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February 24, 2008

“ W hy we coming to an old stupid club, akri? The Simi wants to shop.”

Without a word of response, akri led Simi and Xirena toward the building at the corner of the block. It looked like all the other buildings in New Orleans … basically.

“Well, Simi, it’s a special club.”

“Special how?” Xirena asked irritably. Like Simi, she wanted to shop and eats. “Is there food there?”

That was why she loved her sissy. She thought just like Simi did. Belly first.

Akri nodded. “Pretty sure it does since the name of it is Club Charonte.”

Stunned, Simi stopped in the middle of the sidewalk to gape. “Did akri buy his Simi a club?”

“No, I didn’t.”

Well, that didn’t make sense. “Then how did it get named that?”

“You’ll see.” Akri gently tugged her forward.

Simi and her sissy picked up their pace as they neared the club that wasn’t open for business at this time of night. Also weird that akri would bring her here before it opened.

A screaming pink neon sign flashed Club Charonte over the door.

Akri used his powers to unlock the door before he led them inside. The moment he did, Xirena let out an ear-piercing shriek. “Xedrix!” She ran across the room to tackle a tall dark-haired man to the floor.

When she did, he changed to a swirling blue-skinned Charonte for a few seconds before he turned human again.

Could it be? Was it possible?

No …

Still not sure, Simi scowled. “Is that the Simi’s Xedrix, akri?”

He nodded with a smile. “Yes, Simkey, it’s your brother.”

Simi bit her lip but was more cautious as she went toward her siblings. She didn’t know really what to think. Her brother looked so different than how she remembered his human form. Not that she’d seen it often. It was a game they’d played when she was little. One that was supposed to teach her how to hide among the humans who were afraid of them.

Xedrix was trying to push Xirena off, but the moment he saw Simi, he froze.

“Xiamara?” he breathed.

Tears filled her eyes. “Rik-rik?”

His human body changed immediately back to his demon form as he shot out from under Xirena to pull Simi against his chest and hug her tight. “You’re alive! I can’t believe it. I thought for sure that you were long gone.”

Simi wrapped her arms around him and squealed. “Rik-rik! I’ve missed you so much.”

Tears flowed down her cheeks as her brother rocked her like he used to. “What are you doing here, Rik-rik?”

“We broke free from Kalosis and the portal closed before we could go home. We’re trapped here with the humans.”

Laughing, Simi looked at her akri and smiled. She could tell he made the other Charonte demons in the bar nervous, including her Rik-rik. Since they were servants of the Atlantean gods, and Apollymi in particular, it made them servants to akri as well.

“Akri won’t hurt you, big bro. He a good god.”

Xedrix was still suspicious. He leaned down to whisper in her ear, “You know the Atlantean gods still own us, right?”

Technically, maybe. But akri wasn’t like that. “Poo! Akri would never do that, especially not to us.”

“She’s right, Xedrix. I didn’t believe her at first, either. But akri is a good akri. I’ve been very happy living with them.”

Still looking uncertain, Xedrix held her hand. “Come … both of you. You have to meet my wife.”

Simi gasped. “You gots married? No!”

Nodding, Xedrix took them to a tiny blond demon who was beautiful and very obviously pregnant.

“And a baby!” Simi was excited excepting for one thing that caused her to draw up short. “You know she not a Charonte, right?”

Xedrix laughed. “Yes. I know. She’s a Dimme demon. She came here for protection, and I’ve been in love with her ever since.”

That made Simi’s heart soar. Her brother had love in his heart and a little baby to come out soon. “Now we need to find a good mate for our sissy.”

The way Xirena was looking at the other male Charonte, Simi could tell her sissy didn’t need much encouragement. She looked like she might already have one or two in mind.

Xirena leaned in to whisper to Simi, “We’ll find you a suitable one too.”

As Simi looked over them, she realized that she wasn’t attracted to them. They was okies, but they didn’t make her heart speed up the way akri-Thorn did whenever he came to check on her.

Or yell at her.

What is wrong with me? How could she enjoy someone yelling at her? Maybe ‘cause he’d been so adorably frustrated when he did so.

No. There was something wrong with her.

She needed more food and barbecue or hot sauce.

Something definitely wasn’t right. No one liked to be yelled at.

And she had hated being the only Charonte. Now she wasn’t. She had plenty of them in this club, and while she was happy she’d get to speak to them about demon things and practice even more Charonte talking, she would rather visit with Thorn in his dark, dismal castle.

That would be stupid though. Especially after what akri had done to Nick …

Akri would kill Thorny. Beat himself senseless if he had any idea Simi liked her god-demon.

No, she could never chance it. Besides, Thorny treated her the same way akri did.

The Simi was hands-off.

And that just made her feel all the more isolated and lonely.