Dragons of Asgard 3 by Logan Jacobs (first ebook reader txt) 📗

to be held with two hands, and it was a brilliant bright white with small silver lines that spread out like veins. It was one of the most beautiful eggs I’d ever seen, and I thought it was no wonder the egg thief had taken it. The creature inside was bound to be rare and beautiful when it hatched.

“Oh, good,” Ramir said, and he walked up to Preyna, took the egg, and set it on the table next to his cauldron and spell book.

A sudden feeling of terror washed over me, and my chest tightened in response as I instinctively stood up and walked over to the table.

“Rath?” Preyna asked as I reached out and placed my hand on the egg. “Are you alright?”

The terror eased slightly as my hand made contact with the egg, but there was still a sense of confusion and fear. The creature behind the thin protective shell was scared out of its mind, and I had to do something. I had to help him.

“I can feel it,” I whispered. “I can feel the baby inside.”

Chapter 8

“What do you mean?” Kas asked as she rushed to my side. “You can feel its emotions?”

“Yes.” I nodded.

“I thought you couldn’t feel dragons until they were hatched,” Asta said, and her yellow eyes narrowed on me.

“I guess I can now.” I shook my head and placed my other hand on the egg.

The baby inside was crying out for help, and I had to do something.

I closed my eyes and focused on the egg in my hands and the little boy dragon inside of it. He was scared, I could understand that much since it was such a powerful feeling for him, but there was more.

I sensed a presence… a warm, kind presence, but I couldn’t see them, I could only hear them. After a moment, I realized it was the dragon’s mother. He was nearly about to hatch when he was taken, and now he was refusing to hatch. He was ready to come out of his shell, but he was too terrified to do so without the calming presence of his mother to help him.

My eyes pricked with emotion as I experienced all the little dragon was experiencing right then, and I pulled my hands away and let out a deep sigh.

“You’re going to be okay,” I said as I crouched down so the baby could hear me better.

“Is he okay?” Eira asked. “What’s going on?”

“He was about to hatch,” I explained. “He was ready to break out of his shell when he was taken.”

“Oh, no, the poor thing.” Asta frowned, and her plump bottom lip stuck out slightly.

“Is it dangerous for him to stay in there if he’s ready to come out?” Eira asked, and her red eyebrows pulled together with thought.

“Can’t you hatch him?” Kas asked.

“I could try,” I said. “But he doesn’t want to come out, not without his mother.”

“That is so sad.” Asta shook her head and gently placed her hand on the egg. “We will get you home.”

“Yes, we will.” I nodded.

“It may be our only chance to find out where that elf went, though,” Kas pointed out, and she bit her lip nervously.

“You’re right,” I sighed and turned to Ramir. “Will the spell harm the egg at all? Or do anything to scare him in there?”

“Not at all.” The old man smiled in an attempt to reassure me since he was clearly able to see how upsetting this was for me. “I’ll be particularly careful, and you can stay with him the whole time if you’d like.”

“I think I would like that,” I agreed. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” Ramir said. “We’ll make this quick.”

As much as I didn’t want to put the little dragon through the inconvenience of a spell, I reminded myself that was all it would be. The poor thing had already been away from his mother far too long, and I knew he didn’t want to hatch without her. The few minutes this spell took wouldn’t be anything compared to the time he’d already been away from her.

Bedsides, Kas was right, this could be our only chance to find out where the man who’d stolen the egg had been. If we knew where that arsehole had been before he came to Asgard, not only would that give us more insight into the dragon trade, but it could also help us find this little boy’s mother.

“Alright,” Ramir said, and he patted a small cushion he’d set up on the table. “You can set him right here.”

“Okay,” I agreed, and I carefully picked up the egg and put him on the cushion.

“Now, give me just a few minutes,” the old man said with a small smile.

While Ramir got everything for his spell ready, I tuned into the little dragon’s emotions as I slowly stroked the shell of the egg.

He wasn’t quite as frightened as he was before, but he was still confused and scared, and I could tell there was no way he was coming out without his mother nearby.

There was something incredibly endearing and understandable about a baby desperately wanting its mother.

“I feel awful,” Preyna whispered, and her voice brought me out of my own thoughts.

“It’s not your fault.” I shook my head. “Don’t blame yourself.”

“I thought it must have been dormant like all the others we’ve found,” she said, and she closed her eyes as a small tear ran down her cheek. “I’m so sorry, sweet boy, please forgive me.”

“He’s confused,” I told her. “But he doesn’t blame you. And you shouldn’t blame yourself, either.”

“Rath’s right.” Asta nodded. “There was no way you could have known.”

“I suppose not,” Preyna sighed and wiped at her eyes. “But I would like to have you check any other eggs we