Acheron

afternoon to play chess with.' She sniffed back tears that made his own eyes water. 'How could I ever hate you?'

Ash looked away as his own emotions tangled. Everyone else had hated him. How could he expect her to be any different?

Tory swallowed and looked at Simi. 'I've spoken to her so many times on the phone and through e-mails. My cousin Geary and I even named our expedition the Simi Project because Simi was the one who helped us find the location of Atlantis.'

Ash's eyes widened at something he'd had no knowledge of. Anger snapped to the forefront of his emotions as he wanted to choke the demon. 'Simi did what?'

'You told me to, akri,' Simi said from her place on the floor before she yawned loudly. When she spoke again, her voice was a perfect duplication of his. 'Watch her, Simi. Keep her happy and make sure she has everything she needs and wants.' Her voice returned to normal. 'So that's what the Simi did, akri. Just what you told me to do.'

'That was for one afternoon.'

'Akri didn't say that to the Simi. You say make her happy so the Simi did. If you wanted me to stop, akri, you should have said so.'

Ash raked his hands through his hair as he realized how much pain he'd brought to Theo when all he'd ever wanted to do was help the boy-that he'd exposed himself and revealed the location of Atlantis without meaning to. Damn it. 'I know better than to interact with humans. How could I have been so stupid?'

Tory leaned over him, her face so sweet and inviting even though to him, right now, she was the greatest threat. 'You can't live alone all the time, Ash… or is it Asheron, Acheron or Apostolos? I don't even know what to call you.'

Call me yours…

It was such a stupid thought. And he knew better than to ever let that one out. He was owned body and soul by Artemis. 'I don't care which one you use. I answer to all of them.'

'You must have a preference.'

'Only his mama, Akra-Apollymi, call him Apostolos. Ooo and sometimes that Jaden demon man and Savitar who is always so nice to the Simi. He always brings the Simi good things to eat. But I think akri likes Ash best cause that's what he tells most people when he meets them nowadays.'

Ash gave her a dry stare. 'Thanks, Sim.'

'You're welcome, akri,' she said, oblivious to his sarcasm. 'Now the Simi's head hurts. Can I sleep on you where it's comfortable until it stops aching so much? I don't like the floor anymore. It hurts the Simi's wings.'

He held his arms out. 'Of course you can, Simykey.'

Smiling, she transformed and flew as a black mist onto his body to form a small dragon tattoo on his shoulder.

Tory narrowed her gaze on Simi's form. 'Now I know the secret of the ever-changing tattoo. You got anymore surprises for me?'

'I suppose that depends on what else I said last night. Damn. At what point did I pass out?'

'From your point of view, not soon enough I would imagine.'

If he were able to get the sick lump of dread out of his stomach, he would have laughed at that. As it was, the best he could muster was a grimace. 'You are taking all of this remarkably well.'

She crossed her legs under herself before she shrugged nonchalantly. 'What am I supposed to do? I mean it's not like I have some precedent for dealing with this. I don't know anyone who's ever met a guy who turned out to be a god with his own personal demon. Inner demons, yes, but a tattoo that becomes a demon… no. Definitely off the grid.'

'Actually that's not entirely true.'

She blinked. 'What do you mean?'

'You should talk to your cousin Geary. Her husband, Arik, used to be an Oneroi.'

Tory sat perfectly still as if she couldn't believe what he'd just told her. Kind of funny to him given the way she seemed to be accepting everything else. After a brief pause, she asked a single question. 'Arik was the Greek dream god?'

He nodded.

Tory covered her mouth with her hand. 'So that's why Geary gave up the hunt for Atlantis. That weenie! It was right after she'd met Arik in Greece.' Her expression angry, she slapped at his thigh.

'Ow!' Ash rubbed the spot, grateful she hadn't hit him any higher on his leg. 'What's that for?'

'Why didn't one of you tell me?'

'It's not exactly something we're supposed to talk about with humans. Most of them aren't as reasonable as you're being.'

'Yeah well, you do know this changes nothing.' Her gaze showed every ounce of her determination. 'I still intend to be the one who discovers Atlantis.'

Ash froze as his own resolve set itself. In this battle, he was going to win no matter what. 'Don't be stubborn, Tory. Let it go.'

'That's easy for you to say. You don't know the mockery my family has lived with because you told my grandfather stories that enchanted the imagination of his sons. Both my father and uncle gave their lives to find Atlantis and prove it's there. I can do no less than to revive their reputations.'

He cupped her face in his hand and tried to make her understand why she couldn't do this. 'They're dead, Tory. Their reputations mean nothing to them.'

Ash felt her clench her teeth as anger and grief flickered in her brown eyes. 'They mean everything to me.'

How could he make her see his point of view?

'You want to salvage your father's reputation and I want to preserve mine. You and I are at war with this. No one can know ever about the Atlantis that was destroyed.'

'You're a god. Why would its location hurt your reputation?'

A twinge of hope went through him. 'Did I tell you why I was in Atlantis as a human?'

'No.'

Oh thank the gods that even drunk he'd had at least an ounce of self-preservation. Relief and joy poured through him. No wonder she was still giving him some respect.

And that was why he couldn't let anyone know about Atlantis. 'Why can't you let this go?'

'Because I loved my father. I owe this to him.'

Ash narrowed his gaze. 'Would you destroy me in the process?'

Tory shook her head, trying to understand why he was so insistent. 'You're not making any sense. How could this possibly hurt you?'

Tell her the truth, Apostolos. Ash flinched at the sound of his mother's voice in his head.

He looked up at the ceiling as he sensed her presence. You've been remarkably quiet throughout this, Matera. Why didn't you tell me about your priestesses?

Why should I? Besides you knew I had to have worshipers to maintain my god powers at their current strength. Did you think the Daimons were the only ones who paid homage to me?

Yeah, stupidly he had.

Show her the journal, m'gios.

And if she betrays me?

She's a human. I will kill her if she hurts you.

But he wouldn't allow that and he knew it. I can't, Matera. I don't want to see her look at me like that too.

What if she doesn't? What if she's being honest and to her you are nothing more than a friend? Your past doesn't matter to me. It doesn't matter to Savitar or Simi. You must learn to trust sometime, Apostolos. Don't you think that maybe she's the one person who won't judge you over something that was done to you against your will? Give her a reason to abandon Atlantis. Let her understand.

He looked back at Tory, terrified of the thought of seeing the same pity in her eyes that Ryssa had held in