Zarek stepped away, his mind whirling as he tried to rememberNew Orleans . "He did something with my mind again inNew Orleans , didn't he?
"
Simi whistled and looked around the room.
"Simi, did he?" Astrid asked.
"Akrionly does it when he has to. There were some things inNew Orleans that were bad. Things them Dark-Hunters and Olympian gods don't need to know about.
Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com)
"
Zarek clenched his teeth. "Such as?
"
Astrid repeated his question.
"I said none of you don't need to know.
"
He wanted to choke the demon, but after what he had just seen Ash do, he thought better of it. "Why does Acheron hide?
"
Simi hissed at him and in her anger forgot Ash's order. "Akrihides from no one. He don't need to.
Anyone hurt myakri , I eat them.
"
Zarek ignored her. "Is he human?" he asked Astrid.
Astrid let out a long breath. "I honestly don't know. Whenever I have mentioned his name to my sisters, they become evasive and quiet. He alone seems to frighten them. I've always wondered why, but no one onOlympus will talk about him much. It's really very odd."
Her expression speculative, Astrid turned in the demon's direction. "Simi, tell me about Acheron."
"He's great and wonderful, and he treat me like a goddess. Goddess Simi. That's me."
Astrid winced a bit at that. "I mean, tell me about his birth."
"Oh, that. Acheron was born in 9548 b.c. on the Greek isle of Didymos."
"Who was he born to?"
"King Icarion and Queen Aara of Didymos and Lygos.
"
Zarek could tell that the answer surprised Astrid, but it didn't surprise him. He'd always suspected Ash was nobility. There was something inherently regal about him. Something that said, "I am the master, you the servant. Bow down and kiss my ass." It was why Zarek had never cared for him.
"Ash isn't a demigod?" Astrid asked.
Simi laughed uproariously at her question. "Akria demigod? Puh-lease.
"
Zarek frowned as he realized what Simi had revealed. "Wait, I thought Ash was Atlantean?
"
Astrid shook her head. "From the extremely rare rumors I've heard, they say he was born inGreece but raised in Atlantis. Rumor has it he's one of Zeus's sons. But like I said, most people are unwilling to say much of anything about him."
Simi laughed again. "Does he look like old thunder-butt? No. Son of Zeus? How many insults can my akri have?"
Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) Zarek considered that for a minute, and then something else occurred to him. "Can Simi communicate with Ash right now?"
"Yes.
"
"Then tell him he'd better get his ass here and protect you.
"
Simi's eyes glared. Her wings flapped.
"Simi," Astrid said quickly. "He didn't mean it like that. Can Ash come here?
"
She settled down a bit. "No. He promised the evil heifer goddess that he would stay onOlympus for two weeks. He can't break his oath.
"
"Then how do I kill Thanatos? I'm going to go out on a limb here and say Ash is the only one of us capable of just looking at him and making him go 'poof.'
"
"Simi can kill him.
"
"No, I can't.Akri said so.
"
"Then how do we stop him?" Astrid asked.
Simi shrugged. "Ifakri would let me, I could barbecue him, but since you don't breathe fire it might be kind of hard for you to do that.
"
"I have a flamethrower.
"
Astrid snapped her head toward him. "You have a what?" she asked incredulously.
It was his turn to shrug. "It pays to be prepared.
"
"Well," Simi said. "Those are nice for toasting marshmallows, but they'll only make Thanatos mad.
Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) Regular fire won't hurt him. I have this really neat gelatinous goo that comes out with my fire and it squirts
my victims so that it don't come off. Wanna see it?
"
"No!" they said in unison.
Simi stiffened. "No? I don't like that word.
"
"We love you, Simi," Astrid said quickly. "We're just scared of your goo.
"
Astrid hit Zarek in the stomach as he started to correct her about loving Simi.
"Oh," Simi said, "that I understand. Okay, you can live."
After ascertaining that there really was no food there, Simi sat cross-legged on the floor. She hummed to herself as she twirled a strand of hair around her little finger. "So, you got QVC?"
"Afraid not, sweetie," Astrid said.
"You got Soap Net?"
Zarek shook his head.
"You got any TV?" Simi continued in a voice that sounded like a petulant toddler's.
"Sorry."