Page 1 of Progeny of the Cursed Egg
Prologue – Mina
The flightto my nest weighs on me, like a leaden pressure in my chest that mirrors the icy wind biting at my scales. Klauth flies beside me, his colossal form eclipsing the half-moon glow that faintly illuminates our path. Every gust of air seems to vibrate with the silent roar of his presence. Each gust reminds me that Abraxis, only slightly bigger than I am, pales in comparison to Klauth’s size. My wings ache with fatigue, and a lingering dread pools in my stomach as I recall Klauth’s promise. He said he’d allow Abraxis to remain in control of the nest, but uncertainty claws at me.Is it truly the best course of action?
At last, we reach the ruins that were once my father’s territory. The broken stone walls jut from the earth like jagged teeth, and the wind whistles through the crumbling archways. I land heavily, dust and small pebbles scattering beneath my talons. The moment my hind feet touch the uneven ground, I shift back, the slickness of residual scales fade to bare skin. Klauth circles overhead, his wings stirring the dank, stagnant air. When he finally lands and shifts to his human form, the echo of his transformation reverberates off the broken pillars.
His crimson flecked amber eyes flick over the ruins before settling on me with a quiet intensity. “Where is your nest, mate?” he asks, his voice a low rumble that seems to resonate in my bones.
I move closer, the rough gravel grinding beneath my sandals, and point to the tall peaks looming above us. The night air is chilly against my face, carrying the faint scent of decay from the rubble. “Up there. For now, there’s only enough room for a dragon my size to land.” My breath hitches in a sardonic laugh as I glimpse the curiosity in his gaze. “You’re too big to manage it on your own. I’ll have to carry you. Your massive drake won’t fit.”
Klauth’s gaze slides from me to the narrow gap between the crags, then back to my face. A breeze ruffles his russet hair, carrying the faint smell of sulfur from our earlier flight. “You chose a brilliant place for your nest. Show it to me.” He steps back and gestures for me to go ahead, as if I’m some kind of tour guide.
I inhale the cool mountain air, laced with the metallic tang of stone on stone, and shift again. My bones realign, the stretch of tendons and sinew accompanied by an electric hum beneath my skin. Once in my dragonic form, I lower myself to the ground, my scales scraping over rubble. Klauth’s hands are warm against my hide as he climbs onto my back. His weight is a steady pressure, and I can feel each subtle shift of his body through the sensitive ridges of my spine.
The moment he settles, I unfurl my wings and push off into the night. The rush of air fills my ears, drowning out any thoughts that have been plaguing me. Even through the freezing gusts, I sense the faint heat radiating from Klauth. As we circle the future courtyard—little more than a wide, stony ledge that juts out from the mountainside—our shadows graze the cracked stone below like wraiths. The echo of my wingbeats resonates among the jagged cliffs until I finally angle downward and land with a controlled thump.
I crouch to let Klauth slide off my back, each of his steps against the rocky ground sending small echoes into the yawning darkness. I shiftback once more, my limbs tingling from the quick change. The courtyard is empty but for a few large boulders and the partial walls we’ve carved out, leaving the space open to the star-streaked sky above.
To light our way, I manifest a small ball of crackling lightning in my palm—its glow a sudden, fierce white that spills across the carved stone. The air instantly tastes of charged ozone, and the hair on my arms prickles. I use its flicker to ignite a few torches mounted along the walls; the flames sputtering to life with the pungent smell of smoke and old oil. A faint warmth seeps into the chamber, pushing back the mountain chill.
“This is what we have so far,” I say quietly, voice echoing off half-finished corridors. Tiny motes of dust swirl in the torchlight, dancing through the air like fireflies. My heart thuds in my chest, uncertain if Klauth approves of what I’ve built here. Despite the shadows still clinging to the corners, there’s a hushed sense of possibility in this place—my future nest, where an entirely new chapter of my life awaits. And for now, I can only hope Klauth keeps his promise—and lets Abraxis stay in charge where it truly matters.
I watch him study the jagged opening of the tunnel we partially glassed to narrow the entrance. The air here is cool and faintly damp, carrying a lingering scent of scorched stone from when Abraxis melted the rock. My gaze follows Klauth’s as he runs his hand along the curved patches of glass—it shimmers in the torchlight, reflecting the distorted shapes of his massive form.
“Whose fire made the glass?” he asks, arching his scarred eyebrow at me. His voice resonates low, each word echoing softly off the tunnel walls.
“Abraxis did,” I reply, my voice quiet in the stillness. The faint crackle of a distant torch punctuates my words. “We didn’t feel it was safe for me to sleep through my yearly with the entrance so wide open.” There’s a subtle chill creeping into my bones down here, and I rubmy forearm, fingertips brushing over the smooth glass of the implant nestled beneath my skin.
