Then I let it drift outward.
Not to bind. Not to burn.
Just… to sense.
The air shifted.
My magic stirred, curling toward the clutch like a wind threading through tall grass.
And Ifeltthem.
Not as thoughts or voices—but asessence.
One was fire, chaotic, flickering, full of laughter that hadn’t been born yet. Another was ice, calm and slow, a presence of ancient patience even before breath.
One pulsed with raw curiosity, its magic brushing against mine like a heartbeat too fast.
My breath caught.
They weren’t even hatched, and yet their presence filled the air, thick and trembling with untapped power.
Kaelith stood behind me, her wings cloaked wide, shielding us from the wind.
They know you’re here, she whispered into my mind.They always do.
And in that moment, I knew these unborn dragons, these sleeping storms were the future.
And somehow, so was I.
The shells began to tremble.
Softcracksechoed across the warm stone as the eggs stirred, subtle at first, then stronger.
A glint of ruby shimmered beneath one shifting shell, the pulse of magic behind it syncing with my own heartbeat. Another rocked gently in its moss cradle, rolling a fraction toward me.
My breath caught in my throat.
They weren’t just sensing me.
They were reaching for me.
Drawn to my magic like it was a beacon in the dark.
That’s enough,Kaelith’s voice cut through the haze.Pull back, Ashe. Now.
I did, snapping the tether of magic I’d extended, heart pounding in my chest.
They want to come to you, Kaelith said grimly.If they hatch prematurely, they will die.
I stumbled back as the still-shifting eggs settled, the magic around them retreating slowly like a tide pulling from the shore.
Without another word, I climbed onto Kaelith’s back.
Her wings opened wide, and within seconds, the Hatchling Isle fell behind us, the wind carving at my skin, my mind still filled with the echo of unborn dragons that had almost answered my call.
But Kaelith…
I could feel her tension beneath me. The coil of unease that hadn’t been there before.
