shifting beneath the surface in a sickening ripple. I see Klauth’s eyes flash in warning.

“You will quiet and let your human half speak,” Klauth commands, his voice booming through the cramped apartment. I gasp, feeling my dragoness recoil, her presence diminishing, though I can still feel her coiled tension in the back of my mind.

“Do you want your nest or to go to Abraxis’s chalet?” Balor asks, carefully enunciating each word. His gaze, reflecting in the dim overhead light, holds a sympathetic sadness.

“My nest. My place, my home … It’s not done; it’s not safe yet. Nowhere’s safe.” The moment Balor’s hold on me releases, I slump with exhaustion. A single tear drips down my cheek, burning hot as it slides over my skin. My deepest fears have been laid bare, and the vulnerability is suffocating.

“I will go in the morning to work on your nest site,” Klauth says, pressing his lips to my temple in a surprisingly gentle gesture.

His breath warms my skin. “I agree this place isn’t able to be defended well.

We will make a safe place for you, mate.

” With that, he strides out of the apartment.

His heavy footsteps echo down the hallway, and the chill draft from the open door sends a shiver through me.

“Where’s he going?” Abraxis asks, gathering me into his arms. The steady beat of his heart thumps against my ear, strangely comforting in the stillness.

“He’s starting on my nest.” My voice hitches. I close my eyes, inhaling Abraxis’s scent—smoke and steel—and the lingering aroma of the half-eaten meal on the countertop. I’m always a problem for everyone around me. Nothing but a huge burden to everyone I care about.

“Hey…” Balor’s voice softens as he appears in front of me.

He cups my cheek, his palm rough with calluses yet warm against my skin.

“Don’t do that to yourself. You are worth everything we go through as a nest. A large, functional nest doesn’t happen overnight.

” He glances at Abraxis, who reluctantly loosens his hold so Balor can draw me nearer.

“As much as you want Abraxis to stay in charge, your dragoness needs someone bigger and stronger than she is. ”

Abraxis’s eyes flash with protest, but Callan steps closer, resting a hand on Abraxis’s shoulder.

“We’ve been in denial for months,” Callan says, his voice subdued.

“She’s stronger and more lethal than any of us when she shifts.

If Klauth can keep her from going on a rampage, let him bear that burden. ”

The thick tension in the room is broken only by the hum of the refrigerator and the muted thud of the pipes in the wall.

I follow Balor to my favorite chair, the worn leather creaking as I sink into it.

Leander hands me a plate of food—some steak and a few sides.

The savory aroma once made my mouth water, but now it’s tinged with a bitterness that sours my appetite.

The dull glow from the nearby floor lamp shows the sadness in his fiery gaze; it’s an unspoken empathy that cuts me to the bone.

I know, deep down, that Balor and Callan are right. I need a stronger drake in charge. Maybe tonight I’ll sleep on it and make changes after the gauntlet tomorrow. My stomach clenches, and I force the steak down despite its loss of flavor. Every bite feels like lead in my mouth.

Once I’m finished, I push the plate aside, ignoring the greasy residue that clings to my fingers.

Balor guides me gently toward his room, the warmth of his hand on my back steadying my swirling thoughts.

Vaughn will be nothing but stone tomorrow—he can’t run with me.

The sudden distance between all of us weighs heavily in my chest. My world feels smaller, darker … lonelier.

As I settle onto Balor’s bed, the sheets cool against my tired body, my senses remain on high alert.

I can still smell the leftover food in the apartment, hear the soft drip of a leaky faucet in the sink, and feel the press of my dragoness just beneath my skin.

Even so, exhaustion wins out. I close my eyes, praying for sleep to overtake me and for a safer tomorrow to arrive.