Page 69 of Progeny of the Cursed Egg
With the shortage of females and the fierceness that burns in Mina. I connect the dots and look up at Klauth, my eyes searching his for confirmation.
“I’ve already anticipated the possibility of fending off viable males,” he continues, his tone softening as he recounts a plan Mina and he once discussed at length. The words are heavy with unspoken emotion. “She’s ready to burn all suitors to the ground.” A small, bitter laugh escapes him, the sound harsh in the stillness. “How did she put it? ‘They try to hurt Abraxis, and the continent loses another drake.’”
I blink and nod, the image of Mina’s determined expression etched into my mind, as unyielding as the dark night that wraps around us, a silent promise of the lengths she will go to protect the ones she loves.
CHAPTER 38
Mina
The acrid scentof antiseptic mingles with the musty odor of regret as I finish my therapy session in the lower section of the Risedale nest. The room feels heavy, the air thick with unspoken anguish. I let out a long, shuddering sigh, the sound echoing in the quiet corridor as I step out, my footsteps muffled by the plush carpet. The usual clamor of ghosts from my past is oddly silent today. Normally, my father’s harsh words crash in my ears like a death knell, but now the silence is as deep and cold as a grave. I wonder if it is worse to be haunted by the memories or to fear what the future holds.
I drift through the halls until I find myself in my garden—a secret world transformed by Balor into a sprawling, poisonous sanctuary. The air here carries a bitter tang of decay mingled with the heady perfume of wild, unruly blossoms. Beneath the drooping boughs of a weeping willow, I stand by the small gravestone marking my mother’s final resting place—the spot where I buried her hands. The sight of it stirs a bittersweet ache in my chest, a pain as familiar as my own heartbeat.
“Are you okay?” Callan’s voice drifts from behind me, soft and laced with concern. I collapse onto the cool marble bench, its surface smooth beneath my trembling fingers, the chill seeping through my clothes.
“Define okay,” I reply, my voice brittle, the words tasting like ashes on my tongue. “I’m alive. My mates are alive. I have a flight I never wanted—and I’m back in the place I swore I’d burn to the ground.” I slowly turn to face him, noticing the tender way he cradles Cora’s son in his arms, the baby’s soft coos punctuating the stillness. Forcing a smile that feels like a mask, I extend my arms to take the baby from him. Callan gently slides little William into my embrace. I hold him tight, feeling the warmth of his small body seep into my skin, his soft breathing lulling him into a peaceful slumber.
“I figured you needed baby snuggles. Cora needed a break and couldn’t find you,” Callan says, settling beside me, his presence a solid comfort in the haze of my thoughts.
“Thanks, Callan,” I murmur, pressing the warm, fragile body of the baby against my chest, his heartbeat fluttering like a tiny bird. But as his gentle breaths fill my ears. My thoughts drift to all the ways I’ve failed Abraxis—raised to be dominant, believing that the weak deserved to be ruled, a queen in a game I never wanted to play.
Before I can lose myself further in the labyrinth of regret, Callan sinks to his knees before me. His eyes searching mine, their depths filled with a quiet understanding. “Where did you just go?” he asks, his voice a gentle prod as he reaches out to cup my cheek, his touch both tender and insistent.
I shake my head and pull back, the motion jerky and raw. “Mina, you know hiding the truth doesn’t help anyone.” Leander’s voice cuts through the stillness of the garden as he walks in with Cora, their footsteps soft on the lush grass.
I lower my head, nuzzling the sleeping child until Cora takes him away, her hands gentle and sure. “It’s all my fault,” I confess, the words tearing from my throat, my voice trembling as I meet Cora’s steady, questioning gaze.
“What’s all your fault? I don’t understand,” she asks, rocking her son slowly as if trying to soothe not just him but me, too, her brow furrowed with concern.
“It’s my fault Abraxis got hurt. It’s my fault he charged into battle, desperate to end one of the rising threats against me.” I run my fingers through my tangled hair, the strands slipping through my grip like memories I can’t hold on to, my scalp aching from the pressure. “He loves me so completely, and I fought it. I was terrified of ending up like my mother. Instead, I made the nest unbalanced.” My voice cracks as I lower my eyes, half-sobbing, the tears hot and bitter on my cheeks. “I was scared that loving him so much would cost me everything—my freedom, my identity. I’d become nothing more than the weapon my father always intended.”
My confession lingers in the air, the silence heavy and oppressive, until two warm hands settle on my shoulders, their touch gentle, and grounding. I curl forward, burying my face in my palms, my tears seeping through my fingers as I listen to the sound of quiet footsteps retreating, the gathered crowd dispersing until only those two comforting presences remain. I know without a word who they belong to. Abraxis and Klauth have found me, their bond to me a tether in the storm of my emotions.
“I don’t blame you for anything, Mina,” Abraxis murmurs softly as he sinks down beside me, his voice rough with pain and regret, his warmth seeping into my side.
“You almost died because of me. I may have doomed us both,” I reply, turning to face him through a veil of tears, his features blurred and indistinct. I’ve never allowed myself to be this vulnerable. Yet here I am—raw and exposed, my heart laid bare.
“You saved me,” he insists, his hand lifting slowly to cup my cheek. His touch is gentle despite the bandages that crisscross his wing, the fabric rough against my skin.
“I nearly got you killed,” I whisper, unable to meet his gaze. My eyes fixated on the braced and bandaged wing—a living testament to my failures. The sight of it is like a knife twisting in my gut.
Klauth sits on my other side, his hand resting lightly on my thigh, his touch a silent comfort. He plants a soft kiss on my cheek, his lips cool and tender, his silence speaking volumes.
“Mina, I chose to go off script,” Abraxis continues, his fingers intertwining with mine, his grip strong and sure. “I dove into battle to wipe out the wyvern. I read the three letters you told me not to read until the time was right, and I chose a path—my path.” I search his face, my vision clearing, and with a slow nod.
“I didn’t have to fight with you about control, about being afraid of becoming like my mom,” I murmur, my voice thick with regret, the words sticking in my throat. “I was scared, utterly and completely terrified.”
Klauth’s soft voice breaks through once more, a soothing balm to my fractured soul. “I’m proud of you, Mina, for admitting your fears. Spend some time with Abraxis. Show him what you created out there in the courtyard.” With that, Klauth rises and departs, his footsteps fading into the distance, leaving Abraxis and me alone in the hushed garden. The silence is broken only by the gentle rustle of leaves.
Steadying my shaking hand, I rise and offer Abraxis mine, my palm clammy and cold. “Are you up for a walk?”
“I would love that,” he replies, his voice warm and rich as he rises to his feet and takes my hand. His touch chasing away the chill as we leave the garden behind.
We navigate the refurbished halls, our footsteps echoing on the polished floors, until we reach the heavy doors leading to the courtyard. I shove them open, the wood rough beneath my hands. A burst of sunlight washes over me, warming my skin with a gentle caress. “I almost forgot what the sun feels like,” I murmur, closing my eyes and tilting my face upward. The light seeps into my bones, chasing away the shadows.
“When was the last time you basked in the sun for more than a moment?” Abraxis asks softly, leaning in to press a tender kiss against my cheek, his breath warm on my skin.
I turn slowly, the truth heavy on my lips, the words tasting like bile. “When I went on that rampage—before I was shot down.” The memory of the bolts striking me, the searing heat of the impact. The sudden, jarring pain of being knocked off balance washes over me like a tidal wave, my breath catching in my throat.
