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S imi lay in her room with her feet propped up along the wall. She was watching shadows play across the ceiling when she heard Xirena cry out.

It was an awful, terrible sound. Like her sissy’s entire heart had been shredded. The only other time she’d ever heard such a horrible sound was when akra-Apollymi had cut her baby boy from her own belly and handed it off to another goddess to be taken to the human world so that the Atlantean gods wouldn’t kill her baby boy.

Worried that her sister had cut out a baby, too, she quickly rolled over and flew to Xirena.

Only Xirena wasn’t the only one crying. Xedrix cried, too. Just as hard, but in silence.

Xedrix never cried. Not for any reason. Xirena said he hadn’t even cried when their pappas died.

“What’s wrong?” Simi asked, approaching them slowly in the air. “You gots aches in your hearts? Why?”

Xirena cried even harder. “I can’t tell her, Xed. I can’t.”

Xedrix grabbed Simi out of midair and held her so tight against his chest that it hurt. Her wings were crimped against his muscled chest.

“Simi can’t breathe!”

He only loosened his hold slightly. “Our mother’s dead, Simi,” he whispered in her ear.

Those words hit Simi harder than one of her sissy’s blows as she tried to understand them.

Matera dead? No.

No!

It was a lie. It had to be. Their father had died long ago.

Not their mother. They were confused.

Matera wasn’t dead. She wasn’t allowed to be. Not when Simi needed her.

Akra-Apollymi needed her, too.

Unable to believe them, she teleported from his arms, into akra-Apollymi’s garden. Sitting on the edge of her dark fountain, the goddess was crying even harder than her brother and sister were.

No. No. No …

No!

“Akra?” Simi asked as tears blinded her. “Where’s my matera?”

The goddess pulled her into her arms just like Xedrix had done. “I’m so sorry, Simi. I wasn’t able to protect her. I never meant for this to happen. It wasn’t supposed to be like this.”

Squeezing her eyes shut, Simi wailed at the loss of her mother. How could she be gone? How?

Why?

The Simi was alone with no matera. The very thought of it caused a scream to echo through her soul.

Akra-Apollymi brushed the dark curls back from her red and white face. “It’ll be okay, little one.”

“How? I have no matera to hugs me and takes care of her Simi. Simi can’t be alone. She a small simi. I need my matera!”

“You’ll have a new father.”

“The Simi don’t want no new father,” she wailed. “The Simi didn’t even know her old one. Simi wants her matera! Make her come back to life! You a goddess. Bring her back to me!”

“I wish I could, precious. But I don’t have those powers.”

“Then find them!”

Akra-Apollymi sniffed back her tears. “It doesn’t work like that, child.”

“Then I hate you! The Simi hates you! I’ll always hate you!” She left the goddess and returned home to where her brother and sister were hunting for her.

“The Simi wants to leave here!” she demanded, tugging at Xirena’s hand. “Take the Simi to her old house.”

Her sissy looked horrified. “I can’t, Simi. We’re not allowed to go there.”

Simi cried even harder. She didn’t want to be in the hell realm anymore. It was dark here.

Cold.

There was no matera to make it warm and homey. No more cuddles or kisses. How could her matera leave her like this? Didn’t she know the Simi loveded her and needed her? That her Simi was losted with no matera to keep her safest?

She didn’t want to be here with her Rik-rik and her sissy.

Covering her eyes, she screamed and screamed. But the pains wouldn’t stop. They just kept hurting her and making her heart ache so much that she couldn’t breathe.

Why was her mama dead?

Suddenly, she found herself back in front of akra-Apollymi who must have used her powers to drag Simi to her.

The goddess took Simi’s hands and pulled them from her eyes.

“Look at me, Simi.”

She didn’t want to. She hated the goddess who’d hurt her matera. Hated the world. But when she hiccupped, her eyes opened, and she saw the mean goddess who had taken her mother from her.

“Listen to me, Simi. The evil Greek gods killed your matera. I hate them as much as you do.”

She hiccupped again as those words chased through her mind. “The Greek gods?”

Akra-Apollymi nodded. “They are our enemies. Never forget that. And I have a favor to ask you.”

That made no sense. Akra-Apollymi was a goddess. What favor could a simi do for such a powerful goddess. “What?”

