Instead of Dimitri, now Galinor stands in front of me.
I squeeze my eyes shut. “Stop it!”
“Perhaps you’ll like me better like this,” Dimitri demands, his voice changing with the rest of him. He shakes me, his fingers digging into my skin. “Is this what you want?”
“Stop!”
His voice, his words—I know it’s Dimitri, but it sounds like Galinor, and it’s terrifying.
He grabs the back of my head and attempts to kiss me. I wrestle to get away, screaming, and then he slaps me.
I stare at him, shocked he actually hit me, and as I do, he freezes.
“Touch her again, and I will kill you,” a hard voice behind Dimitri promises. “Let her go.”
Dimitri steps away, revealing Galinor—the real one—standing behind him. His sword is pressed against the scoundrel’s back.
“Galinor,” I gasp. “You came back.”
My knees are about to buckle with relief, but, somehow, I stay standing.
Galinor’s eyes meet mine, and I have to work hard not to run to him. I’m not sure what Dimitri will do if I bolt. He still has the stone.
Galinor meets my eyes. “I should have never left.”
My heart stutters, and I swipe away tears that have gathered in my eyes.
“They have Pika.” I turn to glare at Dimitri, who has thankfully changed back to his regular self.
Galinor smiles. “Not anymore.”
“You can’t have her,” Dimitri spits out, motioning to me. “Anwen is mine.”
“She was yours. Then you left her,” Galinor answers. “Take off the stone and hand it to her.” He puts a little more pressure on the sword for emphasis.
Dimitri turns to me and glares. “I would have given you everything.”
Behind the anger, there’s pain in his eyes.
“You tricked me. You lied to me. You made me think you loved me!”
“I do love you!” he yells, his face red.
I step back, startled. “This isn’t love.”
Apparently, we’ve pushed him too far. He wraps his fingers around the stone and clenches his jaw, and I know from his grimace it’s going to be a large change.
“Watch out!” I yell, but I’m too late.
Dimitri’s eyes grow large first, but the rest of him follows quickly behind. He screams in rage and agony when the transformation from man to ogre is complete. Startled by the change, Galinor loses his concentration for a moment. That short time is all Dimitri needs to attack in his new form.
I scream, which is useless, but I can’t stop myself.
Galinor recovers quickly, and he darts to the side just in time. Dimitri barrels past him and into a tent support.The tent crashes down around us, and the fabric falls over our heads.
“Anwen!” Galinor yells.
Knowing I can’t have Dimitri find me first, I scramble for a way out. I finally find the edge, and I slip underneath.
