Page 53 of Progeny of the Cursed Egg (Dragonis Academy, Year 3)

When Mina falls asleep, her dragoness releases her form.

A very human Mina lies sleeping under my wing, her body small and fragile against the expanse of my scales.

I scoop her up and feel the soft rhythm of her breathing against my black talons.

A gentle pulse amid the chaos of the burning valley, a reminder of the life I hold in my grasp.

The surrounding forest, scarred by battle, blazes fiercely, its flames licking the night sky in a dizzying dance of light and shadow.

The acrid scent of smoke mingles with the cool night air, the smell sharp, and stinging in my nostrils.

In the distance, Callan shifts back to his human form, his features sharp, and alert in the flickering light.

He quickly climbs onto my back, his movements swift and sure.

I had hoped he would take Mina with him.

But it seems I will carry her with her body cradled against my chest like a precious treasure.

Once he’s secure, his hands gripping the ridges of my scales.

I rise onto three powerful legs and launch into the night; the wind rushing past us in a deafening roar.

The rush of air against my wings and the steady throb of Mina’s breathing in my grasp soothes something deep within me.

It’s a reminder that I almost lost my mate today.

A realization that sends a chill down my spine.

Softly, I croon a quiet melody, just loud enough for Mina to hear as I hold her close to my chest. The sound is a gentle lullaby in the night's chaos.

I cannot fly as fast as Mina once did, her speed a marvel to behold.

But my broad wingspan carries us swiftly over the fiery remains of the forest. The landscape below is a hellish patchwork of ash and embers.

As we breach the valley, the heat intensifies, the air shimmering with the force of the flames.

The burning treetops glow like embers against the dark sky, a haunting sight that sears itself into my memory.

Below, I see fire drakes prowling at the edge of the burning acid.

Their silhouettes blurred by the dancing flames, their eyes glinting with a feral hunger.

I hover for a moment, my heart pounding, then unleash my breath weapon on the pack.

The flames leaping from my maw in a torrent of heat and light.

The sudden burst of power silences any warning calls as I swiftly subdue the fire drakes skulking near Mina’s territory.

Their bodies crumpling to the ground in a smoldering heap.

Once the territory is secure, the air is still heavy with the scent of smoke and charred flesh.

I steer toward the upper courtyard where the black dragons take flight at my approach, their wings beating a hasty retreat to grant me room to land.

Balor and Leander rush out. Their voices laced with urgency as they see me cradling something precious to my chest, their eyes wide with fear and concern.

I gently release Mina into Balor’s arms, her body limp and unresisting.

I feel Callan shift as he launches off my back, his movements swift and agile.

As soon as he’s clear, his feet hitting the ground with a soft thud, I shift back and lean in to check on her, my heart in my throat.

“What happened?” Leander asks, concern heavy in his tone as Balor carries Mina inside, his steps careful and measured.

“Abraxis was shot down, and Mina went on a rampage,” I reply evenly, the words heavy with the weight of loss, the memory of her fury still fresh in my mind.

“Then I was nearly shot down, and Mina was shot down, too—the bolts couldn’t penetrate her scales.

” I fix my gaze on Balor, letting my words sink in.

The gravity of the situation etched on his face.

“Bolts meant to take down a dragon couldn’t get through her scales,” Callan adds, carefully examining Mina, his fingers gentle and probing.

“Exactly.” I follow Balor into Mina’s private chambers, watching as he meticulously removes her leathers, the fabric stiff with dried sweat and dirt.

Not a single scratch mars her skin—only two large bruises on her ribs where the bolts struck her dragon’s form.

The skin is mottled and angry. We stand in stunned silence, absorbing the miracle that these deadly weapons only bruised her, the realization a cold comfort in the face of what could have been.

“Abraxis wasn’t so lucky. The surgeons are working on him as we speak,” Balor says softly, gently pulling the blankets up over Mina, his touch tender and reverent.

“How bad is it?” I ask, watching the color drain from his face. The sight is a knife twisting in my gut.

“By all accounts, he should be dead,” he murmurs, his voice laced with sorrow as he guides us out of Mina’s room, the words hanging heavy in the air between us.