“I’m sending you to your akri. He will take care of you and love you just like your mother did. I need you to watch over and protect him. To love him as your family. Can you do that?”

How could she love someone she didn’t know? “I want my matera!”

The goddess ignored her. “He will be waiting in your old home, and he will need you. I promise, Simi. Your akri will take care of you. He will be a good father for you.”

Her breathing ragged, she looked up at the goddess. “The Simi can go home to her old house?”

“Yes. Back to Katateros. Would you like that?”

It was light there. Sunny. Unlike here where it was night all the time. Simi had been happy in Katateros with her family. Everything had been wonderful in the hall of the gods. Even most of the old gods had been nice to her.

And she wanted terribly to be happy again.

The Simi didn’t want to feel like this. She didn’t want to have the sadness in her heart or wetness on her cheeks. Simi missed smiling and laughing and playing chase through the old temples. “Please make the Simi happy, akra. Simi don’t like this aches in her bellies and heart.”

Akra-Apollymi cupped her cheek and nodded, then everything went dark.

Simi had no idea what was happening. Not until the light returned and she found herself inside a large room behind a huge throne made of stone.

She remembered this place from long ago. It was Archon’s throne …

Apollymi’s mean husband who used to scowl at the Simi and her matera. Only the Atlantean god wasn’t here to scowl at her now. The hall was eerily empty with no mean gods in it anywhere.

That made Simi afraid. Where had all the gods gone? Would they come back and hate her or chase her away?

She had no matera or sissy for protection and she was a little demon. Little demons could eats and fight, but that was nothing compared to what a big god could do.

Terrified, she tried to find a place to hide so that they wouldn’t pull her wings off.

All of a sudden, a huge shadow fell over her.

No! They’d found her before she could hide. Eyes wide in terror, she looked up to see …

Well, it wasn’t Archon and for that she was mighty thankful. Confuzzled, she stared up at the boy-man who towered over her with a curious frown. Extremely tall and handsome, he had long black hair and swirling silver eyes just like akra-Apollymi.

The Simi smiled, hoping he wouldn’t pull her wings off.

Not sure what else to do, she glanced to the huge staff he held. It was topped by Apollymi’s sun emblem that was pierced by three lightning bolts. That gave the Simi some more hope. “Are you Simi’s akri?”

Akri was the masculine term for ‘lord and master,’ though Simi and her family used it for akra even though she was more friend than someone who wanted to control them. She hoped her new akri was that kind of akri, and not the mean one.

His scowl deepened. “I’m no one’s akri.”

“Oh …” That didn’t help at all. She looked about for the one akra-Apollymi had sent her to find. If this wasn’t her akri, maybe her akri was lost, too. “But akra sent me here. She said my akri would be waiting. The Simi is confuzzled. I lost my mama and now the Simi needs her akri or else there won’t be anyone to take care of Simi.” Frustrated and afraid that she would be forever alone, she sat down and started crying again.

What if she never found her akri?

Was she stuck here? With no Rik-rik or sissy? She couldn’t imagine anything worse than being stuck in this place alone. Without anyone.

No. Simi needed her family!

The stranger laid down his staff so that he could pick her up. “Don’t cry. It’ll be all right. We’ll find your mother.”

That only made it worse! “Akra said the Simi’s matera is dead. Them evil Greek people kilded the Simi’s mama. Now the Simi needs her akri to love her.”

She didn’t have anyone else.

If he wasn’t her akri, she was alone in this world, too, and she didn’t know how to get back home to Kalosis.

He rocked her gently in his arms as akra-Apollymi’s shady ghosty form appeared beside them.

Simi stopped crying as she saw her there. “Akra, he says the Simi’s akri isn’t here.”

Akra-Apollymi smiled at them. “He is your akri, Simi.”

“What?” her akri asked in shocked surprise.

“Her mother, Xiamara, was your protector. Like you, Simi is all alone in the world with no one to care for her. She needs you, Apostolos.”

Now Simi understood. This was akra-Apollymi’s son that her brother and sister had talked about in whispers. The Atlantean god they’d tried to kill. Only he wasn’t a baby now. He was a growed up man.

“Bond with him, Simi, protect my son as your mother protected me.”

But she didn’t know how to protect anyone. She was only a small Simi.

