Page 77 of Queen of the Cursed Egg
Balor comes to stand beside me, his boots crunching softly on the gravel scattered across the courtyard stones. “I’m going to fly with you,” he says calmly as he looks at Mina, who turns her majestic head to regard us with golden eyes that seem to see everything.
“Why? Not that I mind,” I say quickly, curiosity coloring my voice as I try to understand the tactical reasoning behind his decision.
‘Everyone on my back has a way to escape but Balor and our son. If I need to muster a lightning strike, I will fry him and my progeny. Ziggy will be with you too.’Mina’s voice flows through our bond like warm honey, practical and protective, and I look at Balor with new understanding.
“Mina, just filled me in.” He nods and bumps fists with Ziggy, the gesture casual but carrying the weight of trust and brotherhood. Mina launches into the air, her massive wings beating with thunderous force that creates downdrafts strong enough to stagger those of us still on the ground. Dust and loose stones scatter as she makes room for the rest of us to shift one by one and take off.
I watch Mina circle over the lower courtyard, her form graceful despite her enormous size. She roars—a sound that reverberates through the mountains like rolling thunder and makes my bones vibrate in sympathy. The call echoes off distant peaks, and I see other dragons launching up into the sky, circling with her in a display of aerial majesty that takes my breath away. The amount of dragons airborne at once has not been seen since I was young, their wings creating a symphony of rushing air and powerful beats that fills the sky with primal music.
Our flight is thirty-three families strong, a number that speaks to our growing power and influence. Thirty of those families are flying with us, bringing their hatchlings on this momentous journey. That’s sixty adults and over seventy hatchlings making the journey. None of the adults are even close to the size of my mate, their forms dwarfed by her magnificent presence, and it makes my chest puff up with pride that threatens to burst from my ribs.
Klauth shifts next, his form flowing from human to dragon with practiced ease, and launches, making room for me with powerful wingbeats that stir the air into miniature whirlwinds. I shift, feeling my bones stretch and reshape, muscles expanding as my dragonform emerges, and lie down on the warm stone, letting Balor and his son, along with Ziggy, climb onto my back. Their weight settles between my shoulder blades, familiar and comforting. When everyone is ready, I launch into the air, my wings catching the mountain thermals with practiced ease, and turn towards the southwest, leading the flight with steady, powerful beats.
Mina moves to my left where I can see our daughter on her neck clearly, the tiny form a precious black dot against her mother’s massive scales. I know she positioned herself there for my benefit, allowing me to keep visual contact with our most precious cargo. The gesture fills me with a warmth that spreads through my chest like liquid fire.
Klauth moves and flanks Mina on her left, and I can tell she has his son positioned where he can see him, the red hatchling visible against her emerald scales like a ruby set in jade and silver. With a flight of dragons this big, we blacken the sky as we fly over the academy grounds. Our shadows pass over the buildings below like storm clouds, bringing both awe and apprehension to those who look up.
Mina makes a location vocalization, her call cutting through the rush of wind and wing beats, making sure the flight is keeping together. The sound is both musical and commanding, carrying across the formation with perfect clarity. Klauth responds next, his deeper tones harmonizing with hers, and then I add my voice to the aerial chorus. One by one, the dragons behind us respond, their calls creating a symphony that echoes off the mountains and valleys below. I keep a mental tally of each voice as it joins the count.
Sixty-three adult dragons in flight, sixty-four present. At the end of the vocalization, the head count is complete—everyone is accounted for, each voice confirming safety and position. Mina may not know it, but she is doing exactly what the dominant dragonesses that came before her would do. Her instincts guiding her to protect andorganize with the wisdom of countless generations. She’s keeping her flight safe and together for the long journey. Watching her natural leadership fills me with fierce pride and love.
The winds are with us, carrying the scents of pine and snow from the mountain peaks, and giving us good thermals to glide on occasionally, our wings spread wide to catch the rising air currents. By my calculations, we should be at the gathering in about an hour, maybe two, depending on wind conditions and the needs of the younger fliers. This will hopefully be the first of many gatherings, the beginning of a new era where our family leads not just through strength, but through the bonds of love and protection that unite us all.
CHAPTER 53
Mina
Thauglor was right—theflight took a little over two hours, and looking down, I see dozens of flights scattered across the landscape like living jewels. The countryside is a kaleidoscope of colors as the dragons land then shift. Their scales catching the afternoon sunlight in brilliant flashes of emerald, sapphire, crimson, and gold that dance across my vision like scattered treasure. Thauglor leads us to a section of hillside that is large enough for our flight to land together, the grass below swaying in the downdrafts from our massive wings.
Klauth lands first, his form hitting the earth with a ground-shaking thud and roars, signaling it’s time to land. The sound echoes across the valley like thunder rolling between mountains. I roar next, my voice joining his in harmonic authority, and families start descending into the field, their wings creating rushing winds that smell of pine and mountain snow. Thauglor and I remain circling high above the field, keeping watch like aerial sentinels, the thermals beneath our wings warm and steady.
