"Shut up and don't try to boss me around. I'm only going because I want to."
Damon said it out loud as he ran, almost defensively, as if Ashcroft could somehow feel the difference between obedience and choice. He needed to say it. If he didn't, Ashcroft would start speaking to him like a subordinate instead of a rival.
"Left.." Ashcroft said calmly.
Damon's boots scraped violently across the stone floor as he skidded to a halt, sparks biting from the friction. He twisted his body with all his momentum and swung left so sharply his shoulder nearly clipped the wall. While still moving, he reached for the artifact and undid its effect mid-stride.
His body shifted.
Long dark hair lashed behind him like a torn banner in a storm. He forced the demon wings to fold inward painfully until they vanished beneath his skin, and with a strained breath he willed the horns to recede back into his skull before anyone could see him like this.
