“I love you so much.” I kissed Brevyn and then Rian. “Both of you.” I lifted my face to Arach to kiss him. “All of you.”
Dexter whined, and I bent down to hug him tightly.
“I won't forget you either, Dex,” I promised before I stood and backed away from them. “I'll be right back,” I said with forced gaiety.
“If you aren't, we'll know to prepare for the worst,” Arach said grimly.
My stomach clenched as I realized that he was right. Normally, I'd be back immediately. So, Arach would know, in mere moments, whether history would be changed. And if it did change, he'd have to comfort our boys without me; knowing that they could disappear at any second, and when they did, he'd forget that they ever existed.
“I'm so sorry that I can't stay,” I whispered.
“I'm sorry that I can't fight this with you.” Arach's jaw clenched, and he swallowed visibly. “I have never felt as helpless as I do right now.”
“I'll make it right,” I promised. “No matter what happens, I will make sure that our family is safe.”
“I know you will, A Thaisce,” Arach said gently. “It's the reason I can let you go.”
I smiled softly at him, our boys, Dexter, and even Blossom in her pot by the window; keeping that image of them with me as I returned to the God Realm. I reappeared in my bedroom; relieved that I had chosen to leave from there. Because as soon as I reformed, I started to cry.
It was silly; I know. Nothing had happened yet, but the mere prospect was so crippling. In fact, part of me started to suspect that Macaria had told me all of it just to bring about this panic; that Nyx wasn't working with a time god at all, but the deadly, mother-daughter duo had concocted this ruse just to torture us. I took a deep breath as I considered this theory. It was totally plausible, but I couldn't function under the premise. I had to do everything I could to protect this timeline.
“Tima?” Kirill laid his hand on my head. “Vervain, it vill be all right. Ve'll figure it out.”
I turned and settled in against Kirill, and he wrapped me into a tight embrace. I sobbed against his chest as he held me. There had been times when I had wished for a different life; when I complained about the hardships or the complications of the way I lived. But now, I was terrified that they might be taken away. Because with those traumas had come treasures; people and experiences that were worth any amount of pain or problems.
But crying wasn't going to help.
I sniffed, wiped at my face, and looked up at Kirill. “Arach and I did a blood spell to ensure that our souls recognized each other.”
“You did?” Kirill blinked in surprise and then in revelation. “And ve have already done such a spell.”
“Yeah; our Blood to Heart.” I nodded. “That can't be undone; no matter what happens to time. Faerie told me that time refashioned is different than an original timeline; certain things can't be undone.”
“Even vithout our bond, I know ve vould find each other,” he said with a peaceful smile. “Ve are meant to be, Vervain. Zere is no other future for me zat makes sense. You make my life real; vithout you, zere is no me.”
“I can't live without you either,” I whispered. “So, we had better make sure that we find this time god and...”
“Vervain?”
A cold shiver was creeping over my body and with it came a thick darkness.
“Kirill!” I grasped at him in terror, and his eyes widened.
“I love you, Vervain,” he said urgently. “I love you; hold onto that.”
Kirill pulled me in tightly to his chest, and we gripped each other as if someone were trying to tear us apart. Which is exactly what was happening. Despite the strength of our love and our arms, the dark consumed us, and we were lost to it.
Chapter Six
I sighed and stretched awake; the salt breeze reviving me. Sun streaked in through the open balcony along with the ocean air, but it didn't reach the massive bed that I shared with my husband. I rolled over with a satisfied smile and ran my hand over the expanse of his hard stomach; scrunching my fingers in the sprinkling of hair there. He moaned softly awake, but when my hand wandered lower, he inhaled sharply as his arms tightened around me.
“Good morning,” he rumbled with a sleep-roughened voice.
“Good morning.” I gave him a quick kiss and then continued my kisses down his chiseled jaw.
His hands threaded through my hair as I made my way down his chest—pausing to flick my tongue over his hard nipple—and then over his belly. I settled under the covers—between his thighs—and took him in my mouth; taking care not to nick him with my teeth.
When he was writhing in rapture, I flung back the blankets and straddled him; sliding him into me with a satisfied moan. I began a rapid pace; my hands braced on his massive chest as his went to my breasts. The sun caught the red tones in his pale hair and turned him into a fiery angel. I frowned and blinked; an angel? Where had that come from?