And the boy god didn’t look happy about having her with him. “I don’t want a demon.”

Tears stung her eyes at those words. She had no one? Simi didn’t want to be here without someone.

“Would you cast her out alone in the world?” akra-Apollymi asked.

“No.”

“Then she’s yours.” And with that, akra-Apollymi vanished and left her with a god who stared at her as if he didn’t know what to do either.

And Simi definitely didn’t know what to do. She had no idea how to get back to her brother or sister.

So, she stared at her akri, then snuggled against him and laid her head on his shoulder. “I miss my mama, akri.”

“Where’s your father, Simi?”

That made her even sadder. All she knew about her father was whispered stories. And the warnings from her family that they weren’t supposed to talk about him. “He died before the Simi was born.”

Her words seemed to make her akri have hurts in his heart, too. “Then I will be your father.”

Her lip quivered with hope that she wouldn’t be all by herself in this place. “Really?”

Smiling at her, he nodded. “And I swear to you that you’ll never want for anything.”

“Then the Simi has the bestest akri-papa in alls the world.” She hugged him tightly. “Simi loves her akri.”

Wanting to show him just how much, she did what all Charonte did when they bonded to someone, she faded into a shadow and placed herself on his skin, just above his heart as a colorful dragon image. Because she liked dragons. They were strong and bright.

Here, she could reside for a time as a part of him. She could feel his emotions and the soothing beat of his heart.

He brushed his hand over her, and it made her laugh. More than that, it tickled. So, she moved up toward his collarbone so that she could rest in peace and let the sound of his heartbeat soothe her.

This was her father. She’d never had one before. Would her akri be as good as her matera?

Simi hoped so. Honestly? She was scared. The world had changed, and the Simi didn’t like change. But she would trust in akra-Apollymi.

Most of all, she would trust in her new akri.

“Ow!”

Simi stared at her akri as he pulled away from her on the ground where they’d been sleeping. She licked at the blood on her lips, wanting to taste more of his hand. It’d been surprisingly yummy.

His swirling eyes were filled with shock. “You’re not supposed to bite your father, Simi.”

“But the Simi’s hungry and akri was lying there all still and yummy looking.” She smiled at him, hoping he’d let her have at least a finger.

He moved even further away. “Um … let’s find you something else to eat.”

She pouted. “Now or later?”

“Yes. Now.”

Wiping away the blood with the back of her hand, she sighed. “Okies.”

“Hide your horns, Sim, and your wings. Humans won’t respond kindly if they see them.”

Akri always said that whenever they went around humans.

Especially given how many people were deads ’cause his mother had kilded them all over what the Greek god Apollo had done to her akri. She hated those Greek gods.

So did her akri.

They were mean and hateful. She hoped they all died one day, just as awfully as her mother had, especially Apollo.

And because the world was nothing like Simi remembered. They were in what akri called a Stone Age. All their technology and tools had been lost. And the island of Atlantis was no longer here. Akra-Apollymi had sent it to the bottom of the ocean when she’d found out what they did to her son.

All because the humans had hurt her akri. Personally, the Simi was glad akra-Apollymi had kilt them. It was only fair ’cause akri was a good Simi daddy.

Even now, he picked her up and carried her on his shoulders. It was why she made sure that she looked like his daughter. She just wished her eyes matched his. Sadly, she couldn’t make them swirl. The closest she could do was a light blue.

But that was okay. They was close enough.

And after a while, they came to a broken village that had been abandoned like so many others. Only a few buildings still stood and they weren’t fully intact. Whoever had lived here before the goddess’s tantrum had run off, but they’d also left some of their foods behind.

Akri set her down so that they could both look through the broken things to find her food.

“Hey, Simi. I have something for you to eat.”

She froze at a voice that seemed familiar. Oddly accented and deep. Her akri held her back from the stranger.

Simi didn’t know why. He seemed friendly enough with his tousled dark-hair and thick beard. His skin was a bit darker than most of the Greek people.

But akri was tense as he faced him. “Who are you?”

The man stepped around a fallen column to kneel before Simi. He set a basket down at her feet and uncovered loaves of bread, fish and cheese. “I know you’re hungry, sweet. Dig in.”`

Delighted at the banquet, Simi let out a squeal before she set on the food with a vengeance.

