Arach blinked. “You've been to the Water Kingdom?”
“I've been to all the elemental kingdoms,” I said, remembering what my Arach had said about this time. “Faerie is a peaceful place now. We're friends with the new King of Water. Actually, we're friends with all the monarchs, but especially, the Water King and . . .” Nope, I could not mention Darkness. “Anyway, he even showed us the well.”
Arach went still. “The what?”
“The well, Arach.” I rolled my eyes. “The Well of Water.”
“He showed us the Well of Water? Where is it?” he asked anxiously.
I paused. “Why?”
He tried to sprawl casually. “I am merely curious.”
“Brussels sprouts!” I pointed at him.
“Excuse me?”
“Sorry. We try to curb our cursing around the kids.”
“Kids?” Arach straightened again. “We have children?”
“Oh, fuck,” I muttered, determinedly cursing. “I don't think I should talk to you about the future anymore.”
“Why not?”
“Because you could fuck it up!” I pointed at him. “You already know too much. You'll probably treat me differently the next time you see me. Which is supposed to be the first time we meet. Damn it all!” I sat back. “I'm screwing things up. Who knows what I'll return to? If I ever return.”
Dread unfurled in my belly at the thought of never going back to my time. To never see my babies again. My husbands. Would everything change if I stayed in the past? No. No, it couldn't. It hadn't happened yet, but it had. Ugh! I had no idea. This is why the ring was made so you couldn't change the past. But there I was, screwing it up with a loophole.
“Are you crying?” Arach asked in horror.
“No,” I said. Then, “I may lose everything. You could lose everything.Threerealms could alter in terrible ways! Crying is understandable.”
He held up his hands in surrender. “By all means.”
No offer of comfort. Arach just sat back in his chair and let me do my thing. This was so not my Arach. But then, I worked hard on this Arach to make him into mine. Looked as if I'd have to do it all over again. But that was a little difficult since I'd spent part of that time not knowing who I was. And now, Arach didn't know who I was.
At least I wasn't chained. That was progress.
I didn't want to fight with Arach. I loved him. And I needed his help to get back to him and our children. I could leave Aithinne, go to the Castle of Eight, and speak to King Cian about my father's ring without Arach, but then I would also have to get Cian to remove the ring as I used it and vow to not mention it to me when we met again. I'd have to go through the same song and dance with him that I had with Arach, without Arach to back me up, and I didn't know Cian well enough to anticipate his response. So, I had to stick with Arach, but I had to do something to shake him up. You know, beyond showing up and claiming to be from the future.
So, I asked, “Are you still sleeping with Rivella?”
Arach flinched, then leaned forward. “No.”
“Then she's left the Fire Kingdom? Has Rory taken the Earth throne yet?”
“By the flame, this is unsettling. King Rory has just won the Crown Tourney. The celebration feast is tonight. How could you know that?”
“The future,” I waved at myself as I spoke in my duh tone. “How was the tourney? The one we went to took forever.”
“We attended a Crown Tourney inEarth?”
“Damn it! I shouldn't have said that. I'm turning in to Hagrid.”
“Who?”
I waved his question away. “Look, Arach, either I'm crazy, I'm conning you, or I'm exactly who I say I am.”
