Justine Bodeau has arrived! She tells her story in her own words. Her tale makes up Book One of the Blood and Passion Series.
Born in a poor district of Paris when the nation is seething with unrest and hatred for the aristocracy, Justine finds herself at the court of Queen Marie Antoinette. Fighting off an attack by an aristocrat, she is saved by another--but betrayal follows. Death finds her on the streets of Paris where she is attacked by rogue vampires. But love will not let her die. The one they call Gascoyne, the Prince of Vampires gives her eternal life, but by doing so--he has condemned her to exist as one of the undead.
She isn't grateful, she hates what she has become, but passion overcomes the hatred.
Fate has many surprises in store for her. Friendship with another of her kind. And love too--but it is Gascoyne she is haunted by for she remembers love.
EXCERPT:
We are prisoners of our past, hostages of our heart. Yes, even those like myself, whose heart no longer beats, are slaves to it. Do we remember love? I think we do. I remember my first loving … or am I only recalling lust? I wonder if it matters. Perhaps nothing really matters, all the things gone before the current moment. Ah but there are so many moments in an immortal existence. Shocked? Do not be.
I am what I am, no more no less. The truth is I am a creature of the night. Blood is like wine to me … no wait. It is better than that. It is my life— alright, existence then. Why not be honest from the first? I am Justine Bodeau, a Vampire who recalls her existence now in this telling. My past has returned to offer me comfort. I am embraced by it. It feels good—though I know as I go along, I shall find certain memories painful. I wonder if I will bury them or if they will insist on returning. And when the past and present meet, when I find the truth to questions I have, I wonder if I shall wish to be destroyed for I have yearned for it many times. Still, I shall persevere.
I am aboard a ship sailing to a new chapter in my existence. What lies ahead, I do not know. All I can do is guess and try to learn from the past; a past that included two worlds, one living and one undead. I sit in my cabin, glad to be alone frankly, for I am able to reflect on all that had gone before. Was my existence worth so much that I cared to go on forever or for as long as I could? That was not a question to be taken lightly. There was much I would have to consider first. Suddenly, a gentle knock sounded at the door. Ramet. “Justine?”
He came in quickly. “You must take this…”
My dear friend Ramet— do not worry; you will know all there is to know about him in the course of my tale. He was bringing in something for me to take so that I would not sicken. Craving blood and doing without is not pleasant for one such as I. There is such gross discomfort when that happens. One is fraught with pain and nausea. I have felt that way many times, and it seems to me each instance is worse than the one before. I looked at the goblet he placed in my hands and knew at once it not only contained blood but also an elixir he uses to restore vitality. The opiate of Vampires, as he says. We didn't speak then; he just wished me to drink. And so I did. It tasted salty as blood always does, but the unmistakable taste of sweetness crept through— too, probably from the honey I knew him to add.
“It is good, yes?”
I nodded and smiled. Sometimes I think Ramet acts more like a concerned father than my friend. When I finished the beverage, he took the cup from me. “I will leave you now.” He closed the door softly. Sleep beckoned, not the human sleep I can no longer recall, but the deep sleep of the Vampire, more like death than slumber— yet not being death, it is often filled with dreams.
I undressed for I knew the cupboard would be warm, as well as cramped. Still, if I slept on my side with my legs curled under me, I would fit nicely. The darkness soothed me. There was no sound; just that of my own breathing filling the space. Soon, I would be in sleep's embrace and I would dream of the life that was mine long ago.
Cover by The Cover Collection
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