Blood and Belief - Chapter 2: The Sorting

The safe house was a warehouse on the edge of the city.\n\nHaatim carried Abigail through the door. Frieda looked up from where she was tending to Emma, her expression shifting from worry to shock to something like wonder.\n\n\"It's really her,\" Frieda whispered.\n\n\"Yeah.\" Haatim set Abigail down on a cot. She was unconscious now, powers depleted from the fight. \"It's really her.\"\n\nPetrillo and Damien arrived twenty minutes later, weapons ready, expecting a fight. Instead, they found Haatim sitting beside an unconscious woman, holding her hand like he was afraid she'd disappear.\n\n\"Who's that?\" Damien asked.\n\n\"Abigail,\" Haatim said simply.\n\n\"The Abigail? The one who—\"\n\n\"Yes.\"\n\nDamien whistled low. \"Well. That explains the golden eyes.\"\n\nEmma was recovering in the corner, Frieda monitoring her vitals. The glamour was wearing off, clarity returning to her eyes.\n\n\"She saved me,\" Emma said quietly. \"The woman with the gold eyes. She ripped through those vampires like they were nothing. I've never seen anything like it.\"\n\n\"Neither have I,\" Haatim admitted. \"And I fought beside her at Raven's Peak.\"\n\n\"She's gotten stronger,\" Frieda observed. \"Much stronger.\"\n\n\"Or she's been holding back all along.\"\n\nThey fell silent, watching Abigail sleep. Her breathing was steady, color returning to her cheeks. She'd be okay. Physically, at least.\n\nEmotionally was another question.\n\n***\n\nElianna and Matthew watched The Crimson Veil burn from three blocks away.\n\n\"Did we do that?\" Matthew asked.\n\n\"I might have knocked over a few candles on my way out.\" Elianna's eyes still glowed faintly gold. \"Accidents happen.\"\n\nMatthew laughed despite everything. \"You're terrifying, you know that?\"\n\n\"I've been told.\" She turned away from the flames. \"Come on. We need to move before the firefighters arrive and start asking questions.\"\n\n\"Where are we going?\"\n\n\"To find the other Hunters. The ones whose student we just helped rescue.\" She started walking. \"It's time the Faithful and the Hunters stopped fighting separately. This vampire-demon alliance is too big for any of us to handle alone.\"\n\n\"You think they'll work with you?\"\n\n\"After tonight? After seeing what we can do together?\" She smiled. \"Yeah. I think they might.\"\n\n***\n\nAbigail woke to voices.\n\nFamiliar voices. Frieda giving orders. Petrillo asking nervous questions. Emma's grateful thanks.\n\nAnd Haatim. Always Haatim. His voice closest, full of relief and worry and love.\n\nShe opened her eyes.\n\nHe was there. Sitting beside her cot, still holding her hand. He looked exhausted. Like he hadn't slept in days.\n\n\"Hey,\" she said. Her voice came out as a croak.\n\n\"Hey yourself.\" He squeezed her hand gently. \"How do you feel?\"\n\n\"Like I fought fifty vampires and a demon lord.\"\n\n\"Only forty vampires. And you won.\"\n\n\"We won.\" She tried to sit up. He helped her, supporting her back. \"Emma?\"\n\n\"Safe. Recovering. Thanks to you.\"\n\n\"And Frieda? Petrillo?\"\n\n\"Everyone's fine. We all made it out.\" He paused. \"Abigail... where have you been?\"\n\nSix months of silence. Six months of questions. She owed him answers.\n\n\"Hunting,\" she said simply. \"Tracking the vampire-demon alliance. Trying to figure out what I've become.\"\n\n\"And did you? Figure it out?\"\n\nShe looked at her hands. They looked normal now. No golden glow. No visible power. Just... hands.\n\n\"No,\" she admitted. \"I'm still just as confused. Still just as scared of what Surgat turned me into. But tonight...\" She met his eyes. \"Tonight I realized something. It doesn't matter where the power came from. It matters how I use it. I used it to save Emma. To protect you. To fight evil.\"\n\n\"That's all that matters,\" Haatim said.\n\n\"Is it? Even if it came from a demon? Even if it makes me less human?\"\n\n\"You're not less human, Abigail. You're just... more.\" He touched her face gently. \"And I love all of you. The human parts and the powerful parts. The scared parts and the brave parts. All of it.\"\n\nShe wanted to believe him. Wanted to let go of six months of fear and isolation.\n\n\"I'm sorry I left,\" she whispered. \"Sorry I didn't call. Sorry I made you worry.\"\n\n\"I'm sorry too. For not being there when you needed me. For letting you face this alone.\" He pulled her into an embrace. \"But we're together now. That's what matters.\"\n\nShe let herself sink into his arms. Let herself feel safe for the first time in six months.\n\nThe door opened. Frieda poked her head in.\n\n\"Sorry to interrupt, but we have visitors. The other golden-eyed woman. She wants to talk.\"\n\nAbigail pulled back from Haatim. \"The Faithful warrior from the club?\"\n\n\"Her name's Elianna. Says she has information about the alliance. Wants to coordinate.\"\n\nAbigail stood, still shaky but determined. \"Then let's talk. We have a war to plan.\"\n\nHaatim stood with her. \"Together?\"\n\nShe took his hand. \"Together.\"\n\nThey walked out to face whatever came next.\n\nNot alone anymore.\n\nNever alone again.