Zarek let out a slow breath as her words seeped in. Ash had made it so he wouldn't remember.
"Acheron scrambled my brains?"
Astrid's face filled with relief. "You're innocent, Zarek.
"
Rage tore through him. "So I was banished to this godforsaken hellhole because Acheron killed Thanatos? What kind of bullshit is that?" He paced the floor angrily. "I'll kill that bastard.
"
Simi shifted instantly into the shape of a "small" dragon.
One that was wedged into their tunnel. Her eyes blazed angrily as she hissed at him. "Did you insult my akri?"
Ready for battle, Zarek opened his mouth to tell her yes and found Astrid shielding him. She stood between them and held him behind her.
"No, Simi. Zarek has a right to be angry. He's been exiled for something he didn't do.
"
Simi shifted back into her humanoid form. "No he wasn't. He was banished because he killed the Apollites.
"
Simi took on the form of Artemis. "See, I told you, Acheron, he's insane. He knew better than to kill them.
"
She became Acheron. "What was he supposed to do? They were throwing themselves at him, trying to kill him. It was self-defense.
"
"It was murder.
"
"I swear, Artemis, you kill Zarek over this and I will walk out of that door and never come back.
"
She transformed back into herself. "See. That's why he was banished. The bitch-goddess didn't want akri to leave her so she agreed to let Zarek live here just so long as other people weren't around him."
Simi looked around the dismal tunnel. "Honestly, I think I'd rather be dead myself. This place more boring than Katoteros and I didn't know it could get more boring than Katoteros. I stand corrected. The next timeakri tell me it not so bad at home, I might believe him. You don't even have decent food here.
Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) No TV, neither."
Zarek stepped back and stared blankly at the wall as he tried to remember the past while Simi rattled on without pausing.
He could still hear screams from the villagers, but now he wondered…
Whose screams did he really hear?
Astrid felt her way toward him. The warmth of her presence seeped into him. She touched his arm, making him burn reflexively. Something about her touch always rocked him and made him want to turn into her.
Made him want to touch her.
"Are you all right?" she asked.
"No, not really. I want to know what happened to me that night.
"
She nodded as if she understood. "Simi, is there anything that can undo what Acheron did to Zarek's memory?
"
"Nope.Akri infallible. Well, except for a couple of things, and we don't talk about those 'cause it makes akri cranky. I like that word 'infallible.' It just like me. Infallible.
"
"Then it's hopeless," Zarek said under his breath. "I have no proof that I'm innocent and I'll never know what happened there.
"
"I'm not so sure," Astrid said, smiling at him. "Don't give up on me yet, Zarek. If we get proof of what she says, then my decision will stand. You're innocent. No one will be able to argue against it. My sisters won't let you be judged wrongfully."
He scoffed. "I was innocent when I was stoned to death, too, princess. Excuse me if I don't have a lot of faith in justice or your sisters."
Astrid swallowed. It was true, the innocent often suffered, too. Her mother and sisters dismissed that fact as the way of the universe, even though her mother did strive to give justice to everyone.
Sometimes unfair things did happen. There was no way around that.
Zarek was a perfect example.
Still, he needed to know the truth about what had happened to him. He deserved that much.
"Simi? Is there any way you can show Zarek what happened that night?
"
Simi tapped her forefinger against her cheek as she thought that over. "I suppose so.Akri didn't say I
couldn't 'show' him anything, he only said I couldn't talk to him.
"
Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) Astrid smiled. Simi had always been extremely literal in her interpretation of everything Acheron ordered her to do.
"Will you? Please?"
Simi walked over to Zarek and took his chin in her hand.
Zarek started to protest, but something seemed to seep into him from her hand. It held him paralyzed.
Simi angled his face until he could stare into her now red and yellow eyes and there he saw the past.
Everything faded from around him and all he could focus on was Simi's eyes. The images flickered across her pupils, then straight into his mind. He didn't remember any of it having happened. It was like watching a movie of his own life.
He saw the fires of his village burning to the ground. The bodies scattered. Things that had haunted him for centuries. But that wasn't all he saw this time.
There was more…
Forgotten images that had been taken from him.