egg was exactly as he’d last seen it. The surface was scaled, resembling a pine cone, with deep red scales turning black in places, and almost purple or blue where it reflected the light streaming through the windows. He wanted nothing to do with it. He didn’t want to be here.
With bated breath, Tauran placed a hand against the shell.
It was cold.
He looked over his shoulder, hesitated, then slipped both hands underneath the egg and lifted it out of its nest.
CHAPTER 7
A sharp ringing brought Kalai upright in an instant. He clambered out of bed, nearly falling over a book on the floor, disjointedly searching for the stairs before realizing he wasn’t upstairs, he hadn’t been in bed, and it wasn’t the middle of the night.
He placed a hand on the egg rotation alarm bell and turned the hourglass back over.
He’d had an episode. Tauran had been here. He’d asked Tauran to wake him after half an hour.
Shit. What time was it? He had to keep an eye on the egg’s temperature. He tried to remember the last time he’d topped up the coal chamber, but came up blank.
Brushing his hair back from his face, he headed for the stairs, taking the first few steps a little too quickly, dizziness making him grip the polished handrail. He always felt annoyingly weak and sluggish after an episode. Some voralis tea would get him going.
Reaching the top of the stairs, he froze.
The incubation box was wide open.
“No...” Kalai rushed forward, but a voice made him stop in his tracks.
“Kalai?”
Kalai turned toward the sound. The blankets on the bed rustled, and then Tauran’s head appeared. His cheeks were flushed and his golden tufted ponytail crooked.
Kalai stared at him. “Were you sleeping? What did you do?” His words came out tight and accusing.
Tauran blinked, his blush turning even deeper. “I... I came up here, and the coals were dead.”
“They’re dead? No!” Kalai crossed to the incubation box and paused again with his hands on the edges. It was empty. It was empty! He felt sick. “Where’s the egg?”
“Here.”
Kalai spun as Tauran pushed back the blankets the rest of the way. Underneath, he was shirtless, something dark and distinctly egg-shaped resting against his stomach.
“I’m sorry, I... I didn’t know what else to do.” Tauran’s eyes shone with tension and uncertainty, as if he expected Kalai to toss him out on his tail.
Kalai grabbed the pinard horn by the incubation box and crawled into the nest of blankets beside Tauran. Shifting in close, he pressed the wide end of the horn against the shell and placed his ear against the other.
Kalai’s breath hitched. It couldn’t be. “No way,” he whispered.
Tauran swallowed audibly. “Is it... dead?” His face grew ghostly pale, as if the thought of cradling a dead dragon egg in his arms was too much for him to bear.
Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump...
“No.” The word was barely more than an exhale. Kalai pressed the horn against Tauran’s chest. “Listen!”
Kalai instructed Tauran how to hold the horn, and as he did, Tauran’s expression changed from one of terror to pure relief.
Kalai shook his head slowly. “The heartbeat is stronger than ever. I don’t understand.”
Tauran exhaled shakily. “Don’t look at me. I know nothing about eggs. Shit, my heart’s still racing.” He wrapped his arms around the egg, drawing his legs up as if to wrap himself around it like a mother dragon would. The sight spread a tickling fondness from Kalai’s belly to his limbs. Then, realization struck. His jaw went slack.
“What?” Tauran asked.
“What if that’s it? What if that’s what’s been missing all along?”
“What is?”
“Your heartbeat.” Kalai placed a hand against the top of the egg. “Closeness. Contact.” He met Tauran’s eyes. To his surprise, they were full of fear.
“C-can you take it? Please?”
“Why?” Kalai placed a hand on Tauran’s muscular shoulder, soft and warm and covered in faint freckles. “You’re doing fine.”
Tauran’s voice trembled when he spoke. “But... what if I hurt it?” He held the egg out, awkwardly, like he suddenly didn’t know what to do with it.
“You’re not hurting it,” Kalai assured him. He pushed the egg gently back toward him and shifted to sit beside him. Warmth radiated from Tauran’s body. “You saved it.”
Tauran stared at him, sky-blue eyes wide as teacups. Slowly, his breathing settled and his shoulders dropped. “Okay.”
Kalai smiled. “How about I make us some tea? We can sit and talk for a while.”
Tauran nodded, and for the first time, a relieved half-smile flashed across his face. “Sure.