Page 88 of Wicked Fate

But I twisted free and darted forward, keeping low. The little girl's eyes met mine across the clearing. She didn't look afraid, just... resigned.

The vampire's back was to me as he advanced on her. Twenty feet separated us.

Fifteen.

Ten.

I snatched a fallen branch from the ground just as the little girl shouted, “Fire, no!”

The vampire smirked... then turned and slammed a knife into my chest. He chuckled. "I knew you wouldn’t let me hurt her.”

CHAPTERTWENTY-FOUR

The blade carved through me like heated steel through ice. Agony exploded in my chest, radiating outward in waves that stole my breath. The vampire's eyes gleamed with victory as he twisted the knife, sending fresh torment spiraling through my every nerve.

There was a blur of motion, then Ryker was there, face flushed with primal rage. He gripped the vampire's head with such force that his fingers left dents in the pale skin. With one savage twist, the vampire's neck snapped with a sickening crack that echoed through the clearing. The body went limp, falling away from me like discarded trash.

I couldn’t feel joy. All I could feel was pain.

My knees buckled, and the ground rushed to meet me as warm wetness spread across my shirt.

Blood pulsed from the wound with each beat of my heart, soaking my shirt and pooling underneath me. The metallic scent of my own blood filled my nostrils as darkness crept into the edges of my vision.

Ryker dropped to his knees beside me, his face a mask of horror. His fear slammed into me, making my mouth taste bitter. Hands hovered over the knife still embedded in my chest, trembling slightly.

Skidding on the ground next to me, Briar sent leaves and dirt flying. Her fingers fluttered over the wound, assessing the damage. "We need to get the knife out now!"

"No." Ryker's voice was iron, though the golden flecks disappeared from his eyes, betraying his terror. "She could bleed out. The blade is keeping pressure on the vessels."

I tried to speak, but something warm bubbled from my lips instead of words. The knife pulsed with unnatural heat, sending tendrils of fire through my veins with each heartbeat.

“She’s not going to survive if we keep her here.” Gage ran a hand through his hair. “Our best bet is to take her to a hospital.”

“If you let her rest, she’ll be okay.” The little girl tilted her head, examining me.

They ignored her.

Ryker’s arm slid underneath me, and my body lifted.

I tried to open my mouth to tell the little girl I’d be fine, but I couldn’t speak—couldn’t even mind link. My eyelids grew impossibly heavy, and the fae magic heated inside me. The argument above me faded to distant echoes as darkness rolled over my vision. Consciousness slipped away like water through cupped hands as my body lit on fire.

This had to be it. The day when all the violence and danger ended for me.

* * *

Awareness returned like a slap to the face. I gasped, lungs fighting against what felt like liquid fire. Pain crushed my chest until I couldn't breathe. This wasn't physical agony. This was raw, primal grief, clawing through my insides like a wild animal.

"I told you not to remove the knife." Ryker's voice shattered the air, trembling with fury. "She's dying because of you."

My eyes slitted open, and my visioned blurred. I made out Briar's silhouette, standing tall with the little girl at her side.

"The knife had to come out." She lifted her chin in defiance. "Ashlyn agrees with me."

Ashlyn? Which witch was she?

"And you trusted a ten-year-old girl to make a call like that?" Ryker's voice cracked with disbelief, eyes flashing between Briar and the small child beside her. "Some naive kid who believes Ember will be fine?"

The little girl—Ashlyn—stepped forward, her delicate features sharply set. "I'm not naive. Fire will be fine."

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