Page 28 of Gambling with Time

Lex launched out of his seat as soon as he caught sight of me, startling the other three, and Cerberus growled low in his throats.

“What happened?”

“Rai needs help–” I gasped. Then I turned on my heel and ran back the way I had come, knowing they would follow.

He was still out when I entered the room, and I pressed my hand over his heart, searching for his breathing again.

“Is he unconscious?” Alastor asked.

“I tried using the charm on him. I felt the magic, but then it knocked him out.”

“How long has it been?” Lex asked. His hand rested on my lower back, and I leaned into his warmth.

“Ten minutes,” I replied.

“He has brain activity. I can’t reach him, but I can sense it,” Bellamy added. His tail flicked out behind him. “It almost feels like dreaming.”

“Could Sleep–?” Alastor trailed off without finishing his sentence.

“My sister already did her damage with her part in the prophecy, so I don’t think so. But her son might be curious.” Lex glanced over at him.

“Morpheus?” Alastor leaned against the bedpost, crossing his arms.

“Possibly.”

“How do we wake him up?” I asked.

“The only thing we can do is wait.” My gaze found Bellamy, and he didn’t look any happier with the thought than I did. It felt as though the air was sucked from the room. If he died…

No, I can’t think like that. He will live, and even if he never gets his memories back, at least he will be breathing. Unconsciously, my hand rested over my stomach as I sat on the edge of the bed.

Cerberus shoved his middle head into my hand, nudging me and sniffing loudly. When I lifted my hand to pet him, he shoved deeper into my stomach. Laughing awkwardly, I scooted back as Alastor chastised the pup for getting too friendly.

Bellamy’s crimson stare bored into mine when I lifted my eyes. He knew what that was about. We would need to have a talk soon. But right now, I just needed to make sure Raiden was okay. I shifted on the comforter and wrapped my fingers around Rai’s fingers. The slight squeeze of his reassured me in a way nothing else had.

Then he shot straight up in bed, knocking into me in the process. His breaths were ragged as if he had run a mile in his sleep. He blinked, unseeing around the room, before his eyes landed back on me.

“What happened?” he croaked.

“It didn’t work.”

“I think I saw the future. It was an old playground, and I walked to a house that I think was yours and Tyler’s. Everything was destroyed. Then a God appeared. He said something about the prophecy being broken. The battle ravaged earth, there was no one around.”

My breath froze in my lungs as I cast my gaze around at the guys. The only one not remembering was Rai, did that mean if he didn’t get his memories back we were doomed?

“Was it Morpheus?” Lex asked tightly, a fury I’d never heard tinged his tone. Rai nodded his confirmation, and Lex swore. “I need to pay a visit to my dear nephew.”

“Isn’t he like from the beginning of time?” Bellamy shifted on his feet. “Does he call you Uncle Lex?”

Alastor snorted, and Bellamy grinned. Lex caught on to the teasing and laughed with them, some of the anger evaporating with it. It was good to see them joking with each other and getting along. I had thought that was lost forever. If we got that back, we could still get Rai his memories too.

“He said that the key to unlocking my mind was closer than I thought,” Rai added, ignoring the others' banter.

“The charm won’t work?” I asked. Hope melted away like a transient cloud, dissipating under the scorching heat of the sun. My stomach flipped unpleasantly, and I pulled my fingers from his.

“I don’t think so, but something else will. He said he shouldn’t have helped me that much. It felt like he wanted me to get my memories back, because his existence hangs in the balance as well.”

Could that be true? I met Lex’s gaze, and he lifted his shoulders to the unasked question.

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