Page 37 of Gambling with Time

I quickly stuffed the stick into the box and wrapped it in the plastic bag, before coming back out of the bathroom and shoving it into the wastebasket in the small kitchen. Adding a paper towel on top of it for good measure. The entire time, Bellamy watched me with a knowing look. A smile tilted his lips into a crooked smile.

“We will figure it out, love.”

I pressed my lips together and dropped into the chair next to him. “But first we save the world.”

“First we save the world,” he echoed. He laid his hand over mine and nodded.

A surge of frustration coursed through me as I grappled with the burden of the secret I held from them. It pained me, the knowledge that I couldn’t disclose the truth yet. Revealing it would only lead to their well-intentioned but suffocating protection, rendering me powerless and helpless in the upcoming battle that we needed to face together.

Slowly the rest of them woke. Lex and Alastor sat in the empty seats, with full bowls of cereal. When Raiden exited the bathroom, he joined us. With a single fluid move, he tugged my chair out and picked me up before settling me in his lap as he took my place. He nuzzled my neck affectionately, and it sent shivers of pleasure down my spine.

How mad would all of them be when they found out? Not too mad I hoped.

The conversation stayed on simple topics while they all finished off a box of sugary sweet Cocoa Pebbles. My appetite wasn’t what it should be, but if they noticed, they didn’t say a word. Once they were done eating, the topic got serious.

“The Leyak still doesn’t know we have our memories,” Lex said. He pushed his bowl away after setting it back to the table, some milk still clung to his mustache. “We can use that to get close.”

“Rai can bring me back to him, since he was sent to find me,” I suggested, and his fingers tightened on me. I felt his refusal brewing before he uttered a word. “It will work. If I come back with one of the others it won’t make sense. They can return before us. I just have to play along and get close to him.”

“I can’t let you put yourself in danger,” Rai said. He pulled me back into his lap firmly; if we didn’t have clothing on, we would be one person he was holding me so tight.

“I’m a demon hunter, Rai, and he is a demon.”

I ran my fingers over his tense hands, attempting to tangle them with his. He relented and let me. I toyed with his hand, running my thumb over his palm attempting to relax him.

“We will be there,” Bellamy added. “If things go bad, he has no hold over us. He won’t be able to control us like before.”

Rai breathed deeply and pressed his face into the nook of my neck. “If he makes one wrong move, I’ll end him,” he finally said. His lips moved against my skin, and I shivered.

* * *

Rai gripped my arm tightly as he walked us toward the pawn shop. My heart rate spiked as we approached. I licked my lips as a sudden bout of nerves hit me. I knew Lex and Bellamy were already there; they had left a while ago, so we could space it out.

Alastor was in the shadows watching the shop. Cerberus hadn’t wanted me to leave and had tugged on the back of my shirt, holding me in place until Alastor scolded him. Of course the hellhound knew what only Bellamy and I did, and he was probably just trying to protect me.

“The sun goes down in an hour. That leaves little time before he has his full power,” Rai said. His lips barely moved, and his voice was only slightly above a whisper.

“It will be okay, Rai.”

“Ready?” he breathed seconds before he pushed into the pawn shop. “I found the girl. She was lost in the streets.” He shoved me forward, playing his role to the tee.

I stumbled over my feet and growled at him over my shoulder. “I wasn’t lost. I was hunting,” I snarled.

“My dear, I thought we talked about this. You are to rule the demons, you can’t hunt them in the street.” The Leyak stepped forward, a satisfied smirk spread over his lips.

I narrowed my eyes at him, and it wasn’t an act this time. “I’m not your prize, demon.”

He chuckled as if I were an amusing pet. “Of course not. You are my Queen.”

My eyes strayed to Bellamy, who was lounging against the counter, his body draped over the surface and his tail moving slowly, reminding me of a cat sunning themselves lazily. Only I knew rage boiled inside of him because I could feel it through the link.

“I am your Queen,” I agreed, stepping forward. “Now kneel.”

A choked sound flowed from Bellamy, and the demon pinned him with a stare. “Do you have something to say, false prince?”

“You have chosen a fierce woman to lead the horde,” he replied lazily, his warm crimson eyes running over me, giving me strength. “She will keep us in line, don’t you think?”

“I want you to kneel, too, prince.” I eyed him, and something flashed in his depths before he leisurely sat up before hopping off of the glass counter.

---