“If it all returns to the way it was, it won't matter,” Arach pointed out. “I'm okay with you not telling Thor.”
“And I've already told you zat I understand. I've vaited years for you, Tima,” Kirill said softly. “I can vait a little longer. Ve don't have to tell Zor.”
“We all have waited for her, Lion; most of us far longer than you,” Arach said to Kirill before looking back at me. “Have you reconnected with Trevor, Odin, and Azrael yet?”
“Only Odin,” I whispered as memories of more men unfolded in my mind. “I know about Trevor, and I remembered Re this morning, but Azrael? That one's new to me.”
“Trevor, Odin, Kirill, Azrael, and I are your husbands, Re and you are engaged, and Toby is your consort,” Arach explained and then sighed. “It's not easy to love you, Vervain, but it's far easier than not loving you.”
“I don't care who I have to share you vith,” Kirill said as he stared down at me. “As long as you keep looking at me like zis.”
The image of Kirill holding a little girl overwhelmed me suddenly, and I stumbled. The men caught me, but my eyes were only for Kirill.
“Lesya,” I whispered to him.
Kirill gaped at me as his eyes went distant, and then tears started to trickle down his cheeks. I let go of Arach so I could hold Kirill, and we mourned the loss of our daughter together. Halfway through it, I held my arm out to Arach, and my dragon wrapped himself around me from behind and laid his face in the crook of my neck.
“We will get our children back,” Arach whispered against my skin. “And we will kill those who tried to take them from us.”
“Da; I vill cherish zeir screams,” Kirill declared.
Chapter Nineteen
Faerie reminded us that in this timeline, time hadn't caught up between the realms and there was a distinct difference. For every day spent in Faerie, a month went by on Earth. That meant that each hour I spent there was a little over a day for Thor. I hadn't been in Faerie that long yet, but I still needed to speak to the Intare. And then Faerie pointed out that she had pulled me through the wards to enter Faerie and it would take far too long to remove the barrier enough for large numbers of faeries to travel through. Arach had to trace back with me right then, without the Wild Hunt, if he wanted to go.
He wanted to go.
So, the three of us traced to Bilskinir, and this time we used the proper chant. We left Faerie behind in her realm, but Alaric was in the God Realm to welcome me back.
Your husband is about to lose his damn mind, Alaric said by way of greeting.
“Yeah; just wait until he meets my faerie husband,” I muttered.
You're not telling Thor about Arach, are you? Al asked with horror.
“No; but I have to explain Arach's presence somehow,” I said.
Go with as much truth as Thor can accept, and leave out the rest.
“That's actually a good suggestion,” I agreed.
“Now, who are you speaking to?” Kirill looked worried.
“Alaric,” I said. “He's the Consciousness of the Void.”
“Void?” Kirill asked.
“It will come back to you later,” Arach said. “Just know that our wife is not crazy.”
“Our vife,” Kirill said with an amazed expression. “Zis is so strange and yet it feels right. I'm a husband and a father; it's more zan I could have hoped for.”
“Indeed.” Arach nodded. “For me as well, Lion.”
“Vervain!” Thor spotted me as I strode by the library with the guys. He came running out and swept me up into a hug. “Where have you been? And who is this now? You swore that you were going straight there and back.”
Arach and Kirill shared a dark look.
“I never made it to Pride Palace,” I started the story.
I told Thor about how I'd misspoken and wound up in Faerie. I explained how Arach had been there, and how time was different, so even though I'd only been in Faerie around twenty minutes, it had been hours for him. The more I spoke, the more round Thor's eyes became until they were nearly circular.
“Are you playing a joke on me?” Thor asked. “The Fey withdrew centuries ago; there's no way into their realm.”
“Nyet,” Kirill answered for me. “Ve really did go to Faerie Realm. He is Fire King.” He waved his hand at Arach.
“I recognized your wife at once,” Arach took over. “She is the last female dragon-sidhe in existence. When she told me of your pending battle, I offered my assistance.”
“Dragon-sidhe?” Thor whispered as he stared at me in horror.
“Sit down, honey,” I said gently as I guided Thor back into the library. “I know it's a lot. Just take a few minutes to process.”
“You're not a dragon, Vervain,” Thor protested as he sat.
“I'm sorry, Thor,” I said. “It's a long story, and I don't think you can handle hearing it right now, but I am part dragon-sidhe.”
“And so this man”—Thor waved a hand at Arach—“he's willing to help us because he's a dragon too?”
“Exactly,” Arach said. “Unfortunately, I was unable to bring the Wild Hunt with me, and I don't believe that Vervain is ready to shift yet, but one dragon is an army unto himself.”
“I'd imagine so,” Thor whispered as he looked back at me. “Is this something to do with that time god and all of those visions?”
“I think so, but it's going to be all right, Thor,” I said as I hugged him. “Everything will be fine; we'll figure it out.”
“I want to believe that,” Thor said urgently. “But
