Lana finally reached Liam. Her boots skidded against the asphalt as she dropped beside him, her breath ragged and her heart thundering in her chest. "Liam!" she screamed, kneeling beside his limp body.
His shirt was drenched in blood, clinging to his skin in wet tatters. She grabbed the shredded fabric and yanked it upward, her fingers trembling. And then she saw it—the dagger.
The Bloodfire Fang was still buried in his side, glowing brighter than before. Its pulsating red core was alive with molten energy, as if feeding off Liam's pain, drawing power from his suffering.
"No, no, no…" she whispered in horror.
Without hesitation, she grabbed the dagger's hilt. It burned her palm, but she ignored the searing pain. With a desperate cry, she yanked it out.
