Chapter 3
Chapter Three
Sorcha paused outside the bathroom as she heard a deep masculine voice she didn’t recognize. At first, she thought it was the TV.
Until she realized that deep rumbling voice was conversing with Luke. It was the strangest accent she’d ever heard. And it was followed by a feminine one even more peculiar. The woman’s voice had a sing-songy quality to it.
Pulling her clothes over her body, she wanted to know what was going on. And she preferred not to be naked while doing it.
As soon as Sorcha was dressed, she opened the door to find a man who was even taller than Luke—something not easily achieved given Luke’s towering height, but the stranger had a couple of inches on him.
And that wasn’t the only thing. For the first time ever, she saw someone who was Luke’s equal in raw sex appeal. One that was completely overwhelming. The man had an aura that made her want to take a bite out of him. And that was completely out of character for her.
Damn.
With long black hair that had a red stripe in it, he was considerably leaner than Luke.
Not that it mattered. He still had the look of someone who could easily do harm to anyone dumb enough to challenge him.
Dressed in a black T-shirt and jeans, he wore a pair of opaque sunglasses inside the apartment.
Turning toward her, he offered her a devastating grin. “Hi. You must be Sorcha.” The way he said her name sent a chill over her.
She wanted to answer. Really, she did, but all she could manage was a small croak.
The woman with him was even more peculiar.
Dressed in a short miniskirt with purple and black leggings and a corset top, she reminded Sorcha of some of the SCAD students who haunted the streets of Savannah around the college campus and town.
Two long, black pigtails framed a beautifully impish face.
Letting out a little giggle, she wrinkled her nose.
“Look, akri! You done made the poor detective mute.” She walked toward Sorcha and held out her hand.
“Don’t worry, it’s only temporary. You’ll speak soon.
Akri just like anybody else. Well, no, not really.
He’s akri. But you’ll get used to his godness soon. ”
“You mean goodness?” Sorcha asked.
Simi shook her head. “No, silly. Godness. It’s them powers what makes you all fluttery inside. Well, not really his powers so much as his curses.”
“Simi…” The stranger made a pained sound. “Let’s leave some things out of this introduction. No one needs my whole biography.”
She gave him an unapologetic grin. “Sorry, akri!” But that tone said she didn’t mean it and would probably do it again. “The Simi forgets ’cause she thinks you’re so awesome that everyone needs to know how awesome akri is.”
Sorcha had no idea how to react to these newcomers.
Thankfully, Luke helped her out. “Sorcha, meet Acheron Parthenopaeus and his daughter, Simi.”
“Daughter?” She blurted that out before she could stop herself, especially since the two of them looked to be about the same age. And that age was a skimpy twenty-one at best.
Acheron chuckled. “I’m a lot older than I look, and Simi is older than I am by a lot more.”
Age took on a whole new meaning around Luke and those he traveled with. “And that age would be…?”
Luke grinned. “Ash is over eleven thousand years old.”
“Damn,” she breathed. “You must have the entire fire department on standby for your birthday cake.”
Simi laughed while Acheron chuckled.
Luke snorted. “Anyway, Acheron is an Atlantean god and Simi is a Charonte demon.”
Wait… What?
Gaping, Sorcha looked back and forth between them. “Atlantean as in Atlantis Atlantean? As in my hometown vanished from the earth and was never seen again? That Atlantis?”
Acheron inclined his head. “The same.”
And to think she’d wasted all those hours watching documentaries. Now she could finally have an answer. “So you know where the lost continent is?”
“I do.”
She was actually giddy. “And that is?”
“The bottom of the sea,” he said drily.
Sorcha rolled her eyes at the sarcasm in his tone. “You’re not helpful.”
“Funny. Lots of people say that to me.”
Simi nodded. “’Specially akra-Tory ’cause she wanted to find Atlantis likes you and that’s how they met.
The Simi showed it to her ’cause it made her very happy, but akri didn’t want it found even though he told the Simi to make akra-Tory happy.
See? So when akri and akra-Tory felled in love, akra-Tory let it still be a mystery to make akri happy.
So if you want to know where Atlantis fell, ask akra-Tory.
She gots a lot of trouble keeping secrets.
You can find out all kinds of things talking to her, especially if she distracted. ” The demon smiled wide.
Okay, then.
Sorcha wasn’t quite sure what to make of Simi. She spoke rapid-fire and appeared as adorable as a toddler.
Glancing at Luke, Sorcha struggled to understand all this. “Care to explain why you called in an Atlantean god and his demonic daughter?”
“Because in this case, they’re both very helpful.” He said that like they were only working one report.
Sorcha frowned. “This case being?”
Luke looked to Acheron. “Ancient powers know ancient powers.”
Folding his arms over his chest, Acheron inclined his head to her. “Luke’s right. It clings to you and is hard for one of us to miss. We can spot each other miles away. And you reek of it.”
How very awesome to know she had cosmic ick on her. “So how do I wash it off?”
