42. Callan
Callan
The destruction of the nest unfolds around us, and I’m not sure what to make of it. This place has housed so many memories, good and bad. But Mina didn’t waste a moment — first, she had Abraxis and his dad set fire to the dresses she despised and every item her father left behind. Now she stands in the middle of the courtyard, a strange sense of calm about her as Iris perches on her shoulder and the egg carrier is strapped to her chest. In her hand, she holds some sort of circlet.
“Mina?” I approach cautiously, watching as she slowly turns to me.
“Oh, hi Callan.” Her expression softens, and she nestles against my side, resting her head on my shoulder. A small comfort amidst the destruction. My gaze drops to the object in her hand.
“What’s that?” I gesture to the twisted Ouroboros collar she’s holding.
“Dad’s method of controlling us … or more precisely, my mom and sister. It’s a modified mage cage.” Her voice is calm, too calm. At the so und of it, Abraxis, Vaughn, and Vox join us, their eyes zeroing in on the collar.
“What do you mean, modified mage cage?” Vox asks, eyeing the device with something akin to horror. Without a word, Mina hands the egg carrier to Abraxis, preparing to demonstrate.
“I’ll show you.” She snaps the latch open and slips the collar around her neck. The second the snake-shaped clasp clicks into place, sealing the collar, it’s as if a shroud falls between her and me. I can’t feel her dragon anymore.
“Holy shit…” The words escape me in a whisper, and I slap a hand over my mouth, staring at her in disbelief. The emptiness of her bond is unnerving, like looking at a ghost of who she was just seconds before.
“That explains how he controlled your mother,” Vox says grimly. “The rescue team had to cut hers off her.” His eyes flicker with a dark realization as I reach out, fingers brushing against the collar’s cold metal, and unlatch it from Mina’s neck.
As soon as I remove it, the bond floods back, and her dragon’s presence flares to life, grounding us both. It’s terrifying to imagine her father wielding this kind of control, but seeing her free of it now feels like reclaiming something precious.
I watch Mina take the collar back, her eyes heavy with something I can’t quite place. As Iris nudges her cheek, Mina’s laugh is soft, distant. But then, I see it—the flicker of lightning sparking down her arms, illuminating the metal as it heats and drips, molten, to the ground. The glow is eerie, almost mesmerizing, until the collar’s nothing more than a small, smoldering pile at her feet. She stares at it, expression flat, though a telltale tick at the corner of her eye betrays something deeper. I recognize it, that strain just beneath the surface. Whatever’s eating at her, she’s hiding it well.
“Mind showing me around a little?” I ask, my tone gentle, careful not to disrupt the moment as she flicks the last remnants of the molten metal from her hands.
“Sure,” she replies, surprising me with a soft smile. “I love the gardens here, so that would be a wonderful place to start.” She leans over to kiss Abraxis, and then, with a surprising tenderness, she says goodbye to Vaughn too, linking her arm with mine.
“They’re this way.” She gives my arm a gentle tug, and I fall in step beside her as we make our way toward the northern part of the compound. The tension’s there, a thread I can feel humming between us, and I know I’ll have to be patient. Whatever’s troubling her, I’ll find a way to help her face it.
Mina’s silence hangs heavy between us, as dense as the shadows draping the stone walls. The faint glow from her horns dances off the ancient brick, casting eerie shapes that move and twist with every step. I watch her carefully, my gaze flicking between the barely restrained tension in her shoulders and the fierce set of her jaw. She’s a storm in the making, and I can only hope she lets me in before it breaks.
The dim corridor finally gives way to a soft, natural light that spills in from the garden beyond. As we step through the final archway, my eyes adjust to the unexpected brightness. In the center stands a massive weeping willow, its branches trailing like fingers that brush the earth, graceful yet foreboding. The garden stretches out on one side, vibrant with blooms that defy the fortress’s gloom, each flower unnaturally vivid, almost unnervingly beautiful.
