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“ W hy is akri so sad, akri?”

He smiled as he adjusted the blanket around her while she was lying in bed with her legs propped up along the wall. Her wings were spread out and akri was careful not to hurt them.

“I just wish I had a better world for you, Sim. Most of all, I wish I could bring your mom back for you. I know you miss her.”

“Does akri miss his matera? Is that why you’re so saddest?”

Sighing, he took her hand and toyed with her fingers. She didn’t know why, but that always made her happy. His hand was huge compared to hers, but then she was just a small simi and he was a grownie man. “No. Unlike you, I didn’t have a mother to love me when I was little. The woman I thought was my mother was very cruel.”

Simi sat up so that she could crawl into akri’s lap. “The Simi is sorry, akri.”

He folded his arms around her and held her close. “It’s fine. I’m glad I have a mother now. I just wish I could really see her.”

“We’s can go see her. Just find an Apollite bolt hole, and we goes straight to her realm.”

He laughed. “That wouldn’t work out well for the humans.”

She snorted at the very thought. “Pfft! They’s dumb. What we care for them smelly things?”

He shifted so that he could hold her while he leaned against the wall. “I don’t know, Sim. They weren’t exactly nice to me, either. A part of me is just cruel enough to want to unleash my mother.”

“Then what’s stopping you, akri?”

“Ironically, you are.”

Simi moved her head so that she could look up at him. “The Simi? How come?”

He cupped her cheek in his warm, calloused hand. “You remind me of what I was like as a boy. Back when I had a brother. And it makes me hate the people I was around so much, because I will never understand how they could be so cruel to me and Styxx.”

Simi was aghast over something she never knew. “Akri have a brother?”

“Did. But things … no, people, came between us.” He let out a bitter laugh. “Then we came between each other.”

She didn’t quite understand what he was saying, only that it made him hurt deep in his heart. “Simi’s sorry, akri.”

Closing his eyes, he leaned his cheek against the top of her head. “When I see you, I think of all the other little children out there. I could never do to them what was done to us. Or allow them to be harmed. People should be protected.”

“Even by Simi?”

“Especially by my Simi. You’re very dear to this world, Sim. You are the only one standing between it and utter destruction.”

Her eyes widened. “Me? But I’s just a little Simi.”

“And it’s the little things that matter most. You keep me grounded and remind me of what’s important. As much as I love my mother, I will never help her destroy a world that brought you to me.”

Simi stood up in his lap so that she could hug her akri. Not just with her arms. She wrapped her wings and tail around him, too. “You’s the bestest akri any Simi could have!”

“And you’re the best daughter ever born. I will be forever grateful to your matera for being so kind to you and giving you a very special heart.”

Simi buried her face in his hair so that she could feel like she did when her matera held her. Only akri could make her heart feel the way it’d felt when her mama helds her.

Safe. Warm.

Special.

“The Simi will never leave her akri.”

“And I will never willingly leave you.”

She sat back down and spit on her palm, then held it up toward him. “Always!”

Laughing, he spit on his hand and shook hers. Then, he tucked her back in bed and left her room.

Simi knew he was exploring the gods’ temple. It was what akri always did while she slept.

Two weeks ago, they’d found the slumbering gods in the basement. That had made akri both mad and happy. Happy ’cause they were all gone, but mad that they’d cursed him for being born. That made her mad, too.

Even so, akri had been curious about the family he had been banished from.

So, one by one, she’d walked with him around the gods, telling him the names she knew. Some had been mean, and she didn’t have real names for those. Instead, she made them up. Poo-poo Bottom was her favorite. It’d even made akri laugh.

But it was the one goddess who made her heart hurt like akri’s.

Bet’anya. She had always been kind to the Simi. And just like akri, she had pain in her gold eyes that had always made Simi want to make the goddess feel better.

Sadly, the only thing that took the pain from her eyes was when the goddess had been pregnant.

While Simi understood the others being punished for their mean ways to akri, akra-Bet wasn’t like that.

She should have been allowed to be happy.

Akra-Apollymi had never asked Simi her opinion and there was nothing a baby Simi could do. But one day, she’d find a way to make akri smile all the time and forget about the Apollite people who’d been cursed by the god what had killed akri.

And the one thing that made him saddest of all. The fact that his own matera kept the Apollites safe and let them loose to eats the humans.

“The Simi don’t know why you did that, akra.” Not when it made akri so hurts.

