Page 79 of Progeny of the Cursed Egg
“She was told if Lemon went after Rebel, she was to kill Lemon on sight,” Abraxis explains, his voice softening as he reaches out to stroke Iris’s sleek back. His fingers tremble slightly against her scales. “Thank you for keeping Rebel safe,” he murmurs, the tenderness in his tone contrasting with the tension radiating from his body.
Iris turns to Klauth, her sharp chirps cutting through the heavy silence. I watch as Klauth’s body goes rigid, his eyes widening, pupils dilating until they almost swallow the iris. “Mina’s calm for the most part.” His fingers dig into the armrests of his chair, knuckles whitening. “She’s been knocked out.” His gaze darts frantically around the office, unfocused yet searching. “Three just attacked them.”
I lurch toward the door, my heartbeat thundering in my ears, blood rushing so fast I feel lightheaded. The floor seems to tilt beneath my feet as panic claws at my chest. “Where are they?” My voice cracks, betraying my fear.
The sudden weight of Balor’s hand on my shoulder stops me cold, his grip firm enough to bruise. His skin radiates an unnatural chill that seeps through my shirt. “They won’t kill her. They need her forsomething.” His breath ghosts across my ear as he leans closer, whispering words meant only for me. “It’s either to force her to bond with the phylactery, which she has to do willingly, or they’re going to make her take another mate. Which means they’ll have to hunt and kill us.” A twisted smile plays upon Balor’s thin lips, a glint of anticipation in his eyes at the prospect of being hunted.
“Thauglor hasn’t awakened yet, so she’s not in imminent danger,” I point out, my gaze falling upon the cream-colored envelope Mina left behind. Before anyone can intervene, I snatch it up, my hands trembling so badly I nearly tear the paper as I extract the sheet within. The faint scent of Mina’s perfume—jasmine and something uniquely her—rises from the page, making my throat tighten with longing.
Leander, I know you couldn’t resist looking. Your ability to read a situation and people is your greatest gift. Right now, you need to trust the others in the nest. Put your faith in Balor that he will find and save me. Trust Klauth to help control Thauglor. Abraxis needs you now more than ever. He’s going to feel useless. Little secret: Abraxis and Balor have the strongest bonds with me. Klauth’s is powerful, but not in the same sense as theirs. Watch them, support them. Above all else, don’t let Iris eat Lemon’s head—she’ll be sick everywhere.
With love,
Mina
I pass the note to Balor, then quickly dispose of Lemon’s head, wrapping it in several layers of paper from Callan’s desk. My fingers come away sticky with blood, and I wipe them on my dark jeans, leaving faint smudges. As Balor reads Mina’s words, his face hardens into anunreadable mask. I’ve seen him like this only once before when we were cornered during the territorial war, and something primal and ancient surfaced in him.
He hands the note to Abraxis before moving to stand by the window overlooking the courtyard. The glass is cool against his forehead as he presses against it, his breath fogging the pane. Another hour crawls by in suffocating silence, and none of us can sense Mina through our bonds. Fear coils in my gut like a venomous serpent, but we heed her words and wait.
“Why did she mention dusk?” I wonder aloud, my voice startling in the quiet room. The words barely leave my mouth when movement in the courtyard catches my eye. Fin is being carried through the iron gates, his clothing torn and blood-soaked. We rush down the stairs, our footsteps echoing off the stone walls as we race to meet him as he’s taken to the infirmary.
“Where’s Mina?” Abraxis demands, his voice raw with barely contained emotion. The veins in his neck stand out prominently as he looms over Fin’s prone form.
“Taken,” Fin gasps, his face ashen, lips tinged blue. The acrid smell of sweat and fear clings to him. “I killed two of the bastards. Kai was with them.” Fin’s eyes lock with Abraxis’s, a deep growl rumbling in his throat, the sound vibrating through the air between them.
“That fucking bastard!” Abraxis roars, his rage palpable in the small room. His body trembles with barely contained fury, his fingernails digging crescents into his palms.
Ziggy’s fingers twitch at his sides, his face a mask of determination. “Did you see which way they took her?” The urgency in his voice matches the rapid rise and fall of his chest.
