7. Demon's Blood
Danny came out of the library to see what all the commotion was about, thinking I’d been on another shopping spree — dumping bags and boxes all over the place — only to find me splayed on the floor at the bottom of the stairs, breathing shallowly. He sat me up and placed an arm under my knees and the other under my neck, careful to keep well away from the small amount of steel that was still sticking out of my back. I moaned as he lifted me and let my head loll forwards, unable to find the strength or energy to hold it up.
He laid me face down on the bed and examined my back, before donning smelter’s gloves to try to remove the throwing stars as swiftly and gently as he could. Only a quarter of each star was visible, so removing them was not such a simple task, particula