But it’s the iron fence on the other side that snags my attention, its dark, imposing bars enclosing something unseen. I nod towards it, curiosity and unease threading my voice. “What’s over there?”
Mina’s gaze drops, shadowed by something unreadable. Just as quickly, she steels herself and takes a step away. “Oh, that…” She doesn’t elaborate, her expression guarded. Instead, she turns slightly, her voice carrying an authority that brooks no argument. “Iris, bring Abraxis, Balor, and Vaughn here for this.”
Her dragon familiar, a small but fierce creature with wings like iridescent smoke, chirps in understanding before darting back down the dark tunnel. I watch it disappear, feeling a cold prickle of apprehension. Whatever we’re about to face in this hidden corner of the garden, it’s something even Mina doesn’t want to face alone.
“Why didn’t you just call them?” I say, pulling out my phone. There’s no signal, though the gardens are open to the sky. “Oh…”
Mina smirks, gesturing to the lush greenery and twisted vines around us. “It was spelled to prevent the use of technology here.” She sinks onto a stone bench, looking perfectly at ease as she waits.
“It’s... peaceful.” I watch the birds dart in and out of the arched opening above us, their wings catching glints of sunlight that filters down in beams.
“This chamber was created for my father’s mother,” she murmurs, her gaze distant. “My mom was forced to take over her mother-in-law’s nest.” A low growl slips into her voice, a clear sign that whatever’s bothering her runs deep and cuts close to her family .
“Hey, we’re here!” Balor’s voice echoes through the chamber as he steps inside.
Mina’s head snaps up, her eyes narrowing slightly as she watches him. She strides toward the iron gate at the edge of the garden and presses it open with a slow, deliberate push. She motions for us to follow, her voice soft but firm. “Stay on the path.”
We fall into line behind her, and as we step through, I catch Balor’s low whistle of appreciation. “You have a poison herb garden?” His eyes dart from plant to plant.
It’s now that I seriously look at what’s around us. Every type of poisonous or toxic plant known to exist is growing here. We do a slow spin looking at the garden cultivated here. “I started this garden when I was eight.” She shrugs like it was an everyday occurrence. Sadly, it probably was.
I blink, the full weight of her words settling over me as I take in the poison garden with fresh eyes. “You started this … when you were eight?” My voice is low, barely more than a whisper. It’s almost impossible to imagine a child tending to deadly plants, her small hands reaching out to touch leaves that could kill.
Mina nods, completely unfazed, her gaze drifting over the garden like it’s an old friend. “Father didn’t believe in ‘wasteful luxuries,’” she says, a bitter edge to her words. “I only got what he thought was enough, so if I misjudged…” She shrugs, casual, as if brewing dangerous concoctions under a strict ration was as normal as learning the alphabet. My chest tightens. For her, I guess it was.
“I watch her extend her hand, her fingers shifting, transforming smoothly into talons as she reaches toward a cluster of nightshade. She touches the berries lightly, her expression distant. “And you came here to think…” I echo, watching her as she considers something far deeper than the surrounding plants.
She nods again, her jaw tight. “I don’t think my sister is truly my father’s daughter.” She rolls her hand over, examining the iron and emerald scales that glint under the dusky light. “Her dragoness,” she murmurs, almost to herself, “she’s more silver and bronze—no hint of green. It’s... telling.”
I feel a growl building low in my throat, my instincts flaring at the thought of Mina being lied to, manipulated, her entire sense of family twisted. But I keep it contained, focusing instead on her, this girl raised among poisons, sharp-edged in a way that makes me want to guard her from the very world she was built to conquer.
“You think your mother had an affair?” I can’t stop the question from slipping out as I reach for her, my fingers brushing the cool skin of her forearm.
“No,” Mina says quietly, her voice laced with a bitterness I haven’t heard before. “I think Mom was stolen from another male when she was already pregnant. To keep her compliant, Dad put the collar on her—and on my sister, since she isn’t his.” She exhales, shifting her hand back from my touch, her gaze flickering over each of us, almost assessing. “I always got the better food, the nicer dresses, a proper bed while she and my sister got scraps. It’s … all making sense now.”
