Crimson Rebirth

Part 1

Run.
 
That was the only word that clouded the head of Genevieve Starglow, her feet carrying her through the woods of her beloved Zenia, roots and thorns scraping against her skin.
 
She tried to pretend that she couldn't hear the sounds of the vampires' hunting horns as twilight gave way to night. The scent of pine overtook her nose, a blessed reprieve from the iron taste of blood in her mouth, from the red that stained her skin, her dress.
 
Run.
 
She tried not to think too heavily on the reason she was running, the memories a cloud of poisoned gas threatening to overtake her. Genevieve dared not look over her shoulder, knowing she would see the faces of her clan members being chained until she was captured.
 
That was her gamble with Jaxton, leader of the Nightwing vampires. Escape his best hunters, save her clan members.
 
A ball of bile rose in her throat when she remembered their terrified faces when they saw her, the fear in their eyes. They looked to be at Death's doorstep, something she never wanted for them.
 
God and Goddess, she never wanted for it to happen to them.
 
Run.
 
She winced as she saw the day overtaken by the night and knew, without a fraction of a doubt, that her head start was over. Any moment, his hunters would be on her, led by none other than Jaxton's eldest son;
 
Riskel.
 
Run, her mind screamed as her legs felt like jelly. Run, get away, far far away, everyone you love is counting on you. They'll be far safer without you. The Clan Leader who couldn't even save her own Clan. There's bound to be songs and poems composed at your funeral just to make fun of you if you get caught!
 
A root, one she hadn't paid any sort of attention to while yelling with herself, sent her sprawling. Genevieve landed with a harsh thump, her leg twisted behind her and the breath knocked from her lungs. Pain arched through her body, originating from the ankle that had gotten twisted in the root.
 
"Fuck." Gene cursed, slowly moving to untangle her foot, wincing when she saw the bruising. "Sprained, at least." She grumbled, trying to get to her feet, only to fall again. Her ankle couldn't hold much weight, and definitely couldn't be run on, not without making it worse.
 
She still tried, looking rather pitiful in her attempts to get away, dragging herself along the branches, the bark forcing splinters into her bleeding hands. Run. She tried to tell herself, but her leg firmly rejected the idea, blood from her skin staining the wood beneath her hands, leaving more than enough of a trace for even the worst hunter to follow.
 
Should've wrapped some of these... She thought sourly, shaking her head at herself, moonlight filtering through the trees. She could hear the footsteps of the vampires closing in.
 
"Fan out." She heard one say.
 
"Don't let her get beyond the forest or Lord Jaxton will have our hides!"
 
"I'll have your hide if you upset Father!" Came a voice to her left that made her blood run cold. How did he manage to get so close so quickly?! She thought, forcing herself to quietly shuffle along, dragging her injured foot behind her. She couldn't go far, and she definitely couldn't go fast. All she could do was hope that she could outwit them.
 
And that was going to be a monolithic task in and of itself. One vampire could be tricked. But a whole swarm? She knew that she would be lucky to trick half of the hunters, and that would be with the ability to actually run.
 
Options. She breathed as quietly as she could, though each breath hurt. I need options...
 
She didn't get any further chance to ponder what to do before she found herself getting grabbed.
 
"Ohohoho!" The vampire laughed, gripping her arm and knocking her off-balance. "Lookie lookie, I found a cookie!"
 
She never understood why the vampires always referred to her as any sort of dessert, and her struggles were becoming fruitless. Nonetheless, she tried to shake the vampire's grip from her arm. She didn't focus too much on the looks of the vampire, though, if she had, Gene would've been able to see the similarities to Riskel the female vampire seemed to have. The same black hair, the same hungry amber eyes and skin that hadn't seen enough sunlight lately.
 
The vampire flung her to the ground, and Genevieve swore we could feel a few ribs cracking. The air left her lungs and her head spun as she tried to get to her feet. A swift kick to the ribs sent her back to the ground with a hiss of pain.
 
"You're mine." The vampire snarled, bending down to grip her prey's chin.
 
Genevieve tried to fight back, flailing her arms and leg, trying to make the vampire let go. The grip on her chin moved to grip her neck.
 
"I'm going to pop your head off." The vampire sneered, starting to squeeze. "And then I'll bring your head to Father on a silver platter. And then we'll have the merriest hunt of our lives, draining every little human-" the word was dripping with venom- "of every little ounce of blood in their little bodies."
 
A sadistic smile plastered itself on the vampire's face. "And once we're done with the ones we have, we'll chase after the children."
 
No. Gene thought, her hands trying to pull the vampire's off. I WON'T LET YOU!
 
For a moment, a terrifying moment, nothing happened.
 
Then, all at once, Gene swore she could hear every living creature breathe. Tendrils of green magic exploded into her view, tracing through every plant, every tree, even the vampire trying to kill her.
 
And when she looked at her hands, gripping the wrist that was trying to suffocate her, she noted something odd. It was as though every tendril around her seemed to pool into her body, or came from her. Either way, the green magic she saw around her was also tied to her.
 
She didn't have time to ponder what she was about to do, the lack of oxygen burning her lungs. With her mind's hand, she reached for the tendrils of magic that stretched into the trees, yanking on them and pulling them to the vampire, weaving around her and interlocking with the others.
 
A sudden freedom to breathe is what alerted Gene that she actually did something. Opening eyes she wasn't aware were closed, she caught sight of the vampire being yanked back towards the trees.
 
"WHAT ARE YOU?!" The vampire screamed, just as vines began wrapping around her head, cutting off any other noises she could make. Gene's mouth would've been agape if she wasn't terrified of where she was.
 
Gene stumbled back, in absolute shock. She didn't know what she had done, nor how, but she knew that if she stayed there any longer, another vampire would find her.
 
So she turned away once more, her hands leaving flecks of blood on the plants that were scattered on the forest floor. She rose to her feet, her ankle no longer in pain. The magic she had used, magic that made her head spin, must have healed her ankle ad well as cocoon the vampire.
 
So close... She inwardly breathed, spying the edge of the forest as she ran. Freedom was close, so close she could practically taste it.
 
But what she tasted next was not freedom.

A blur of motion slammed into her side as another round of blood filled her mouth, her teeth cutting into her jaw. Her cheek shoved against the bark, splinters digging into her skin once more as a voice purred into her ear, one that sent shivers down her spine and fear thrashing through her veins.
 
"Hello my immortal treat." Riskel purred, his amber eyes fixated on hers for naught but a brief moment. "How I've missed the taste of your blood."
 
Just as quickly as he had slammed into her, his fangs sank into her neck, blinding her with pain, causing her to cry out.
 
Once he had drank his fill, minutes that seemed like excruciating hours, he traced Gene's jaw with his thumb. "Where's the spirited woman who told me to go to Hell after the first time I bit her, hmm? She get replaced by this mouse before me?"
 
He chuckled to himself, throwing Genevieve to the ground. "Time to play, Gene. Your head will look lovely on a gold platter."