Blood Delirium (Blood Trance Book 1) Read online

  Grabbing my hand, Kevin pulled me around to face him. “Jules, what’s going on? What do you mean it’s all your fault?”

  “I can’t explain it to you right now, but I promise I will as soon as I can. I really have to go now.” Pulling my hand away, I took off running towards campus.

  “Jules-“ Kevin began.

  “What?” I said, whirling around. “I really need to go!”

  “I know,” he replied. “Take my keys. My car’s in the parking lot.”

  Running back to him, I hugged him. “Thank you,” I whispered, grabbed the keys, and sprinted to his car. Once I was there, I called Christopher. He didn’t pick up. I called again, hoping that he’d answer this time. He didn’t. Cursing, I turned into campus, wondering where Josh had been killed. I wanted, needed to see the body to make sure it was natural causes, or at least not supernatural, that had led to his death. I was both happy and worried to hear the sound of my ringtone, Bad Romance. What had once been a favourite song now seemed depressingly ironic. Thinking it was Christopher, I answered, “We really need to talk. Where are you?”

  “Julia… It’s Jeff.” Jeff was Josh’s best friend. He’d been one of my closest friends back when Josh and I had been dating, but I hadn’t talked to him in ages. “Josh is dead. He was killed by wild animals this afternoon, and you were listed as his closest emergency contact. They need you to identify the body.” His voice broke as he continued, “I know we haven’t seen each other in a while, but I’m too far away to make it there in time. I’m coming as quickly as I can, but they need a positive ID before they notify his parents. Will you do it?” Even though Kevin, Josh, and I all ended up coming to Grant, we were the only people from our high school to do so. Jeff went to Traverson, almost a three hour drive away.

  Taking a deep breath, I replied, “Yeah. I can do it.” My breath came out as a hiss before I asked, “What kind of animal?” If it was something with fangs, there was no way it was a coincidence. Nothing with fangs would be close enough to campus to kill a student.

  “They’re not completely sure. They said the body was disfigured enough that it couldn’t be anything from the area. That’s why they need someone to verify it is him. The body is too,” he broke off, taking in a shaky breath before continuing, “too mangled to identify from a picture. I don’t know how this could have happened. He was an arrogant guy, you know that more than anyone. But, he didn’t deserve to die this way.”

  Taking a deep breath, I figured out where to go to identify his body. His remains were being transported to the local morgue, just a few minutes from campus. Jeff said that the body would be there in about fifteen minutes, but there was some paperwork I had to fill out that’d take me about that long. “I wish we could have talked again under better circumstances,” I said to Jeff, ready to be done with the conversation so I could turn the car around. One thing my parents had drilled into me was that talking on the phone while driving is dangerous, and I have yet to break myself of the good habit.

  “Agreed,” Jeff replied, “I’d been meaning to call you for a while, since Josh saw you again a month or two ago. But, it’s one of those things that just never happened. If you need someone to talk to, feel free to call me. I’ll be there in the morning, so we can even meet in person.” We decided to meet for breakfast, to catch up and exchange any new information about Josh’s death. Saying goodbye, I started driving in the other direction, heading towards Josh’s remains that would either condemn or exonerate Christopher.

  Chapter 24

  I’ve never been able to handle lots of blood and gore. Movies with the incredibly fake gushing death scenes were never my favourite. I had nightmares after I read a Goosebumps book where someone drowned in blood and vomit. Things like that are just gross, not the kind of entertainment I enjoy. Seeing it in real life was much, much worse than what now seemed like cheap imitations. To say the body was disfigured was stating the damage that had been done to him.

  Deep gashes covered Josh’s body. Chunks of flesh were ripped out, lying next to him on the table to be examined by the coroner. Pairs of puncture marks dotted the corpse of the man I used to love, the person that I had once thought was the one for me, my future. The worst part is that I knew what had killed him. He had been drained of all his blood and there were fang marks all over his corpse. Two plus two equals vampire. Christopher, the only vampire in the area, had killed Josh. I stared at it for a few seconds. Then, I turned and threw up into a nearby trash can. The officer that had led me to the body handed me a tissue.

  “What could have done this?” I knew what did it, but I was curious to hear what the police thought killed Josh, disfiguring him this way. There was no way in hell that they would know what actually killed him, but I was curious to know if they thought it was done by a person on an animal.

  “The coroner thinks it was an animal attack by two or three different species of animal,” the officer replied, “We get a couple of killings like this a year.” Multiple species of animal? I guess that was the only explanation for the different kinds of damage, but it seemed somewhat ridiculous, especially since there were multiple deaths like his a year. A small spark of hope fluttered through me that maybe Christopher wasn’t the one that had killed him, but I squashed it.

  “You’ve seen this kind of death before?” I asked.

  “I haven’t. There are four or five people killed each year in the United States in this manner. This is the first one in our district,” he replied. Obviously ready to get on with his job, he asked, “Is that body of Mr. Daventry?”