Acheron let out an odd half laugh. “You don’t, but I might know someone who can help.” He turned back to Luke. “The problem is, though, I can’t go there.”
Luke furrowed his brows. “Why?”
“It’s Ecanus.” Acheron rubbed at his temple. “He’s a South American Chthonian. If I step into his territory, he’ll lose his shit.”
Sorcha was trying to follow. “Why?”
“Because Acheron’s also a Chthonian,” Luke said, “and they’re highly territorial.”
“Some of us aren’t so testy,” Acheron said.
Simi made a sound of total disbelief.
“Thanks a lot, Sim.”
“What? I sees you with your twin brother. You two gets testy all the time together. Like herding rabid squirrels on Red Bull. Least that’s what Simi’s Thorny says.”
That fascinated her. “There are two of you? I was a twin, too.”
Acheron winced. “I’m sorry. I had to grow up and spend a lot of centuries separated from my brother. I know how hard it is to be without your sibling, and I wish I could make it better.”
“Thank you.”
Luke cleared his throat. “Simi is here to help you track down the demons with Helly, once Helly gets back.”
It was then that she realized Helly wasn’t with them. “Where’s Helly?”
“I sent her to Hell for intel.” Luke winked. “Then…”
“She gots to get barbecue sauce for the Simi. See, the Simi thought she had enough. But since akri-Luke said there’s two dozen demons on the loosed…I needs more sauce.” Simi’s eyes went wide before she turned toward Acheron. “Demons are still off the Simi-don’t-eat list, right?”
Sorcha had no idea what that question meant.
However, Acheron seemed to understand Simi-speak. He looked at Luke. “Do you mind if she takes a tribute or two?”
“Dohlar’s all yours, but please don’t eat Envee. She’s Helly’s friend. As for the rest, I leave that up to Helly to decide your menu, Simi. Bon appétit.”
“Yay! The Simi definites needs more sauce for them stink demons!” Simi vanished immediately.
Sorcha widened her eyes. Was she really going to…eat them?
Acheron winced. “Remind me to call Thorn and warn him about the indigestion that’ll give her. He’s going to hate us all.”
Luke laughed. “I’m sure.”
“Dad?”
Sorcha turned at the uncertain teenage male voice behind her. Standing in the bedroom doorway was an adorable boy about the age of fifteen with curly blond hair and bright blue eyes. His hair was rumpled and he wore blue and green pajama bottoms with a white T-shirt.
Acheron quickly approached him. “Bas! What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be in bed. You have school in the morning.”
With a confused frown, the boy glanced around the room. When he met Sorcha’s gaze, he seemed even more perplexed. “No idea. I was trying to teleport to the bathroom. Guess I missed. Where am I?”
Laughing, Acheron ruffled his hair, which annoyed the teen. “Yeah…those powers take some practice.”
“Obviously. If I try to get home, am I going to end up in Antarctica?”
“Maybe.” Acheron looked back at Luke. “I’m going to get this one home safely before his mother realizes he’s not in bed and kills us both. I gave you what you need to talk to Ecanus. Keep me posted.”
“Will do. Thanks.”
Acheron inclined his head to Sorcha before he and his son vanished.
Sorcha turned to Luke. “Atlantean god, huh?”
Luke nodded, reclining on the chair in the living room.
“How long have you known him?” She leaned against the counter.
Luke scratched at his cheek. “I really don’t know. Forever. He was one of the first people I met when I started coming to the human realm.”
That was surprising. “Really?”
“Yeah. It was maybe my third or fourth time here. He was training a Dark-Hunter and they were at a banquet looking for Daimons while I was hustling souls.”
She still wasn’t sure about the whole Dark-Hunter thing.
She’d only recently learned about them and met Kieran MacAllister—one of the Dark-Hunters who called Savannah home.
They were immortal warriors created by the goddess Artemis so that they could track down and kill the so-called Daimons who preyed on humans.
Why? Because the only way a Daimon could live past the age of twenty-seven was to take a soul from someone else.
Grisly…
The entire human race was a buffet for them.
Sorcha took a deep breath. “I guess it makes sense. You were looking to take souls. Acheron was looking to protect them.”
“Exactly. We had a bit of a rocky start.”
She could imagine. “And now you’re friends.”
There was that adorable, dimpled grin she loved so much. “I’m hard to resist.”
The size of his ego was out of control… Not that it wasn’t justified. “More like hard to handle.” She indicated his fridge with her thumb. “Mind if I get something to drink?”
“Make yourself at home.”
Sorcha had just pulled a water out when she heard someone call her name. “What?”
Luke looked up from his phone. “What?”
“You called my name.”
He shook his head. “No, I didn’t.”
“I swear I heard someone call me.”
Luke went pale as he quickly crossed the room.
That terrified her. “What is it?”
“Give me your hand.”
There was a note in his voice that made her even more nervous. “Why?”
His gaze went to something over her shoulder. Don’t look. That was the sound of her common sense.
Too bad she didn’t listen.