Page 3 of Guardian of the Cursed Egg
Now is the moment. I lower my frill and dive sharply toward the water. The air around me screams as I cut through it, the surface of the ocean, a dark mirror rushing closer. The faster I go, the more thrilling the burn of the wind against my scales becomes. Vaughn shifts on my back, his gargoyle form gripping onto me with talons as sharp as daggers. I can feel the tension in him, sense that my sharp dive would’ve sent his human form flying.
The torches come into view, their flickering light marking the edges of the flight field. Balor, Leander, and Ziggy stand at attention, their eyes on me as I close in on the finish. A triumphant wave surges through me. I’ve beaten Abraxis. Beaten my mate.
I land with calculated precision, the impact reverberating through my body as I tuck my wings and prance lightly toward the field. The moment feels electric, and I relish it as I lower myself to the ground, allowing Vaughn to slide off my back.
“You were moving so fast it was terrifying,” Vaughn says, his voice breathless as I shift back into my human form.
I can’t help but smirk, brushing strands of hair out of my face. “Terrifying, huh? I think it was exhilarating.”
CHAPTER 2
Vaughn
For the sizeof Mina’s dragoness, she’s blindingly fast. The speed is almost surreal. The world blurring below as I cling to her, perched high on her dragon’s head. Up here, everything looks different. Every tilt of her head is precise, controlled, though I’m not sure she even realizes it. It’s instinctual, every movement deliberate.
When she dives, the ocean rushing up to meet us, my gargoyle claws its way out, instincts roaring. I hate water—we don’t do well in it. But I hold steady, looking back as her dragon’s massive body undulates with each powerful flap of her wings. It’s mesmerizing, watching the way her frame moves with such elegance despite her size. It’s hard to fathom how Mina, so small and delicate, can hold something this colossal within her.
We land with a thunderous grace, her dragoness tossing her head and prancing, almost playful, after the flight. A moment later, Abraxis clears the shoreline, his chest heaving as he sprints toward us. I take the chance to slide off her back and move out of the way, catching my breath. “You were moving sofast it was terrifying.”
Mina shifts back, and her laughter lights up the space between us. The smile on her lips, so bright and unguarded, sends a jolt through my chest. “Terrifying?” she teases, brushing her hair out of her face. “I think it was exhilarating.”
Abraxis and Callan reach her then, pulling her into a tight embrace. Abraxis still looks winded, his forehead resting briefly against hers. “How did you move so fast?” he asks, his voice breathless with wonder.
She tilts her head, confused. “What do you mean?”
Callan presses a kiss to her temple, his voice low but amazed. “You were in sight one minute and a blur the next.”
I glance at them, nodding. “Over the water? That’s when I shifted. I thought I was about to be thrown off her back.”
Abraxis’s brows furrow as he looks at me, then at Balor. “She went faster over the water?”
“You looked like a streak of lightning,” Balor says, his tone somewhere between awe and disbelief. He steps closer, his gaze fixed on Mina as though seeing her for the first time. “It was incredible.”
Mina shrugs, brushing off their amazement, but the glint in her eye betrays her pride. I don’t think she even realizes how extraordinary she is, but the rest of us do—and we’re all still catching our breath.
“I didn’t see any lightning from where I was sitting,” I say, my voice low as I stare out over the dark, rippling water. The moon’s reflection dances upon the waves, mocking the stillness I crave. “I did, however, see my life flash before my eyes, thinking I was meeting a watery grave.” Mina promptly slaps my arm, the soft smack pulling a short laugh out of me. “You forget, gargoyles don’t swim—we sink.”
The humor fades as a sigh escapes me, and I turn, walking a few paces away. It’s the cruel irony of what we are. To protect our human side, we turn to stone, and when we sink, we’re lost to the depths forever. The ocean is both beautiful and treacherous—a siren call to a fate my people have feared for generations.
Before I can dwell too long, Mina sprints ahead of me, planting her small hands squarely on my chest. She halts me in my tracks, forcing me to meet her eyes. “I would never leave you at the bottom of the ocean,” she says, her voice soft but filled with unshakable conviction. Her human eyes—so expressive—gaze up at me, and she raises a hand to cup my cheek.
The warmth of our bond hums across my skin, softening every sharp edge of my frustration. It’s impossible to stay cold in the presence of that connection. All the fight drains out of me, and I nod slowly. “I know. Deep down, I know you’d never let us fall.”
I search her face, studying the curve of her mouth, the sincerity in her eyes. Over her shoulder, I catch Abraxis watching us, his expression unreadable as he gestures toward his wings and curls them in. The silent encouragement is all I need.
I shift into my gargoyle form, stretching my wings with a satisfying flex before pulling Mina close. My wings fold around her, encasing her in a cocoon of leather. She lets out a soft, contented hum, her head resting against my chest, her arms sliding around my sides just shy of touching my wings.
“I don’t know what it is,” she murmurs, her voice a quiet confession, “but when you and Abraxis do this … I feel safe.”
Her words are a balm to my spirit. Before I can respond, she rises onto the tips of her toes and presses her lips to mine. A surge of warmth and triumph floods me.
Abraxis is a genius.
A soft yawn escapes Mina’s lips as she slides back down my body, her head resting on my chest again. The sound pulls at something deep in me, a protective instinct I didn’t know I could feel this strongly.
“Let’s get you home,” I murmur, unfurling my wings. A quick glance around tells me the others are long gone. Shaking my head, I scoop Mina up, cradling her close as I leap into the night sky. The air is cool against my skin, but her warmth seeps into me as she snuggles closer, looping her arms around my neck. She closes her eyes, her breathing soft and even. Here I am, in one of my most monstrous forms, and she sleeps in my arms like she’s perfectly safe. It’s a strange, humbling thing.
The flight to Malivore’s inner gardens doesn’t take long, thankfully. I land softly, wings folding behind me as I spot Balor waiting by the doors. He nods in greeting, motioning for me to follow as he pushes the heavy doors open. I shift back to my human form before following him.
