Read Online Drake Chronicles: 01 My Love Lies Bleeding by Alyxandra Harvey - Free Book Online
Authors: Alyxandra Harvey
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a dozen fire extinguishers. Geoffrey was standing over a tray of beakers, wearing a creased lab coat.
“Hi. I know you’re busy so I’ll be quick,” I said, wrinkling my nose at the familiar odor of formaldehyde and rubbing alcohol with a tinge of hay. There hadn’t been hay stored in this barn for nearly a hundred years, but apparently that dusty smell never really went away. “Any progress with the Hypnos?”
“These things take time, you know that.” He added a drop of blue liquid to a slide and slipped it under a microscope. “Just like I know that’s not why you’re really here.”
“I’m sorry I let him get away.”
He looked up. “It’s hardly your fault— even I would follow orders if I got a mouthful of Hypnos. It’s very potent, Lucy.”
“I know.”
“Now, what can I do for you?”
I bit my lip. “I want to know about the bloodchange.”
“You know about the bloodchange.”
“No, I don’t. I know it’s the big bad and everyone’s freaked out, but that’s it. And every time I ask Solange, she tells me not to worry.”
“And she’s right.”
“Please.” Apparently I wasn’t above begging. “I just want to understand it so I can help.”
He smiled gently. “Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do to help, my dear.
This is Solange’s battle.”
“Solange is my best friend,” I said stubbornly. “So it’s my battle too.” Something in my face must have convinced him I was going to make a nuisance of myself until I got what I wanted, because he finally sighed and said, “All right, Lucy.
Have a seat.”
I sat quickly, before he could change his mind.
“The bloodchange is still a bit of a mystery,” he admitted. “I’ve been doing research and experiments to better understand our family’s special challenge, but with varying degrees of success. It’s not strictly scientific, nor is it strictly supernatural, so we have as many questions as answers. There are only a few other families who can procreate like we do. All other vampires are made, not born. Technically, the Hel-Blar are made the same way; it’s only that they have a more violent transformation, without guidance or mentoring until it’s too late.”
“Are they as scary as everyone makes them out to be?”
“Yes.”
“Do the Hounds get sick too?”
“In a manner of speaking, though not like us. Our change is genetic, you understand. As near as we can explain it, when our young reach puberty, the flux in hormones triggers the change. It’s like the body attacks itself and then shuts down—
until it is reawakened by drinking vampire blood. Our children need to be very strong to fight through it and win.”
I swallowed. “But mostly everyone gets through it, right?”
“Mostly.”
“Why do some go crazy? Is that a hormone thing, too? Like permanent PMS?” He smiled briefly. “Not quite. It’s just that some are stronger than others. The bloodchange is so difficult, some just can’t hold on to themselves. If they get only just enough blood to survive, the thirst takes them over and it’s all they can think about, like the Hel-Blar.”
“Are you telling me Solange could turn into one of them if she’s not strong enough?”
“I wish I knew for sure. The more likely outcome would be that she might simply die and not reawaken.”
“This sucks.” I scowled. “But Solange is totally strong enough. She won’t die for real and she won’t go crazy.” If I said it enough, it would be true.
“I’m sure you’re right,” Geoffrey said soothingly. “She has strong genes, which is an asset. Drinking the blood from someone of the same lineage will restore her enough to win the battle. Her body won’t attack the new blood, but it can’t create its own supply either. At first, she’ll need to drink every day to supplement, less as she gets older.”
“She’s not going to get older.” I tried not to dwell on the fact that one day I’d be wrinkled and wearing dentures and
“Hi. I know you’re busy so I’ll be quick,” I said, wrinkling my nose at the familiar odor of formaldehyde and rubbing alcohol with a tinge of hay. There hadn’t been hay stored in this barn for nearly a hundred years, but apparently that dusty smell never really went away. “Any progress with the Hypnos?”
“These things take time, you know that.” He added a drop of blue liquid to a slide and slipped it under a microscope. “Just like I know that’s not why you’re really here.”
“I’m sorry I let him get away.”
He looked up. “It’s hardly your fault— even I would follow orders if I got a mouthful of Hypnos. It’s very potent, Lucy.”
“I know.”
“Now, what can I do for you?”
I bit my lip. “I want to know about the bloodchange.”
“You know about the bloodchange.”
“No, I don’t. I know it’s the big bad and everyone’s freaked out, but that’s it. And every time I ask Solange, she tells me not to worry.”
“And she’s right.”
“Please.” Apparently I wasn’t above begging. “I just want to understand it so I can help.”
He smiled gently. “Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do to help, my dear.
This is Solange’s battle.”
“Solange is my best friend,” I said stubbornly. “So it’s my battle too.” Something in my face must have convinced him I was going to make a nuisance of myself until I got what I wanted, because he finally sighed and said, “All right, Lucy.
Have a seat.”
I sat quickly, before he could change his mind.
“The bloodchange is still a bit of a mystery,” he admitted. “I’ve been doing research and experiments to better understand our family’s special challenge, but with varying degrees of success. It’s not strictly scientific, nor is it strictly supernatural, so we have as many questions as answers. There are only a few other families who can procreate like we do. All other vampires are made, not born. Technically, the Hel-Blar are made the same way; it’s only that they have a more violent transformation, without guidance or mentoring until it’s too late.”
“Are they as scary as everyone makes them out to be?”
“Yes.”
“Do the Hounds get sick too?”
“In a manner of speaking, though not like us. Our change is genetic, you understand. As near as we can explain it, when our young reach puberty, the flux in hormones triggers the change. It’s like the body attacks itself and then shuts down—
until it is reawakened by drinking vampire blood. Our children need to be very strong to fight through it and win.”
I swallowed. “But mostly everyone gets through it, right?”
“Mostly.”
“Why do some go crazy? Is that a hormone thing, too? Like permanent PMS?” He smiled briefly. “Not quite. It’s just that some are stronger than others. The bloodchange is so difficult, some just can’t hold on to themselves. If they get only just enough blood to survive, the thirst takes them over and it’s all they can think about, like the Hel-Blar.”
“Are you telling me Solange could turn into one of them if she’s not strong enough?”
“I wish I knew for sure. The more likely outcome would be that she might simply die and not reawaken.”
“This sucks.” I scowled. “But Solange is totally strong enough. She won’t die for real and she won’t go crazy.” If I said it enough, it would be true.
“I’m sure you’re right,” Geoffrey said soothingly. “She has strong genes, which is an asset. Drinking the blood from someone of the same lineage will restore her enough to win the battle. Her body won’t attack the new blood, but it can’t create its own supply either. At first, she’ll need to drink every day to supplement, less as she gets older.”
“She’s not going to get older.” I tried not to dwell on the fact that one day I’d be wrinkled and wearing dentures and
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