Chapter 4
Corvus
It’searly afternoon on the eve before school starts again, and the summer heat hangs heavy in the air, making the stone walls of Blackhaven radiate warmth like a banked fire. I’ve already flown back and forth twice today to help set up for next year’s students, my shoulders aching from the exertion and my silver scales along my neck prickling with sweat.
“Hey, Corvus!” Thorne and Lily’s voices cut through my thoughts as they join me in the courtyard, their footsteps echoing off the ancient stones.
“Hey, girls.” I glance around the area, noting the lengthening shadows, then turn back to them. “Where are Evan, Orpheus, and his mate?” I shift my focus back to the heavy wooden doors as Hemlocke and Keir emerge. Keir has the egg carrier strapped to his chest, the orange shell visible through the leather framework and glowing faintly with inner fire.
“They let Evan phase them back to campus early. Evan had something he had to help Ziggy with, and Orpheus is helping Balor with something, I think.” Lily shrugs her shoulders whileher hand rests protectively on her own egg carrier, fingers tracing absent patterns on the leather.
“Makes sense.” My bond mates catch up to me, and we shake hands—Hemlocke’s grip strong and warm, Keir’s surprisingly cool despite the afternoon heat. They both look around, scanning the courtyard with the automatic vigilance of mated males.
“Raven said to meet her outside...” Hemlocke says as his magenta eyes shift to their otherworldly glow, searching for our wayward mate with obvious concern.
From the ridge above the compound, something small, and dark comes gliding down through the golden afternoon light. I recognize Xero immediately—the little black bat-winged tressym that Raven rescued over the summer. The feline has become her constant companion, a living shadow that follows her everywhere. “Where is my mate, Xero?”
She purrs and looks up at me with blood-red eyes that seem to glow in the fading sunlight. In my head, I hear her distinctive purring voice, warm and musical.“Above, she is above. Ready to fly.”Xero spreads her leathery wings and flies back in the direction she came from, her small form a black silhouette against the sky.
“Raven is in the upper flight field.” I turn on my heel and start leading our family up the winding stone stairs carved into the mountainside. The steps are worn smooth by centuries of dragon feet, and my boots find purchase in the familiar grooves. When I breach the upper level, breathing slightly harder from the climb, I see why Raven chose this location.
Her dragoness is mammoth—easily twice the size she was at the beginning of summer. My breath catches in my throat at the sight. Her dragon’s face is almost pure white; the stark bone-like coloring earning her the ancient designation of skull dragon. It’s the name given to fully mature black dragons, and seeing it on someone so young sends a chill down my spine despite the warm air.
“Holy shit,” Lily breathes, her voice carrying awe and something that might be fear as she stares at her younger sister. “You’ve reached full wyrm status, Raven.” She runs over to her sister and starts circling her massive form, looking like a child next to a building.
“She’s almost Thauglor’s size, but her limbs are longer,” Hemlocke points out with clinical precision, his experienced eye noting the differences in her proportions.
I snap several pictures of my mate with trembling hands, unable to believe the transformation that’s occurred over the summer months. I send them to the family chat, and within seconds, responses flood in. Thauglor and Klauth both confirm that it’s because she inherited several traits from red dragons. She may reach the same size as a red dragon when she stops growing but retain the appearance of a black dragon—an unprecedented combination.
Three more messages come across my screen in rapid succession, and I have to laugh despite the circumstances. Abraxis is upset that he doesn’t have white scales on his face yet; his jealousy is clear even through text. Mina wants to see Raven for herself immediately, so Ziggy is bringing her. Balor reminds us we have the gauntlets in the morning, his message carrying the weight of approaching responsibility.
Within seconds, the air shimmers, and Mina and Ziggy materialize before us. Raven’s massive head turns to face them with fluid grace, and the deep rumble that escapes her lips soothes something primal in me. The sound resonates in my chest like a second heartbeat. Gone is the fear of her fighting with her mom—instead, they’ve found a profound balance that speaks of mutual respect and understanding.
“My baby is so big,” Mina says with maternal pride as she walks around Raven’s enormous form, reaching up to touch scales that tower above her head. Her voice carries wonder mixed with the bittersweet realization that her daughter has truly grown up.
The rest of the family climbs up Raven’s back using her scales and wing joints as handholds, their laughter echoing across the flight field as Mina continues surveying her daughter’s incredible growth. Xero glides down from her perch and lands on me with gentle precision, her small claws finding purchase on my shoulders before she curls up like a living scarf. Her warmth seeps through my shirt, and I can feel her purring vibrate against my neck.
Ziggy notices Xero and walks closer, his expression softening. “Is this baby Xero?” He reaches out with gentle fingers, and Xero rises to meet his hand, purring more loudly for him.
“Not a kitten, but still Xero,”she says with obvious pride, her mental voice carrying the dignity of someone who’s grown beyond childhood. She stares at him with those unsettling red eyes.
“I’m sorry, Xero. Of course you’re not a baby anymore. You’re able to mind-speak now.” Ziggy’s tone carries genuine apology and respect. “How is my baby Raven doing?” He stares into Xero’s blood-red eyes, waiting patiently for an answer.
“Raven is well, strong, and a wonderful mom to Xero. I love her.”Xero purrs with deep contentment, then bumps my head affectionately with hers.“Dad here is good too—brings me fish and chickens.”The casual way she claims me as family makes something warm unfurl in my chest.
“You chose dragons as parents?” Ziggy asks with obvious surprise as Xero leaps from my shoulders to his with feline grace.
“Dragons are smart and strong, so yes. Keir enjoys popping out of nowhere—brings me live food.”There’s approval in her mental voice.“Hemlocke is good for napping, very warm.”She spreads her black leather wings and flies back to Raven, landing on my mate’s enormous head as if it’s the most natural perch in the world.
I glance back over at Ziggy, and he’s smiling with the expression of someone witnessing something rare and precious. Mina walks back over to us, her hand finding his automatically. “Tressyms are an interesting species. Each one has a unique power. They’re very secretive about what they can do.” He tilts his head as we watch Xero walk around on Raven’s face, carefully preening away loose scales with meticulous attention. “Usually they have feathered wings. For her to have leather makes her special.”
“My Raven is more than I ever dreamed of,” Mina says with such profound love it makes my throat tight. She leans against Ziggy, fitting against his side as if she were made to be there. “Just to let you know, I’m not teaching this year. Winter break, we’re gonna work on having a clutch. All of my children have grown up.” Her smile is so bright it could rival the setting sun.
Raven hears her mother’s announcement and rumbles something that sounds suspiciously like a threat about torchinganything that tries to touch her new siblings. The protective menace in her tone is unmistakable. Mina smiles wider, hearing her daughter’s violent devotion.
“I will let you know before I go to ground. In the meantime, you need to take off. All of you need rest before school starts tomorrow.” Mina waves before she and Ziggy vanish from sight, leaving only the faint scent of ozone that accompanies his phasing ability.
I make my way up Raven’s back, using her scales as handholds, until I reach my position behind the ridge between her massive horns. The bone is smooth and warm beneath my hands, and I settle into the natural saddle her anatomy creates. “Here we go,” I murmur.
