Page 76 of Poison Sun

“Thank you,” I tell her, since her advice did help.

Some of the other vampires stop what they’re doing, clearly listening in on the conflict between the three of us.

“We’re all on the same side here,” Abigail says. “And, when we’re out there facing true danger, we’re always stronger together.”

“I think you’ve forgotten that we’re not wolves,” Cassandra growls, prowling toward Abigail in a feline way, like a tiger about to pounce. “We’re vampires. We fight as individuals—not as a pack.”

Abigail flinches, as if Cassandra’s words opened a wound she was trying to keep closed.

Because Abigail, of course, hasn’t been a vampire for long. She was born a shifter. And I’m sure in her heart, a part of her will always feel like a shifter.

The surrounding vampires move away from Abigail, glaring at her, daring her to speak out against the clan that took her in when she had nowhere else to go. They outnumber her, and they know it.

Abigail takes a deep breath, and her shoulders drop slightly, admitting defeat. “You’re right,” she says to Cassandra, and when she continues, it’s strained and robotic. “You’re Amber’s trainer—not me. I shouldn’t have interfered. It won’t happen again.”

The apology is forced, and I’m pretty sure we all know it.

But then, Cassandra’s stance softens, the intensity in her eyes dimming. “Make sure of it,” she says. “Because training Amber to depend on her own skills is crucial. She won’t always have someone to call out directions, and always relying on others when things get hard is a sure way to get killed out there.”

She’s right, and we all know it.

After all, if I couldn’t hold my own, I wouldn’t have survived that fight with Viktor in the subway. Yes, it’s nice to have people fighting with me, but I don’t want to be dependent on it to stay alive.

Abigail nods, and then she turns to me, offering a small, encouraging smile. “You’ve got this, Amber,” she says. “And know that when we’re out there, we’ve always got your back, no matter what.”

Her eyes burn fiercely with love, and I get the impression again that she’s protecting and supporting me as much as she would with her own daughter.

“I know,” I tell her. “You had my back in the park yesterday, and I know you will in the future. I know all of you will.”

I glance around at the vampires surrounding us, and much to my surprise, they don’t sneer at me or make any moves against me.

It’s almost like they respect me.

Wow. Weeks ago, I thought I’d be a permanent outsider around here. I never dreamed they’d take me in as one of their own.

Yet, somehow, here we are. And it doesn’t feel unnatural in the slightest.

With the situation seemingly handled, Cassandra brings her sword back out and refocuses on me. “Let’s continue,” she says. “Ready?”

I grip my daggers tight, prepared for her to strike at any moment. “Ready.”

She lunges forward, and the tension from the confrontation with Abigail fades into the background as I focus on Cassandra’s sword, predicting her strikes and countering with my daggers. My muscles burn, and my breath is strained. But I keep going, refusing to give up, no matter how determined Cassandra is to push me down.

We go like that for hours.

Eventually—finally—it’s time to wrap up for the day.

As the gym empties, I catch up to Abigail. She’s gathering her things in a corner, at a slower pace than the others.

“Abigail.” I walk over to her, and she looks up, giving me a wary, but hopeful, smile. “Thank you for today. I know Cassandra didn’t like it, but your coaching helped.”

“I’m glad,” she replies. “But Cassandra did have a good point. You might not always have one of us there to help you.”

“I know,” I say, thinking back again to the confrontation with Viktor in the subway. “Still, I appreciate that you were looking out for me.”

“I did what I felt was right. You remind me so much of Ruby, so I guess, in a way, helping you feels like I’m looking out for her, too.” She picks up her stuff and looks around—by now, all the vampires have left the gym.

“Thank you,” I repeat. “That means a lot.”

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