Blood Delirium (Blood Trance Book 1) Read online

  Prologue:

  I’d like to say that most of the stories are just myths, that all creatures of the night are good and gentle. That the brutal thirst is just fiction made up by the uninformed that stumbled across a piece of forbidden information. I’d like to say that I, myself have never taken a life, never done an ‘evil’ act. I’d like to believe that I’m safe from my former darkness, that I could never hurt, would never hurt you. There are so many things that I’d like to say and have you believe. Unfortunately, most of them would be lies.

  True, I would no longer describe myself as evil, but the thirst and the memories remain. I haven’t killed in over forty years, and I haven’t had a ‘fresh’ meal in almost that long. I would love to tell you the truth about everything, tell you my story and the story of those you may encounter, but I have neither the time nor the masochistic tendencies to see you hurt by the truth, so I’ll just tell you the basics. There are many myths, like the toxicity of sunlight, stakes, and most holy artifacts. Garlic stings, crosses burn, a destroyed heart is fatal, and silver can be dangerous, if not deadly. Other than that, it’s hard to separate myth from fact, story from reality. Some have tried, dying for their efforts. And still, our origins, our beginnings, remain a mystery.

  Chapter 1

  Skiing is the ultimate relaxation. There is nothing better than whizzing down a slope with the cool air blowing in your face. It’s as close to flying as I can get. I love the adrenaline when you skid over some ice or hit a spot of powder just a bit too thick to remain completely stable. But, I’ve always sought out experiences that cause my adrenal glands to overproduce. In the summer, I scuba dive. In the spring and fall, I mountain bike. No matter the season, I can never go more than a few weeks without some extra exposure to adrenaline. Some of my life goals include base jumping, parachuting out of an airplane, and learning to rock climb well. As much as I hate the term, I am a thrill-seeker with every fiber of my being. I constantly search for that natural high that makes me feel incredible. There is nothing like it. I find manufactured substances to be insufficient. Alcohol just tastes pleasant to me and gives me a short euphoria, while tobacco and marijuana sent me into coughing fits that left a disgusting taste in my mouth for hours after the times I’ve tried them.

  Grimacing at the brief sour taste that flitted through my mouth as I remembered unpleasant memories, I lost my balance when I tried, and failed, to execute a ‘backscratcher’ jump. “Watch out!” Kevin yelled. Thinking about the past and attempting a stunt just beyond my abilities, I had neglected the present. On crowded slopes just after New Years, inattention can be dangerous. “You almost hit that kid!” I swerved off to the side, stopping quickly.

  Kevin is my best friend, even though he’s a guy. I’m not the most social person, and I tend to avoid many of my sex, simply because I am too feminist for the more feminine, and too feminine for the feminists. Anyone that falls in between those two categories is safe, but most don’t. There’s no denying true nature. I have a few female friends, but I don’t get very close to most women. I’ve had bad luck with them in the past.

  “You ok?” asked Kevin as he stopped next to me. He watches out for me with a brotherly love fostered after years of pulling me out of my daydreams.

  “Yep,” I replied, “I was just thinking.” Again.

  “Jules! You know how dangerous that can be,” Kevin teased. I have to admit, my lack of attention to what’s going on around me has landed me in a few scrapes ranging from driving on the wrong side of the road to hitting a tree trunk with my mountain bike to cutting myself 60ft. underwater. Fortunately, Kevin is usually there to bandage my scrapes and calm down the other irritated victims, if there are any. At this point, I am amazed that I have yet to break a bone or end up in the hospital, permanently damaged.

  “Ha ha ha,” I muttered, punching him in the arm. Kevin can be annoyingly clever, turning a moment of weakness into a punch line. I’ve gotten used to it, though. He’s painfully shy with most people. I’m really the only girl he feels comfortable talking to, and he has very few male friends. Although, this could be due to his habit of using his sarcasm as a weapon, driving away acquaintances that don’t recognize the laughter behind his bite.

  “Ready to head back?” he asked. After three hours of just me and the snow, my legs were starting to get cold. Frostbite is not a good way to begin the New Year. Though, it could provide an interesting anecdote for when I get back to school.

  “Yep, it’s a bit nippy out here.”

  “Poor Jules,” he yelled over his shoulder as he took off down the slope. I paused for a moment, savoring the taste of the crisp, snowy air. This ski season had been better than most, for a few reasons. The weather was amazing, the perfect combination of cold and snow without being freezing. Also, my Christmas present from my parents had been a new set of skis, a bribe so I would forget their absence on Parents’ Day. White boots and poles matched turquoise skis with white lettering and trim. They’re the only turquoise skis that I’ve ever seen, making them perfect for me. I routinely search out unique items for my collection, savoring the fact that I am the only one to have them.

  Back in the cabin that we were sharing with four other students, Kevin pulled out his lucky deck of cards and asked, “Poker anyone?” Cards were our way of relaxing and warming up after a long day of skiing. Two others joined in, and we were soon entrenched in a Texas Hold ‘Em style battle for the dollar buy-ins. None of us are what I would call poor, but we are students. Necessity, and our lack of full-time jobs, made sure we didn’t blow too much money on a friendly game.

