Page 20 of Guardian of the Cursed Egg
I don’t wait for him to argue. Instead, I step toward Callan, pulling the leather egg carrier I crafted earlier from my shoulder. I’d skipped painting in art class to make it, and now, the effort feels worth it. Carefully, I secure it to his chest, the straps snug but not tight. My hands linger on his shoulders as I meet his gaze.
“I need you to watch over Klauth and Thauglor,” I say, my voice soft but commanding. “Keep their eggs safe like you would keep me safe.” I lean in, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips, the weight of the moment heavy between us.
Then I turn to Ziggy, my eyes narrowing. “If we’re under fire, you get Callan and Leander out of there. The rest of us can take whatever comes because of our armor.” My words leave no room for argument. Before any of them can protest, I stride away, my mind already shifting to the task ahead.
Beneath my calm exterior, my dragoness seethes. She’s furious—no, livid—that someone dared destroy the Risedale nest. She’s even angrier that it wasn’t her breath weapon that reduced it to ash. But fury won’t solve this. We need answers first.
Was it Ambush Drakes? Fire Drakes? Both can breathe fire intense enough to obliterate a structure. Or is there something else at play here? An unknown force entering the fray? The thought twists uneasily in my mind.
And then there’s Arista. If anyone would strike at a place she thought I held dear, it’s her. I wouldn’t put it past her or her nest to use this to unsettle me. But if that’s the case, they’ve underestimated me. They’ll learn soon enough—I’m not one to crumble under their games.
With my dragoness seething beneath my skin, it might not be the smartest move to sideline Abraxis. His presence is grounding, and with what’s ahead, I’ll need it. My shift is seamless, the transformation into my dragoness as effortless as breathing. Scales ripple over my skin, emerald, and silver gleaming in the fading light. My wings unfurl, stretching wide as we flex, testing the strength in our sinew and bone. We stretch our back, muscles rolling beneath the hard planes of our body, then lower ourselves to the ground to let the others climb aboard.
I flatten the frill along my spine—emerald with shimmering silver edges—providing a secure grip for them to hold. The setting sun glances off my scales, the silver catching fire and making the emerald glow deeper, more vivid. Abraxis strides up my back, steady and sure, his weight barely registering until he moves to the ridge just behind my spiraling horns. He settles there, the base of my frill serving as a makeshift backrest.
“This is risky, mate,” he says, his voice steady despite the tension in his posture. “Let me fly with you.”
I give a subtle shake of my head, the motion slow but firm.No.
A deep rumble escapes my chest, carrying my plan in tones only his dragon could interpret. We’re heading to the Risedale nest to investigate. If the attackers are land-bound and incapable of flight, we’ll know who’s responsible. If they can fly, it’s an entirely new threat, and we’ll adapt to face it.
Abraxis grunts in response, his talons gently preening the scales along my neck. “While I agree with your plan, I’d still rather fly at your side.”
“Who are you talking to?” Vaughn’s voice cuts in as he settles behind Abraxis, his tone edged with curiosity.
Abraxis stills, his body tensing at Vaughn’s intrusion. I rumble again, a low vibration meant to calm him. Vaughn doesn’t understand the language of dragons, after all.
“You’re right,” Abraxis finally says, his voice softening. “Mina was telling me her plan. I’m still fighting her on being sidelined.”
“You got all that from what sounded like rolling thunder?” Vaughn asks, incredulous.
“Yeah,” Abraxis says, his grip tightening slightly. “You’d better hold on. She’s ready to take off.”
And he’s right. I rise, powerful legs pushing me upright before I launch into the air. My wings beat hard against the wind, carrying us higher and higher until we break through the clouds. A few more flaps, and I find a thermal, letting it carry us as I glide toward the Risedale nest.
The landscape blurs below, and unease coils in my gut. I don’t know what I’ll find when we arrive, but I know one thing—part of my past has been obliterated. Whether I’ll thank whoever did it or tear them apart limb by limb remains to be seen.
As we crest the mountain range before the valley where the nest lies, I catch sight of smoke curling above the treetops, trapped in the basin below. My instincts scream at me to roar, to announce my arrival, to reclaim what was taken. But deep in my gut, another voice, quieter but undeniable, urges caution.Stay silent. Approach from downwind.
A low rumble builds in my chest, directed at Abraxis.Send Callan and the others away.My message is clear.Send them to his father’s lands, to his residence there.Something is still here, something burning the earth where my home once stood. The air tastes of ash and ruin, a mockery of the life that thrived here.
Abraxis moves without hesitation, his boots scraping against my scales as he climbs down my neck toward the others. The bond between us hums with purpose, and I feel it the moment Ziggy takes Callan and Leander with him. All my flammable mates—my eggs—are far from this place now.
Good.
I bank hard, my wings cutting through the dense air, and flare my frill wide. The sharp edges bristle, each spine alive with crackling energy, lightning arcing between them, begging to be released. The power surges through me, pooling in my throat as I focus on the nest below. Whatever desecrated my family’s old home won’t stand for long.
CHAPTER 12
Abraxis
The instantI see the smoke, the bond ignites like wildfire. Mina’s emotions crash through me, unfiltered and raw—rage, pure and untamed, followed swiftly by worry. Her thoughts are a storm: Callan, Leander, Ziggy, and the eggs Callan protects. I catch flashes of memory of my father’s nest and my Château just outside the main nest. They’ve been there, Father will already know something is wrong.
Lightning dances along Mina’s spine, crackling with barely contained fury. I don’t waste time. Racing back to Vaughn, I yank him away from her frill before the energy can lash out at him. “We need to take flight, now, unless you want to get fried along with whatever just pissed her off.”
Vaughn gives a sharp nod, his features hardening as he shifts. Gargoyle wings spread wide, catching the wind as he launches into the sky. I count the seconds, the bond thrumming with Mina’s rage, before I sprint down her tail and leap into the air. Mid-jump, I shift, my dragon surging into existence with a ferocity that feels almostsentient. Midnight scales shimmer under the storm-choked sky, ridges glowing a deep crimson. This is what humans fear: the Skull Dragon, harbinger of death and chaos.
Mina’s roar rips through the air, a sound so primal my scales ripple in response. The sharp scent of ozone fills my nostrils as lightning races over her body and explodes from her jaws, striking the ground below. The nest is under siege—fire drakes and magma mephits swarm what used to be a sanctuary. The mephits are grotesque, their bodies ablaze, wings of fire and smoke making them look like nightmares given form.