  Stepping back from the body, I told him, “Yes. It’s Josh.” Breathing deeply, I added, “That’s definitely his… That’s definitely him.” I couldn’t believe this had happened. Christopher had threatened to kill Josh, and now Josh was dead, killed by a vampire. It had to be Christopher. There wasn’t a history of any other vamps in the area. Damien had been here briefly, but Christopher had promised that he’d taken care of him, just like he took care of Josh.

  “I know this is hard for you, miss,” the police officer said, “But we need to know how you know it’s him.”

  Turning back to the body, I pointed to his hand, “The ring on his finger. I gave it to him for his birthday a few years ago.” Looking as his feet, I added, “And those are his favourite shoes. He wears them six out of seven days of the week.” Turning away, I added, “It’s also his build and hair. Even though the face is… destroyed, I can just tell.” Walking out of the room, I finished, “I really need to go. I can’t be here anymore.” Turning back to sign the paper the policeman offered me, I caught a last glimpse of the body before leaving.

  Chapter 25

  What should I do? The question ran through my head over and over. Sitting on the rock where Josh and I had kissed when we first visited the campus together, back when we were still in high school, I began to think about what it meant that Christopher had killed Josh. He obviously wasn’t done killing, something he’d promised was part of his past. Could I be with someone that had killed his predecessor, the only man I’d been with before him? Shame and disgust filled me at the idea of forgiving Christopher. As much as I liked him, I would never be ok with the fact that he’d murdered Josh. I’d never be able to look at him without seeing Josh’s corpse. Unless he had a really good reason for what happened, I knew what I had to do.

  On the other hand, he might not have been able to control his emotions. Some people have trouble restraining themselves, who’s to say vampires could stop themselves from going too far? I’d never denied Christopher’s brutal nature and past. I’d told him I didn’t care that he was a killer. I’d been the one to say that we could be together despite what he’d done, and I’d been the one to initiate most steps in our relationship. Should I be upset because he was himself? I decided that talking to him was the only way to figure out what I should do.

  Walking back across campus to my car parked at Benson, I ran into Phil. “You ok, Jules?” he asked, obviously concerne
d. “You look like you’ve been crying.”

  “Yeah,” I replied, forcing a smile on my face. “I just realized the guy I’ve been seeing isn’t who I thought he was.” That’s about as simplified as I could make the situation. If I told him that I was dating a vampire that had drained my ex of all his blood before brutally tearing him apart, Phil would think I was insane.

  “Wow. I’m sorry. It sucks whenever relationships end, especially when you realize you’ve been lied to.” While everyone has shitty relationships, the kind that make you want to bathe in bleach when they’re over, I doubt many people face the same kinds of problems I continually had with relationships. I laughed sadly when I realized that mine always seemed to end with a corpse. Aside from the freaks on Jerry Springer, how many people can say their current boyfriend killed their previous one?

  “I honestly thought he was a good person. I guess I was wrong. I really have to go now. I hate to say hi and run, but there’s something I have to deal with.” The sooner I talked to Christopher and gave him a chance to attempt to explain, the sooner I would know exactly what to do, whether there could possibly be an explanation or that I should end it for good.

  Scribbling something down on a scrap of paper, he said, “I understand. Here’s my number if you ever want to talk about it or anything else.” I took the paper, giving him a real smile. It’s always good to have people to talk to. Sometimes people that you’re not as close to are the best to talk to about some things, particularly ones where you can’t share too many details. Unlike Kevin, Phil would not pester me if I didn’t share every detail with him.

  Smiling, I pocketed the number. “I’ll see you later!” I called over my shoulder. For someone that had only come into my life recently, Phil was turning out to be a big help, giving me advice and someone to talk to when I didn’t have anyone else. As I reached my car, I decided to talk Phil up on his offer. I was meeting Jeff for breakfast, but I could always grab lunch with him. He might be just the right person to vent to about everything going on, without revealing some of the more intimate and paranormal details, of course. Unlocking my car, I took a deep breath and got ready to drive to Christopher’s apartment.

  Chapter 26

  As I pulled up to his apartment, I resolved to confront Christopher about what had happened and end things. I just need to know why he’d done it, why he’d killed Josh. Walking up the stairs, I wondered if he’d even be there. Knocking on his door and receiving no response, I realized that I hadn’t thought about what to do if he wasn’t there. I knew I’d feel unresolved until I ended things and got an explanation, but what should I do now that I couldn’t talk to him? Getting angry, I decided to head to the gym. Lifting weights helped me work off anger and aggression.

  I drove back to my apartment and changed into workout clothes before grabbing my Ipod. It was close to 9pm, so I still had a couple of hours before the rec center closed. My angry classic rock playlist was just what I needed as I walked to the RC. As I began to spin on the stationary bike, AC/DC echoed through my headphones, fueling my rage. Switching to a quieter classic rock playlist, I tried to calm down. Listing to the Rolling Stones had the opposite effect, reminding me that you can’t always get what you want. In this case, I wanted the Christopher I fell for back, the Christopher that only killed in the past. Unfortunately, that definitely was not going to happen, and I didn’t think I’d be able to trust him even if it did.

