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 Iampart 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 I feel as if our marriage is being threatened. Why do I feel like that, Vervain?”
“I will always love you, Thor,” I whispered. It was the truth—I knew it was—but truth can be so tricky. “Nothing can change that; not time, or darkness, or dragons. Once I give my heart, it's forever.”
Arach cleared his throat. “Perhaps we should gather our forces and head to Hell.”
Thor looked up at Arach and nodded. “The Squad is already back; we've just been waiting on Vervain to return with the Intare.”
“The Squad?” Kirill asked.
The bond of Blood to Heart had been strong enough to pull Odin and Kirill back to me, but it was clear that the spell Arach and I had cast was far superior at returning our memories along with our emotions. If we ever made it back to the right time, I'd have to cast more of those spells with my other men.
“The God Squad is what I call our friends who fight on behalf of the humans in the God War,” I explained. “The gods you met last night are in the Squad, but there's also Hades, who you'll meet soon. Nyx killed Hades' wife, Persephone, and we're going after Nyx to avenge Sephy.”