  I won, again. I’m just very lucky when it comes to cards. Euchre, poker, and blackjack are my favorites. I can be a bit competitive. I like to win, and I usually do. At cards, at least. Oh, and Monopoly. I am undefeated at Monopoly. Growing up, my family loved playing games. At restaurants and during short family meals, we played cards or Yahtzee. At big get-togethers, we would play Monopoly, Clue, Oh Hell, and Cranium. During high school, when certain teachers forgot to plan a lesson or let us have a party, euchre was the game of choice. I’ve always been lucky… at games, anyways.

  Chapter 2

  After two more days of skiing, we headed back to school. It was hard to leave, but we had to go. Winter break finished up on January 20th, and we got back the 17th, giving us only a few days to settle back into our routines before school started up again. Kevin and I are freshman at Grant, the ‘undiscovered Ivy’ as stated by the brochures and college guides. But, that’s not why I chose to go here. Sure, the award money didn’t hurt, but I like it here. I just seem to fit, like I’m supposed to be here. They have all of the classes and activities that I could possibly want. There’s even an intramural sport for each season. In the fall, I did soccer. The winter brought dodge ball, and I plan to do Ultimate Frisbee in the spring.

  The rain stopped just as I stepped out of the cab we had taken home from the airport, welcoming me back to school. My favorite weather is the time just after it rains, when the earth smells moist and fresh. Though, I tend to like transitions in general. The time between sunset and dark is my favorite time of the day. My favorite seasons are spring and fall, the transitions between hot and cold. And, my favorite genetic material is mRNA, the transition from DNA to proteins.

  I’m a biology major, in case you were wondering where that last one came from.

  Having loved the sciences since I got my first kiddy chemistry set at age seven, Grant made sense for me academically too, as it has one of the strongest biology majors in the country. Biology, chemistry, and physics have always been my favorite classes, and I was the student aide for my high school biology teacher. Last semester, I took
only science classes to get a jump start on my major requirements. This semester, I’m taking the ‘Exploration of the Good versus Evil In Literature and Film’ and Abnormal Psych with Kevin, Calc to fulfill my major requirements, and Advanced Genetics is my bio elective. Kevin is also taking Intro to Engineering and Advanced Calculus. He’s a numbers guy, and the person that got A+s on all of the AP Calc tests in high school, including a 5 on the Collegeboard exam. My personal tutor, he was the reason my GPA stayed intact our senior year. When we both got accepted at Grant, with scholarships, I knew that he would continue to help me prevent math from ruining my college experience.

  While we were dragging our bags and skiis back to our dorm rooms, my cell phone started ringing, causing me to jump a little. I groaned as I glanced at the screen. I had a text message from the school bookstore. A ‘hip’ campus, the school used text messages instead of phone calls to communicate with the students about things deemed marginally important. It seemed my presence was needed at the registrar’s office immediately.

  “Crap!” I complained to Kevin, “I have to go to the registrar’s office. I hope nothing is wrong with my schedule.”

  “Want me to come with you?” he asked, being his normal supportive self.

  “No, it’s ok. Go unpack. I’ll stop by later so we can go to dinner.” Kevin and I ate most meals together. In fact, we spent most of our free time together. Between classes, during meals, and in the evenings, Kevin and I usually hung out.

  Sighing, I turned around, dragging my suitcase and skis along with me.

  There was only one other person in line when I got there. She was having problems with her roommate, a “self-righteous snob that snores loudly”. Fortunately, Kevin and I are in Benson Hall. All the rooms are small singles with a shared common room. Our whole floor spent a week playing getting-to-know-you games and having ‘emotion circles’ before school started. It was almost like second grade all over again, except with alcohol instead of juice boxes. And, a few people hung out with practically no clothes on, and one could occasionally hear certain noises at night that usually led to headphones with AC/DC blaring to cover the background noise. There was also that one time that the building stoner set off the fire alarm at two o’clock in the morning... We’ve had some very good times on our floor.

  As soon as she finished, I stepped forward, expecting the registrar to be sitting behind the counter. An angry woman, she was always frustrating to deal with. Instead, Josh was behind the counter. He blinked and leaned back in his chair as soon as he saw me. I sighed as he asked, “Julia. Good to see you. Were you off skiing?”

  “I just got back from skiing, but before I could get to my room to unpack, I got a text calling me down. And, I go by Jules now. You know that.” I replied sharply. I did not want to deal with Josh today. I was angry enough that I had to come down here.

  “You’ll always be Julia to me. You can’t erase seven years of history.” We’d gone to middle and high school together. We had been friends for most of that time, but we had had dated for about six months. I’d initially been attracted to his tousled brown hair, stunning chocolate eyes, and lightly muscled figure, but I’d really started liking him because of his arrogance, which I annoying found attractive in a guy. He’d had this way of bringing me out of my shell, introducing me to the typical high school life full of partying, drinking, and caring more about having fun than the effect that it had on the people around you. He was my first kiss, my first boyfriend, my first everything. Well, almost. I think I had loved him. But, life changing events can make you rethink your friends and boyfriends, especially when they’re toxic to your health and sanity.

