Page 58 of Progeny of the Cursed Egg
Before I can protest, she grabs me, and in a flash, Ziggy phases us to Risedale. I stagger slightly, the sudden shift leaving my stomach in knots. “I still can’t get used to that,” I mutter, half to myself.
“Oh, stop, you big baby,” Mina teases as we move, her voice echoing with both exasperation and affection. “He moved slower because he has you with us this time.” Her words distract me as we approach the meeting room.
We linger just inside the door. Inside, Mina’s posture is perfect—shoulders back, chin high—as she strides toward Klauth. The room is filled with a heavy, unspoken tension; the quiet murmur of low voices fades as she draws near. She barely acknowledges the men at the table with him, her focus fixed upward. I watch her tilt her head back, her eyes locking with his. Not a single word is exchanged, but the oppressive air around us shifts as if charged by an unseen battle of wills. One by one, the men at the table retreat hastily as the pressure mounts.
Lightning ripples through Mina’s hair—a shimmering, dangerous aura that seems to defy the silence of the room. I find a strange relief in not hearing their clash. Sometimes, the mere intensity of their stares is more terrifying than any outburst. Their faces are impassive masks, with only the erratic flashes in Mina’s hair betraying the fierce internal conflict.
“Fine…” Mina growls, breaking the charged silence. Without another word, she removes the egg carrier and straps it to Ziggy’s chest, her movements decisive and full of purpose. Then she leaves the meeting room as abruptly as she entered.
Klauth approaches and rests a firm hand on my shoulder. “Come on, we have to go save your parents.” He winks at me—a fleeting spark of reassurance—before walking past.
I blink several times, still in shock, and then look to Ziggy. “She actually won,” I whisper, awe and disbelief mingling in my voice. I shrug off the lingering tension and dash after Mina and Klauth, my footsteps echoing through the silent, tomb-like halls of the academy as I follow into the uncertain night.
Klauth convincesus to ride on his dragon for the quick trip to my parents’ den. The wind bites at my face as we take off, the roar of Klauth’s dragon echoing off distant stone walls. Mina sits perfectly still, her eyes fixed on the horizon like a sentinel.
“Shit,” she mutters, and without warning, she takes a running start and leaps off Klauth’s back. I watch in awe as her dragoness erupts into existence—a magnificent creature of raw power. Lightning ripples over her shimmering scales as she speeds away, faster than I ever thought possible.
A dozen green dragons, including Abaddon, swarm toward my parents’ den. The air vibrates with their menacing growls and the acrid tang of burning flesh. Mina roars, unleashing her lightning with precision upon the invaders. She dives after her father, barely missing him as he narrowly escapes the snapping of her jaws.
I leap off Klauth’s back and shift into flight, determined to help Mina drive off the attackers. Klauth unleashes torrents of fire, thescorching heat melting the green dragons’ skin into raw bone. Amid the chaos, I lose sight of Mina for several heart-pounding moments before glimpsing her locked in combat. Her talons are entwined with those of a green dragon hybrid—though I suspect the other part might be black.
Mina strikes the creature with lightning, but nothing happens. Her eyes widen in terror as she grapples with this new, formidable foe.“Shit…”I think, and dive toward them—but I’m blindsided by another dragon that comes out of nowhere. I tumble midair, my senses reeling as I try to right myself. After several frantic flaps, I regain control and see Mina still locked in a desperate struggle against the new male attacker.
Klauth, noticing the danger, heads straight for her. Before he can reach her, Mina’s eyes flare brighter, and she releases a breath weapon that carries a strange, hazy blue-purple tint—a gas mingled with lightning. The effect is immediate; the male dragon struggles to keep his eyes open. In that instant, Mina strikes decisively, tearing his throat out. She opens her talons and drops his lifeless body into the tree line before taking off once more.
I turn and fly in tandem with her as we force the remaining green dragons away from the den. The air is filled with the mingled scents of burnt scales and scorched earth. I scan the skies for Abaddon, but there’s no sign of him.
Mina lands first, followed by me and then Klauth. Even as we come to a stop, her eyes dart continuously over the horizon—flickering between the fierce intensity of a dragon and the vulnerability of a human.
Soon, Warwick lands and strides over. “I thought you weren’t coming. We were getting slaughtered,” he says, his tone edged with worry.
Klauth huffs. “Your queen went to war for this den. She won,” he replies, his gaze lingering on Mina before he walks over to her.
“Your dad is in the infirmary. He was hit pretty bad by green dragon acid,” Warwick adds hesitantly, glancing at Mina. “The healers need green dragon acid to create a healing salve.”
I exchange a glance with Klauth. “I don’t know if Mina can produce it. Her dragoness has lightning,” I remark, watching as Klauth and Mina approach.
“What happened?” Mina asks, her eyes shifting between me and Warwick.
“Vox was injured and the healers need green dragon acid,” Warwick says before I can intervene.
Mina’s gaze drops to the ground as she nods slowly. “Abraxis and Klauth will have to harvest it from me. My dragoness will bite anyone who gets too close. Get the healers to bring glass containers.” She pauses, waiting until Warwick leaves, then fixes both of us with a determined look.
“I will show you where the acid glands are in my mouth,” she instructs, glancing briefly at Klauth. With a deep sigh, she continues, “There are two glands in the back of my mouth—one that produces a sleep toxin and the other, acid. Get extra jars and harvest both. I have a plan.”
I step away and shift into my black dragon, landing carefully on the cool cobblestones. Laying down flat, I open my mouth wide. In a move that both amazes and unnerves me, Mina climbs completely into my mouth and walks along my tongue.
“Right here,” she says, touching a spot near my back upper molar. “This is where the acid is produced.” She walks a few steps forward and presses near the middle molar on the top. “And here is where thesleep toxin is produced.” With deliberate care, she retraces her steps back to the opening of my jaw.
Once she’s clear, I shift back and study her uneasy expression. “What’s wrong?” I ask softly, opening my arms to her. Without hesitation, she dives into my embrace, clinging tightly.
“I shouldn’t have three breath weapons,” she confesses, her eyes darting toward Klauth.
“Do you want me to shift with you? To keep you under my wing while Abraxis harvests the acid? Would that make you feel safer?” Klauth asks in a tone far gentler than I’ve ever heard him use with her.
“Yes,” she whispers, “but we need to warn the others not to come close while I’m so nervous.” She meets my gaze, then looks back up at Klauth. “Please relay my concerns. One wrong move and my dragoness will kill without a second thought.” Klauth gives her a reassuring kiss on the temple.
I fire off a quick text to my mom, warning the den not to come out until the jars are delivered. Her reply is swift. Warwick will bring out the jars. The healers, it seems, are afraid of Mina.