The plan is to have me land last with the babies so that all the fathers are ready to receive them, each precious life safely transferred frommy protection to theirs. Almost thirty minutes later, the last family lands with a soft thump that barely disturbs the grass, and Thauglor roars before he goes in for his landing, his massive form graceful despite its size.
The other smaller flights have started gathering around where my flight is, their curiosity palpable in the way they crane their necks and whisper among themselves. Maybe it’s curiosity, maybe they want to set up betrothals for their young. Either way, it’s making me uncomfortable, my scales prickling with nervous energy. I watch for the signal from Klauth that it’s time to land, my golden eyes tracking his every movement below. He’s speaking to four men, their conversation animated with gestures. He looks up at me and waves his handkerchief—a small white flag against the green of the field—and I slowly spiral down to land, my descent controlled and deliberate.
My landing is soundless, my massive form touching earth with the silence of falling snow, and the whispers start immediately. I hear every word with my enhanced senses—comments about my size, my unusual coloring, the children I carry. Purposely, I raise my frill, allowing the lightning to dance along the tips of the spines, crackling electricity that makes the air smell of ozone, and warns any who might consider challenging me or mine. The display creates an aurora of blue-white light that silences the murmurs instantly.
One by one, my dragon hatchlings glide down to their fathers, their small wings beating with determined precision. Lily glides down with Abraxis, her form graceful even in her youth. Ziggy’s displacer kittens wait for him to get close, then they phase to him, their forms shimmering like mirages before appearing in his arms. Azalea has started losing her fur. The scales underneath the same silver-green color her fur once was, creating patches of gleaming armor across her small form. Belladonna is going through the same process, dark scales emerging where black fur once grew. They are looking like dragons given feline form, unique and beautiful in their transformation.
When the last of the hatchlings have left me, I shift back, feeling my bones compress and reshape, scales receding into human skin. No sooner am I standing on two legs does Klauth place the diadem back on my head. The cold metal settling against my brow with familiar weight. Serious Mina is needed for the gathering, not the protective mother who would tear apart any threat to her young. The men who were speaking with Klauth are now talking to Thauglor, and I raise a brow looking at him, curiosity and wariness warring in my expression.
“Elder drakes from other flights. They are happy about the ending of the betrothal system and the dragon-first rule,” Klauth says as he rests my hand on his forearm to lead me toward where we are meeting with the others. His skin is warm beneath my palm, solid and reassuring.
I call to my babies, and they line up behind us, following closely like a parade of precious lives. Every step we take towards the main field, my heart pounds a little harder in my chest, the sound so loud I’m certain others can hear it. “Everything is okay, Mina. All is well,” Klauth whispers to me, his breath warm against my ear, and I draw in a deep breath that carries the scents of grass and gathered dragons.
“Sorry, with the way things have always been, I get anxious around this many strangers.” I pull in tight to his arm, holding on for dear life, my fingers gripping the fabric of his sleeve with desperate strength.
“That is understandable, my treasure. You have your most deadly mates with you. You are safe, loved, and cherished.” He smiles and kisses my temple, his lips warm against my skin, as we enter the clearing where there’s a series of stone benches arranged in a circle like an ancient amphitheater. He picks a bench and sits me in the middle with him and Thauglor on either side of me, their presence like twin pillars of strength and protection.
My children come and lay down around us, their small forms creating a living barrier, and my mini-me carefully climbs up onto my lap, her tiny claws gripping my dress as she settles against me. I watch as the other leaders of the flights gather and take their seats, the scraping of stone and rustle of fabric filling the air with mundane sounds that contrast with the tension I can feel building.
When all the benches are full, Thauglor stands, then turns and winks at me, the gesture so unexpected and warm it makes my heart skip a beat despite my nervousness.
“Thank you, everyone, for traveling from near and far to gather today.” He flexes his wings several times before walking to the middle of the circle, his movement commanding attention from every dragon present. “My mate...” He motions back at me, and I feel heat rise in my cheeks under the scrutiny of so many eyes. “Can break the hold of the anointing oil on your progeny. She has freed all the hatchlings of our flight and the flight at Blackhaven.” He motions to Vox and Cerce, two benches down, their faces beaming with gratitude and pride. “When the flights met the last time, she freed almost two dozen hatchlings.” The pride in Thauglor’s voice brings tears to my eyes, emotion threatening to spill over despite my attempt to maintain composure.
“Can she free our hatchlings?” A female stands, pulling away from her mate, her voice carrying desperate hope that makes my chest ache with sympathy.
I look to Klauth, and he nods before I stand and join Thauglor, my legs surprisingly steady despite the magnitude of what I’m about to attempt. I sit my daughter down to return to the other hatchlings. “Would you like me to call all the children to me?” I fold my hands in front of me and draw in a deep breath, trying to settle my rising nerves, the air tasting of anticipation and fear.
