Page 21 of Guardian of the Cursed Egg
I dive, acid pooling in my throat. As it sprays forth, I ignite it, unleashing napalm—fire born acid that burns through flesh and bone alike. The creatures scream as they disintegrate, their deaths feeding the chaos below. Mina and I circle the ruins, our breath weapons carving through the invaders until there is nothing left but ash and dying embers.
When the last of the creatures are gone, we land amidst the wreckage. Mina’s dragoness roars again and again, each one a seismic force that shakes what little remains of the buildings. Walls crumble, structures collapse, the earth itself seems to quake under her fury. Finally, her roars subside, leaving a heavy silence that is almost worse.
We shift back to human forms, the weight of what we see settling in our bones. Mina stares at the destruction, her face blank but her bond a maelstrom of grief and rage. Nothing remains of what was once her home—just smoldering ruins and blackened earth.
I turn slowly, taking in the full scope of the devastation. Smoke curls into the darkening sky, and the acrid smell of burnt wood and scorched stone clings to the air. It’s worse than any battlefield I’veever known. Worse than wars described in books fought over the centuries. This is personal.This is annihilation.
“I’m going to rip her to shreds...” Mina growls, her voice laced with a dangerous edge even in her human form. Scales ripple across her shoulders, rising and falling with every breath as her gaze fixates on the charred remains in front of us.
I step closer, keeping my voice calm. “We have to be careful how we go after her—because of who her father is,” I remind her, though I know restraint is the last thing she wants to hear right now.
Before she can respond, Ziggy materializes beside me, and Mina spins, a feral snarl ripping from her throat. Her golden dragon eyes blaze, talons extending as she crouches to strike. She’s pure, unrelenting fury.
“Whoa! It’s just me!” Ziggy yelps, throwing his hands up in surrender.
“Mina, it’s Ziggy. He’s here to bring us back to my house.” My words seem to cut through the haze, but her eyes remain wild, darting around the ruins as if expecting another enemy to appear. It takes several long, tense minutes before her breathing slows.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers, her voice so small it twists something deep inside me.
“Everyone settled?” I ask, turning to Ziggy.
He slowly lowers his hands, still wary. “Yeah. Your parents brought everyone into the main nest since … well, everyone’s bonded.” His gaze flicks to Mina, concern etched into his face as he watches her survey the destruction.
I see the question forming in his eyes, and I shake my head subtly.No. My mate is not alright.As much as she hated this place for everythingher father had done to her, her mother, and her sister, it was still her home. And now it’s gone.
“Mate?” I say softly, extending a hand toward her. “Let’s go. My mother will want to check on you.” I wait, giving her the space to decide.
She turns slowly, her golden eyes dulled, and nods before taking my hand. The instant her skin touches mine, the torrent of rage and grief in our bond goes silent, like a storm swallowed by the abyss. Without a word, she leans into my side, seeking the comfort of my presence. When she taps my wing, I instinctively unfurl it and wrap it tight around her, shielding her from the world.
I nod to Ziggy, and in a blink, we’re moving through the threads of time and space, landing in my mother’s nest. Mina stays silent, her steps slow, her energy subdued in a way I’ve never seen before.
My mother approaches cautiously, lowering her head in respect. “Mina? I’ve prepared a bath for you.” Her voice is gentle, as though speaking too loudly might shatter Mina completely. Mina nods, her movements mechanical, and follows my mother with her head lowered.
It’s not like her at all.
I watch them go, a weight settling in my chest. The storm inside my mate hasn’t disappeared. It’s buried, festering, and when it surfaces again, it will be a force no one can stop.
Several hours crawl by before Mom and Mina emerge from wherever they’ve been. The moment I see them, my stomach sinks. Mina’s faceis pale, her eyes shadowed with something I can only describe as being haunted. Mom, usually so composed, looks like she’s been shattered into a million pieces. When Dad glances at me, I nod, silently giving him permission to approach Mina first.
Callan and Vaughn move to follow, their concern clear, but I raise a hand to stop them. “Let my dad try first. He can sense what’s wrong with someone.” My voice is tight, almost cracking. It hurts to wait, to stand back when all I want is to hold her and take her pain away, but Dad might be the only one who can help her right now.
Mina looks at me, her expression unreadable, and I give her a reassuring nod. Slowly, she allows Dad to wrap her in a hug. The moment his wings unfurl and encase her, I flex my own, an instinctual reaction to shield her, even if it’s through him.
Then, I feelit.
The bond between us pulses violently, a torrent of memories and emotions slamming into me with enough force to make me stagger. Scenes unfold in my mind, disjointed and brutal: the gauntlet she was forced to run, over and over. The way she was broken down piece by piece. First, the idealized version of events plays—the lies she told herself to survive. Then, the truth. The real version, raw and bloody, rips through my mind like claws tearing away flesh.
She isn’t haunted by visions. She’s reliving them. Over and over. My chest tightens, and a growl rumbles low in my throat. My mate is suffering from PTSD.
I pull Vaughn and Callan aside, my wings flaring briefly to shield us from prying eyes. “Did you see what I just saw? Or was it just a dragon thing?” My voice is low, rough with restrained rage.
They exchange a glance before shaking their heads. “No, we didn’t see anything,” Vaughn admits.
“Mina’s suffering from PTSD,” I tell them, each word like a blade. “The visions she’s been having—some of them aren’t visions at all. They’re flashbacks. She pieced it together tonight, and that’s why she’s been spiraling.”
“Oh, shit,” Callan breathes, realization dawning in his eyes. “That makes so much sense.” His voice softens. “The academy has counselors who can help her. We can set something up.”
“Who’s going to talk her into going?” Vaughn sighs, his gaze flicking toward Dad and Mina. Dad is still holding her, whispering something I can’t hear.
