The other human, a female, walked cautiously, her eyes on me. She was dressed in a leather jacket and pants, with a t-shirt in a burgundy color. She wore boots like every person I had met so far. Her eyes were forest green in the light of the room, and she had dark freckled skin and red curly hair. Tarric took her hand and led her away from me. Her eyebrow ticked and she tore her hand away before turning back to me.

“How do you know Tarric?” she asked rather bossily and I smirked, liking her vitriol. It was refreshing from the usual fearful responses I got.

“Not that it matters right now but I met him at the…” I began.

“Gabriella, not too close!” warned Tarric, and I frowned. Yes, I know I had changed, but I wasn’t so scary, was I? The woman, Gabriella, seemed to agree with me and gave Tarric a scathing glance but stepped back all the same. I glared at Tarric, who shivered visibly under my sight, and I looked away, slightly put out that another friend was scared of me now. I stepped back and turned around, hoping they didn’t take out their weapons on me. I opened the door with the key I had and ushered both humans through, slinking off into the shadows and spying around to see if there were any other Houls.

The Bang of gunfire alerted me to Gabriella’s and Tarric’s position. My feet ate the ground and I zipped up some stairs and down a hall. I found both in a stand down with the last Houl, a man. He smelt like lavender and ice to my hunter senses. Gabriella pointed the laser gun at him, hand shaking on the trigger as his blood-red eyes glared at her.

“I see the food escaped,” he said, stalking Tarric, who was frozen by the Houl magic. The man grabbed Gabrielle’s chin and smiled.

“Ah, so my Houl trance doesn’t work on you?”

“Please get out of my face, your breath stinks,” said Gabrielle as she raised her gun and tried to shoot. The Houl was quicker and snapped his fingers turning the gun into a stick. I had to learn to do that! It was obvious I was starting to develop Jedi mind tricks of my own. The houl gripped Gabriella harder and smiled at her wince. I narrowed my eyes at his laughter and decided that enough was enough. Zipping to the Houl, I watched in slow motion as the Houl smirked and caught my fist. I switched hands and punched him with my other fist.

“I thought there was someone else…or something. What are you?” he asked as I backed up and grabbed Gabrielle from him. He was a strong Houl. My love taps barely did a thing to him. I slapped Tarric in the face and he snapped out of it. He sputtered back to life as if I’d dunk him underwater in a frigid lake.

“Wha-What?”

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“We need to go,” I said as the Houl watched and smiled, waving. Tarric shivered and backed away, bumping into me and shouting in fear.

I rolled my eyes. This was going to make my next question hard to swallow. “I need human blood to get us out of here. One of you is going to have to give a teeny bit of your blood to me.”

Tarric fainted while Gabrielle glanced at me quizzically. “Why? What will it do?” She whispered as we hid. I wasn’t stupid enough to think the Houl couldn’t find us. He was giving us time.

“It’ll empower me enough to at least get the two of you out,” I whispered back, grabbing Tarric and shaking him. Nothing the guy was out cold. I sighed and dropped him, making sure his head didn’t thump against the floorboards. Gabriella turned towards me and I could see indecision in her eyes before steely resolve took over as she squared her shoulders. She’d come to some decision and I prayed to the Universe it was the right one.

“I’ll let you take my blood on the condition that I get to pick where it’s taken,” she said.

I nodded. “Ok.”

“She stuck her hand out wrist up. “Here. You can take it here.”

“I only need your finger,” I muttered, bringing her hand to my mouth and clipping her index finger with my fangs. Blood welled on the finger and I sucked it into my mouth. She tasted divine like dark chocolate and she smelled like strawberries dipped in cream to my hunter senses. Still, I only took a few drops. I heard her gasp as I sucked on her finger, and glanced up at her dark green eyes which reminded me of the forest at night in NR-1. Here everything was either dark or light.

I lifted the finger out of my mouth feeling my strength. It was far more than before and should be on par with the Houl unless he was in a class of his own. I faced the direction he went in and signaled Gabriella who was blushing still. I decided not to smile since my fangs showed when I did and turned to face her. She was kicking Tarric who was making little grunts.

“I know you aren’t asleep, Tarric. The danger is over, you can get up,” she muttered, kicking him low enough for him to react.

His hands flew to cover his crotch. “I’m up! No need to be so rude!”

Gabriella growled low before whispering. “Rude? Rude was you leaving me to play damsel so buck up and get up before I have you singing soprano.”

Tarric gulped and hopped to his feet glancing at me. “Y-you don’t still need our blood do you?”

I raked my hair back and shook my head. “Gabriella assisted me.”

His eyes narrowed. “You bit my sister!”

“Hush! I let him and you were playing dead remember?” said Gabriella as she shifted around and grabbed her gun. “We need a plan.”

I nodded. “I’m going to fight him off you guys escape through the window over there,” I said pointing to the open window by a bookcase. “We aren’t high up. You can jump down.”

“What about you?” asked Gabriella cocking her laser gun and putting it back in its thigh holster.

“Who cares!” muttered Tarric. I hope he dies.

I glanced at him taking a step back. Was I really so bad that Tarric of all people wanted me dead? I was starting to see where: with friends like these, speel came from. It kinda hurt to have Tarric wish me dead. I heard it like a bell as I brushed his arm. His thoughts. I heard his thoughts. I turned to Gabriella and smiled weakly.

“I’ll find a way.”

“I don’t think…” she began.

“Good, have at him. We’ll jump out the window and leave you be,” said Tarric smiling as he grabbed Gabriella’s arm. She stepped on his insole and hmphed. “Don’t talk for me. You might be my big brother but you don’t decide things for me.” She turned to me. “I can help distract him. I have a gun.” She pointed to her holster.

I shook my head and headed towards the hiding place’s entrance. We were behind a few bookcases and the wall. It was an enclosed space and it was big enough for Tarric to lay on the ground and Gabrielle plus me. I wasn’t a runt anymore. I was bigger and taller. Not built but not scrawny. I had some muscle now, and the more I drank blood, the stronger I became. It was a change for sure but a change I kinda liked. I wasn’t starving anymore or small and puny. I liked that change. I narrowed my eyes and stepped through while Tarric dragged a reluctant Gabriella to the window.