“Why would that change?”
Nashira moved forward. “Because one of the possibilities in the new timeline is that you could go to prison for murder in retaliation for being shot and then mugged by them.”
Takeshi nodded. “She’s right.” He pointed out the lines that intersected. “See how things build on each other. That’s cause and effect. As you change something, it goes into a different direction and splinters off. This is now a new possibility that wasn’t here before.”
Nick was slowly beginning to understand. “Like in the Eye of Ananke.”
Takeshi stared at him. “What do you know of that?”
“I had it. Caleb took it from me like an irate parent, slapped my hand, and told me not to touch it again or he’d slap my face next time.”
“Good! You don’t need to play with that. It’ll only mess you up.”
And boy had it. His head hadn’t been right since. Though to hear most tell it, his head had never been right.
Some days, he agreed.
More green began to flash. “What’s going on now?”
Takeshi laughed nervously. “Honestly? I’m not sure you want me to answer.”
That didn’t help his would-be ulcer any. “Ambrose told me to use the Eye to reset what I’d done. To go back to the beginning and not mess up anything else.”
“Yeah, but you’re not listening, Nick. It’s not whatyoudid. Someone else is tampering with your timeline. This isn’t about whatyou’redoing. It’s what they’reundoing.”
“Dude, you’re seriously freaking me out.”
“You need to be freaked out. This is bad. Everything is unraveling and you’re walking a tightrope.”
“Not helping!” Nick’s only saving grace was that Kody wasn’t here to hear the unmasculine whine in his voice. That was the last thing he wanted.
Or worse, for Caleb to hear it.
“You’re misreading this.”
They both turned to stare at Nashira.
“Pardon?”
She stepped forward. “Look at it, Neo. Carefully.” With a delicate grace, she moved her hands over the lines as if playing some kind of instrument. As she did so, the lights shimmered and danced, then cleared.
Takeshi gaped. “She’s right.”
“I’m lost again.”
He shook his head. “No, Nick. You’re found. Just close your eyes. Count to three. And open them.”
“Yeah, right. I wasn’t born yesterday! Last time I did that, I got sucker-punched.” His past had given him severe trust issues. He didn’t blindly close his eyes for anyone. Not even to make a wish on his birthday cake.
Simi tsked at him. “You can trust them, silly boy-demon! Just doos what he says!”
Not sure about that, Nick growled and forced himself to do it. But it made every hair on the back of his neck stand up in protest.
Trust was not in him. With or without the Malachai blood.
Sheez!
Yet the moment he began to relax, he started to understand what they’d been trying to tell him.
