Page 11 of Flirting with Death

"My boy, if I knew that kidnapping a muse would bring you home, I would have obtained one myself," she laughed, her shadow dropping from my cheek.

"You do that a lot don't you?"

"Whatever do you mean?" she asked as she moved further into the room and perched on the edge of the sofa.

"Create situations that give you what you want." I leaned against the chair arm after snagging an apple from the bowl of fruit on the coffee table. I took a bite and chewed, waiting for her response.

"Or out of love," she suggested with a shrug. "Sit. We can visit a bit, and you can tell me about the girl."

"I'm kind of in a time crunch." I scratched the back of my neck and glanced away.

"You are free to leave." She gestured to the door behind me. I took another bite of the bitter sweet apple. She would not give me the information I needed unless I visited with her, so I slid into the chair and studied her. She looked the same as always, but something was straining her.

"What's wrong?"

"It is nothing. Tell me about the girl," she said. She relaxed into the sofa, her whole appearance shifted as she hid whatever was bothering her.

"Sam?" I hesitated. She had sent her new God to warn me away from her, a little over a year ago, she had to be upset I didn't listen.

"Is that the hunter's name?" She tilted her head to the side, studying my reaction to her question. I tried to keep my face passive, but I saw the light in her eye that told me she knew the answer to her question already.

"You know it is. I won't stop seeing her, Mother."

Her eyebrows rose, and a soft smile spread across her face. "I wouldn't expect anything less from my son. Do you love her?"

My jaw tensed, and the muscle beneath my beard jumped. I ran my hand over the hair, smoothing it down. It was almost time for a trim.

"It isn't that complicated of a question." She had me right where she wanted me.

"You don't know Samantha," I said. Because it was complicated, it wasn't a simple relationship where we rode off into the sunset together. Not unless I wanted other men to join us.

"Is it her other partners? The dragon, has he made his claim? Or Bellamy the demon prince? Or maybe even Hades's boy?"

I narrowed my eyes on her. "Alastor has run back home, typical behavior for the God, don't you think? And Bellamy made the ultimate sacrifice."

She hummed and nodded her head.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I leaned forward, studying her shadows. They always gave away more than she thought.

"Are you sure about Alastor and Bellamy?"

I huffed out a laugh. "A tiger doesn't change its stripes. Alastor ran back home to daddy, where he belongs."

"Yet, a demon was selfless enough to give up their life for a hunter?"

Her words conjured the moment Samantha's mom did what none of us could and stabbed Bellamy. He had collapsed, falling into the portal, but had I seen him take his last breath? Was that the riddle that she was trying to spin?

"I think the picture is bigger than your view. You're too close to your emotions. I know you have anger toward Hades' boy, and I know you developed feelings for the Demon Prince. Maybe not everything is as it seems."

"What do you know?" I unfolded from the chair to my full height. I felt as if I needed to run from the room, but my feet stayed rooted to the floor.

"I only know what the Fates have shared, which isn't the future, just the journey and a likely path. Death has said none shall die. Pain has determined that to forge the weapon, there must be heartache. Strife has ensured that conflict will be at every turn. While my dear, Sleep, will grant none a restful night until all the pieces are in place. I tried to warn you away from this. But you are stubborn, and you never listen to your mother. So this is now your lesson to learn, and I hope you come out on the other side."

My sisters, the four Fates, my mother had brought them into being at the beginning of time. At the start of her reign of chaos. They weren’t like the fates of destiny that Zeus controlled. And they often gave prophecies like that, usually, they weren’t directed at me.

"My sisters need to stop interfering in my life." I knew that when they meddled, things got bad. But if none could die, did that mean that Bellamy lived?

"My advice to you is to shape your bonds because those are what will make or break you in these trials. Cast aside old pain, release your anger, and let love shine in the darkness. That will keep you all safe." She paused and watched with emotion hanging on her lashes. "I had many children, all by my choice, and I tried to set your future path to one not filled with your sister's plans. I did my best to put the pieces in place, even when your siblings had other plans. Finding the muse is part of your path. Find her soon because if you do not, the journey will be very different."

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