Oh, Goddess.
A sob ripped from me, relief and terror colliding so hard I nearly collapsed. "Blaze!"
Theodus barely had time to react before a body crashed into him, sending him sprawling backward. The knife clattered to the floor. I sucked in a sharp breath, stumbling back as the entire world shifted—because suddenly, Theodus wasn’t looming over Ashton anymore.
I scrambled to Ashton, my hands pressing desperately against his wounds, trying—failing—to stop the blood. There was so much of it, spilling between my fingers, soaking through my sleeves, pooling beneath him.
"Ashton," I choked, shaking, trying to keep him here. His head lolled to the side, his lips parted, breaths coming in shallow, ragged gasps. No. No, no, no—
"Stay with me," I begged, pressing harder, my hands slipping, tr
