Page 11 of Klauth
At last, the basilisk caretaker schedules me an hour with my mate. I feel a jostle as he lifts the pillow that Iris once used to keep watch over me. The soft fabric brushes across my shell, muffling the outside world. Then I sense Mina’s presence.She’s settled herself somewhere—possibly a couch or a bed, if the distant creak of springs is any indication. She lays down, drawing the pillow with me on it into her lap. Her hands rest gently on the egg’s surface; even through the barrier, her warmth seeps in, easing some of the tension that coils inside my chest.
A sliver of her thoughts slip through our connection as she drifts into sleep. I taste the sharp tang of fear when she contemplates completing the bond with the nightmare, a creature she considers prey. I pause. Will her dragoness see him as a morsel instead of a mate, despite the fledgling bond?
From my vantage point here in the darkness, I piece together fragments about my mate’s lineage: she’s part green dragon, part iron. Greens can be unpredictable—vicious, even—driven by primal instincts. Irons are among the most formidable of the ferrous line, wielding lightning and carrying a sleep-inducing breath. That potent mix might explain her fear of harming the nightmare. I’ve glimpsed how rough she is with the young black drake, and how savagely he bites her in return. The flashes of those encounters are raw, laced with snarls and the coppery scent of spilled blood.
My pulse thrums in sync with hers, yet uncertainty gnaws at me. This union of powers—hers, mine, and their complicated nest—strikes me as a precarious balancing act. I wonder, in the quiet hush of this egg, how it will all end. Will her green side lash out at the nightmare despite the mate bond’s protection? Or will she find the will to restrain that feral instinct?
I inhale the stale air around me, tasting specks of dust and the faint residue of old magic that keeps me trapped. My heart drums a steady rhythm, tethered to hers by the bond that grows stronger by the day. All I can do is wait in this darkness,listening to the rise and fall of her breath, hoping I won’t feel her heartbreak or her rage when the time comes for them to seal their fate.
Chapter Ten
I feelevery shift in the air around me, even through the thick shell of my egg prison. The vibrations of this place have changed—it’s another female’s nest, that much I know. Mina refuses to set us down for even a moment. I sense her warmth and the powerful rhythm of her heartbeat whenever she moves. Something stirs her excitement. Anticipation spikes through the bond, and I wonder if someone she cares about has finally arrived.
That thrill, however, doesn’t last. A sudden vision grips her mind, and it pulls me in with jarring force. I glimpse a cobalt-blue drake descending upon the nest. Anger ignites in Mina, and I can practically taste the surge of power emanating from her—metallic on my tongue, like ozone before a storm.
A younger drake’s voice filters through the haze, asking who’s coming. Mina’s response is sharp, her urgency clear as she shouts for her mother to get everyone inside. Next, I feel the precise moment our eggs—Thauglor and me—are passed into another set of hands. The texture of this newcomer’s skin is different, and I realize it’s the gryphon mate holding us now.Mina yells for everyone to take cover, and then it happens. Her dragoness bursts forth in a blaze of rage and heat. She stands guard over us, shielding her flesh-and-blood mates and the fragile eggs alike.
A flash of lightning spears through the sky, striking Mina directly. The contact explodes my senses. I hear the crack of electricity and feel her fury intensify tenfold. Her roar follows, resonating through my shell so violently that the gryphon mate staggers under its force. From inside, I sense another swell of power, a blast of heat and raw energy as her breath weapon lashes out. The thunderous impact vibrates through the ground, mingling with her continued snarls. Whatever threat dared to attack has earned her unbridled wrath. My mate proves her worth with every feral heartbeat.
In the aftermath, I listen to the young drake and his father examine Mina for injuries. Relief seeps into me when I learn she’s mostly unharmed, save for some damage to the leather of her frill. Someone else comments on tiny scales forming along her wing membranes—an ancient trait that disappeared with my mother’s people. Titanium dragons, once boasted scales on their wings to shield the delicate webbing.
I file that detail away, every new piece of knowledge amplifying my fascination. Trapped as I am, I can still marvel at her evolution. Day by day, my mate reveals just how extraordinary—and fearsome—she truly is.
The darknessof this egg-prison presses in on me, thick and unrelenting. It’s like being submerged in ink—every breath feels weighted, every movement constrained by the slick inner walls. I can sense the ancient wards woven through the shell, their energy humming against my scales. Despite this confinement, my mind roams free, tethered to my mate and to Thauglor, our bond pulsing like distant thunder.
Mina is subdued today, lost in her thoughts. Thauglor tries to show her a clearer image of himself, perhaps to reassure her. The vision he shares is vivid enough that I can sense exactly when it takes shape in her mind. She reaches for her paints, her emotions a warm surge of color. It reminds me of the first time I pushed a dream-image to her—how exhilarating it was to realize I could communicate my desires through pictures and impressions. Now, Thauglor’s bond with her is strong enough to do the same. A flicker of satisfaction ripples through me at the thought of our nest growing closer.
Inside this suffocating egg, I let my mind drift to the idea of a mating flight. How many years has it been since I’ve felt the sun on my scales? It can’t have been too long—perhaps a few years, or maybe closer to a century. Time is slippery here. My size wouldn’t be that much greater than Mina’s when I finally emerge. We could attempt to conceive our clutch in our true forms, as the gods intended. A tantalizing vision rises unbidden: the press of her scales against mine, the power in her body as her dragoness tests me, fights me if she’s not ready. I imaginethe night she hunts me down, magenta scales signaling her readiness for eggs. The mere thought makes my chest tighten with a longing so fierce I almost forget the darkness around me.