The man stood up and offered his arm to her akri. “My name is Savitar.”

Her akri hesitated before he finally shook Savitar’s arm. “How do you know Simi?”

One corner of his mouth lifted. “I know lots of things, Acheron. And I’ve come to help you learn your powers and to understand your simi demon. She’s too young still to be left to callous care, and the last thing I want is to see either one of you hurt because of it.”

“I would never hurt her.”

“I know, but the Charonte have special needs you must understand. Otherwise, she could die … as could you.”

“The Simi would never hurt her akri!”

Savitar laughed. “But you might take a finger or toe.”

She licked her lips as she remembered how yummy akri’s finger had been that morning. Savitar wasn’t wrong. If she got hungry enough, she mights take a finger. Maybe a toe, too. But right now, the bread and fish were much tastier.

Acheron scowled at Savitar. “Are you threatening me?”

Savitar laughed. “I never threaten. I just kill whatever annoys me. Stand down, Atlantean. I’m here as your friend.”

And he was definitely the Simi’s friend. She loved her anyone what brunged her food.

Buts it was weird that the men didn’t speak while she ate. Akri picked through the rubble as if looking for something while Savitar sat near her, watching her eat.

Very strange, and yet not really. Akri didn’t talk much to anyone. He was always guarded around others who weren’t her. ’Course, that made sense given that the evil gods had tried to kill him.

And the evil Greek god, Apollo, had succeeded.

Which made Simi hurt most of all. While akri never spoke about it, she sometimes saw the handprint on his throat where that mean god had killst him.

Akri didn’t deserve it, and she wanted to make sure no one ever hurt or threatened her akri again. Akra-Apollymi was right. Akri was the bestest father anyone could have, especially a demon.

Simi burped, then giggled as she finished her food.

Laughing, Savitar stood and picked her up in his arms to carry her while he and akri walked through the crumbled streets that showed just how angry akra-Apollymi had been when they’d hurt her akri.

His human death had freed akra-Apollymi from her prison in Kalosis. The goddess had taken out all her fury over losing akri and Simi’s matera on the human world. Akra had almost eaten them nasty Greek gods, too, but Apollo’s sissy, Artemis, had tricked akri into coming back to life so that his mama would be trapped again and unable to kill the ones who’d hurt akri.

Simi wasn’t sure what she thought about the heifer goddess bringing back her akri. Other than she was glad she had her akri, even if he was sad lots of times because of it.

“She’s impressive, isn’t she?” Savitar asked.

Akri scowled at the question. “My mother or Simi?”

Savitar laughed. “Both, but I was speaking of your mother.”

With a deep sigh, akri looked around at the destruction his mother had wrought. “Yes, she is.”

She met akri’s sad stare. “The Simi’s seen akra make them Atlantean gods pee their dresses before.”

Akri arched a brow. “What?”

She nodded. “They was very scared of akra-Apollymi. When she gived the stone baby to Archon instead of my akri, that mean old god of war they had peed on himself. Goddess Akra Bet laughed about his doing it, though. She thought it funny ’cause she said they deserved it for wanting to hurt a baby.”

That made akri smile.

Until he suddenly stopped and looked at Savitar. “I can’t hear your thoughts.”

Savitar shifted her to his other side. “No, you can’t. And you never will. You’ll find that many of the higher beings of the universe will be silent to you. Some gods, demons, and other special creatures. We all have our secrets, but the comfort to you is that most won’t be able to hear your thoughts either.”

Like Simi. She never could hear akri’s thoughts. She could only feel his emotions.

“Can you hear my thoughts?” he asked Savitar.

“The answer you seek is no, but the truth is, I hear you, Acheron, and yes, I know all about your past.”

That made his heart hurt even more and Simi wanted to hugs him to make him feel better. “What of the others? Will they know my past, too?”

“Some will.” Savitar stroked her back while he carried her. “I don’t care about your past, Acheron. It’s your future that matters to me. I want to make sure that you have one and that you comprehend how important you are to the balance of power.”

Balance of power? Simi had never heard anyone talk about that before.

“I don’t understand,” akri said.

Neither did she.

“Apollo cursed his Apollite race.”

Akri nodded. “I know, and my mother killed them all.”