“But?” I arch a brow, feeling as if I’m trying to pry open a crocodile’s mouth with a toothpick. The tension in the room is palpable.

“We’re honestly not sure how he’s still alive.

He’s lost a lot of blood, punctured a lung, and we’re uncertain if his dragon will ever fly again.

” He glances down briefly, his eyes haunted by the weight of his words.

“The second bolt almost severed his left wing, as if it was aimed that way on purpose.”

His words strike me like a blow, the air rushing from my lungs in a painful gasp. Death, in its brutal finality, might have been kinder than a life spent watching our skies instead of flying. It is a fate worse than any I can imagine. “Where are Ziggy and Vaughn?”

“Sitting with Abraxis’s parents,” Leander offers quietly, his voice heavy with the same sorrow that grips us all.

My eyes dart between Balor and Leander as I decide, the weight of it settling heavily on my shoulders.

“Balor, please stay with Mina. Leander, let’s go check on Abraxis.

” Balor nods solemnly and slips back into Mina’s chambers, the door closing softly behind him.

The walk to check on the youngling feels like stepping in front of a firing squad—each step heavy with the burden of impending consequence.

The air is thick with the scent of blood and the hum of urgent voices.

Abraxis’s decision may have cost him everything, and I can only hope it hasn’t cost us all.

The thought is a cold, sickening weight in the pit of my stomach.

Several hours crawl by as I sit vigilant in the makeshift infirmary, my senses assaulted by the surrounding chaos.

The room pulses with hushed voices and the soft pad of hurried footsteps against the cold tile floor.

My nostrils burn with the sterile, chemical bite of disinfectant that cannot mask the metallic tang of blood hanging thick in the air.

Across from me, Vox cradles Cerce’s limp form, his knuckles white with strain.

While Warwick supports Cora, her head lolling against his shoulder.

Their faces are carved masks of shock and sorrow—eyes hollow, jaws clenched tight enough that I can almost hear their teeth grinding.

We’ve already relayed what happened to Mina. The weight of disbelief presses down on us like a physical presence. It makes the air dense and difficult to breathe, a suffocating fog that clogs my lungs with each labored intake.

“Even the strongest iron dragons can’t survive a direct hit by a bolt,” Vox declares, his voice cracking like brittle glass. The raw mixture of awe and despair in his tone scrapes against my nerves. The words seem to vibrate through the room, settling heavy in my gut like stones.

Leander’s phone pings, the cheerful electronic tone jarringly inappropriate against our grim setting.

He swipes quickly, then turns the screen toward Abraxis’s family.

I watch intently as blood drains from their faces in real time, leaving behind a sickly pallor that makes the overhead fluorescents seem even harsher.

Their eyes widen, pupils dilating with silent horror that no words could capture.

The collective, sharp intake of breath is deafening in the stillness.

The enormous bruises testament to her surviving the impossible.

I have my suspicions about why Mina has become what she is now.

The first is that having a great wyrm as a mate transformed her dragoness when we exchanged bites—a fiery, unspoken pact that scorched through her veins and altered her very core.

Somehow rewriting ancient code embedded in her DNA.

The second reason is far darker. When she was murdered by her father, something essential inside her shattered beyond repair.

Now, she moves through the world built like a flying fortress, every muscle taut beneath her skin, eyes constantly scanning for threats.

Her inner dragoness no longer dares to feel safe, not even for a moment.

I can’t blame her for that fear. It’s unthinkable—males hunting a female driven solely by their twisted desire for power.

Yet someone tried to shoot my mate down today, tried to extinguish the very light that gives me reason to continue this torturous existence.

My chest constricts painfully at the thought, making each heartbeat a struggle.

My eyes drift to Abraxis’s family, their faces contorted with grief.

Their despair mirrors my silent dread, a reflection so perfect it makes my skin crawl.

I wonder, as cold sweat beads along my spine, if the worst is yet to come.

How will we help Mina keep her will to live?

She has other mates, including myself, but he was her first, her cornerstone.

The foundation upon which she built her new life.

And as much as Abraxis can be a prick, with his cutting remarks and arrogant posturing.

Mina’s love for him burns fierce and bright, a tangled web of loyalty and pain that I can see written in every line of her body when she speaks his name.