“Shut your ever-hating mouth!” I snarled, rounding on her. I was looming over her in an instant, my hand wrapped around her throat. My horns extended, ready to gore her. Her eyes bulged. I felt nothing but satisfaction at that.

“You will not speak about her to anyone, you understand?”

Hellen swallowed against my palm just as her eyes turned cruel. Her winds, stronger than I’d ever felt them before, buffeted me, forcing me backwards until I lost my grip on her. I staggered across the room, my own strength no match for the element she controlled.

“Oof!” The air was knocked from my lungs as her power pinned me to the wall. “How … how are you doing this?” I panted, muscles straining in vain.

Hellen giggled, the sound like claws down a lava rock. “It’s always smart, to never show your full hand against an opponent until you are confident they will forever underestimate you.”

“I am not your opponent!” I argued, struggling, straining my muscles against the power of her gale. And failing to break free. “I’m your damned brother, Hellen!”

“Half-brother,” she corrected mildly. “Unwanted half-brother. It’s such a delight, watching your eyes get all … fearful … Tell me, do you enjoy it when the air is choked from your lungs?”

I snarled, but the sound was snatched from me. My chest spasmed fiercely as if my lungs were shrivelling inside my ribcage.

“I can manipulate the air inside your body just as easily as the air outside it,” she told me pleasantly, as my chest burned and I made frantic, choking sounds, desperate to suck in a breath that I just couldn’t find. My extremities began to tingle.

“Do you respect me now, Junior?” she asked coldly. I couldn’t move, couldn’t answer. I was going to die here, robbed of breath by my own sister. Spots appeared in my vision, and the room swam.

I wouldn’t see Jemma again. I’d promised her I’d be back as soon as possible. I hated that my bitch of a sister would make a liar out of me.

I never got to tell her just how deep my feelings for her ran.

Hellen rolled her eyes, and suddenly, my lungs inflated again. I sucked in lungful after lungful of burning, life-affirming air.

“You know,” she said thoughtfully, “now that I have seen her, Junior. I could find her in the Human Realm, if I wanted to.”

“You leave her—” My air was cut off just long enough to steal the rest of my words from me.

Hellen smirked at my watering eyes, my bunching muscles, no match for her gale buffeting my body. “You are in no place to issue ultimatums right now, little half-brother. Perhaps I’ll pay your silly human piece a visit.”

“You wouldn’t!” I rasped. “You never leave Hell!”