Page 112 of Poison Sun

She’s gone. Cassandra is, too. As is the guard who was overseeing Abigail.

The guard who was fighting Cassandra is standing there, watching me and Lucas with a sick fascination.

And Yannick...

I avert my gaze, unable to look at the pile of ashes without bile rising in my throat.

I will not let his death be in vain.

Lucas’s dark eyes linger on mine for a moment too long, searching, probing for something.

I hold my breath, trapped in his gaze.

“No,” he finally says. “I want more.”

He licks his lips and leans forward, but this time, I’m ready. Because the moment I saw Yannick’s ashes again, I gathered what I could of my remaining strength and magic.

The wound on my neck is already healing.

With a swift move, I slip my hand into my boot, drawing one of my concealed daggers. The metal is cool and reassuring in my grasp. A tangible reminder of my ability to fight—to defend myself.

The vengeance that pours through me is more than desire. It’s a necessity. Lucas has taken from me—violated me. He, Viktor, and the rest of the downtown vampires have threatened my friends and killed my clan members.

It ends tonight.

No matter what it takes, I’ll make sure of it.

Amber

With a burst of strength, I lash out, catching Lucas off guard and nicking his cheek.

He staggers back, a hand flying to his face, where a thin line of blood—his own this time—wells up.

“Amber,” he growls. “You don’t want to do this.”

“I absolutely do.”

In the split second it takes Lucas to realize he doesn’t have the hold on me that he was hoping for, I dodge out of his way, channel my dwindling reserves of magic, and shoot it in a concentrated beam at the guard standing off to the side.

It strikes him squarely in the chest, sending him flying back into the benches.

He lands with a thud, and I can smell his flesh burning from here. He’s not dead—it’ll take a hit to the heart to do that—but it should be enough to hold him down for a bit.

Lucas lunges at me, dagger in hand, his face twisted in rage.

I dodge to the side, using his momentum against him and throwing him off balance.

He conjures his air magic and throws it at me.

It hits me harder than I expect, given he’s not known for being the strongest magic user, knocking me back a few steps. But I stay on my feet and move with it instead of against it, not allowing it to force me to the ground.

Then, I charge, dagger poised to strike.

Lucas is quick to sidestep and block me with his blade.

Our weapons clash, metal ringing out in the silent night, and his expression twists, his anger morphing into something more dangerous. A determination to end this, one way or another, tonight.

Unfortunately, thanks to the blood loss, my fading magic, and the decades of training he has on me, Lucas has the upper hand here.

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