Page 30 of Progeny of the Cursed Egg (Dragonis Academy, Year 3)

Balor

Deep in the bowels of the academy, Ziggy and I stand over the fire drake who shot our mate.

He has been whipped, cut, stabbed, and burned, and the smell of singed flesh hangs heavily in the stagnant air.

Water drips from the jagged ceiling, and every drop echoes through the dim corridor.

Flickering torchlight throws shifting shadows across the stone walls, reflecting the torment we inflict.

Ziggy shoots me an impatient look. “Balor, just do it the easy way.”

“Fine.” My voice comes out as a low growl. I take a step closer to our prisoner, the crunch of shattered glass and old blood under my boots sending a chill up my spine. Carefully, I tape his eyelids open, the sticky sound of the tape unspooling ringing in my ears. His frantic breathing quickens.

“What the fuck, man! This is against the accords!” the prisoner yells, voice echoing off the walls as he jerks against his chains.

A twisted smirk lifts the corner of my mouth. “Good thing I’m not bound by the accords, isn’t it?” I brace his head in place, leaning in until our faces are nearly touching. My breath mists the air between us. “Look deep into my eyes and listen to my voice.”

A cold sensation creeps into my skull as my eyes shift into their basilisk form. My tone drops, taking on a resonant hum that vibrates in my chest. “Who hired you to shoot the female?”

His eyes go vacant in seconds. Blood trickles from his lower lip as he mumbles, “Demi hired me to kill the future queen.”

“Does anyone else know the future queen’s identity?” I press, tension coiling in my gut.

“No,” he whispers, breath hitching. “Word got out that the future royal family is training in the temple. A priestess named Elain leaked it.”

I glance at Ziggy, who disappears without a word—likely off to tell Hellen or settle the priestess matter himself. I don’t particularly care which; the priesthood handles their own, and I have no sympathy for those who betray us.

Turning back to the fire drake, my fangs extend, and I sink them into his shoulder.

My necrotic venom floods his bloodstream, guaranteeing he’ll rot from the inside out.

He thrashes and howls as his flesh sizzles beneath my teeth.

My nostrils fill with the stench of decay, and I watch impassively; he nearly killed the one I love.

Moments later, Ziggy reappears in a rush of displaced air. He looks at the convulsing prisoner, then at me. “Ready?”

I nod, stepping away from the doomed fire drake. Ziggy folds time and space around us, the dungeon dissolving into a swirl of darkness.

When reality solidifies again, we’re standing in the restructured courtyard of the Risedale nest. The raw scent of fresh mortar and newly cut stone mingles with the crisp air.

I spot Mina on the back of Callan’s gryphon, her eyes bright as she surveys the upgrades.

She cradles a baby in her arms, Thauglor’s carrier strapped securely to her back.

“How are you feeling?” I ask, keeping my voice gentle as the Callan pads closer.

“Better. Have you seen Cora’s baby up close?” Mina’s voice is soft, and she nuzzles the child, her dragoness purring deep in her chest.

“Not yet.” I step closer, the baby’s sweet, milky scent replacing the bitter tang of the dungeon in my nose. “He’s a sturdy little man. What’s his name?” I press my forehead gently to Mina’s arm, relieved to see her safe and whole.

“William.” Her eyes glimmer with tears she refuses to shed. “Cora named him after me.”

A gentle warmth spreads through my chest, chasing away lingering anger. “That’s a fine name for him. He’s named after his very strong aunt.” Mina leans in, her lips brushing mine in a tender kiss. The darkness from before fades a little more. I help her slip off of Callan’s back.

“It’s times like this I want my own,” she murmurs, gaze drifting down to the baby’s chubby cheeks. “A whole nest of babies, everywhere. But we’re not safe yet, and I still have to finish school.” She sighs, a slight tremor in her shoulders.

“As soon as it’s safe,” I promise, helping her dismount from Callan’s gryphon with care, “we’ll give you as many eggs as you want.” A wry chuckle escapes me. “Until then, practice makes perfect.”

A pretty blush warms her cheeks as she glances up at me. “I fully endorse that idea,” she whispers, slipping her arm around my waist as we head inside to the lower living quarters.

The Risedale nest looks nothing like it did during Mina’s first yearly as a dragoness. New corridors branch off from the main tunnel, lined with softly glowing lanterns. Reinforced stone arches overhead, making the place feel vast and secure.

“How do you like the changes?” Klauth asks, stepping out of a room down the hall.

