Page 57 of Trial of the Cursed Egg

I step into the room,catching the tail end of whatever Callan must have just told Mina. She’s clutching onto him like a lifeline, her fingers white against his shirt, the way a child would cling to a beloved stuffed animal. But the moment she senses me, she lets go, dropping him as if he were something replaceable. Then she’s in front of me, her gaze bright and filled with an urgency that almost burns.

“What are we going to do?” she whispers, the words barely escaping her as her eyes search my face for an answer.

But I don’t have one. Not for this. “This knowledge can’t leave our nest,” I say quietly. “Seers are … considered dangerous. Just like the rare intrinsic, they’re eliminated upon discovery.” I press a quick kiss to her forehead, hoping the gesture will calm her, though it does little to ease the thudding in my chest.

A few moments later, Ziggy arrives, his eyes scanning the room as I motion between him, Callan, and Mina, using the hand signals from our war games. We need to get back to base. Ziggy catches theurgency in my movements, and with a subtle nod, he shifts. My sister slips out of the room quietly, her presence fading before anyone else can even notice.

Ziggy rarely shifts in public—no one can predict exactly what will happen when he does. His body pulses, transforming, and in seconds, he’s towering before us in a mass of sleek, black fur, with long, whip-like tentacles coiling and twisting from his back.

Mina is silent, her gaze locked on him, the awe clear in her expression. “Wow … he’s a packlord displacer beast,” she murmurs with reverence, reaching out a tentative hand to rest on Ziggy’s back. “The largest and strongest of his kind.”

Ziggy lets out a deep, rumbling purr, his massive head pressing affectionately against her thigh before nudging her toward his back. Catching on, I lift her, setting her just behind the tentacles, which she grips instinctively. Ziggy wraps his tentacles securely around Callan’s and my waists, the strength in them unmistakable. I barely have time to draw a breath before the world tilts, bending, and we’re pulled into a vortex. The sensation of space and time folding around us is disorienting, like we’re trapped in a vacuum.

In the blink of an eye, we’re back in Malivore, stumbling slightly as Ziggy releases Callan and me. Mina, however, dismounts with ease, looking sideways at us with an amused glint. “You get used to it after a while.” She turns, heading for the kitchenette and setting about making coffee as if we hadn’t just been torn through dimensions.

Ziggy shifts back, casually leaning against the counter, watching her. “Since neither of your mates seems keen to ask, I will. What else have you seen that hasn’t happened yet?” His gaze is sharp, fixed on her as her expression tightens.

“Lysander is on his way here.” Her voice has a distant quality, her eyes unfocused, like she’s seeing something beyond our reach. The egg strapped to her chest in its carrier pulses, a soft glow thrumming against her skin, and she snaps back to the present, her gaze now steady.

“The elders are worried about me keeping his egg. They’re going to propose putting him back—for the safety of the student body,” she says, a hint of resignation lacing her tone.

Callan’s eyes narrow. “Because of that idiot who touched your egg, even after you warned him not to?”

She nods, exasperation flashing in her eyes. “Yes.”

A soft knock interrupts us, my senses already alert. I glance at the door just as Callan strides over, and Ziggy moves quietly to Mina’s side, poised to take her away at the first hint of trouble.

Before Callan opens the door, he glances back at the room. Mina and Ziggy are standing at the island, leaning over one of the school books with their coffees close by. My teaching planner lies conveniently open in front of me. With a nod, Callan turns, opening the door to reveal Lysander and three of the elders.

“To what do we owe the honor of the visit?” I ask, leaning back in my chair, aiming for an air of relaxed disinterest.

“Just a standard check-in with the egg recipients,” one elder—Ivan, I think—responds.

Mina stiffens, tilting her head slightly to peer past Ziggy at the elders. “We’re doing great, thank you,” she replies curtly before dropping her gaze back to the war strategy book with Ziggy.

Lysander steps further into the room, his gaze fixed and unrelenting. “May we see the egg?”

Without missing a beat, Mina steps away from the island and moves to stand by me. Her hands cradle the glowing egg with care as she holds it up, her chin lifted in quiet defiance. “The egg is still very vibrant. It hasn’t gone dormant like the white egg did,” she challenges, her tone pointed and skeptical of their thin excuse for a “check-in.”

Ivan’s gaze narrows as he moves closer. “He’s next on our list,” he replies, but his voice wavers just enough to catch my attention.

A wicked gleam appears in Mina’s eyes as she turns, offering me the egg with a subtle smirk.

“NO!” The shout from Lysander and the elders is instantaneous, their voices cracking in fear.

But it’s too late. Klauth’s egg pulses as it touches my hand, resonating with a fierce energy that matches the possessive growl rumbling in my chest. I bring the egg to rest against me, its warmth feeding into my pulse. “After today’s minor incident, the red egg stays with me while Mina is in her core classes. The students at Shadowcarve know better than to mess with things that aren’t theirs.” My voice drops, low and dangerous, and the egg pulses in agreement.

“How?” Lysander stares at the egg, horror creeping into his expression.

Mina’s voice cuts through the tension, steady, and confident. “The egg recognizes he’s my mate. To harm him is to harm me. For now, he permits Abraxis to hold him, but that could change at any time.”

The elders cluster by the door, their voices hushed as they exchange whatever secrets they’re too afraid to share openly. Mina comes close,her fingers brushing mine as she takes the egg back. She inches over to Callan, whispers something to Klauth, then passes the egg off. In silence, Callan slips away, disappearing into the shadows with Klauth and Ziggy, vanishing into the back rooms.

“Where is …?” One of the elders finally looks around, puzzled.

“Safe…” I say, rising to my full height, wings stretching wide behind me. I lock eyes with each elder. “Is there anything we can help you with, or will you be moving on to the next chosen one?” My arms cross over my chest as I wait, the silence growing thick, daring someone to test me.

Ivan steps forward, hands outstretched. “If you want, we can take?—”

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