Chapter 19
Abraxis
I keep getting that feeling I’m being watched, the hairs at the nape of my neck standing on end, a primal instinct impossible to ignore.
Thauglor and I are sparring in the main ring, the packed dirt beneath our feet kicking up clouds of dust that coat my tongue with each labored breath.
Sweat trickles down my spine, my muscles burning from exertion while Klauth is off handling the affairs of the continent.
Balor and Ziggy are on egg duty, and Mom somehow convinced Mina to leave the flight earlier today.
The bow staff hits my ribs hard with a dull crack, knocking the wind from my lungs.
Pain blooms across my side as I stumble backward, gasping.
“Pay attention, descendant. You have the future of our line to defend,” Thauglor growls at me, his voice like gravel underfoot. He flares his wings at me, the membranes stretching taut, casting a shadow over my face. The threat is obvious, his scent heavy with dominance and irritation.
“I feel like someone is watching me,” I growl back at him, the words rumbling in my chest as I sigh and stretch for a moment. My bruised ribs protest with each movement, a sharp ache spreading beneath my skin.
Thauglor just shakes his head, his scales catching the sunlight as he fixes me with a disapproving glare, eyes narrowed to slits.
“Mina is using the iron dragon gift of stone shape to blend into the rock face of the cliff. She got back about twenty minutes ago.” He arches a brow, looking at me as if I’m the idiot and my village is looking for me.
His breath smells of smoke and cloves as it washes over my face.
“Why would she be doing that?” I turn and scan the rock face, my eyes squinting against the harsh midday sun, trying to see where she is on the sheer ascent up to where the nest perches. The stone appears unbroken, no hint of her presence visible to my eyes.
“I believe she’s hunting us.” He tilts his head, staring at Thauglor, his posture suddenly alert.
“Well, maybe me this time. From what you told us, she hunted you and got your drake to breed her mid-flight.” He arches a disapproving brow at me, the ridge of scales above his eye-catching the light.
We both know my wings couldn’t support both of our weight, especially after being shot down.
The memory of that pain flashes hot through my shoulder blades.
I’m lucky I can fly at this point, each wingbeat a reminder of how close I came to losing everything.
Before I can say anything, Mina’s dragon launches off of the rock face, the sound of stone crumbling beneath her claws echoing across the valley.
She flies straight for us, her scales glittering like metal in the sunlight.
She shifts a few feet off the ground, her body flowing from one form to another with a ripple of heat in the air, and jogs to a stop.
The scent of her—wild honey and summer storms—hits me like a physical force.
“Damn it, I thought I got better at hiding. You were staring right at me.” She playfully pats Thauglor on the chest, her small hand looking delicate against his massive frame as she pouts, her lower lip jutting out.
“You have to remember, my treasure. I come from a time where there were flights of iron dragons. They loved to prank the other dens occasionally.” He grips her hands, dwarfing them in his own, and pulls them up to kiss her knuckles. The tender gesture contrasts with his earlier ferocity.
“Did you see me, Abraxis?” Mina turns to look up at me, her face beaming with hope, the freckles across her nose more prominent in the bright sunlight.
‘Tell her no, it will make her day,’ Thauglor’s voice echoes in my head, a presence both familiar and foreign at once.
“Nope, you hid really well. One day, you can teach the hatchlings how to hide like you did.” I smile before bending down to kiss her forehead, tasting salt on her skin.
Thauglor was right; Mina’s face lights up as she smiles at me, her cheeks flushing with pleasure.
“I just have to get a little better, so grumpy puss can’t see me.
” She smiles, looking over her shoulder at Thauglor, the corners of her eyes crinkling.
“Hmmm...” Her eyes bounce between me and Thauglor, and an eyebrow arches up, her pupils dilating slightly.
“Last time I saw that look, Treasure, you had Klauth and I in the hot springs. What is moving through that brilliant mind of yours?” He bends down and stares into her eyes, his massive frame casting her in shadow. The air between them practically crackles with tension.
