Page 21 of Queen of the Cursed Egg
Mina growls, the sound low and pained, and Thauglor lifts his head and uses his chin to hold her, trying to comfort her. The scent of her exertion fills the air—a mixture of sweat, musk, and something metallic. She strains and arches her body, muscles rippling beneathher scales with the effort. Her talons dig into the stone again, carving deep furrows that make all of us stiffen at the sound of it, a high-pitched screech that sets my teeth on edge. The first black egg slips free with a wet, sliding sound, landing on the soft bedding with a muffled thump. We stare at it, its surface gleaming in the torchlight, still slick with birthing fluids.
“What do we do?” I whisper, my voice barely audible over Mina’s labored breathing. I want to see it, drawn to the miracle of life before us. But I’m also afraid, my stomach twisting with anxiety.What if it’s a dud? What if there’s something wrong with it?The weight of possibility—both wonderful and terrible—makes my chest tight.
“Abraxis, go get the egg,” Klauth says and motions to the large black egg sitting near Mina, its surface reflecting the torchlight like polished obsidian.
“I thought you said it would be the size of a watermelon. It’s way bigger than a watermelon,” I whisper the sentence as Mina growls through the next contraction, the sound making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. The egg is massive, easily twice the size I had imagined, its ebony surface unmarked and perfect.
Klauth glares at me, his eyes flashing with irritation, and shrugs his shoulders, using towels to wipe up the extra fluids to put on the other fake egg. The smell is becoming overwhelming—rich and earthy and primal. “It could be anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour before the next one comes,” he says, his voice calmer than the situation seems to warrant.
Abraxis walks slowly towards the egg, his movements careful and reverential, and carefully picks it up. The shell gleams wetly in his hands, fluid dripping between his fingers to patter on the stone floor. It takes several minutes before he smiles; the expression transforming his face, erasing the worry lines that have been etched there for days. “It’s viable,” he announces, his voice thick with emotion. Heturns, beaming up at Mina’s dragoness, tears glistening in his eyes, catching the light like tiny stars.
Hearing those two words come out of his mouth takes a weight off of my chest, a breath I didn’t realize I was holding escaping in a rush. Mina said two eggs. If she’s correct, that means there’s one more left. I find myself moving closer to Abraxis, drawn by some instinct I can’t name, wanting to see this miracle for myself—this beginning of a new chapter in all our lives.
CHAPTER 14
Mina
“It’s viable.”As soon as the words slip from Abraxis’s lips, I relax, feeling the tension drain from my muscles like water. The relief washes through me in a warm wave, soothing the lingering pain of birth.
‘It’s a fine egg, Mina,’Thauglor rumbles to me, his voice vibrating through our bond and against my scales where his body touches mine. I turn my head to nuzzle the top of his horned head, inhaling his familiar scent—smoky and ancient, like aged cedar and spice. The texture of his scales against mine creates a pleasant friction, cool compared to my overheated body.
Abraxis walks over with the egg to show me, his footsteps hesitant yet proud against the stone floor. The soft padding of his feet mixes with the gentle scraping sound of the egg’s shell against his arms as he cradles it. I lower my maw to it, my breath fogging the glossy surface. I breathe in its scent—warm and rich with promise, carrying notes of Abraxis’s distinctive aroma. The earthy spice that is uniquely his, and something new, something that belongs solely tothe life developing within. I know without doubt who the father is. He’s holding his own progeny.
‘Klauth, tell him he’s holding his progeny. I’d tell him, but my throat is dry,’I request, my mental voice raspy with fatigue. I glance at the water tub, the clean, mineral scent of fresh water calling to me. I take the smallest of sips, the cool liquid soothing my parched throat, but I’m afraid of puking. My stomach still churns with the aftereffects of labor, muscles quivering beneath my scales.
“Mina’s throat is a little dry and sore. She said you are holding your progeny.” Klauth slaps Abraxis on the shoulder, the sound sharp in the hushed chamber. Abraxis carefully sits down with the egg in his lap, the shell gleaming under the torchlight like polished obsidian.
“I’m a father.” His voice cracks with emotion, the words barely above a whisper. He stares down at the egg, his fingertips tracing the smooth surface with reverence, then up at me, his eyes shining with unshed tears that catch the light like tiny stars. “Is it bigger because we created it as our dragons?” Abraxis is still sitting there hugging the egg, his body curved protectively around it, the warmth of his skin transferring to the shell.
“That is a very good probability. We’ll know more when the second egg comes.” Klauth says as he walks closer to my face, his boots making soft thuds against the stone floor. The scent of him—earthy and strong, with hints of the forest after rain—grows stronger as he approaches. “Drink a little more, my treasure. You need your strength.” He kisses the scales on my maw, his lips warm against the hard surface, and preens the scales near my horns with gentle fingers. The sensation is very relaxing, his touch skilled and soothing, and I close my eyes for a few moments, savoring the tender care.