To her surprise, akra-Apollymi appeared in her ghosty form next to Simi on her bed. “One day, you’ll understand, Simi. We all do things we wish we hadn’t done.”

“Akra is sorry she saved the Apollites?”

Shaking her head, Apollymi smiled. “No. I will never be sorry for saving the innocent victims Apollo and his pantheon condemned.”

That only confuzzled her, as it didn’t make much sense. “What about the innocent humans you kilted?”

“The Apollites didn’t hurt my son. Not the way the humans did. Nor did I trust Apostolos to the Apollites for them to take care of him when he was a boy.”

That made Simi’s heart pound funny in her chest. “What of the Simi? You trusted akri to Simi.”

“And you will always take care of him.”

Simi sputtered. “What if akri trips and skins his knee?”

She laughed. “That’s not what I mean. You would never cause him to be harmed, nor will you make his heart sad.”

“Oh no! The Simi would never do that.”

“Then he’s in perfect hands.” Akra-Apollymi rose. “Go to sleep, Simi. Dream of sweets.”

Simi did like her sweets. But now she wasn’t sleepy. Too many thoughts raced around her head as she watched the shadows play around her legs on the wall.

It was a scary world here. Far vastier than Kalosis was. Well, not here so much because they were in Katateros where the gods were gone and trapped.

The human world …

It was gigantus! Akri had taken her places she’d never seen before. Wide open places where no one lived. And lots of places where humans had yummy food to feed her.

In spite of all akri’s rules, she liked the human world. The Simi was just undecided about the humans themselves. Some were very kind and others … they needed manners and tenderer hearts.

In all the time with akri, she had yet to meet a human she wanted to be around for any length of time. And that was fine by Simi. She liked that it was just she and akri. Akri needed her and she needed akri. No one else was necessary.

“What are you doing here, Charonte?”

Simi blinked at the short … she wasn’t sure what he was. Well, part god. She knew that much. But he was something else, too, and she wasn’t sure what that other was. Not to mention, he smelled odd. Not bad. Just not right.

He was other .

Pursing her lips, she frowned at the handsome man with hazel gray-blue eyes and hair that was a peculiar shade of mixed browns. “The Simi fell into this place. It’s not anywhere, is it?”

“It’s in-between, and you shouldn’t be here.”

That caused her to frown. “In-between what?”

“Everything.”

Simi snorted. “What kind of answer is that?”

“An honest one.”

Maybe. And she was still curious about the odd god-not-god. Walking up to him in the dim, shadowy light, she sniffed at his leg.

He moved away from her. “What are you doing?”

“Trying to figure out what you are and why you’re here.”

That seemed to offend him. “I live here.”

“Why?” Simi asked.

He stared at her as if in complete disbelief that she’d ask such a simple question. “Again, Charonte, you don’t belong here. Where’s the one who’s responsible for you?”

“Akri asleep. He told Simi to stay in Katateros, but it boring when he’s tired. So Simi went into the shadows ’cause they seemed interesting and the Simi was hungry.”

A strange light darkened his eyes. “Katateros? As in the Atlantean realm of their gods?”

“Do you know Simi’s home?”

His cheek color paled. “Where Acheron lives?”

She grinned, flashing him her fangs. “My akri-daddy! You know him?”

He turned even paler. “Akri-daddy?”

She nodded. “He loves his Simi and his Simi loves him. You know my akri?”

“Yeah. Little bit. Why don’t we take you back to him?”

She pouted. “’Cause he’s sleeping and Simi’s hungry. Simi hates when she wakes him when he’s sleeping. He don’t do that much. It makes Simi all pouty and sad to make akri more tired.” She pursed her lips even more. “You got any eats, god-not-god?”

“Shadow. My name’s Shadow, and yes. I have food. Let’s get some and take you home before your akri wakes up.”

“Okies. Simi likes home. But can I ask you something akri-Shadow?”

“Sure.”

“Why you want to live here where it’s so dark and boring?”

He shrugged. “People leave me alone.”

“But don’t you get lonely?”

“Better lonely than abused or used.”

Simi had no understanding of his words. “What’s abused or used?”

He picked her up and held her in his arms. “You’re very lucky, Simi, that you have no idea what that means. They’re both terrible things that hurt and leave scars.”

“Is that why akri has aches in his heart?”

“Probably.”

She reached up to touch his handsome cheek. “And why you have aches in your eyes?”

“Definitely.”

