“If I had to suspect someone...” I leave the implication hanging in the air between us, and Abraxis nods grimly.
“Same, but we can’t prove it.” He lowers his voice as we both look toward the courtyard gate, which opens unexpectedly with a groan of ancient hinges. Thauglor comes walking through with Raven and Lily in tow, his expression thunderous.
“Shit... This can’t be good,” I mutter under my breath as the girls stop at his side and look at us with matching expressions of resigneddread. The family resemblance is striking—all three of them have the same set to their shoulders that speaks of barely contained violence.
“Okay, let’s start with the important questions,” Abraxis says, exhaling roughly as if bracing himself for impact. “Are either of you hurt?” Both girls shake their heads, their black hair catching the afternoon sunlight. “Is anyone dead?”
Lily says no with conviction, but Raven tilts her head thoughtfully. “The day is still young,” she replies with such casual menace it earns her an approving smile from her father. She really is a chip off his scale—the resemblance goes far deeper than just their matching sapphire eyes.
“As much as it’s fun to watch Abraxis squirm, I’m going to get to the point. Both girls drew cards to the cursed egg chamber. As statistically impossible as it is, it’s happened.” Thauglor’s words fall like a death sentence, and I can feel the blood drain from my face.
The implications hit me like a physical blow. Mina had mentioned it would be best to have another drake in the nest with how strong Raven is becoming. Two cursed eggs mean two potential ancient dragons awakening—creatures of power so immense they could reshape continents.
“When do we go?” The question leaves my mouth before I can think it through, catching both fathers off guard. My protective instincts have overridden my sense of self-preservation.
“Tomorrow afternoon. As Raven’s mate, you are permitted in the chamber with her. Abraxis, I will allow either you or Mina to go with Lily as her support.” Thauglor’s voice carries the finality of a royal decree before he leaps into the air, his powerful wings propelling him skyward. The wind from his departure stirs dust across the courtyard.
Raven turns and watches her father’s massive form fly toward Malivore, growing smaller against the blue sky. She flexes her wingsseveral times—a nervous habit I’ve noticed she has when processing information. Then she looks over at everyone still sparring, their practice seeming suddenly trivial compared to what we’re facing.
Without a word, Raven turns and heads into her suite, her footsteps echoing off the stone walls. The silence she leaves behind feels ominous.
“Raven being quiet is never a good thing,” Lily observes with the wisdom of someone who’s grown up with a sister capable of spectacular violence. She turns and follows Raven inside, probably either to comfort her or to prevent her from doing something catastrophic.
I hazard a glance at Abraxis, and he looks like he’s aged several years in the past few minutes. The lines around his eyes seem deeper, and his usual confident posture has sagged slightly under the weight of this news.
“There are two ways to look at this,” he says, his voice carrying the exhaustion of someone who’s fought too many battles. “The first—hope no eggs respond to their songs. The second—hope any egg that responds goes dormant early on.” He reaches out and rests a heavy hand on my shoulder, the grip firm and reassuring despite the circumstances. “Either way, we’re gonna have our hands full. Odds are one of them will get an egg to ignite just because of their bloodlines.”
Abraxis’s words send an icy chill racing down my spine, making my silver scales prickle with alarm. The thought of possibly two cursed eggs and possibly two more ancient beings awakened in the next two years makes my mouth go dry with fear.
Ancient dragons aren’t just powerful—they’re primordial forces of nature barely contained in physical form. The last time cursed eggs hatched, it was Thauglor and Klauth. We got lucky; they were not the monsters the stories told. Though, the ones about Thauglor are pretty spot on.
And now we’re walking my mate directly into a chamber designed to test whether she’s worthy of commanding such power.
This is the worst Monday in the history of Mondays, and the afternoon hasn’t even started yet.
Chapter 28
Raven
Corvissomehow convinced me to sleep in the house on the flight lands last night. The idea of being above ground in something that can burn sets my scales on edge, making them prickle with instinctive unease. Granted, he made sure to exhaust me thoroughly before bedtime, and I’m not complaining at all about his methods.
I walk back into the bedroom, my bare feet silent on the cool wooden floors, and he’s pulling on his leathers. The supple material creaks softly as he moves, and I can smell the familiar scent of well-oiled hide mixed with his natural musk.
“You know those look best on the floor, right?” I scrunch my nose and smile, trying to look innocent despite the heat in my sapphire eyes.
“I do, but someone got out of bed before I could start trouble again.” He purrs, his voice rough with morning desire, and my core flutters at his words like wings beating against my ribs.
Before I can formulate a properly wicked response, there’s a sharp knock at our front door. Corvis moves past me, his warm skin brushing against mine for just a moment, to answerit. He returns, holding a small rectangular envelope sealed with red wax that bears an official crest.
When he breaks the seal with a soft crack, he pulls out a small, unassuming card. The number twenty-seven is embossed in gold that catches the morning light streaming through our windows. “It’s your draw order,” he says with resigned acceptance, taking my hand in his warm grip and walking us outside into the crisp morning air.
“Great...” The sarcasm drips from my voice like honey from a broken comb.
“Raven!” Lily’s voice cuts across the yard as she comes running toward me, her black hair streaming behind her like a banner. With the force of her impact, we both fall backward and land in the tall grass, laughing until our sides ache. The earth smells of dew and growing things, and the grass is soft beneath us.
“So much for being the mature older sister, Lily.” I boop her on the nose with my finger, and we laugh all over again, the sound bright and carefree.
“Aren’t you excited?” she asks as Corvis helps her up, then extends his hand to pull me to my feet. Her eyes shine with anticipation that I don’t share.