Savitar shook his head. “Many died when she destroyed Atlantis, but there are thousands of them who have spread over the Mediterranean and who live in many other countries now, including Apollo’s own son, Strykerius. All of them have been cursed to die on their twenty-seventh birthday. All of them.”

“Then how are they a problem? If they all die in a few years, they’ll be extinct.”

Savitar kissed Simi’s head before he started walking again. “They’re not going to die, Acheron. They will live and they will procreate many times over.”

“How?”

Savitar let out a long sigh before he answered. “Your mother will lead them and show them how to prey on human souls to circumvent Apollo’s curse.”

Simi’s eyes widened. Akra-Apollymi definitely liked her vengeance.

But akri seemed horrified. “I don’t understand. Why would she do such a thing?”

“Because the universe is complicated, and there’s a delicate balance in all things that must be maintained … and mostly because she’s angry, and it’s a way to get back at Apollo for what he did to you.”

Oh … now Simi understood.

Akri was aghast. “Yes, but if you know these people will die, can’t you stop her from teaching them?”

“I could. But it could unravel the very essence of the universe … and make her even angrier.” Holding her closer to his chest, Savitar picked up a random stone from the ground and held it in his hand. “Tell me what happens if I throw this with all my power.”

Simi scratched her cheek. Well, if it hit someone, it would hurt.

Her akri gasped. “It hits a soldier in his shoulder, wounding him and making his arm lame. It would force him to become a beggar.”

Savitar nodded before akri continued, “Eight score people will die because the soldier can no longer protect them in battles that wouldn’t even be fought for years to come. But out of those people who died …”

“It goes on and on and on,” Savitar said, interrupting him. “Do I throw the rock, or do I drop it? And a thousand lives are changed by one innocuous decision.” He let the rock fall to the ground.

Bored by their discussion, Simi laid her head down and closed her eyes while she listened to them talk.

“You and I, Acheron, are cursed to understand how the tiniest decision made by every being can go onward to affect the rest of the universe. I know what should happen … what needs to happen. And if I stop something as simple as a rock throw, it could cause catastrophic consequences. However, unlike you, I don’t see the future until after I make a decision and act. The moment I do something, I then see everything unfold from that point on. You are lucky. You will always see the future before you act.”

“But I didn’t see my sister’s death.”

“No. The Greek Fates, when they cursed you, blinded you to the fate of those closest to you. Anyone you care about will always be your blind spot.”

Simi bit her lip as she realized she would be her akri’s blind spot, too.

“That’s not right.”

“Well, kid, brace yourself. This one’s even worse. You also will never be able to see your own future or the future of anyone who seriously impacts your future.”

Ouch. That had to be terrible for her akri. She couldn’t imagine such a thing.

“Can you see it?” Acheron asked.

“It’s why I’m here.”

“Then tell me what you see.”

Savitar shook his head. “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. If you knew what was ahead of you, you’d avoid doing the very things you must do in order to have it unfold properly. One small innocuous decision and your destiny will be altered forever.”

That scared her.

“But you can see your future.”

“Only after I’ve set it into motion and can’t change it.”

Poor Savitar. Simi couldn’t imagine which one had it worse. Both seemed awful to her. She was glad she didn’t know the future at all.

Savitar clapped akri on the back. “I know how confusing it is for you to have all this power and knowledge and not know how to channel it. Or tap it.”

“It is hard.”

Savitar smiled. “That’s why the first thing I want to teach you is fighting.”

Didn’t akri already know that? Simi had learned that before she was born. At least that was what her brother told her whenever he was mad at her.

“Why fighting?”

Savitar laughed as they walked. “Because you’re going to need it. There’s a war coming, Acheron, and you have to be prepared for it.”

“What kind of war?”

Savitar didn’t answer as he lightly shook her. “Little one, I need you to return to your akri and stay on him while he fights. Don’t worry, though, it’s only pretend fighting. No need for you to come off him to protect him.”

Simi nodded sleepily before she obeyed. She drifted onto akri’s arm.

“Move up, Simi,” Savitar said to her. “Go to his neck where you won’t be hit.”

Good. The Simi didn’t like to be hit.

“Can she feel a blow when she’s on my skin?”

“Yes, she can. And if she’s stabbed while she’s there and it wounds you, it will wound her, too. Guard your demon, boy.”