“Several members from my pride are bringing the others home as soon as possible,” Ziggy says as he looks up from his phone, the blue light from the screen casting his face in an ethereal glow that emphasizes the sharp angles of his features.
I stretch my neck out and push Klauth away for a moment, his hands falling reluctantly from my scales, and look at Ziggy. A new pressure builds within me, a familiar tightening that signals what’s coming.‘Klauth, tell Ziggy to get ready; the next egg is coming.’I bear down, feeling the first contraction hit like a wave of fire spreading through my abdomen. I dig my talons into the stone beneath me, the satisfying crunch and screech of rock giving way, doing little to distract from the intense pressure.
“The next egg is coming, Ziggy. She said to get ready.” Klauth moves down my body to watch for the egg, his movements quick but controlled. “I didn’t get to watch my eggs get laid. Thank you for this, Mina.” He pats my flank as he stares, his palm warm against my scales. “The next is also a black shell. It doesn’t always indicate the color of the hatchling. Iron and titanium dragons laid black eggs for camouflage.”
I growl and clack my jaws as I tense; the sound echoing off the chamber walls like distant thunder. The taste of metal fills my mouth as I push as hard as I can, my entire body straining with the effort. The heat of exertion flows through me, sweat beading between my scales and trickling down in rivulets. When I feel the egg slide free with a wet, slippery sensation, I can finally breathe, gulping in the cool air of the chamber. The scent of birth—primal and rich—hangs heavy around us.
Focusing on my body, I don’t feel any other eggs, just the hollow ache of emptied space and tired muscles. Ziggy hesitantly steps forward and picks up the egg, his movements careful and uncertain. It’s longer than the first one, almost like two medium-sized eggs were put together, the surface glistening with fluids that reflect the torchlight in mesmerizing patterns. Klauth helps him carry it towards me, their footsteps echoing in the chamber, and I lower my maw to it. The scent hits me immediately—Ziggy’s distinctive aroma of feline and shadow, mixed with my own fiery notes, but with something different, something doubled.
Tilting my head, I study it, feeling the warmth radiating from the shell against my sensitive nostrils. By scent I know it’s his, but it’s different from the first one. There’s a complexity there, an echo within the shell.‘It’s Ziggy’s. But it’s different; I think it’s a hybrid, and there’s two of them in there,’I say to Klauth and Thauglor, excitement coloring my mental voice despite my exhaustion.
When Thauglor extends his neck over me, a primal instinct surges through my body—fierce and protective. It’s a drake going near an egg not of his line. A low, threatening growl escapes my lips as I watch him, the sound rumbling up from deep in my chest. The spines along my neck raise slightly, a reflexive display of warning.
‘I’m checking your egg. I will not hurt what you birthed,’Thauglor says to me through the bond, his mental voice calm and steady, soothing my instinctive reaction. He sniffs it several times, his nostrils flaring as he takes in the scent, then looks at Klauth.‘It’s a new species. Half dragon, half displacer beast; it will be a magnificent addition to the nest.’He pulls his head back and lays it over my ribs again protectively, his weight comforting rather than restrictive.
“Is it okay?” Ziggy’s voice wavers, thick with emotion and barely controlled fear. I can smell his anxiety—sharp and acrid, cutting through the heavy birth scents in the chamber.
“They are viable. Apparently, from what Mina says, she senses twins in that shell.” Klauth rests his hand on the shell and smiles, his palm spread wide against the glossy surface as if trying to feel the life within. “I agree—two and the first of their kind. Half dragon, half displacer beast; be proud of your accomplishment, father.” He rests his hand on Ziggy’s shoulder, and Ziggy smiles as Klauth helps him sit on the floor with his egg in his lap. The wonder on Ziggy’s face is beautiful to behold, his usually guarded expression open and vulnerable.
I lower my head and close my eyes, feeling the weight of exhaustion pressing down on me like a physical thing. The soft sounds of mymates’ breathing, the gentle rustling as they settle with the eggs, and Thauglor’s steady heartbeat against my side create a soothing lullaby. A nap is a wonderful idea, my body craving rest after the monumental effort of bringing new life into the world. The scent of my nest—limestone and scales, birth fluids, and the distinctive aromas of my mates—surrounds me like a comforting blanket as I drift toward sleep, my body finally relaxing fully for the first time in days.
I awakenwith a gnawing emptiness clawing at my insides. My vision clears, and I glance down to see my eggs nestled side by side in a makeshift blanket nest between my scaled forelegs. Their obsidian shells gleam in the dim light of the cavern. Before the guys can utter a word, I lunge forward and snap up the two closest deer to me, their blood splashing against my tongue.
“Holy shit!” I hear Callan yell, his voice echoing off the stone walls. Then I watch him tumble backward, landing hard on his ass on the other side of the room, his eyes wide with shock.
Abraxis attempts to approach, his footsteps hesitant on the rocky floor, but Klauth and Thauglor grab him, their muscular hands gripping his shoulders, stopping him in his tracks. “She’s starving, and she has her eggs with her,” Thauglor explains, his deep voice reverberating in the cavern.