  An hour later, my various muscles ached, and I was calmer. Leaving the center, I inhaled the night air. There’s something cleansing about the air when the sky is completely black. The crescent moon provided little light, so little that I didn’t notice Christopher standing in front of me until I almost ran into him. Stopping, I looked at him coldly. “What have you been up to today?” I asked, hoping he’d admit to what I thought he’d done.

  Stepping back he replied, “I spent most of the day doing homework at Java Grounds. I went to your room earlier, but you weren’t there. What’s wrong?” He looked concerned, like he didn’t know what had happened. If he really had spent his entire day at Java Grounds, the local coffee shop, it was a possibility that he might not have known about Josh’s ‘accident’. “Why do you smell like death?”

  I couldn’t believe that he could ask such a question without knowing what the answer would be. “How did you find me?” I asked stiffly. I was still hoping he’d tell me about Josh without further prompting, that he would confess to the murder and apologize for losing his temper.

  “I smelled that you’d come to my apartment while I was looking for you in your dorm room. What’s going on?” He honestly looked confused, like he didn’t have a clue what had happened that afternoon.

  “Josh is dead...” Shock filled his face, making him either a really good actor or oblivious to the carnage. I had no clue which one it was, something that scared me. “I had to identify the body earlier this evening.”

  Stepping forward and pulling me against him, he whispered, “I’m so sorry. What happened?”

  Going completely rigid, I replied, “He was murdered, attacked by wild animals, according to the official record. But all of his blood was drained, something that only a vampire would do.” Pushing him away, I demanded, “Was it you?”

  Looking hurt, he replied, “It wasn’t me. How could you even think that?”

  “Don’t give me that wounded look. You threatened to kill him earlier today. A few hours later, he was found dead, drained by a vampire. Do you know any other vamps in the area that would brutally murder Josh?” I wanted him to say it wasn’t him, to have some proof that he could never do something like that.

  “I would never hurt someone you were close to, someone you cared about at all. I know you have a past, and you would be upset if anything happened to him. I can’t believe you think I would ever do something like that.” He looked genuinely hurt, but I had no way of knowing if it was real or not.

  Stepping back, I replied coldly, “You have done things like that. You made no attempt to hide the fact that you killed people, and do you know any other vampires that live near here that could have done it?”

  “You have to trust me,” he said simply looking at me, “I could never do that to you.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said, looking down, “That’s not enough.” Walking away, I hoped he wouldn’t follow me. I knew that, if he did, I would not be able to remain resolute in my decision. Since he’d come into my life, there had been more violence and pain than ever before, and I wasn’t willing to let anyone else die because of the choices I made.

  Chapter 27

  The next morning, I went for a walk around campus. Jeff had been delayed by car troubles, so my morning was wide open. Distracted, I almost didn’t notice Phil waving at me from the breakfast café near the student rec. center. “Hey,” I said, sitting down across from him. “How are you doing?”

  “Pretty well,” Phil replied, looking over my hastily thrown together outfit and unbrushed hair. “You look like you’ve definitely had better days.”

  “Thanks,” I said, rolling my eyes. “I had a really rough night. I broke up with my boyfriend.”

  “I’m sorry,” he replied, looking slightly stunned, “It sounded like you were considering it last night.” He hesitated. “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “He just wasn’t the person I thought he was,” I replied, looking away. “But, it’s over now; I’m just trying to move on.” I took a deep breath and let the smell of coffee waft over me. I’d come to the conclusion overnight that I never wanted to see Christopher again, never wanted to be part of his world again. I wanted to go back to the normal, mundane world I’d been a part of before, back to the life I knew where I could focus on my classes, on my friendship with Kevin, and even on the occasional annoyance of Josh.

  “It doesn’t look like it’s over,” Phil said, nodding his head to the right where Christopher was stalking over towards us with fire burning in his eyes. I glared at him, but it didn’t deter him from
continuing his current path. He reached us in less than fifteen seconds. Looking from me to Phil, the blood drained from his face.

  “What are you doing here?” he demanded, glaring at Phil. “And, do you know him?” he asked, wheeling around to face me. “What the hell am I missing?”

  “Hi! I’m-,” Phil stood up and held his hand out to shake Christopher’s. He responded by pulling back his arm and punching Phil, sending him stumbling to the floor.

  “What the hell are you doing?” I rushed over to Phil and helped him off the floor. “Go away and leave me alone!”

  “But, he-“ Christopher tried to interject.

  “No,” I said, turning around. “You and I are done. Get over it.” With that, I walked out, not looking back. I heard Christopher following me for a short period but ran ahead of him, trying to get away. When I reached my room, I locked the door and threw myself down on the bed. I’d never thought of myself as the type of girl to break down in tears when things got rough, to crumble apart when the guy turned out to be another dead end. Because of Christopher, I’d lost my best friend and my innocence. I’d learned about another world that I’d never wanted to face. He’d even killed my ex. Sitting up, I realized that, if Christopher could kill someone I’d dated years ago, he might go after the person he thought I moved on to.