E.T. rolled his eyes again. “It’s not the same thing. I want my place in this world.”
Thorn scoffed. “And you think hanging with demons and acting like a two-year-old is going to give you that place?”
“At least they were planning to show me how to use my powers.”
Thorn winced at those words. “Once you open that door, boy, you can never close it again.”
“I want to open it. I’ve been begging to open it and none of you will help me.”
Simi shook her head at his insistence. She knew what Thorn was trying to make him understand. But the boy wasn’t getting it. “E … powers are like taking that first bite of chocolate. Before you understand the nummy, you think you want it. But then you find out that chocolate is really, really good. Then you start to crave it and if you eat too much, it’ll make you sick. Might even kill you.”
He scowled at her. “What?”
“Don’t eat the chocolate,” Thorn said, slowly enunciating each word.
E.T. turned toward his father, “Whatever. I’m going home. But this isn’t over.”
Thorn moved closer to Simi as E.T. headed for the exit. “Should I follow him?”
She shook her head. “It’ll just make him madder.”
“Everything I do makes him angrier, Sim. I wish his mother had never told him I was his father. It was a mistake. All it’s done is make him furious at both of us. And seek out things he shouldn’t.”
Simi shook her head. “He loves you. The Simi feels his heart. He just doesn’t know what he is. You remember that confused feeling, don’t you?”
Thorn went quiet as he considered Simi’s question. He did remember that lost feeling of everything being ripped out from under him. Of the world not making sense because he wasn’t who and what he’d thought.
It was why he’d wanted Karma to keep Ian’s birth a secret from their son. Now that the boy knew, he was angry and bitter. Accusatory.
And he couldn’t blame him. He should have been more active in his life. But how could he?
Had he played Daddy Dearest, others would have grown suspicious and figured out why. Then both E.T. and Karma would have been targets for his enemies.
It was the same reason he couldn’t spend much time with his grandchildren.
No one needed to know he had any weaknesses.
“It’ll be okay, akri-Thorny.” Simi patted him gently on the back.
“I hope you’re right.” Because if they didn’t get E.T. to calm down, there was no telling how much harm the boy could do.
34
November 1, 2030
Alone in his study, Thorn felt the sickly presence that never failed to make him nauseated. Why could he never have peace?
“Paimon. Come to slum?”
“Gloat, actually.”
That didn’t sound good. “Gloat about what?”
“The fact that you have no idea what you’ve done.”
Thorn turned toward the demon, ready to splinter him into pieces over this imbecilic game. “I don’t have time for your games. Get out.”
“Suit yourself.” Paimon vanished.
