Page 7 of Progeny of the Cursed Egg
‘How are you, mate? Abraxis is losing his mind out here,’Klauth says calmly, his words a soothing counterpoint to the brutal scene around me.
‘Two spiders down, four to go. I’m going to sneak out.’I feel a swell of pride through the bond, warming me like a gentle ember in the cold.
‘Solid plan, mate. I’ll let the hatchling know, so he settles down.’Klauth’s voice carries a hint of teasing, and I almost choke on a laugh. If I didn’t need to be silent, I’d be giggling at Abraxis’s expense.
‘That makes me a hatchling, too. This is my twenty-third summer coming up.’My mind’s voice is a near whisper, as if the spiders could sense the tremor of sound.
‘Wait, why can I only talk to you like this?’A flicker of curiosity darts through me. I can’t communicate with Abraxis in this way.
‘Great wyrm status grants us gifts. In time, you will have access to more because you’re my mate and Thauglor’s.’Klauth’s tone puffs up with that faintly arrogant warmth I’m starting to associate with older dragons. I roll my eyes, uncertain if I find it charming or irritating. Possibly both.
I press my back against the rough-hewn wall, inhaling slowly as I weigh my next step. The taste of adrenaline lingers, coppery and bitter on my tongue. Smoke curls in the corners, and the echo of distant tapping keeps my nerves on edge. I have to stay focused—four more spiders, or a clean escape. One misstep, one whisper too loud, and that paralyzing venom will be the last thing I ever taste.
Every few moments,a cool draft filters in from the hallway behind me. The rest of this place smells like damp stone and old rot, so the clean edge of fresh air is an unsettling contrast. I’m guessing the remaining spiders are out there. My gaze flicks around the cramped room, trailing over the cracked walls and the silvery webs glistening in the faint light. I need to be absolutely sure nothing’s waiting to pounce on me from behind before I move on.
Once I’m convinced the room is clear, I push forward. I grimace at the tacky spider ichor clinging to my fingers and the scales covering my hands and forearms—it’s thick, warm, and has a faintly sour odor that sets my teeth on edge.
I climb the wall, pressing my booted feet carefully against the chipped paint and splintered wood until I reach the beam suspended near the ceiling. The slight groan of the timber beneath me sends a shiver up my spine. Two more spiders lurk beneath the exit, their spindly legs shifting in the corridor’s dim glow. That’s only four in total. ‘Are you sure there’s six? I count four.’
A tense silence follows, broken only by the blood pounding in my ears.‘Zigmander just checked the roof—it’s clear. If you only see four down there, I believe that,’Klauth’s voice comes through, low and calm. I resume moving, my breath shallow with anticipation.
I inch forward, methodical and quiet, ensuring my talons sink into the wood without a sound. Dust swirls around me with every shift, and a faint mustiness invades my nostrils. Below, the two spiders scuttle down the hallway. Maybe they’re searching for the ones I already dealt with. Whatever they’re doing, I don’t have time to wonder.
The moment I’m in position, I punch through the flimsy hatch overhead. Brittle wood cracks under my fist, raining splinters across my shoulders. Dragging myself onto the roof, I suck in a lungful of cool night air, tasting relief on my tongue as I rise to my feet. I headtoward the edge and ring the bell. Its metallic clang reverberates in my bones, echoing across the academy grounds.
A shrill screech slices through the night behind me, and my muscles coil with raw adrenaline. The spider launches itself in my direction, claws scraping against the roof’s uneven tiles. I can feel its hot, fetid breath even before I see the gleam of its too-many eyes. Instinct takes over—I draw both swords, metal shrieking as it slides free. My first strike shears off four legs on its left side, ichor spurting in a sticky spray that spatters against my armor and scales.
I pivot and drop into a low crouch, chest heaving. The spider shrieks again, trying to pivot toward me despite its severed limbs. Not giving it a chance to recover, I spring forward, lifting my blades overhead. When they come down, I drive them through the hardened area behind its eyes. The impact jarring up my arms as steel meets chitin and the roof beneath.
My heart thrashes in my chest as I back up, watching the spider’s body convulse in its death throes. Blackish ichor seeps from the ragged stumps of its legs and pools around my embedded blades. The acrid stench curls in my nostrils, and rage burns in my gut. I tilt my head back and roar my fury into the swirling wind, a primal sound that carries every ounce of my hatred for these cursed creatures.
“Mina?” Ziggy’s voice cuts through the haze, soft yet urgent. I turn, still keyed up with battle-lust, but relief flickers through me at the sight of him manifesting by my side.
“I lost the swords you gave me,” I say, gesturing to where they remain lodged in the spider’s skull.
Ziggy’s gaze follows mine, and he nods grimly. “I’ll get them back later. Let’s get you back to the guys. We’ve been worried sick.”
He opens his arms, and I allow myself to sink into his warmth. Mypulse drums in my ears as the world blurs, the scent of spider ichor and the ringing of the bell fading into nothingness.
CHAPTER 4
Balor
I standin the wide courtyard, the night air thick with the smell of musty stone and damp grass. The faint glow of torchlight gleams on the distant walls of the academy, casting flickering shadows that dance across my boots. I thought having one anxious drake was bad—my nerves were frayed enough when Abraxis paces. Having two drakes that are polar opposites? It’s enough to make my heart pound against my ribcage.
Midway through Mina’s run through the gauntlet, I catch onto something in Klauth’s demeanor—his eyes glaze over for the briefest moment as though he’s elsewhere. I take advantage of a lull in the clashing weapons and throaty growls echoing from the training grounds, cornering Klauth behind a crumbling column.
“You’re talking to her, aren’t you?” I ask, my voice low so it doesn’t echo across the ancient stone. A cold draft snakes along the walls and wraps around my ankles.
Klauth glances around, then settles that unsettling gaze on me. “Yes. She’s safe and moving through the gauntlet just fine.”
My ears pick up a shifting sound as Ziggy phases into the gauntlet again to spy on Mina for Abraxis. The scrape of his boots against gravel grates at my nerves—I know he’s capable of stealth, but the tension has me on edge, amplifying every noise.
“Are you going to tell him?” I jerk my chin in Abraxis’s direction, and watch Klauth lean his head back like a cat stretching in a sunbeam—though there’s no actual sun to bask in anymore, only the weak orange glow from the distant torches.
“After our unwanted guest leaves.” Klauth’s words are as calm as the evening breeze. I follow his gaze and notice Lysander approaching, the heavy thunk of his steps muffled by the soft ground.
The whole thing feels surreal, as if I’m watching a carefully crafted play unfold under the eerie half-light. Klauth uses his surname as his first name. The headmaster leaves shortly after, but not before Abraxis wrests a live threat from him: giant, deadly spiders. My stomach clenches at the mental image of swollen abdomens and skittering legs.