Yet fear gnaws at the edges of that dream—memories of losing another clutch before. I won’t abandon my nest again, no matter what conflict looms. Let the young drake—the one who fancies himself as a warrior—handle the battles. My priority will be my mate and our eggs. No force on earth, no ancient enemy, will leave them defenseless under my watch.
I blink, and a new sensation floods in: Mina is in a classroom. It’s hazy, filtered through her perspective. Her other mate stands beside her, and the way he speaks of my home sets my teeth on edge. My fortress was built to withstand the ravages of centuries, yet his words make it sound like a scattered heap of stone. I feel Mina’s distress coil in my chest at the realization that my family’s home lies in ruins. Abraxis tries to soothe her, lingering close. The murmurs around them swirl in half-heard fragments.
Then something is said—some remark that riles Mina’s dragoness. I sense her inner beast uncoiling, scales scraping against the confines of her human skin. My fury answers in kind, scorching the back of my throat even though I’m trapped here. Let them try to challenge her. I will personally raze to ash any who stand against my female. No walls can hold me forever, and when I’m free, my wrath will be absolute.
I close my eyes and let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. The darkness inside this egg prison presses in on me, damp and claustrophobic, like I’m buried alive. My muscles ache with the memory of being in my true form, of tasting fresh air and open skies. Time has become slippery here—I don’t know how many hours or days pass unless I focus on the bond.
Then I sense a flicker of excitement from Mina’s side, and I concentrate, letting my mind slip closer to her. The faint whirr and clack of machinery filters in; metal grinding on metal, the crank of gears under tension. Siege weapons. I still recognize those sounds from lifetimes ago. But what in the realm is my mate doing near siege weapons?
I listen harder, and my confusion grows when I feel a burst of exhilaration from her. She’s launching her gargoyle mate—actually sending him flying. There’s a surge of both laughter and adrenaline in her aura. It makes my pulse quicken despite myself. Is she punishing him for some slight, or is it part of her classwork? He seems to enjoy it after the initial shock, so I’m guessing it’s some kind of lesson. To Mina, the catapult, or trebuchet, must feel like a giant toy. I can practically envision her at the controls, focused and fearless, confirming what I’ve heard whispered from the others: she’s the smartest in her class.
A subtle shift in the bond alerts me to the presence of a young male drake, Abraxis. I believe his name is. He approaches her, and she relaxes in his company. For a moment, I’m almost grateful someone can put her at ease. Her tone is thoughtful, almost absent, as she says, “I want to go look at the ruins.”
Ruins.My mind races. There shouldn’t be any ruins—at least, not when I was free. I was building the academy when this cursed imprisonment overtook me. What could possibly have crumbled? Picturing broken stone and collapsed archways makes my stomach clench. I lean back within my cramped shell and focus on her voice.
“I’ll fly. You and the eggs can hitch a ride for once,” Abraxis offers. A swift stab of possessiveness flares in my chest. I don’t like the idea of him carrying us anywhere. If I were in his scales,I might be tempted to drop a rival’s egg into the seas. Accidents happen so easily, especially with a well-placed talon slip.
Mina hesitates, voicing how odd it feels for him to fly her around, given she can fly on her own. I can’t help but agree. She could carry us, talons wrapped securely around the egg container, no trust required. But I sense her real concern surfacing: she’s worried about someone stealing us if she’s not careful. My heart twists. The fact that she cares so much—even now—is driving my resolve deeper. She’s stealing my affections in ways I never imagined possible.
My thoughts flick to our impending freedom. Three years—and then the curse breaks. Unless her life is in danger, in which case I can force the breaking sooner. I won’t rush it, though. Her safety is paramount; I’d rather wait the full three years to ensure she’s protected.
She mentions a feud between nests, confirming my suspicion that she’s part green. The greens had conflicts with nearly everyone at some point. Then she speaks of her mother. I catch her passing a note to Abraxis—probably the same one she read aloud a few days back. Her mother was stolen from her true mate and forced to breed with Mina’s father. An iron dragon, if I recall correctly. Hearing this again makes my blood burn with anger for her mother’s fate.
I’m struck by the realization that I knew about the note before Abraxis did. Even in this egg prison, I learn of things first, simply because I’m so attuned to Mina’s every thought and emotion. There’s a certain pride in that, no matter how small. I might not be able to speak freely to my mate, but our bond is stronger than any physical cage—and that, at least, is enough to keep me patient.
I’m backat the place of my mate’s birth, swaddled in the tight confines of this egg prison, and I can feel her tension thrumming through our bond. It presses against my thoughts like a vice. She doesn’t want to be here, not after learning what her father did. Even half-dreaming behind this shell, I taste her discomfort like copper on my tongue.
At one point, Abraxis takes charge of us, cradling the egg carrier carefully against his chest. I can hear the low rumble of his voice, explaining the situation as he helps prepare a safe spot for us. Mina and his mother are high in the mountains, burrowing into the cold stone of a new nest. The thin mountain air must taste of pine and ice, and I imagine how the rock trembles beneath our mate’s breath weapon. Abraxis says she’s destroying the cliff walls in record time, and I catch the note of pride in his voice.