“Hmm... We have almost two months before school starts up again. Less than ten days before the eggs hatch. And I have two sweaty, half-naked drakes home.” She tilts her head and laughs, the sound like bells in the mountain air.
“Gee, I don’t know?” She rolls her shoulders, making her scales ripple with an almost musical sound.
Her scent thickens, becoming heady and rich like warm honey, and I harden in an instant, my body responding before my mind can catch up.
Thauglor purrs deeply for her. The vibration felt even where I stand.
He leans in and sniffs the air near Mina, his nostrils flaring.
“Run.” His sapphire eyes take on their dragonic slits as he stares at her, hunger clear in the tightening of his jaw and the sudden tension in his powerful frame.
The laughter that escapes Mina’s lips makes my skin prickle with anticipation, goosebumps rising despite the heat of the day.
She runs and shifts, taking flight with powerful beats of her wings that send gusts of wind washing over us, carrying her intoxicating scent.
“Come on, descendant, time to chase our mate and take care of her when we catch her.” He takes off running, muscles rippling beneath his scales, and soon his wyrm black dragon bursts into existence, shadows seeming to coalesce around him as he transforms. He flies after Mina, his massive wings cutting through the air with thunderous beats.
I know I can’t keep up with them. My injured wing is a constant reminder of my limitations, so I have to out think my mate and ancestor.
My gut tightens with anticipation as intuition whispers that Mina will run the same path she did when I chased her last time.
The memory of that chase—her scent, her laughter, the triumph of finally catching her—sends a shiver down my spine.
Now all I have to do is go hide and wait for her, my heart pounding with each step as I make my way to the perfect ambush point, the taste of victory already sweet on my tongue.
I fly towards the meadow that Mina and I flew over when we locked for the first time.
The wind whistles past my ears, cool and sharp against my heated skin.
I see Thauglor still trying to keep up with Mina as she zips over the countryside, her metallic scales catching the sunlight like polished silver.
Clearing the field, I crouch down in the rocks, my heart hammering against my ribs, each beat echoing in my ears.
I can hear her before I can see her—the distinctive whisper of air flowing over scales, the rhythmic beat of powerful wings.
I feel the air shift with each current, the subtle changes in pressure against my scales signaling her approach.
Within seconds, I launch up into the air, muscles burning with effort, hoping to catch Mina and not a face full of Thauglor’s scales.
The moment stretches, time slowing as I calculate my trajectory.
I collide with my mate; the impact knocking the breath from my lungs.
I wrap my taloned hands around her forelegs, feeling the smooth hardness of her scales beneath my grip.
We spin through the air, the world blurring around us in streaks of blue and green before we crash into the lake together.
The cold water shocks my system, bubbles rushing past my ears in a chaotic symphony as I shift back to human form.
I surface laughing, water streaming down my face, the taste of the lake—mineral-rich and slightly sweet—on my lips.
Mina surfaces shortly after, water sluicing off her sleek form, her hair plastered to her head like dark seaweed. She laughs along with me; the sound rippling across the water’s surface.
“That was sneaky, Abraxis.” Her voice is breathless as she kisses my lips, the warmth of her mouth a stark contrast to the cool water surrounding us. I taste her essence—wild honey and storm clouds—as she looks skyward, droplets clinging to her eyelashes like tiny crystals.
Thauglor hovers about ten feet above us, his massive form blocking the sun, casting us in shadow.
The downdraft from his wings creates ripples across the lake’s surface, sending small waves lapping against my chest. He descends and offers his taloned hands to us.
We grab on, his grip firm but gentle, scales rough against my palms. He lifts us out of the water, the sudden absence of buoyancy making my body feel leaden as water streams from our clothes, and heads over to the nearby meadow.
The scent of wildflowers and sun-warmed grass grows stronger as we approach.
He lowers us to the ground, the soft grass cushioning our landing.
He shifts back, the air around him seeming to warp and bend for a moment.
“That was brilliant, descendant.” He slaps me on the shoulder, the impact stinging pleasantly against my wet skin.
His smile reveals teeth too sharp for a human.