Henry stood inches from her, motionless, his heart racing.

“Aren't you going to join me?” she said, as a slight smile spread across her flawless lips.

His inhibitions gone, Henry had never felt so free, so happy, euphoric. He loved her. It was mad to say it, but he loved her. She was perfect, everything he ever wanted. He had thought he could never love anyone, his mind refusing to let him experience happiness, yet he knew that somehow, he loved her. And she loved him. Yes, she loved him, she must. Otherwise none of this made sense. His whole life had been leading to this, the perfect moment with the perfect woman. Endless pleasure was before him as the past faded to nothing.

Henry almost ripped his clothes off, throwing away the dirt and worries of his past life that they seemed to represent. She drew closer, her lips drawn to a pout, inviting him. He traced his hand down her arm, the feel of her unblemished skin sending tingles through his body, her perfection making him shiver with excitement.

As he looked into her eyes, Henry found that the magic, in the true nature of the word, was lost.

In that moment, when their gaze locked, her irises cracked before him, shards of purple and green splintering across her once blue eyes, a ripple of energy cascading out across her body. Her skin, once perfect, became grey and mottled, the colour spreading out and transforming her snowy perfection, as a dropped stone disturbs a silent lake. Her face changed too, her nose receding and broadening, becoming snout like. Hairs sprung in wisps around her face, her hair thinning, the once flawless body now gaunt. Her ears began to point, not like before with the Grol, for they were almost transparent and grey like the rest of her. Skin began to develop between her fingers, which grew outward in spindles creating the effect of giant wings as her lips peeled back to reveal long sharp teeth and overly pronounced canines.

“Oh bloody hell,” Henry said.

More energy rippled outward from her, the transformation into some bat-like creature now complete. The once white table cloths turned to ash as the tables beneath them cracked and fell apart, the white walls turning black as the chandelier above his head decayed before him. Its glass pendants fell to the floor, fading to nothingness as they met the ground. Flowers that once accented each table, wilted and died, the whole image crashing down around him. She had been in his mind, changed his reality and now the image she conjured had broken. If Henry doubted any of the things he had been told tonight, this evidence left him unquestioning. The world wasn't a safe place, a fact he already appreciated, but just how unsafe? He had been so naive.

“Henry, stay back!” a voice shouted from behind him.

He turned to see Gabriel pointing a gun at the creature, but when Henry turned back, her transformation had already begun to reverse.