Page 32 of Progeny of the Cursed Egg
Idris comes to join us and looks between the three of us. “This is your mate?” His eyes jump from Mina to me.
Before I can answer, Mina moves and wedges herself between me and Klauth as he walks back in. “And his too…” She smiles, looking up at Klauth like he hung the stars and moon just for her.
“Forgive me…” Idris bows and leaves the room.
“I’m going to walk our young mate to her poison’s class.” Klauth says.
Mina watches the last students leave before she throws her arms around Leander’s neck and kisses him. “See you later. Love you.” She nuzzles him and touches the bridge of her nose under his jaw. His nightmare vocalizes and Mina smiles before coming to me. “See you later baby … Love you.” Her velvet soft lips press against mine and I sigh, hugging her to me. I remain still to see what she’s going to do. Mina presses the tip of her nose under my jaw briefly before tilting her head back. This is a pleasant change. I nuzzle her cheek, then kiss her forehead. “Love you too baby, don’t be late for class.” I pat her ass to send her on her way.
“Please, it’s Balor. I can show up whenever and he’d be happy I was there.” She smiles and her statement isn’t wrong.
I watch Mina slip out of the room, the echo of her footsteps fading down the corridor. The moment the door clicks shut, Leander sidles up beside me, and we both stand there in a heavy silence, staring at the spot where she disappeared. The academy’s ancient walls, dimly lit by flickering overhead lamps, seem to press closer, cloaking us in a hush that weighs on my chest.
“How’s therapy going?” Leander finally asks, his tone hushed and careful. We move over to his desk to review the latest performancescores. The old wood creaks under our touch, and the smell of dust and aged parchment makes my nose twitch.
I swallow, my throat suddenly dry. “The priestess accusing me of abusing Mina—because of how much I bit her—still haunts me,” I admit, picking at a scar along my wrist. “Apparently, I felt threatened by the thought that ancient dragons might hatch, and the fact Mina is stronger than me.” A shiver crawls up my spine as I voice that. No matter how many times I repeat it in therapy, it never gets easier.
Leander nods, glancing at me with sympathy in his eyes. “That was a big confession, Abraxis. I’m proud of you.” He shrugs, then focuses on the data spread across his desk. “On another note, Mina outperformed your tactician by a whopping fifty-nine percent efficiency. Maybe that guy needs a refresher from Callan’s class?” He gestures toward a nearby simulator, metal edges gleaming under the overhead lights. “Here, you can watch the replay from Mina’s perspective.”
I drop into the squeaky chair, feeling its worn leather protest beneath me. Leander sets up the scenario with deft fingers, each click of the keys echoing in the otherwise quiet room. It’s the same battle we barely survived a few weeks ago—every detail is mapped out in the sim. “Can we have Mina run it like she was the attacker next class? I’ll get Idris to come back and face off against her.” My voice comes out tight with curiosity and unease. If my tactician can’t match her raw instincts, we have a bigger problem than I realized.
“Of course. What’re you thinking?” Leander moves beside me, the soft rustle of his jacket filling the silence. We both stare at the flickering images on the screen.
A dull ache spreads through my jaw as I clench my teeth. “I’m wondering if we were given an inexperienced tactician on purpose—maybe someone wanted to get me and Callan killed.” I pace, the floor cold beneath my boots, then glance back at the sim. “Look at how we got swarmed. Wyverns and green dragons rarely attack head-on.Drow hunted down Callan in broad daylight, using the forest to shield themselves from the sun.”
Leander snorts, raking a hand through his hair. “I was attacked and tossed in the academy’s prison like a piece of meat—left for dead. Vaughn got taken out when they stole his amulet.” He jots down a list of occurrences on a notepad, each scratch of the pen echoing in my ears.
“Damn … Didn’t Ziggy say Mina told him they wanted to turn her into some kind of dracolich? Her father basically sold her body to a mage to create an ‘ultimate weapon.’” My stomach twists in knots, and I exchange a panicked glance with Leander before we both bolt for the door. Balor’s classroom is only a few steps away, and Mina is his only student during this period.
We rush inside, immediately spotting Mina, and Balor huddled over a thick tome. The scent of ink and old leather assaults my senses. I clear my throat, and Klauth—standing watch—fixes us with a glare as we beckon him into the hallway. Eventually, he sighs and follows us, arms crossed in annoyance. We shuffle into Balor’s cramped office next door.
“What’s so important, youngling?” Klauth demands, voice rumbling with irritation.
Leander blurts out, “They want to turn Mina into a dracolich,” and then proceeds to fill Klauth in. The explanation takes a good twenty minutes; Klauth’s stern expression barely changes as he listens. The tightness in my chest grows as we detail the past two years of conspiracies, close calls, and betrayals.
When Leander finishes, Klauth lets out a slow breath. “I see. One issue with that plan: she’d have to willingly tie her soul to a phylactery to escape a true death.” He glances out the open door, eyes lingering on Mina across the hall.
I pinch the bridge of my nose,forcing myself to remain calm. “Even so, knowing her father tried to sell her soul puts Mina in a lot of danger.” Anxious energy crackles through me, making my wings twitch against my back.
“We will be more vigilant,” Klauth says, squaring his shoulders. “For now, at least, I can remain at Mina’s side.”
“For now?” I echo, arching an eyebrow.
He inclines his head. “Once I’m crowned again, I’ll have to manage the continent’s affairs. I’ve already agreed to have Mina’s property overhauled—exactly as she wished. Aside from what Warwick’s people can do, we’ve got engineers coming in to modernize and upgrade the private shelter I built for Mina.” Klauth tilts his head at an angle I know irritates her to no end.
Leander clears his throat. “Did Mina approve this?” He voices my question before I can ask.
“Approve it? She suggested it.” Klauth gives a faint smirk. “Restoring my home would be too resource-heavy.” He gestures across the hallway. “Come on, let’s speak with her. She hates it when we plan these things without her input.”
We follow him back, expecting Mina to explode at any moment, but she barely looks up when Klauth addresses her. “My treasure, we have a matter that needs clarification.”
“Oh? What is it?” She sets down a pair of glass vials, their liquid contents reflecting the overhead lights in shifting colors.
“Regarding where we should rule from,” Klauth begins. “Where would you prefer?”
I tense, fully expecting him to simply dictate terms, given his personality. But Mina surprises me by answering lightly, “My lands. Most of the infrastructure is already in place. We just need to update the lower levels, add a throne room, and enlarge the war room.” She tiltsher head and smiles. “Klauth suggested having contractors modernize our private dwellings. I agree it would be nice to have hot water and soaking chambers, like your mother has, Abraxis.”
Suddenly, a golden eagle swoops through the open window. The rush of wind from its wings tousles my hair, and Mina calmly covers her forearm with a thin layer of scales just before it lands. My gaze narrows. “Is that my dad’s familiar?”
