Raven dashed through the streets in the dark night, her heart pumping in her chest. She passed many homeless people who watched her in fear. They all knew her and recognized her after all her bright red hair was highly recognizable.

Only those of the blood were born with hair like that.

Her thin, plastic pouches bounced against her thigh as she rushed into a small tight alley, she could hear footsteps not far behind her.

She Paused her goat blood pulling it out of her DNA, but not letting it seep out of her skin just yet. She crushed one of the pouches and bull blood poured onto her hand and she quickly Bled it into her DNA feeling the warm heat of the blood against hers.

Raven used the boost of energy to jump up onto the nearest building landing smoothly on the room and laying down. She huffed in pain, her heart slowing down as she hid up in the roof. She carefully pushed herself up to her knees looking down at the streets and Paused the bull blood as well.

Her hand brushed against another pouch which she immediately crushed. She felt the warm sensation of a different blood, this one deer blood.

She Bled it and her vision blurred before clearing out. She could see so much more now, tiny details on the street. She Scanned her surroundings searching for a man with hair just as red as hers. He shouldn’t be hard to find, he had been right on her tail after all.

“Looking for me?” A voice said behind her, sending a chill through Raven’s spine and she spun around to face the man.

“Why are you chasing me!” Raven asked. Her voice shook but she tried standing confidently.

“We can help you, youngling.” The man said his red hair flying in the wind as he took a step forward. “You can join us.”

Raven gulped and her hands hovered over her remaining pouches. “What if I don’t want to?”

“Do you think you have a choice?” The man asked, a laugh escaping his lips. “People hate our kind, youngling. But with us, you can be loved.”

Raven shook her head trying her best not to look in the man’s eyes, she gazed around for any way out of the roof.

“Don’t even think of running.” The man stepped forward again making Raven very uncomfortable. “I’m faster, stronger, smarter.” He smiled. “But we can teach you to use human blood, youngling.”

“No,” Raven exclaimed, her eyes widening in horror and disgust. She couldn’t believe the man had even suggested that. “I’ll never use human blood.”

The man laughed, amused by her immediate disgust. “You’ll get used to the feeling of using their blood soon enough.”

Raven scowled and crushed one of her last pouches. Rabbit blood poured onto her hand and she Bled it into her DNA. She slammed her whole body into the man knocking them both off the roof and down hundreds of feet to the street below.

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She and the man crashed into the concrete and a loud yell escaped the man’s lips. Raven took no hesitation in crushing her final pouch. Sheep Blood poured onto her skin and once more she Bled it using it to heal her remaining wound, and as soon as her recently broken legs healed, she shot out and expelled the sheep blood from her system Bleeding the goat blood she had put on hold.

Her pace immediately quickened and she felt herself gaining a headstart on the man. She could hear his footsteps catching up to her with exceeding speed.

He was using human blood.

The realization sent a chill down her spine. Whoever this man was, he wasn’t one to meddle with.

Her panic increased the closer the footsteps came. She felt a strong grip on her hand making her yelp.

The man forced her to turn his way and she did everything she could not to let herself give up. She squirmed and struggled trying her best to escape.

“Don’t struggle, youngling.” The man said to her his grip tightening so much Raven had to bite her lip in order to not make a sound.

“Please,” Raven begged, her bottom lip trembling in fear and her eyes brimming with tears. “I don’t want this.”

The man’s face contorted with anger…or was it pain. His grip on her arm loosened and Raven immediately pulled free.

She watched as the man fell to the ground choking and his face turned purple. The man crumpled to the ground unconscious and out of breath. Raven lets out a soft chuckle.

“About time you showed up, Audrey.” Raven said, smiling as her sister Shimmered into view a huge adorable smile on her face.

Audrey was Raven’s younger sister, she was beautiful like all other people born of the water. Her light blue hair swung down beneath her back. She was only fifteen but nobody would have been able to guess that.

Unlike those born of the blood, people of the water were born elegant and by the time they reached puberty they all already looked like they were in their prime.

She grinned at Raven. “Well, I was too busy hanging out with Wolf.” She brushed her hair out of her face, her creme brown eyes shining even in the dark.

“I should have guessed.” Raven rolled her eyes. “You hang out too much with that boy, I’m telling you he’s trouble.”

“Is not!” Audrey said, offended. “He is a nice, handsome man who is very endearing.”

“If you remove the handsome and endearing part, I might just agree.” Raven said a small smile threatening to reach her lips.

Audrey rolled her eyes and turned back to the guy she had choked just a few minutes before. “He’s the third one this week. What do you think they want?”

“Me.”

“Yeh, I know that, silly.” Audrey giggled and sighed. “I mean, why do they want you?”

Raven shrugged. “He was saying something about teaching me to use human blood, or something like that.” She wanted to throw up at just the thought. “Speaking of, tomorrow we should buy some more animal blood, I wasted all the pouches I had.”

“Of course, but we can do that tomorrow.” Audrey said, taking Raven’s hand in hers. “Tonight we should just rest.”

Raven glanced into her eyes and a grin spread on her face. “Why are you so sweet, Dree?”

Her sister squealed at the compliment and hugged Raven, her grip tight and loving. “It’s hard not being sweet to a sister as amazing as you.”

“Oh, now you’re just flattering me.” Raven sighed but hugged her sister back letting Audrey lie her head on Raven’s neck.

“One day I’ll be taller than you.” She whispered into Raven’s neck her soft smile making Raven not even bother arguing with her.

“Maybe one day.” She said softly. “But not today.”