hands in her pockets and turned to face her sister's scowl.
"What?"
"Who was he, really?"
"What is it with you guys? He was nobody for you to worry about."
"Was he a Dark-Hunter?"
"Stop it, Gladys," Tabitha said, referring to the nosy neighbor from Bewitched, the show that had given Tabitha her name. "There's no bonus round here for Twenty Questions and I've got stuff I need to do. See ya."
"Tabitha!" Tia followed her toward the street. "It's not like you to be secretive about anything. It makes me nervous."
Tabitha took a deep breath and faced her older sister. "Look, he was just someone who needed some help and I gave it. Now he's back to his life and I'm back to mine. We don't need a family powwow over it."
Tia made a noise of disapproval at her. "You are so aggravating. Why can't you just answer my one question?"
"Good night, Tia. Love you." Tabitha kept walking and was grateful her sister stopped and went back toward her shop.
Relieved, she headed for Bourbon Street with no real destination. She'd pick up some food for the homeless and then do her rounds.
"Oh, it's Tabitha!"
She turned at the distinctive singsongy voice she knew extremely well. Rushing up behind her was Ash's demon, Simi, who externally appeared to be a nineteen- or twenty-year-old woman. Tonight Simi had on a black miniskirt, purple leggings, and a risque corset top. She wore a pair of black thigh-high stiletto boots and carried a PVC coffin purse. Her long black hair was loose about her shoulders.
"Hey, Simi," Tabitha said, scanning the street behind the demon. "Where's Ash?"
She rolled her eyes and let out a disgusted noise. "He got waylaid by that old heifer-goddess who said she had to speak to him and so I said I was hungry and that I wanted to eat something. So he said, 'Simi, don't eat no people. Go to Sanctuary and wait for me while I talk to Artemis.' So here the Simi is going to Sanctuary all alone to wait for akri to come and get her. You going to Sanctuary, Tabitha?"
It always amused Tabitha that the demon referred to herself in the third person. "Not really. But if you want me to walk with you that way, I can."
A man whistled as he walked past them while he eye-balled Simi.
The demon gave him a sultry glance and a small smile.
He headed back toward them. "Hey, baby," he said. "You looking for company?"
Simi huffed. "Are you blind, human?" she asked. She gestured dramatically toward Tabitha. "Can't you see the Simi has company?" She shook her head.
He laughed at that. "You got a number I can call and talk to you sometime?"
"Well, I do have a number, but if you call it, akri will answer and he will get all angry at you and then your head gonna explode into fire." She tapped her chin. "Hmmm, come to think of it, barbecue… It's 555-"
"Simi…" Tabitha said in a warning tone.
"Oh, poo," Simi said as she let out another disgusted breath. "You are right, Tabitha. Akri just get all mad at me if the Simi makes him make this man barbecue. He can be so particular sometimes. I swear."
"Akri?" the man asked. "Is he your boyfriend?"
"Oh no, that's just sick. Akri my daddy and he get all upset whenever a man looks at the Simi."
"Well, what Daddy doesn't know won't hurt him."
"Yeah," Tabitha said, stepping between them. "Trust me, her 'Daddy' isn't someone you want to mess with." She took Simi's arm and led her away.
The man followed. "C'mon, I just want her number."
"It's 1-800-get-a-clue," Tabitha called over her shoulder.
"Fine, bitch, have it your way."
Before Tabitha could blink, Simi broke her hold and lunged at the man. She grabbed him by his neck and threw him up against the side of a building where she held him effortlessly while his feet were about a foot off the ground. "You don't talk to the Simi's friends like that. You hear me?"
He couldn't respond. His face was already turning purple, his eyes bulging.
"Simi," Tabitha said, trying to pull the demon's hand away from the man's throat. "You'll kill him. Let
"What?"
"Who was he, really?"
"What is it with you guys? He was nobody for you to worry about."
"Was he a Dark-Hunter?"
"Stop it, Gladys," Tabitha said, referring to the nosy neighbor from Bewitched, the show that had given Tabitha her name. "There's no bonus round here for Twenty Questions and I've got stuff I need to do. See ya."
"Tabitha!" Tia followed her toward the street. "It's not like you to be secretive about anything. It makes me nervous."
Tabitha took a deep breath and faced her older sister. "Look, he was just someone who needed some help and I gave it. Now he's back to his life and I'm back to mine. We don't need a family powwow over it."
Tia made a noise of disapproval at her. "You are so aggravating. Why can't you just answer my one question?"
"Good night, Tia. Love you." Tabitha kept walking and was grateful her sister stopped and went back toward her shop.
Relieved, she headed for Bourbon Street with no real destination. She'd pick up some food for the homeless and then do her rounds.
"Oh, it's Tabitha!"
She turned at the distinctive singsongy voice she knew extremely well. Rushing up behind her was Ash's demon, Simi, who externally appeared to be a nineteen- or twenty-year-old woman. Tonight Simi had on a black miniskirt, purple leggings, and a risque corset top. She wore a pair of black thigh-high stiletto boots and carried a PVC coffin purse. Her long black hair was loose about her shoulders.
"Hey, Simi," Tabitha said, scanning the street behind the demon. "Where's Ash?"
She rolled her eyes and let out a disgusted noise. "He got waylaid by that old heifer-goddess who said she had to speak to him and so I said I was hungry and that I wanted to eat something. So he said, 'Simi, don't eat no people. Go to Sanctuary and wait for me while I talk to Artemis.' So here the Simi is going to Sanctuary all alone to wait for akri to come and get her. You going to Sanctuary, Tabitha?"
It always amused Tabitha that the demon referred to herself in the third person. "Not really. But if you want me to walk with you that way, I can."
A man whistled as he walked past them while he eye-balled Simi.
The demon gave him a sultry glance and a small smile.
He headed back toward them. "Hey, baby," he said. "You looking for company?"
Simi huffed. "Are you blind, human?" she asked. She gestured dramatically toward Tabitha. "Can't you see the Simi has company?" She shook her head.
He laughed at that. "You got a number I can call and talk to you sometime?"
"Well, I do have a number, but if you call it, akri will answer and he will get all angry at you and then your head gonna explode into fire." She tapped her chin. "Hmmm, come to think of it, barbecue… It's 555-"
"Simi…" Tabitha said in a warning tone.
"Oh, poo," Simi said as she let out another disgusted breath. "You are right, Tabitha. Akri just get all mad at me if the Simi makes him make this man barbecue. He can be so particular sometimes. I swear."
"Akri?" the man asked. "Is he your boyfriend?"
"Oh no, that's just sick. Akri my daddy and he get all upset whenever a man looks at the Simi."
"Well, what Daddy doesn't know won't hurt him."
"Yeah," Tabitha said, stepping between them. "Trust me, her 'Daddy' isn't someone you want to mess with." She took Simi's arm and led her away.
The man followed. "C'mon, I just want her number."
"It's 1-800-get-a-clue," Tabitha called over her shoulder.
"Fine, bitch, have it your way."
Before Tabitha could blink, Simi broke her hold and lunged at the man. She grabbed him by his neck and threw him up against the side of a building where she held him effortlessly while his feet were about a foot off the ground. "You don't talk to the Simi's friends like that. You hear me?"
He couldn't respond. His face was already turning purple, his eyes bulging.
"Simi," Tabitha said, trying to pull the demon's hand away from the man's throat. "You'll kill him. Let
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