The night breeze drifted into the large mouth of the cave. The earth dragoness lay asleep, curled tightly around her five eggs.

If this had been a normal brood, she would have been home in a distant kingdom, tended to by a nursery aid. But this brood was special... and in danger.

Typha had been able to hide her magic abilities from everyone, even her estranged mate. But five dragonets wouldn't be so lucky.

She bared her fangs in her sleep, her legs twitching as she dreamt of violence and crushed eggs.

Her dreams were shared by many of the other expecting parents around her, each in hiding to protect their unborn dragonets. For the magic dragons, or "cursed-bloods", the nursery village was a chance to survive.

Still, the darkness of the night often held the threat of discovery. And for the dragoness' eggs, survival was never guaranteed.

_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._