Klauth moves closer, the heat radiating from his body chasing away the damp chill. He takes hold of my arm and sniffs the skin just above the implant, nostrils flaring. His warm breath ghosts over my flesh, making the hair at the back of my neck prickle. “Why is there a strange smell in your skin here?” His thumb glides over the implant, the ridges of his scarred hand catching the dim torchlight.
“I have the implant in my arm to prevent me from bearing eggs,” I say, my heartbeat thrumming in my ears as I meet his gaze. “I’m too young to do it safely. The odds of me laying duds or becoming egg bound are too great.” My voice drops, unsteady. Memories rush in, thick in the back of my throat like smoke I can’t cough out. “Abraxis’s sister is only a week younger than me, and she became egg bound. I had to help her deliver her egg.” My stomach twists at the recollection, the bitter taste of fear spreading across my tongue. My scales ripple uneasily beneath my skin.
Klauth closes the distance further, cupping my cheeks in his hands. I feel the calluses of his palms, rough like stone, but his touch is surprisingly gentle. He searches my eyes, his breath warm on my face. “She became egg bound as her dragon?” He nuzzles me, his enormous frame blocking out the faint glow of the torches, trying to soothe the anxious tension that’s all but rolling off me.
“No, as her human form,” I whisper, leaning against him. The fabric of his shirt brushes softly against my nose, and I draw in his earthy scent, finding a momentary solace in it. I rest the bridge of my nose under his jaw and close my eyes, letting my breath slow.
“Why did she try to birth the egg as a human? That’s unnatural for us.” His dragon rumbles softly in his chest, a sound that vibrates through my ribs, reminding me of my primal side just beneath the surface.
“Because that’s how it’s always been done,” I murmur, lifting my head to meet his gaze. My voice echoes faintly against the tunnel walls. “Well, my mom laid my egg as her dragon.” The memory makes me sigh, and I wrap my arms around his waist. My grip is tight, born of old fears and new hopes all tangling inside me.
“We never allowed our females to lay their eggs in their human form. It’s far too dangerous for the female,” Klauth explains, pressing a soothing kiss to my hair. His voice is deep, reverberating through me. “You can conceive the eggs as a human—that way is more fun and safer for both parties. But when it’s time to lay the eggs, the dragoness must do it. As soon as the heat ends, the female shifts to her dragoness and remains in that form until the eggs are laid.” His lips brush my temple, and I catch the faintest taste of ash in the air, a reminder of fires we both can breathe.
He pulls my arm free, our movements echoing in the hollow space. We stare down at the implant together, the light of a distant lantern glinting off the metal beneath my skin. “Take it out,” I whisper, pulse thrumming.
“Are you sure, mate?” His question is a rumble that trembles through my body. “You will go into heat again in several months once all the toxins are out of your system.” He nuzzles my cheek and then kisses it. The warmth of him, the spice of his breath, kindles something deep inside me.
“I have enemies hunting me—my father, the green dragon you drove off, and a large nest of fire and ambush drakes, plus wyverns,” I say, pulling my gaze from the implant to meet his eyes. They glimmer in the low light, crimson flecks catching each flicker of flame. “I can’t risk them finding me vulnerable.”
He rests his hand over the implant and gives my arm a gentle squeeze. The faint scent of smoke clings to his skin, a promise of protection. “We will wait until it is safe. I will not risk my mate or our clutch over it.” He leans down and nibbles my neck, pausing when hemeets the layer of scales. I shiver at the rasp of his teeth over my flesh.
He draws back, spinning me so my back faces him. A small crackle fills the air as he summons a ball of fire in his hand — to see better in the dark corridor. The flames illuminate the emerald and iron scales that fan out over my shoulder blades like butterfly wings. Klauth runs his fingers over them slowly, and the sensation sends sparks of awareness down my spine. He tugs gently at the back of my sundress, peering down to see how far the scales extend. “Only the strongest females bear this many scales. You honor me, mate.” He kisses my shoulder, and I feel the press of his lips against the cool ridges.
Without another word, he leads me out of the chamber. My heart thuds, and the damp chill of the corridor finally gives way to the open air. We step outside into a breeze that carries the faint scents of night-blooming flowers and wet grass.
“Introduce me to your other mates. I wish to court you before we bond,” Klauth says, his voice gaining that smoky, sultry quality that sends a pulse of heat deep in my core.
“Of course,” I manage, my voice shaky. The night sky stretches overhead, on the brink of dawn. I step away, letting my dragoness push forward. My bones realign and my flesh warms as I shift, scales rippling over my arms and torso until I stand on all fours. I lay down, allowing Klauth to climb onto my back.
“I will not shift,” he says, moving up to place one hand firmly on my horn. “No sense scaring the entire academy with my presence.” His weight is comforting, and I feel his warmth through my scales. “The world has changed so much since I was last free.”