Abraxis breaks the silence first, his voice steady. “What do you need?”
Mina’s eyes narrow, her fingers absently tapping her temple, a silent acknowledgment of her visions. “I’m not sure. There’s something bigger going on in the background, something I haven’t quite pieced together yet.” She pauses, jaw tight, her focus intense. “But I’ll figure it out. ”
The look in her eyes is fierce, untamed. There’s a storm brewing within her, and something tells me that once it breaks, nothing in this academy—or beyond it—will be the same.
Morning arrives with a punch of light that feels like a fist to the face. Mina’s side of the bed is cold, and I’m up in a flash, tossing a pillow at Abraxis. It bounces off him with a dull thud, and he groans, rolling over.
“Wake up. Mina is gone.”
He cracks one eye open, a lazy grin tugging at his lips. “She’s not far … You seriously need to work on repairing the bond with her.” His words are a jab, but he’s snoring again within seconds, curled into the blankets like it’s the dead of winter.
I dress quickly and head into the hall, restless and tense. Every echo in these endless corridors taunts me, reminding me how little I know of where she is or what’s going through her mind. Leander is the first person I encounter, leaning against a wall, eyes narrowing when I approach.
“Have you seen Mina?”
He arches a brow, the hint of a smirk on his face. “You still can’t sense your mate?” His voice drips with challenge as he pushes off the wall and starts down the hall, barely glancing back at me. “Come on. I’ll take you to her.”
We weave through the nest’s twisted corridors, past shadows that seem to move as we pass. When we reach the courtyard, I pause, taking in the scene before me. Mina is fully shifted, her scales glinting in the morning light as Ziggy’s displacer beast claws at her, peeling away dead scales with careful precision. Balor sits nearby, loading each shed piece into a cart, his movements meticulous.
The sight of her, a powerful form in full dragon glory, is enough to make my chest ache. But it’s more than awe; it’s the sharp reminder of the growing chasm between us. One I need to bridge, no matter how many barriers or unspoken words stand in the way.
“Is there a reason we’re keeping Mina’s scales?” Mina’s head turns to face me as Ziggy works.
“She wants to have armor for your gryphon made from her scales. Other than mine, her scales are the hardest. She even has Abraxis beat.” Balor’s tone is full of pride as he looks up at my mate.
I trace the edges of the scale in my hand, feeling the cool, almost metallic texture under my fingertips. The weight of it, the way it catches the light—Mina’s strength feels tangible here, condensed into something I can hold. She wants to protect me with this, her scales, the hardest substance she has to give, and the thought leaves me speechless. Balor’s prideful gaze on her only deepens the quiet respect swelling in my chest.
“Armor,” I murmur, still awestruck. “For my gryphon.” The idea hadn’t even crossed my mind, but it’s just like her to be three steps ahead, thinking of every detail.
“Yeah,” Leander says, his voice softer, almost reverent. “She doesn’t just love you, you know. Dragons rarely shed their scales willingly.” His eyes flick back to where Ziggy’s displacer beast weaves around Mina, its movements restless but gentle, sensing the energy shifting in her .
Cerce’s voice sweeps over us as she joins the scene, a graceful figure with an aura that demands respect. “She’s shedding for a reason. It’s a growth cycle.” She glances around, eyes narrowing. “Where’s my son?”
“He’s still asleep,” I say, feeling a sting of inadequacy as I lower my gaze. “Mina wasn’t tired. She took him flying last night, checking the borders. She was... on edge, worried after the attack. I wanted to go, but…”
The words hang there, thick in the air, my frustration silently adding to the weight. I’ve trained for years, yet here I stand, holding her cast-off armor while she’s out facing the threats. I clench the scale, the emerald gleam catching the sun light, reminding me of what she’s willing to give to keep me safe.
I really feel useless now.