Page 29 of Progeny of the Cursed Egg (Dragonis Academy, Year 3)

“Something’s shifted…” My eyes roam the temple.

The fluttering torchlight is the same, the thick, incense-tinged air unchanged, but a sudden hush has fallen, as though the temple itself is holding its breath.

I hear a distant twang followed by a sharp whoosh.

I whip my head toward the sound just as something pierces my shoulder.

A burst of white-hot pain steals my breath.

The arrow nearly punches through me, and I reel from the shock.

I glimpse the attacker for the briefest moment before Ziggy disappears, presumably to hunt him down.

Abraxis launches into the air, powerful muscles straining as he scoops me from the beam and glides me over to Klauth.

I register frantic shouts—Priestesses rushing us into a hidden chamber.

The walls here are damp and cool, the floor slick with condensation.

I can taste copper in my mouth, and my vision swims.

I stare at the arrow embedded in my shoulder. Thick, dark blood stains my gown. Klauth’s hand trembles near the shaft, but I shake my head. “Don’t touch it. It’s made from dragon’s bane. It’s highly poisonous to dragons.”

“Shit…” Klauth and Abraxis exchange panicked looks, both clearly torn about pulling it out.

I struggle to keep my voice steady. “Leander, get hot water. Ziggy needs to grab my green bag from my bedroom. Hurry—while I’m still awake.

” My throat feels tight, and the pain radiates through every nerve, making my head spin.

I force myself to focus on Klauth and Balor.

“Mix Macabate at twenty percent, Arkasu at thirty, Laumpor at forty, Blabert at ten. It should fix everything.”

My words slur as I fight the toxins searing my veins. I feel the air shift as Leander returns, the steam from the hot water drifting across my arms. It smells metallic, like overheated stone and a hint of linen from the clothes.

“Soak two rags in the hot water, then grip the arrow and snap off the fletchings or the arrowhead,” I instruct, voice wobbling. My eyelids grow heavy. My body wants to shut down and heal. The world blurs around me .

“Someone hold her,” Leander orders as Callan directs Ziggy to find the ingredients.

There’s a sharp crack. The agony of the arrow moving rips a scream from my throat, and darkness immediately rushes in.

The last thing I hear is my own ragged breathing and my father’s voice echoing in my mind: Be faster.

Then everything goes silent and I sink into the dark, willing sleep to claim me, if only to escape the pain.

I’m not sure how long I’ve been unconscious, but my nose tells me exactly where I am.

The crisp mountain air carries a faint tang of snow and stone, and I catch the comforting warmth of my scent mingled with Ziggy’s and Balor’s.

My skin tingles against the rough scales and coarse fur that line my makeshift bed, and I realize they must have brought me back to my nest high in the mountains.

A low groan escapes my throat as I try to shift. Ziggy’s displacer beast—a hulking creature with dark, mottled fur—wraps a thick, rubbery tentacle around my waist, carefully lifting me upright. My head throbs, and the world tilts for a moment, forcing me to squeeze my eyes shut.

“She’s awake,” I hear Callan shout, his voice echoing along the newly renovated corridors. Moments later, a stampede of footsteps booms toward me, sending vibrations through the stone floor.

I slowly blink and let my gaze wander around the main chamber.

Thanks to the contractors, it looks more like a palace now than a hollowed-out cavern.

Smooth walls gleam faintly under soft overhead lights, and plush carpets cushion the cold stone.

Everything has been transformed with elegant arches, gilded accents, and velvet drapes.

Balor’s basilisk shifts beside me, its serpentine form dissolving until only the man remains, kneeling at my side.

His gaze, a molten crimson, roams over my face with desperate concern before relief softens his features.

“How are you feeling?” he asks, just as the others gather in a semicircle behind him. Their combined presence is a comforting weight on my senses.

“Other than this pounding headache, I’m good,” I answer, and glance down at my left shoulder, where a tight bandage wraps my skin. “How bad was it?” My gaze flicks between Balor and Klauth, who are just as knowledgeable about poisons as I am.

Klauth’s voice is tinged with anger and relief all at once. “A lethal dose, my treasure. One that would have killed a lesser dragon.” He steps aside so Abraxis can move closer.

“How long was I asleep?” I manage, though the grogginess threatens to pull me under again.

“Four days,” Leander replies. I look at Balor, feeling a pang of guilt.

“Sorry I missed your birthday.” My shoulders slump with regret.

Balor’s expression softens. “You surviving is more than enough of a birthday present,” he says, then glances at Ziggy behind me. “That one wouldn’t let go of you for more than an hour at a time.”

I twist around to meet the malevolent green eyes of Ziggy’s packlord displacer beast. My heart tightens with gratitude. “Thank you, Ziggy. Can you shift back? I want a hug.” A yawn slips past my lips, and I lower my gaze to the bandage again.

There’s a subtle crackle in the air, like static brushing over my skin, followed by a rapid ripple of pressure. In the next instant, Ziggy appears in his human form and scoots closer. He gently pulls me into his lap, wrapping muscular arms around my waist and pressing his chest against my back .

“I was so scared,” he whispers, his breath tickling my ear. I exhale a shaky sigh.

“Me too, Ziggy. It’s not my first time being shot with dragon’s bane.

” I look pointedly at Abraxis and Klauth.

“Dad shot me once while we were practicing dodging arrows—told me to ‘ move faster ’ before I passed out. No one treated the wounds. I slept for a week without the poultice you made for me.”

Klauth’s roar reverberates through the chamber. “He didn’t treat you at all?”

Abraxis interjects as he offers me a cup of steaming bone broth. “Sadly, it sounds exactly like her father.” His gaze flicks to mine, eyes gentling. “We’ll start you off with broth and work up to real food. It’s Saturday, so we’re free for the next two days.”

I nod, the aroma of the broth—savory and rich—coaxing my stomach awake. I take a careful sip; the warmth slides down my throat and settles in my belly.

“The house looks incredible,” I say, surveying the polished walls, plush rugs, and ornate furnishings.

Leander gives me a proud smile. “I gave Klauth access to your online wish board. Cora had a shared inspiration board you two were working on for the combined flight. So we based the design on the colors and themes you liked.”

My eyes sweep over the room, taking in the subtle mix of shimmering gold, rich burgundy, and soft cream. “I love it,” I say quietly, finishing the last of the broth. A wave of exhaustion surges through me. “Is there somewhere I can lie down? I’m still so tired.”

Callan steps forward, his eye glowing with an eager warmth. “I have just the place for you.”

Abraxis bends down and scoops me into his arms, cradling me gently as he carries me through a short hallway.

We enter the egg chamber— a circular space where the ceiling arches high, and the walls are lined with softly glowing crystals.

In the far corner stands a large gryphon nest piled high with downy feathers.

My eyes widen at the luxurious sight of it.

“Did you pluck yourself bald lining this?” I ask Callan, marveling at how plush and inviting it looks.

“Yup, several times,” he replies. “My feathers grow back quickly if I eat and rest, so over three days I filled it just for you.” He shifts into his gryphon form—a regal creature with tawny feathers and piercing eye—and prances over to the nest before leaping up and settling in.

He lifts one wing, inviting me into his warmth.

My mates each press a kiss to my forehead or cheek, and I’m passed to Callan’s waiting embrace.

The softness of his gryphon feathers cushions me like a thick, luxurious blanket.

The scent of fresh hay mingled with his musky gryphon scent, envelops me.

My eyes flutter closed, and I nuzzle into his side.

Safe in their care, I sink back into sleep—my head pounding less, my breathing finally steady, and the comforting hum of their presence anchoring me in the darkness.