“It looks amazing. Are my gardens intact?” Mina’s teeth catch her bottom lip, worry etched in her brow.

Callan chuckles. “Come and see.”

We pass Cora, who takes her baby back from Mina, then continue on to a set of wrought-iron bars that seal off the gardens. A faint breeze carries the scent of growing herbs and damp earth. Klauth unlocks the gate, and we follow Mina inside.

“I expanded your poison herb garden,” I say, nodding toward a larger section where exotic plants sway in a breeze that filters through a natural vent above.

Mina’s expression lights up. “I see that. It looks terrific.” She slips past the gate, running her fingertips over the leaves.

Abraxis trails behind us. “To think she started tending this garden at about six or seven years old,” he comments quietly.

“It’s insane, the things her father put her through,” Callan mutters, his voice grave as we watch Mina tend a cluster of dark purple blossoms.

In the far corner, three metal rods stab up from the ground like silent sentinels. I raise an eyebrow. “Do I even want to know what those are for?”

“Abaddon, Lysander, and Arista,” Klauth says simply, his smile cold. “I promised Mina their heads would end up on pikes.”

Mina glances over. “If my visions are accurate, Dad dies as his dragon, so a pike won’t work.” She points to a natural skylight overhead. “But dropping his cleaned skull through that hole? That might be satisfying.”

“I’ll make a bigger pike,” Klauth replies, eyeing the rods speculatively.

Mina approaches Ziggy and whispers something. In a flicker, they disappear. Moments later, Ziggy returns alone, grabs my arm, and the world twists. The gardens vanish, replaced by a cavern with warm, humid air that clings to my skin. A hint of sulfur wafts through the darkness.

“Enjoy,” Ziggy says, then fades, leaving me standing on slick rock. The rush of water echoes off the walls, guiding me deeper.

At the end of a winding tunnel, I find a wide chamber with a natural hot spring.

Steam rises in gentle wisps, and the mineral-rich water glistens under the faint light spilling in from a crack in the ceiling.

Mina’s dragoness form sprawls in the center of the pool, her scaled limbs moving lazily in the water as she preens.

A stray pebble skitters under my boot, and her head snaps up. At once, she shifts, returning to her human shape and swimming to the water’s edge. “Are you going to join me?” she asks, tilting her head just so, eyes entirely human but still holding that dragonic intensity.

“If that’s what you want,” I answer, unzipping my fighting leathers. I take my time, letting the rustle of fabric and the slight scrape of leather on rock tease both of us. Her eyes darken with hunger.

“How did I get so lucky to have so much eye candy in my nest?” she purrs, voice echoing softly against the dripping walls.

“Lucky, I guess.” I grin, then run and leap into the water, creating a spectacular splash. The hot spring’s warmth envelops me, easing away the ache in my muscles. I swim closer, catch her around the waist, and press a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth. “What made you decide to come here? ”

She exhales a contented sigh. “It has healing properties, and I want to be at my best. Plus, I’ve been trying to spend equal time with everyone, and I have two very selfish drakes to manage.” She laughs, low and melodic, and lays her head on my shoulder. “So I chose you right now.”

I stroke her damp hair, relishing how the mineral-rich water of the hot spring seems to make each strand silkier between my fingers.

Steam drifts across our skin, curling around us in hazy tendrils.

The heat soothes my muscles, but it’s her warmth—her body pressed to mine—that chases away the last trace of chill in the night air.

Mina’s lips graze my jaw, playfully nibbling in that teasing way she knows drives me mad.

A soft, satisfied sound vibrates in my throat as I guide us through the shallower edge of the spring.

The smooth rocks beneath the water offer just enough friction to push off and float.

Gently, I maneuver us so we’re half-submerged, the steaming water lapping at our waists.

I roll on top of her, supporting my weight on one arm while the other slips around her ribs.

With a careful tug, I draw her onto a flat stone ledge at the perimeter of the spring.

Leaning down, I capture her lips in a hungry kiss, pouring every ounce of my devotion into it.

Her taste is a heady mix of salt and mineral water, intoxicating enough to make me forget we’re not alone in the world.

My sly little minx of a mate shifts beneath me, aligning her hips with mine.

Who am I to resist? Slowly, I press forward, feeling each piercing drag through her welcoming heat.

A deep, resonant purr escapes her, echoing off the rocky walls of the spring as I bottom out.

The flutter of her core around me is nothing short of divine.

“Move, baby…” she murmurs, nose tucked under my jaw, her breath warm against my neck.