“Then the Simi’s sorry you have that, akri-Shadow.” She laid her head on his shoulder. “You can come lives in our house. No one would hurt you there.”

He gave her a light squeeze as he smiled. “I don’t know, Simi. I have a feeling Acheron might harm me if I tried to live there. From what I know about him, he doesn’t like others any more than I do. Probably for the same reasons. I think it’s best that I return you to your home and then come back here to live.”

“But first we eats?”

“Of course.”

Simi didn’t say a word as akri-Shadow took her from the shadowy world she’d stumbled into out to the human one where there was always good things to eat. Like akri, he found a busy marketplace and bought her some of the grape leaves and rice, along with lamb and honey cakes that she really liked. For himself, he bought a jug of wine and set them at a table in a corner of the open market where they wouldn’t be disturbed.

She was just starting on her third helping when a shadow fell over them.

Shadow looked up and froze in place.

But she smiled as she saw akri standing over them, even if he was frowning and looking all kinds of mad and mean.

“What is this?” akri demanded.

“Food. Want some?” she asked even though she knew he never ate anything.

Shadow shot to his feet. “She came into my realm and didn’t want to wake you. I was planning to take her home the minute she finished eating. I swear it.”

Simi had no idea why Shadow was so panicky. Although akri did seem a bit upset, and she didn’t understand that either.

“Are you all right?” Akri grabbed her up in a tight hug.

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

He held her so close that it was a bit painful.

“Akri!” She bristled in his arms. “Simi hurts! Please don’t holds her so tights! Ouch!”

“You scared me, Simkey. I woke up and had no idea where you were. I told you not to leave.”

“The Simi was hungry, and you said for the Simi not to nibble on your fingers or toes. So, the Simi went to looks for some eats.”

He only loosened his hold a bit on her before he turned toward her new friend. “Thank you, Shadow.”

“No problem.” Shadow jerked his chin in her direction. “I had no idea you had a Charonte daughter.”

“Not something I want bantered about with others either.”

“Understood.” Shadow stepped away from them. “She’s a joy. Anytime you need a babysitter, let me know. I’ll make sure and bring lots of food.”

Akri scowled. “I’d never take you for such a baby person … or in Simi’s case, a toddler person.”

“Me either, but it was nice to be around someone who was honest and not playing games with me. I’d forgotten what innocence looked like.”

“I know. It’s what I value most about her. I don’t ever want her tarnished.”

Shadow nodded. “That’s the thing I hate most in life. When others kill that part of us.”

Simi saw the sadness in akri’s eyes. “I don’t ever remember having it, and I will kill the one who takes it from her.”

“I don’t blame you.” Shadow reached out and ruffled her hair. “I’ll probably help you. It’s a pity we all have to lose that part of ourselves.”

Simi smiled at the god-not-god. “Thank you for the eats, akri-Shadow.”

“Anytime, little one. Just next time, tell Acheron that you’re leaving first.”

“Okies.”

Acheron held his arm out. “I owe you one, Shadow.”

Shadow clasped his arm and shook it. “No, you don’t. I’m just glad I saw her first. Whatever you do, make sure my mother never knows Simi has any ties to you or your mother.”

Simi cocked her head at his peculiar words that seemed to confuzzle akri, too.

“What do you mean?” her akri asked.

“I know who Simi’s real parents are, Acheron. Her father was an enemy to my mother. And Xiamara wasn’t her friend, either. If Azura or Noir ever see your little demon, they won’t hesitate to take her hostage and use her against you. Or as a tool to strike at your mother. You need to make sure your demon understands the dangers lurking for her and the enemies you have. While I’m with you and I would love to preserve her innocence, Simi needs to know that you have too many enemies who wouldn’t hesitate to harm her. As does your mother.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”

Simi hugged her akri. “Don’t worry. Simi would eat any bad god who tried to hurt her.”

“It’s not that simple, Simkey.”

She wanted to argue, but there was something in both their eyes that told her they were right. She needed to be careful. After all, her mother had been a very powerful warrior, and the gods had killed her. She was nowhere near as strong as her mother had been.

“Then akri will teach his Simi. She will be the bestest demon, and she will eats them heads and learnst to protect akri and herself from everyone. Even the meanest gods!”

Shadow smiled. “There you go. And whatever you do, Simi, stay away from Azura and Noir. They hate Charonte and all they want is to free Apollymi and unite their army with hers so that they can destroy the world.”