Page 8 of Progeny of the Cursed Egg
“What are we going to do?” Abraxis demands, nostrils flaring as he prepares to storm the gauntlet. He reeks of adrenaline, a sharp, tangy scent that stings my nose.
“Settle down, hatchling. Mina is fine and now aware of the threat.” Klauth’s voice carries a deeper resonance, and I see the dragonic slits eclipse his eyes, reminding me of molten embers. It’s the same look he had earlier—another sign he’s in direct contact with Mina.
“How?” Abraxis growls, ignoring or missing the slight at being called a hatchling.
Klauth closes the distance between them, looming mere inches away. The tense crackle in the air raises the hairs on the back of my neck. “When you reach great wyrm status, you are afforded certain gifts. Speaking to our mate is one of them. Be grateful for the boon—I warned her about the spiders. She will be victorious.”
Abraxis’s eyesflicker, and then he wisely dips his chin, baring his throat to the older drake. The gesture makes my spine tingle. I’ve never seen Abraxis submit to anyone besides Mina, and that was purely for... recreation.
Klauth goes still then, lips curving into a secretive smile. “She’s on the roof.” His gaze snaps over to Ziggy. In a blink, Ziggy’s gone—vanishing into the gauntlet with a barely audible pop of air rushing back into the spot he occupied.
A moment later, a high-pitched screech splits the night—unlike anything I’ve ever heard. It sends a chill skittering down my arms. Klauth’s eyes go an even brighter crimson, glowing in the half-dark as if lit from within. He stares at a point in the distance, nothing directly in front of him but empty air.
“One of the missing spiders is on the roof,” he murmurs. “Correction—was on the roof. Mina just killed it.” I stare at Klauth, my mouth agape. He must be seeing through her eyes. Rumors have long whispered how powerful a great wyrm can become, but everyone said none ever made it to that age. Well, it seems we have a living mythic in our midst.
Ziggy reappears moments later, cradling Mina in his arms. My nose wrinkles at the assaulting odor that clings to her—mold and dust from the ancient structure, mixed with an acidic tang I can’t place. It makes my mouth water and my stomach churn at the same time.
Mina can’t even speak before Abraxis snatches her away, pressing her to his chest. She peels off her face mask and hood, her lips curving into a triumphant grin. “Five-time champion, baby!”
Abraxis finally lets her go, and she steps slowly toward Klauth. Her head tilts from side to side, and I can see the reptilian sheen take over her eyes—that brilliant golden hue that marks her dragon’s presence. Klauth’s shift giving away that they’re conversing mind to mind. The courtyard feels impossibly silent, as though everyoneholds their breath to avoid disturbing whatever intangible link they share.
Mina reaches into a pouch at the small of her back and pulls out a giant spider’s fang, the nasty toxin gland still attached. My stomach lurches at the sight, but I can’t look away. “I promised you a trophy,” she says, lifting it in offering as she bows her head to Klauth.
With deliberate care, Klauth hooks the side of his index finger beneath her chin and lifts her gaze. “You lower your eyes to no one ever again,” he rumbles, the timbre of his voice reverberating in my chest. A slow smirk plays on his lips. “That is, unless you want to. You are my equal, mytreasure, my queen.”
Then, in a dazzling gesture of complete surrender, Klauth drops to his knees and bares his throat—revealing the place she marked him. Mina leans in, pressing a tender kiss over the bite mark. A shiver of awe ripples through the onlookers, me included. A great wyrm submits to no one but their mate.
When Klauth stands, he sweeps Mina into his arms, kissing her gently before setting her back onto her feet. She giggles, a light sound in the heavy night air, and moves to Abraxis, who stands like a shadow against the courtyard’s gloom.
“I brought you a trophy, too.” She retrieves another spider fang from the pouch, handing it to Abraxis. He cups her cheek, returns her smile with a soft kiss, then tips his head, baring his throat to her. The general cannot kneel before a female in public; his rank won’t allow it, yet the display of submission in his own way isn’t lost on anyone. I notice how Mina’s lips part in a quick, silent understanding of the different ways these two drakes show their devotion.
Then she steps toward me, weaving between the shifting bodies of her other mates. My nostrils flare at the faint hint of her shampoo beneath the metallic tang and dust. The cool night wind tugs at the edges of her jacket, and she leans into me.
“I’m tired, B…” she murmurs, resting her head on my chest. Her yawn is a soft gust of warm air against my collarbone.
“It’s been a long day,” I agree quietly, nuzzling my chin against her hair. The sun set an hour ago, painting the sky in deep purples and blues, and I can practically feel Vaughn stirring awake somewhere in the tower behind us.
“Let’s go see mate number seven,” I say, rolling my shoulders to ease the lingering tension. The gauntlet is conveniently close to Malivore’s main building, which means a short trek back home if we choose to walk.
“Do you want me to take you home the fast way?” Ziggy asks, wiggling his fingers at Mina in a playful gesture. The faint scent of cedar clings to him—whatever power he uses to phase in and out leaves the air charged.
“Yes, please.” Mina slips from my hold into Ziggy’s waiting arms. She flashes me a small smile, a secret just between us. “I’ll sleep with you tonight, Balor.” Her gaze flicks to the two drakes, who watch from the sidelines, and then returns to me. The next second, she vanishes from sight with a hush of displaced air.
I exhale, the tension in my chest easing. The courtyard is still, the only sound the soft crackle of distant torches and the quiet pulse of my heartbeat, heavy with anticipation of what’s yet to come.
By the timewe finally catch up, I notice immediately that Mina is missing. The kitchen’s overhead lights flicker, casting sharp shadows on the scuffed tile floor. The air is thick with the lingering scent of something spicy—maybe the remains of this evening’s takeout—mixed with a tang of beer. Vaughn stands near the island counter, onehip braced against the cool granite. I can hear the fridge hum behind me as I approach, the low sound intensifying the stillness.
“Hey, Vaughn.” I slap him on the back, feeling the slight dampness of his shirt—he’s probably been sweating from nerves or pacing around.
“Hey, Balor … Hey everyone…” Vaughn greets the others as they trickle in behind me. His tone is calm at first, but the moment Klauth enters, Vaughn’s eyes widen. He stiffens like a startled deer, and I swear I can almost taste his anxiety in the air. “Oh shit. Is that? Are you?” His gaze darts from me to Abraxis and back again. “That’s King Klauth Ragnar, the high king of the Marzana Empire.” Vaughn’s hand shakes as he points at the redhead in question, like he can’t quite believe what he’s seeing.
Klauth slowly lifts his hand in a gesture of peace and straightens his powerful frame. The overhead light gleams on his hair. “I haven’t been a king in over a thousand years. Consider me one of your friends—a bond brother.” His voice is polite, but there’s something regal in every syllable, an undercurrent of old-world formality that feels impossible to shake.
“Of course…” Vaughn swallows hard and then motions toward the bathroom at the far end of the hall. “Mina is taking her bath. She’ll be right out.”
A sudden squeal echoes off the tiled walls, followed by a ripple of girlish giggles and splashing water. The bathroom door muffles most of it, but you can still catch the playful, almost feral undercurrent in Mina’s laugh.
“Sneaky bastard…” I mutter under my breath, shaking my head in amusement as I stride to the fridge. The cool air hits my face when I open the door, and the faint scent of leftover pizza mingles with the cold metallic tang inside. I grab two beers and pop their caps against the edge of the counter, offering one to Klauth.
