Page 12 of Gambling with Time

“Did you warn us when we came last time?” Raiden asked.

“Warn you that it held powerful magic?” He ran his thumb over his lower lip, his eyes far away. “I did.”

“Is there a reversal to the magic?” Alastor ran his hand over the back of one of the chairs, his attention locked on the shifter.

The man drew in a loud sigh, dropping his hand to the table. “Did it break?”

“It did.”

“Then how do you remember?” He tilted his head at Alastor, and there was something in the look he gave the God that made me bristle. I didn’t like the derision directed at him. Which was strange, because that was my first reaction when I saw him. But things shifted. Hadn’t they?

I moved next to him. My hand rested on his lower back, my other hand on the chairback in front of me. “He remembers because he chose the hard path so he could save us.”

The dragon chuckled. “Defending him even without your memories. It appears the prophecy can’t be broken, just stalled.”

“Prophecy?” Samantha dropped into the seat across from the man. Then she pulled out her dagger and laid it in front of her. The man stiffened as he took in the movement.

“That is not needed here.” He swung his head in Raiden’s direction as if he alone could get her to put her weapon away.

Raiden shifted uncomfortably. “Sammy, put your weapon away. He’s right, it isn’t needed. Tell us about the prophecy.”

He licked his lips, only relaxing slightly as Sam moved the dagger to her lap. “The three kingdoms—Demons, Dragons, and Gods—will unite under one Queen. We will have peace between our factions. When Osiris comes, we will stand strong.”

“Osiris?” Sam asked.

“The Egyptian God of the Underworld.”

“I think we need to back up a step…isn’t Hades the God of the Underworld?” Her nose scrunched up.

“For the Greek Gods that is correct,” the dragon replied stiffly. “We live in that Underworld, but there are different ones for each belief system. Because belief in something makes it real.”

“Like Tinker Bell?” she asked.

Bellamy snorted, while Tyler stifled a laugh. The dragon didn’t get the reference and just stared at her blankly.

“It was a joke,” she said with a sigh. “So, who is this Queen and where can we find her? It sounds like she might have answers about our memories.”

He blinked and swallowed as if not wanting to reveal the truth. “If the prophecy is real, you are the future Queen.”

The room went still, all of us absorbing what that meant. We were tied together. But how did I fit in?

“Which fates created the prophecy?” I leaned forward waiting for his answer.

“Your sisters.” The words rang in my ears.

My sisters. Of course. They meddle as much as my mother. I would bet all the earthly money I have that they thought it would be fun to put me in a position where I would have to stay in the Underworld. Because I was very much connected to Samantha and the others.

It was in slow motion that Sam pushed away from the table, her head shaking no, refusing what he said.

“I’m a demon hunter. I can’t rule over the monsters I hunt.”

He didn’t even flinch at her harsh words. “Maybe that makes you the best candidate for the job. The demons have been out of hand lately, causing chaos for everyone; all those extra souls made them rowdy. If they have someone willing to rule them with the discipline they need, then maybe they could be content to stay in the Underworld, like the dragons.”

“No,” she breathed.

He continued like she hadn’t said a word. “I hadn’t seen it in that way before. But it was a brilliant move by Nyx’s children. The dark knows what is needed before the rest of us.”

She was spiraling. I could see it in the wild look in her eyes as she searched for the nearest exit. As soon as she ran, I followed. She burst out into the open air, her legs beating the ground as she fled. I wouldn’t have caught her if she hadn’t tripped on a jagged rock.

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