Thorn scowled. “You mean same page?”
“No. The sane one that says to keep out of this.”
“It’s the Malachai,” Thorn said slowly and with emphasis.
“I heard you, and you know I won’t interfere.”
Acheron was so aggravating. While Thorn understood, he didn’t. He knew firsthand how hard it was to be torn by competing forces, but there was only so much neutrality anyone could adhere to.
“One day, you’re going to need to pick a side, Ash.”
“I have a side.” He glanced toward Simi. “And it never wavers.”
“You say that, but we’ve both lived long enough to know better. The only thing in life that’s ever certain is change. It’s inevitable. You can avoid taxes. We know plenty of people who’ve given death a middle finger. But the one thing none of us have ever been able to stop … Change. And when it comes about because we fought it, it’s brutal.”
21
April 17, 2004
Thorn paused as he saw Simi sitting at the bar inside Sanctuary, nose deep in hot sauce-covered chocolate ice cream. For the first time in his memory, she wasn’t laughing or happy.
Fury went through him. He’d tear the head off whoever daunted her feelings.
Forgetting about his errand, he headed straight for her.
“Hey, pretty demon. What has you down in your ice cream?”
Simi sighed heavily. “You ain’t even gonna believe this, Thorny-man. Artemis done gone and saved the Simi’s life.”
Was she serious? “Do what?”
Sighing heavily, she looked up at him with eyes full of conflicted misery. “Don’t get the Simi wrong, I still hate the heifer goddess. But the Simi cannot make peace in her noggin why the heifer goddess would do such a thing?”
“I do, Sim. In her own twisted way, Artie loves Acheron and doesn’t know how to show it. She saved you because he loves you. It was the least she could do.”
Simi looked up and scowled at him. “How you know about akri and the heifer?”
Thorn silently cursed as he realized what he’d just let slip. “Acheron isn’t as good at keeping secrets as he thinks. I have a lot of friends in low places.”
“You mean akri-Shadow?”
He laughed that she’d caught on so fast. “Among others.”
“I see.”
An adorable blond human waitress came over to them. “You need anything, Simi?”
“No, Ms. Cherise. Simi’s all good for now. Twelve scoops seems to be my limit.”
Cherise smiled, then looked at Thorn. “What about you, sweetie? You need anything?”
“I’m good. I actually came to meet another friend. But thank you, Cherise.”
“Let me know if you change your minds.” She wandered off.
“You know about Cherise?” Simi asked.
“Know what about her?”
