Page 19 of Gambling with Time

But regrets had never gotten me anywhere. I pushed them away as I stepped into the room.

It was two stories. A spiral staircase led up to a second level, that was little more than a balcony of sorts that circled the room. The ceiling was painted glass, a scene of a single dragon with his tail wrapped protectively around a fierce-looking woman. Her long blonde hair lifted with the whipping wind. Her features were undefined, but something about it called to me.

I climbed the stairs to get closer, so I could see it clearer. Leaning on the iron railing, I gazed up at it, studying each fine detail.

“The prophecy,” Baldwin, the older sentinel, said from the ground floor. I gasped in surprise as I looked down. He was settled in a large high-backed chair, a glass of liquor in his hand. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“I didn’t mean to disturb you. I can go.” I moved toward the staircase. The older dragon had been tolerant of me the last time I was here, but I was pretty sure he didn’t like me.

“Have a drink with me.” He swirled the amber liquid in the tumbler.

At glacial speed, I returned to the main floor. I wasn’t one for avoiding uncomfortable conversations, but I wasn’t sure what he’d want to say to me in the first place.

Lowering into the seat across from him, I perched on the edge, ready to spring to my feet and go.

As he uncorked the tall bottle, a delicate melody of glass meeting glass resonated through the air. With a practiced hand, the amber liquid cascaded smoothly into the awaiting tumbler, releasing a gentle aroma that enveloped the room. His movements reminded me of Lex, and my heart gave a slight pang. Raising the drink in a gesture of offering, he extended it toward me, the golden hues of the beverage catching the soft glow of the room’s ambient light.

It would all be…cozy. If it weren’t the old dragon sitting across from me. All that would need to be added would be a roaring fire in the fireplace.

He leaned back in his seat and watched me. “I knew it was you the second you arrived.” His gaze lifted to the painted glass cresting the room.

“How?”

He chuckled low. “There were a few clues. The fledgling King's protectiveness of you. Nyx’s favorite son, the demon prince, and the son of Hades were all in tow. Then there was you–”

I held my breath as I waited for him to add more.

“The slip of a girl that put herself into the line of danger to stop the fighting that would have happened. It was courageous. After I was past my anger at the actions of the last demon hunter that entered our halls, I saw you for what you were. Our future.”

My breath punched out of me in a whoosh. I wasn’t sure what I expected, but I didn’t think the grumpy dragon would basically say he accepted me.

“But now our memories,” I said.

He nodded. “That does throw a wrench into the situation. Had I known why he wanted the ruby…no matter, spilt milk.” With a tilt of his wrist, he downed his drink, and I dropped my eyes to my still-full glass. When he set his empty tumbler to the side, I held mine out in offer. I wouldn’t actually drink it. His fingers closed around it, brushing mine, his mouth tilted in a half smile. “You will be a good Queen.”

At that moment I felt like I was the one that had drank too much as I sputtered, “What?”

His attention focused above us again, and it was then I noticed the small crown on the girl's head. Silver and intricate, with vines and flowers, a bit of each of my guys in the design. The hue of silver dragon scales along the base, beautiful moonlight flowers connected by the vines, a darker almost shadowed power clung to it, while miniature horns came off the sides. My fingers itched to touch it, even though it was nothing but a stained glass painting on the ceiling.

“Queen of the dragons, demons, and Underworld. Are you ready?”

“I think getting everyone’s memories back is the main thing we should focus on right now. Your King has no clue who I am.”

“But his dragon does. I see the fire in the depths of his eyes.” He took a sip of the amber liquid and licked his lips. “He will remember.”

“How?”

“In the treasure room, there is a necklace. Find it. It holds magic with the ability to merge minds. The necklace was in a set of three, but alas, only one remains.” He paused and drew in a deep breath. “You will only need one for your remaining mates. It has a flower as a charm, similar to the one on that crown. Once you have it, hold it in your hand and think of Raiden or Lex, asleep or awake, and it will pull their consciousness to you. Mind walking is a strong power, and it could unlock the suppressed memories within his head.”

“Isn’t that an invasion of someone’s free will?”

“Do you not think Raiden will be happy to have his memories returned?” He finished off my drink and set the empty tumbler next to the other. He stood and gave me a half bow. “The decision is up to you, of course.”

He didn’t wait for me to respond before he was out of the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I gazed up at the beautiful glass, trying to see what he did. Was that supposed to be me? Was I really meant to rule by the side of my guys? As many times as I’ve heard the suggestion in different ways, I had never taken it to heart.

None of it would matter either way if I couldn’t help Raiden and Lex. With a sigh, I pushed from the chair and headed for the treasure room. I knew the necklace he mentioned. It caught my attention while we searched for the ruby.

The stone floor was cool on my bare feet as I silently moved through the halls. How had I learned to navigate them? I still remembered the first day we arrived here last time and feeling so lost in the large winding halls. Now it felt like second nature for my legs to carry me to the room I needed. The large double doors were closed, the protection spells in place. They could only be opened by a royal.

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