“I could stop Rivella's murder.”
And alter the course of history,Alaric said.Listen to your husband, Vervain. If you stop Rivella's murder, Aalish will never become queen. She will never become your adversary. So many things will change with that.
Arach will never receive the Earth Kingdom's ring either,Faerie said. You must find solace in the fact that Rory and Rivella had thousands of years of happiness together. Their love became legend. Humans are lucky to get the tiniest fraction of what they had. And now, Rory and Rivella are both back in the source of their elements. They know no pain or loss. They are at peace. Be at peace with them.
Staring at Arach's anxious face, I sighed. “All right. I won't go back.”
Arach let out a sigh much deeper than mine. “Thank you, A Thaisce.”
“You and our family are more important.” I went into his arms.
Arach folded himself around me. “I damn well better be after waiting over fifteen thousand years for you. Fifteen. Thousand. Years.” He shook his head. “I'm glad you didn't tell me how long I would have to wait.”
“I wish it hadn't been so long.”
Arach looked at me. Lifted his brows.
“What?” I asked.
“That's all I get?”
“Oh! I see. You want to be rewarded for something you had to do, didn't know you were doing, and have already done.”
“Yes.”
I snorted. “Even after I got stuck back there because of you?”
“It wasn't because of me. You were careless in your speech.”
“I'm always careless in my speech, but I've never . . .” I trailed off.
“Vervain?” Arach prompted.
“The ring has never taken me through time without me specifically requesting it and focusing on my destination.”
“What are you saying? Do you think someone orchestrated this?”
“I don't know. Maybe.”
“Who?”
Who indeed,Faerie mused.
“What do you know?” Arach demanded.
Nothing about that,Faerie sounded annoyed.But we have sensed another force influencing Vervain's life before.
“I forgot about that,” I murmured. “Do you think this force had something to do with my trip back in time?”
Perhaps,Al said.Faerie and I will search for it.
I couldn't help but say, “May the force be with you.”
Silence.
“Oh, come on, that was funny,” I said.
Nothing
