“Of course I would. The Simi loves making new friends.”
As they walked, he wondered what she thought of Cadegan. He was a tiny bit taller than Thorn, which nettled and at the same time made him proud. He had vivid blue eyes and dark blond hair that he kept a bit long for a knight.
But Thorn didn’t mind. He wasn’t one for short hair either.
Cadegan stood up from the table where he sat, eating alone. Like Thorn, he preferred solitude to bad company.
“Greetings, brother,” Cadegan said in a heavily Welsh accented voice as he wiped off his hands. “You’re the only man I know who could go for a walk and find such a fine young lady.” Placing his hand over his heart, he bowed to her.
“She’s the daughter of an old friend who was passing through. Simi, this is Cadegan.”
“Simi? What a beautiful, unique name.” Then he frowned. “But surely she’s not traveling alone. Especially not with the demons we’re trying to route.”
Thorn silently cursed as he realized the mistake he’d just made. In the human world, women didn’t travel about unescorted and definitely not ones who appeared around thirteen years old as Simi did.
Clearing his throat, he lowered his voice. “She’s a demon.” The last thing he wanted was for anyone else in their army to know that.
Cadegan’s eyes widened as he stepped back and reached for his sword hilt.
Thorn quickly grabbed his hand. “Not the kind we fight.”
“How so?”
“She’s a Charonte and we’re to protect her. Always.”
His son’s frown deepened. “I don’t understand. We’re protecting a demon?”
“This one, yes. With our lives if need be.”
Suspicion hung heavy in his gaze as Cadegan moved his hand away from his sword. “If you say so, brother.”
“I do. Simi’s a very special heart. She knows nothing of cruelty.”
Cadegan arched a brow. “Truly?”
Simi pursed her lips. “I know it hurts others, and the Simi doesn’t like that. I particularly don’t like the part where it keeps hurting long after the cruelty stops. It’s not right for something to keep making someone ache. Watching someone the Simi loves suffer hurts Simi, too.”
A range of emotions swept across Cadegan’s face. “I’ve never heard anyone put it that way before.” He met Thorn’s gaze. “You’re right, she is remarkable.”
Simi looked at the table and her eyes widened. “Oh! Who got the funny hat?” She went to Cadegan’s conical helm. “Simi’s seen these. They so fun!” Picking it up, she ran her hand over the polished steel and felt the dents caused by battle. “May I?”
Cadegan nodded. “Sure.”
Thorn was just about to stop her when she placed it on her head. As he expected, the helmet was far too large for her, especially without a coif.
“How you fight in this?” She turned her head inside it, but the helm stayed in place so that it covered her eyes. “The Simi can’t see nothing!”
With a laugh, Thorn pulled his coif up and then took the helm from her and put it on his own head. “It’s sized for a grown man, Simi, and to be used with an arming cap and mail. When you’re older, it’ll fit you.”
She reached up to touch the edge of the coif that formed a U over his chest. “The Simi don’t like this thing. I tried one on once and it snaggled all in the Simi’s hair. Hurt my hornays, too!”
Thorn didn’t speak. A peculiar tenderness swept through him at her touch. He’d never quite felt anything like it before, and he wasn’t sure what caused it.
Simi didn’t notice as she picked up Cadegan’s gauntlets. “These are good though. Akri has a pair that Simi plays with, and they keep his little dragons from biting me. I like these a lot.”
“Acheron has dragons?” Thorn removed the helm and placed it back on the table.
“Doesn’t everyone?” Simi asked simply.
