Page 47 of Trial of the Cursed Egg

I nod absently, my attention already shifting back to the egg. Its soft hum vibrates through me, like a heartbeat, like reassurance. Like it understands.

Callan

Saturday…

What was I thinking? My fingers are unsteady as I button up the dark gray shirt, the fabric feeling foreign on my skin after so long. I glance around my old room at Shadowcarve, memories pressing down like ghosts. It’s been ages since I last set foot here. My gaze shifts to the bed, the same one where I used to dream of freedom and adventure. But there’s no room for nostalgia now, not when I’m about to face her.

I pull on a pair of comfortable jeans, trying to quell the nervous energy bubbling inside me. Mina … No, Willamina. Everything about this feels precarious, like I’m about to step off a cliff without knowing if there’s solid ground below. And then there’s Ziggy—flitting back and forth between Shadowcarve and Malivore like a man possessed. His updates are rapid fire, his energy a whirlwind that only adds to the storm brewing in my chest.

“Abraxis is still trying to convince her to leave the egg at home.” Ziggy’s voice pulls me back. “It’s almost like it’s bonded to her as strongly as he is.” He pauses, brow furrowing, as if he’s just realized something. “Is that possible?”

His words sink in like lead. I pause mid-motion, fingers frozen in my hair. “What do you mean, bonded?” My voice is sharper than I intend, the room seeming to close in as I turn to face him fully.

Ziggy takes a step back, eyes widening before his hand flies up to cover his mouth. “I—uh—” He stammers, gaze darting to the floor. Then, with a soft pop, he vanishes.

“Damn it, Ziggy.” Frustration wells up as I grab the tome on the cursed eggs. My heart pounds against my ribs as I flip through the brittle pages, my hands shaking slightly. The familiar smell of old parchment and ink fills the room, grounding me. The curse cycle … doomed to repeat until the eggs find their mates. But there’s more, something darker. My breath catches as I read the passage over again. Females aren’t supposed to be strong enough to be chosen. They’ll be damned … unless?—

My pulse spikes. Willamina was strong enough to be selected. A surge of protectiveness, fear, and something else I can’t name floods through me. I throw a bookmark in the tome and tuck it under my arm. There’s no time to lose. I’m practically sprinting through the hallways, making my way to the conservatory and up the winding staircases. Every step echoes louder than it should, every breath too harsh.

By the time I burst through the door, I catch sight of Abraxis and his sister Cora disappearing into the back room where Willamina is. My gaze locks onto Abraxis, and I wave him over.

“We may have a potential problem in a few years.” The words tumble out, rough and ragged. I slap the book down on the table and flip it open to the passage that’s burned itself into my mind. My fingers hover over the text as Abraxis’s eyes narrow, skimming the page.

“It could just be a maternal bond from her dragoness,” Abraxis murmurs, but his eyes are dark with worry. “She said her dragoness wanted an egg.” He tries to smile, but it’s strained, a poor mask for the dread lurking beneath. He forces himself to look away, back to the book. “Since no one knows how the red egg acts, we’ll have to document anything of interest for historical sake.”

My mouth opens to respond, but a sudden yell cuts through the air.

“You did what?!”

Willamina’s voice is sharp, the kind that can cut through bone. Abraxis and I exchange a look before we rush to her room. My blood goes cold at the sight—Willamina has Ziggy pinned to the wall with one hand. Her fingers shifted to talons inches from his chest. The deadly curve of her talons gleams in the low light.

“It slipped. I’m sorry…” Ziggy’s voice is a broken whisper, his eyes wide as he glances frantically at the door. He shakes his head, a silent plea for us to stay back.

The moment Willamina’s gaze flickers to the side, Ziggy vanishes from her grasp. He could’ve done that at any time, but … why didn’t he?

Willamina spins to face me, eyes blazing with a mix of fury and something deeper, something I don’t recognize. The air crackles with tension, and for a moment, I think she might tear into me next. But then she draws in a deep breath, shoulders dropping as she reins herself in.

“I’m ready when you are,” I say softly, bowing my head slightly in deference. I’ve never been one to back down, but something tells me pushing her now would be like poking a sleeping dragon. Her gaze darts to Abraxis, then down to the egg carrier. I can almost see the gears turning in her head, calculating, assessing.

She narrows her eyes, lips pressing into a thin line before she turns and moves to the pillows. Shifting them around, she places the egg carrier in the center and sets Iris—a tiny bundle of scales and wings—on top of it.

“No one, I mean no one, touches the egg. If they try, torch them.” Her voice is low, edged with steel. Iris chirps, lifting her little head and spreading her wings to shield the egg completely.

“Alright, let’s go,” Willamina says curtly, brushing past me without so much as a glance.

It takes a second for my legs to work again, but I turn on my heel and race to catch up with her. She’s fast, but she pauses just long enough to kiss Abraxis goodbye. There’s a glimmer of something soft in her eyes, something that fades the second she looks at me again.

“After you,” I say quickly, opening the door and bowing slightly, hoping to ease the strain between us. I’m rewarded with a raised brow, a look that says she sees right through me. But there’s a flicker of curiosity too. Something I can work with.

She walks past me, then halts. I tense, but she just looks back at me with that sharp, assessing gaze. “Why do you call me Willa while the others call me Mina?” She moves closer, stepping into my blind spot, looping her arm through mine in a gesture that’s strangely intimate.

“You basically just answered your own question,” I say quietly,guiding her down the stairs. “No one else calls you Willa. Unless you don’t like it. I can call you Mina, if that’s what you prefer.”

She’s silent for a moment, eyes searching mine as if weighing my words. Then she shakes her head, a small smile tugging at her lips. “I was just curious. I don’t mind Willa.”

Relief loosens the tight coil in my chest. We step outside, and she glances around, a question already forming on her lips. “How are we getting to town?”

I draw in a deep breath, steadying myself. This is the part that makes my heart race for all the wrong reasons. “We’re going to fly together. Part of the bond strengthening for a Gryphon is to fly with their intended mate.” My voice is soft, almost apologetic. “I haven’t flown in over a hundred years, so … I may fatigue on the flight back.”

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