Faye's POV
The word died in my throat as his fingers closed around my neck like a vice.
His eyes blazed crimson, boring into mine with an intensity that made my blood freeze. I scratched desperately at his wrist, choking on the thick smoke that filled my lungs. This creature wasn't the same person who had whispered advice about playing vulnerable to stay alive. But just when I was certain he would squeeze the final breath from my body, something shifted.
His free hand shot upward, seizing his own wrist with violent force.
His fingers shuddered against my throat. His jaw locked tight as if he was battling some invisible enemy. He appeared to be wrestling with himself, straining desperately to pull away from me. Fighting some dark power that had taken hold of him. His grasp weakened just enough to let air into my lungs, though his eyes still burned that terrifying red.
The smoke engulfed us completely then.
