Menkar chuckled. He pulled out a dagger with an ivory hilt from beneath his coat and handed it to her. When Lara took it in her hands, she realized that the hilt was made from bloodstone that was carved in the shape of a teardrop. The feel of the bloodstone in her hands was so intense that a shudder passed through her body. Why had he given her a dagger? It was a useless burden.

"Thank you. It will help me."

He chuckled. "Look at it closely. Do you feel anything?"

She did. She pulled it out of its sheath and turned it around. The blade wasn't sharp. She had...