“Towards the ruins. Or the water. The general direction of the ruins from Malivore.” Fin’s voice softens, his words slurring slightly as his strength wanes. “I did the best I could.” He clutches his side, bloodseeping between his fingers, the crimson liquid stark against his pale skin. The metallic scent of it fills the room, making my stomach clench.
“Mina will be pleased you didn’t die,” I offer gently, trying to keep my voice steady despite the fear threatening to overwhelm me. “Rest and heal. We’ll find Mina.” I pat his shoulder as the medical team whisks him deeper into the infirmary, the wheels of the gurney squeaking against the polished floor.
“We have a direction,” I say, turning to the others. My heart pounds against my ribs as determination replaces fear. “Maybe we can get to the shore across from the ruins on the mainland?” I glance at Ziggy, who nods, his jaw set with resolve as we prepare to depart in pairs, the taste of vengeance already bitter on my tongue.
As Ziggy finishes bringingthe entire nest to the shore across from the crumbling ruins of Klauth’s once-grand castle, frustration simmers in my veins like acid. The sharp tang of salt water fills my nostrils, mixing with the scent of decaying vegetation along the shoreline. Icy wind whips across my face, carrying the promise of rain. Behind us, the setting sun bleeds crimson across the horizon, its dying light casting long, distorted shadows over the landscape. Waves crash against the jagged rocks below with increasing violence, as if nature itself shares our agitation. The thunderous sound reverberates through my chest, each impact a grim reminder of what awaits below—ancient crypts carved into the very bedrock, holding secrets darker than the waters that surround us.
“What are we waiting for?” I demand, my voice tinged with exasperation. My boots sink slightly into the damp sand as I shift my weight, muscles tense and ready for action. In the distance, Abraxis’s familiarRebel, circles over what appears to be the entrance to an ancient cave system, his dark form stark against the slate-gray sky. The harsh cries of seagulls punctuate the heavy silence between us.
Klauth reaches inside his weathered leather jacket, producing a second envelope. The paper is slightly yellowed at the edges, bearing the faint scent of jasmine—Mina’s scent. He hands it to me with a solemn nod, his eyes reflecting the turbulent waters of the bay. I open it slowly, the sound of tearing paper unnaturally loud in the coastal quiet. My fingers tremble slightly as I extract another letter penned by Mina, her elegant handwriting instantly recognizable.
Guys,
I know this must be frustrating, but I need you to have patience. We need to know who all is involved in what’s happening at the academy. There are several things I haven’t seen: why you can’t sense me and who on the staff is helping Lysander. We suspect Isobel, but have no proof. Listen for Thauglor. When you hear him, unleash Balor.
I love you,
Mina
I stare at her words, the paper heavy in my hands, the ink slightly smudged where her pen lingered too long. My throat constricts as I pass the letter to Balor, watching his expression darken like the gathering storm clouds above us.
“This is fucking insane!” he hisses, his eyes flashing with barely contained rage. A vein pulses prominently at his temple as he thrusts the note towards Klauth. The paper crinkling in his white-knuckled grip.
“Our mate has a plan,” Klauth says, his voice measured but tight with strain as he motions across the bay to the ruins of his former home. The broken stones rise like jagged teeth against the horizon, dark and forbidding. “I just hope it doesn’t backfire on her. Ziggy, please get us over there, just in case we need to move quickly.”
Ziggy nods, his face grim. The sound of waves crashing against the rocks below intensifies as we approach the ruins, the stone path slick and treacherous beneath our feet. Each thunderous collision sends tremors through the ground, as if the sea itself tries to breach the ancient barriers that separate it from the crypts below.
The setting sun casts its last rays through the broken arches of the ruins, painting everything in a bloody glow that makes the shadows seem alive and writhing. In a matter of moments, we find ourselves standing before the gaping maw of the tunnel entrance. The damp, musty smell of the earth fills my nostrils, mingled with the metallic scent of minerals seeping through the stone walls and something else—something older and more primal that raises the hairs on the back of my neck. Droplets of water fall rhythmically from the ceiling, each one striking the ground with a soft, hollow sound that echoes through the darkness, like the ghostly footsteps of those long buried beneath our feet.
