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With barely a heartbeat to react, I threw myself from the chair, white skirts tangling around my legs as I hit the floor and rolled.
The impact punched the breath from my lungs, but Helion's hands closed around nothing but air.
A vicious satisfaction curled through me as I jumped to my feet, kicking the hem of my dress out of my way without taking my eyes off Helion.
Power thrummed beneath my skin, intoxicating in its abundance, answering me with every frantic beat of my heart. It was power born from every treacherous ounce of desire he felt for me that I had absorbed in that bath chamber.
How wonderfully ironic that his weakness for me was the very thing I was using against him.
“Is that right?” Helion asked slowly, dark amusement winding through his voice as he pushed his brown hair off his brow.
He lunged for me again.
I raised my hand, every single droplet of spilt wine raising with it and hovering in the air for the briefest moment.
With a flick of my wrist, the wine shot into Helion’s face. I aimed for his eyes, and it splattered over his face.
The sting of a thousand needles pricked my skin as it slammed against him.
Close enough.
He cursed, bringing his hand up to swipe at his eyes as I retreated, side stepping until I was behind him.
Perhaps if I could escape him, I could convince the Hells of my innocence, and they would let me go.
The thought melted from my mind as Helion’s white button down became tighter, growing eight inches taller. His hair turned the colour of midnight and lengthened while his skin darkened. Tattoos inked across his arms.
He turned, and my heart skipped a beat at the sheer beauty of Rythos.
My monster.
The illusion shattered instantly.
He crashed into me, my body slamming against the ground. I expected pain, but the back of his hand cupped my head before it could slam against the ground.
A startled yelp tore from me as I struggled.
His face was inches from mine, the heat of his body pressing down on top of me, and it was hard not to lean into it.
“Listen to me—”
I threw my head forward. My forehead slammed against his nose with enough force that I heard bone cracking.
A yell of pain tore out of me, pain exploding across my nose. Blood dripped over my lips and down my chin.
Helion gritted his teeth, bone structure changing and morphing, skin lightening, tattoos disappearing, dimples reappearing.
“Not unless you tell me everything!”
“Stop,” he grunted, straddling me so he could pin my hips between his powerful thighs. “I’m trying to fucking help you.”
I lashed out at his face with my fingers curled to claws.
He dodged just in time, his hair tousling into his eyes. He grabbed my wrists, pinning them together in his hands before slamming them against the ground above my head.
My back arched, pushing me against his chest.
I gritted my teeth, struggling against his grip.
