Simi climbed up on the woman closest to her and poked at her stone eyeball. “Which one is thisest she?”
Xirena spat on the ground at the statue’s feet. “Epithymia. She an even bigger bitch-goddess. She used to pull the wings off Charonte who made her mad.”
Simi cringed, then poked harder in the goddess’s eye, hoping she could feel it. “Who the one who losted her akri-Styxx’s baby? She’s the one the Simi needs.”
Xirena walked around them, looking at them, up and down, until she found one in the back. “This is Bet’anya.”
Simi headed over, then gasped. “She look just likes akri-Styxx’s drawings. She the one he loved so much.” Biting her lip, she met her sister’s gaze. “Was she nice?”
Nodding, Xirena touched Bet’anya’s hand. “She was always very sad, though. Even when she was happy, she looked so sad. Like something wasn’t quite right in her heart. Chara goddess used to say it’s because they took something from her long ago they shouldn’t have.”
Simi gave her sister a knowing look. “That’s ’cause she don’t gots her akri-Styxx. He loves her and so this is the Simi’s Christmas present to him. The Simi tolds him on his birthday that wishes come true, and his wish is for his akra to come home to him.”
“Yeah, but Xiamara, this … it’s bad.” Xirena shook her head. “I don’t think we should.”
“We gots to, Big sissy. This the only time them portals things open. If we don’t do it now, akri-Styxx will have to wait a long, long time and he already waited a long, long time. The Simi don’t like to see him so sad. He don’t get prezzies and the Simi wants to get him the best prezzie ever.”
The ground beneath their feet rumbled. Simi’s eyes widened. “What’s that?”
Bug-eyed, Xirena shrugged.
Simi’s watch tingled, letting her know it was time. She had less than one minute to free the goddess. Using her wings, she hovered and placed the sacred anti-aima to the goddess’s lips. When her akri had been frozen that time in New Orleans, she and akra-Kat had used this to free him, so she was hoping it would work on Styxx’s akra, too.
Hmmm.…
Another rumble went through the room. Something akin to a dark shadow shot out and flew past Simi’s head.
Suddenly the other bitch-goddess Xirena didn’t like opened her eyes. And so did Archon …
Uh-oh.
Simi ran to her sister. “Go get help. The Simi will hold them off!”
“Don’t be a stupid Charonte!” Xirena grabbed her arm and hauled her upstairs.
Alexion was just walking back from the kitchen when he almost collided with two screaming Charonte.
“They’s alive!” Shrieking, they jumped up and down, around him.
“Who’s alive?”
“Them gods in the basement bottom!”
Alexion had no idea what they were talking about. But suddenly the floor beneath his feet rumbled and shook. The glass rattled in the panes.
Danger appeared at his side. “What did you do?”
He gave his wife a blank stare. “Why do I get the blame?”
“I know I didn’t do it, Alexei, so that clears me.” Hands on hips, she tapped her foot in irritation.
He pointed to the demons.
Simi grinned nervously.
“Them gods alive!” Xirena repeated between clenched teeth.
Well, that didn’t sound good. Especially combined with Richter scale activity going on under their feet.
