Page 51 of Progeny of the Cursed Egg (Dragonis Academy, Year 3)

Mina

I sit on the edge of the cliff above the Risedale nest, watching the sun rise slowly over the horizon.

The chill morning air carries a mix of salt and earth, and as the first light touches the sky, I can feel the day’s impending battle burn through every fiber of my being.

Today is the day when the fight escalates, and I sense Abraxis’s anticipation, too.

He knows something monumental is coming.

I’ve shared with him as much as I dare without risking the fragile balance of fate.

If everything unfolds as I foresee, today we will finally be rid of the wyvern threat. I hate that my mate must put himself in mortal danger to secure a better future for us.

Lately, Abraxis has felt less important since Klauth assumed command as head drake.

I can only hope he doesn’t do anything reckless—he isn’t thinking clearly.

Thauglor’s egg hums against my skin, a steady warmth that mirrors my stress and anticipation, as I watch the sunrise with a mix of hope and dread.

“I know—you want to raze the enemy to the ground. Your time is fast approaching, Thauglor,” I murmur, standing up and backing away from the cliff’s edge.

I move toward the small garden that Klauth and Ziggy planted for me.

The scent of damp soil and the delicate perfume of young Japanese maple trees fill the air, while a small water feature burbles softly.

Fancy fish dart through the clear water, their movements both calming and restless.

I chuckle softly as I stroke Thauglor’s egg, now resting on a weathered bench. “The fire drakes and ambush drakes will try to attack us here, but they’ll never make it up here with us.” I smile as the egg pulses in response. The gentle vibration is a reassuring reminder of the bond we share.

“It still amazes me how you interact with us in the eggs,” Klauth says, settling onto the bench in front of me. His tone is contemplative as he watches my every move.

“It’s not like I’m talking to a lifeless chicken egg,” I reply with a shrug, lifting Thauglor and setting him on my lap. The warm, smooth surface of his shell contrasts with the warmth of my hand.

“That is true. Still, I see what Abraxis meant—you really never let go of his egg,” Klauth teases, tilting his head as he studies me.

“You are a brilliant tactician. Tell me, what would be one of the major ways to destabilize my nest?” I ask, curiosity lacing my tone.

I watch the morning light dance across his features as I continue, “If it were me, I’d steal the egg.

Second, I’d steal Cora’s child—or egg—or both.

Third, I’d destroy Shadowcarve.” I slide Thauglor back into his carrier and stand, feeling the weight of my own words settle over me.

“Someone steals Thauglor, and I would go on a rampage that might set the world on fire,” I confess, beginning to pace as my eyes drift toward the water feature, following the graceful movements of the fish.

“Someone steals Cora’s child or egg—I’d be too busy managing Abraxis to lose my temper completely. I’d be angry, but not utterly detached,” I muse, letting the image of swirling fish distract me for several minutes as I ponder the intricacies of my vision.

“And Shadowcarve’s destruction?” Klauth asks, just as I notice the rest of my mates walking toward us.

“It’s where I found my true family,” I say, my gaze falling and then meeting that of my mates who are still here.

“It’s where I first had the freedom to decide for myself.

Shadowcarve is the first place where I could make choices for me—and no one else.

” A genuine smile spreads across my face, and my heart sings with the truth of those words.

Klauth leans in, kissing my forehead before pulling me close. “It’s almost time.”

I close my eyes, focusing on Abraxis as I try to force a vision of the unfolding chaos around him. I picture him on a battlement, watchful and resolute. One key event remains unseen.

“What do you see, Mina?” Vaughn’s voice cuts through the quiet like a shard of glass.

I open my eyes and reply, “Abraxis is waiting, watching the fighting raging around him. The manticore are clashing, and some green dragons are attacking the base, testing its defenses.” I meet Vaughn’s gaze, the weight of my words hanging between us.

The sound of powerful wingbeats fills the air, and soon Vox’s black dragon soars above us before landing gracefully in the courtyard. He shifts his posture and strides over, tilting his head as if in silent inquiry.

“Vox, what are you doing here?” Balor asks, closing the gap to shake his hand.

“Would you believe I felt a pull to be here? That I sensed Mina needed me?” Vox replies, his tone laced with confusion as he glances between me and Klauth .

“Apparently, your dragon acknowledges my mate as the dominant dragoness in the region. Only a dominant dragoness can summon other dragons to her,” Klauth says with a smile, kissing my temple.

“I did call for you, Vox,” I state firmly, stepping three paces away from Klauth to stand tall in front of my father-in-law. “You’ve been made aware of what I can do, yes?” I offer no further explanation.

“Yes, Abraxis told me what he said I needed to know,” Vox laughs lightly. “It made no sense how he said it, but I assume there’s a reason for all the secrets.” He smiles at me, and I nod in silent agreement.

I gaze at the position of the rising sun and sigh.

“Before it reaches its apex, you need to get Cora and her clutch up here.” My eyes shift, diving back into the vision.

“Six black dragons must be stationed up here, ready to cover the lower courtyard in acid. Especially along the mountain’s rock face—set it on fire at the right time, and the attack will end swiftly.

” I blink several times, emerging from the vision, and turn to Leander. “You will be the one to signal when.”

“What was that? You sounded detached…” Vox steps back, nervous about what I just revealed.

