It was almost sunset when I saw Damien again.
He was in the study I'd caught Asmodeus in before. I had one last chance to try and stop him before we would go to my parents' house. If I wanted to stop him, now was the chance.
He smiled when he saw me approach him. "You glamoured your hair."
I picked up the long brown braid over my shoulder. "I didn't want to startle them. Short silver hair would raise questions."
His smile wasn't Damien's at all. It was so Robyn it made goosebumps rise. "How practical." He looked me over. "You even dulled your fae features. You almost look human again."
I nodded, sheepishly. After watching myself in the mirror, I was able to glamour some parts of myself to look less like a fae and more of what I looked like before. My skin was too perfect, radiated too much health from what I remembered. I tried not to look too lean either, I'd always been too rail-thin for my own good and I tried to imitate it again.
In the end, I thought I could pass for what I looked like before I was Unbound.
Hopefully, my parents wouldn't look too carefully.
Robyn leaned back in his chair behind the desk as I approached him and smiled. He saw my playful mood. "Someone is happy."
I gave him my best smile as I got close enough to touch him. I leaned against his desk next to him. "I wanted to apologize for this morning." I shrugged. "You're right. I haven't been exactly forthcoming with affection." He didn't move from his chair. "You've been perfect with me. I have been unreasonable."
His smile didn't waver. "I assume you're here to make it up to me?"
I nodded, biting my bottom lip. As soon as I leaned close, he stood, placing his hands on my shoulders. "You're trying to get out of this, aren't you?"
Crap. I let out a long sigh. "Is it that obvious?"
He laughed. He placed his hand behind my neck and planted a kiss on my forehead.
I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply.
"You're ready, Em. I'll be there with you the entire time." He paused. "Do you trust me?"
The question hurt more than I thought it would. I didn't trust Robyn. But Damien?
I looked up at him and met his violet eyes, resolutely. I wrapped my hand around his wrist and with everything I had in me, I reached out to Damien. It was a long shot, I knew, but I reached out to him, imagined him being the one to stand in front of me and not his treacherous uncle.
And for a moment, I believed it.
I believed that it was my childhood friend in front of me. That we finally had our moment, that it was our time - that the unspoken words and feelings between us finally came to light and that being with each other was easy.
And there was nothing stopping us from being genuinely happy.
Together and happy.
I stepped on my toes and closed the distance between our lips.
At first, he was startled but then he responded with his own intensity. He placed his hands on my upper arms and pulled me closer. His fingers were sure to leave bruises.
Eventually, I pulled away and looked at his half-closed eyes. It was like seeing him again. The boy I had grown up with was with me at that moment. "Damien," I said with sincerity. "I trust you with my life."
He gave a half-laugh under his breath. His eyes met mine and the moment was gone. Icy steeliness came back over his features.
The moment was gone quickly. It wasn't my friend in front of me anymore. It was Robyn wearing his face. And he let me know it. I could see it in his smug smile -the one that didn't quite reach Damien's eyes.