  “Josh. Stop. It’s over. You and I WERE close, but not anymore.” I emphasized the last two words, trying to imprint them into his brain forever.

  “Julia. I-“

  “Can you two finish the soap opera later? Some of us have things to do,” interrupted a slightly older guy with long blonde hair and piercing grey eyes. Coming up behind us, he overheard our conversation. Frowning, he glared at Josh before staring at me.

  “Sorry,” I muttered. “Josh, my text?” I turned back to him, my face as blank as I could make it.

  “Julia…”

  “Quickly please, Josh. I need to unpack, and Kevin and I have dinner plans.”

  “Kevin? You’re still friends with that loser?” Josh hates Kevin, and blames him for my ‘changes’.

  “Yes, Kevin. Josh, focus.” I snapped my fingers under his face. He blinked, grinning into the computer screen.

  He typed something into the computer and looked up at me sharply. “The guidance officers here are requesting that you attend a counseling session. It’s been three years, and our high school apparently put something in your permanent file about the incident.” I took a step back as shock filled my face, coloring my cheeks, and I accidentally stepped on the foot of the rude guy behind me.

  “Watch it!” he exclaimed. Taking in my expression, he asked, “Are you ok?”

  No! I mentally screamed. “Yes. I was just… surprised,” I replied, not meeting his eyes. “Josh, tell them I don’t want it. I’m fine, and I do not need help.” He wrote something down on a piece of paper before handing it to me. I glanced down to see a phone number scrawled on it. “What-“

  “It’s my phone number. In case you need to talk to someone about. No one else really knows what you went through with Sharon. We should catch up. I’ve missed you,” he grinned arrogantly.

  “Josh, it’s not going to happen.” There could never be anything between the two of us again. Even friendship would be a constant reminder of what had happened with Sharon. After her death, Kevin was the person that drew me out of my depression. A forced blind date/parental setup lacking the necessary sparks, he quickly became my greatest friend and confidante. Without him, I would never have been able to recover from the worst moment of my life.

  “Come on Julia! We both know that what happened wasn’t your fault. You need to accept the fact that she made poor choices-”

  “Stop.” I cut him off as anger rippled through me. “Thanks for the help with the summons, but it’s done. We’re done.” I marched away, throwing the paper in the garbage.

  “Finally!” the stranger muttered as he stepped forward. “I’m a transfer. I have to pick up my schedule and username,” I heard him say as I strode away.

  As I typed the letters of the password into my computer, a tear slid out of my eye before falling to the top of my hand. I brushed it off, staring at the way it made my hand shine. The faintly bluish glimmer hypnotized me, calming me down as I stared at it, taking deep breaths. Everyone has high school experiences that they want to forget ever happened, memories they wish could be permanently erased. Mine include Sharon. I made a mistake that led me to renounce Josh and my other friends. I have never truly gotten over what happened to her, especially when people kept reminding me.

  Chapter 3

  The next day, I walked into the windowless room that housed the Exploration of the Good versus Evil In Literature and Film. Kevin stood beside me, waiting for me to pick a seat. He knew that I was very particular about the spot I sat in, which was part of why I got to class so early. Sitting too close to the Prof could be seen as teacher’s pet, but sitting far away could be equally bad. I scanned the room, looking for anyone else I knew and liked. No one I was friends with was present, but one of Kevin’s few friends was sitting halfway around the circle. I sat by an empty chair, leaving space for Kevin to sit between me and Jeremiah. He did, flashing me a rare smile before turning to talk to Jeremiah. Seats in the square room were equally good, and giving Kevin someone else to talk to could only be good.

  I was just pulling out my binder and pen when someone sat down on my left. Glancing over, I saw the transfer student from the previous day. I turned back to my supplies, ignoring him.

  Unfortunately, he decided not to take my queue to leave me alone. “Kevin, I presume?” he asked, glancing at Kevin, pulling him from
his conversation with Jeremiah. He looked back at me, raising one eyebrow as he looked Kevin over, taking in Kevin’s mussed brown hair and brown eyes before trailing down his Beatles shirt, gangly frame, and battered Nikes.

  “Yes,” I answered, turning to Kevin again, still trying to ignore the rude transfer.

  “How did you know?” Kevin asked him. Drop it. I willed mentally. Unfortunately, Kevin and I do not share a telepathic link. It would come in handy on occasions like this but was simply beyond either of our mental capabilities. Kevin stared, probably wondering how he knew me and why I was ignoring him.

  “I ran into Julia yesterday,” he looked at me, cold eyes boring into me. I was hoping that he wouldn’t mention Sharon or Josh. I had not exactly shared the complete truth with Kevin about the previous day’s encounters. It wasn’t that I was embarrassed or ashamed, but the event from three years ago would never be pleasant for anyone, especially Kevin.

  “It’s Jules,” I corrected, trying to change the subject. Resigning myself to being civil if nothing else, I said, “Nice to see you again.”

  “Jules,” he mused. “Nice to formally meet you, Jules.”