I shake my head firmly. “If you love your son and want to see his progeny thrive, you will stop asking questions that could get me killed.” Swallowing hard, I move closer to Vox.

“They will kill everyone in my nest—or in my part of the continent—just to be safe. I am the weapon my mate wields.” I say it in a measured tone, hoping to settle Vox’s worries.

As long as he believes the males of the nest are in control, he will remain calm.

Vox steps forward, kissing my forehead before leaping off the cliff and shifting. I can tell by the direction he’s flying that he’s heading back to Blackhaven to retrieve the black dragons first.

Leander steps in front of me and cups my cheeks gently in his hands. “ What did you see?” he asks, his voice filled with a mix of concern and quiet understanding.

“Vox meant well, but he made the mistake of mentioning the visions in front of an elder,” I admit, drawing a deep, steadying breath.

“The elder suspected Vox wasn’t telling the whole truth and went to Arameth—the grand dragon council.

They immediately ordered the extermination of the Risedale nest.” My gaze shifts to Klauth as I continue, “Mages intervened between them and the dragons they’d brought.

.. and we died together.” I pause, the weight of loss heavy in my words.

I won’t mention that he fell first—those massive spears knocked him from the sky.

Klauth was struck down first, thinking himself invincible, while I lived long enough to die knowing all my mates perished before me.

My body fell from the sky, landing atop Klauth, and we took our last breaths together.

Suddenly, I feel a mental gasp. Oh, shit ... I think I accidentally shared the vision. ‘You did, mate. I’m sorry I wasn’t strong enough to save us all,’ comes a whispered apology through our mental bond.

“Will Vox say anything?” Ziggy asks as he moves closer, apparently unaware of what I just revealed.

“I said I was a weapon for my mate to wield. I didn’t specify which mate.

Let him believe it’s Abraxis if it keeps us safe.

He won’t risk not having his name go on to another generation,” I reply, staring at the ground for several moments.

Then I lift my head and ask, “What’s the biggest thing you can move, Ziggy? ” I tilt my head, eyes challenging him.

“Balor shifted—why?” he asks, puzzled.

“Because when Klauth and I go in to level the field, you and Balor need to protect Abraxis. When he’s able to shift back, you need to get him out of there,” I instruct firmly.

“What will Leander and I be doing?” Vaughn’s gaze shifts between us, seeking clarity .

“Protecting my nest and Thauglor. Leander will signal for the fire to rain down and ignite the acid,” I say, locking eyes with Leander, who nods in understanding. He knows the vital role he must play in this operation.

I glance once more at the rising sun, its light growing bolder as the shadows of the nest stir. We have hours left before everything is set in motion, and every moment is charged with the weight of what’s to come.

The guys keep shoveling food toward me while I devour every bite, the tang of spiced stew mingling with the bitterness of dread.

The surge of lightning I need to summon courses through my veins—a force more immense than anything I’ve ever drawn upon.

Klauth too is gorging himself, every bite charged with grim determination for what is coming.

I pause mid-motion as I feel Abraxis shift; a cold tremor ripples through me.

My hand clenches so tightly that the glass in it shatters, scattering tiny shards that sting my skin.

I freeze, breath catching, and watch in horror as the vision changes.

The third option—the one I have dreaded—is unfolding in real time.

“We need to go now…” I roar, my voice echoing off the cold walls as I dash from the room. This is the vision that if I don’t move fast enough, Abraxis dies.

I burst through the front door into our courtyard, where the night air is thick with the scent of damp stone and distant smoke.

Six black dragons sit perched on the edge of the cliff, their dark eyes glinting in the sparse light.

“The enemy is coming. Leave nothing to chance,” I yell at them, the urgency in my tone mingling with the metallic tang of impending danger.

Klauth, Balor, and Ziggy finally catch up with me.

“Cover the courtyard in acid, then watch it burn,” I command, my eyes hard as I meet theirs.

“I’m going to shift and get us there fast. Tuck in close to my frill and hold on for dear life. ”

My gaze flits between Klauth and Ziggy as I continue, “Klauth will tell you when to phase to Abraxis—it’ll be when we’re directly over him.

Get out as fast as you can after that; there won’t be much left of the valley once we’re done.

” I stare into Klauth’s crimson-flecked amber eyes, and he nods without a word.

“Won’t Klauth get us there faster?” Balor asks, edging closer with concern in his tone.

“No,” I reply with quiet confidence. “I’ve learned what being a veil walker means.

I can bend time—that’s how I move so fast.” I lean in to kiss him deeply—a moment of tenderness amid the chaos—before pulling away to shift.

I gently lay my dragoness down in the courtyard, waiting as my mates scramble to climb on.

The instant they are securely in place, I rise and sprint toward the cliff’s edge.

My wings snap open, their leathery surface whipping against the cool night air, and I feel the low hum of lightning thrumming in my veins.

‘Here goes nothing,’ I whisper.

I reach deep inside, finding the tether to Abraxis pulsing like a lifeline.

Instead of pulling on it, I follow its call.

Pure power floods through me, and the sharp scent of ozone fills my nostrils—reminiscent of the aftermath of a lightning strike.

I feel no pain from my mates clinging to me, reassuring me I’m not harming them.

The ground below blurs into a dark smear as each powerful flap of my wings carries me leagues in mere seconds.

The burning heat of Abraxis’s tether intensifies, urging me on.

I need to be faster.