Pride x Familiar (15 page)

Behind her stood another girl with a poise that
reminded me of Caprice Steiner. This girl remained a few feet away
from Prissila, her eyes watching me, Caelum and the garden in
somewhat equal measure.

I glanced at Caelum who was looking at Prissila
but I had the feeling he was actually more worried about the girl
behind the Princess.

He turned to me quickly, and his gaze forcefully
grabbed mine. “Haruka, I’m sorry but I’m going to need your
help.”

“Wh—what do you want me to do?”

He reached out and took hold of my left wrist.
“I’m sorry. I won’t take much.”

I watched him bring my wrist up to his lips.
“Caelum?”

“The bleeding won’t last long. Staunch it, and
then get out of here.”

My eyes grew wide, very wide, at sight of him
sink his canines into my wrist.

Siobhan’s words came back to me.

Just remember, Familiars are like
vampires.

It hurt like Hell when my skin tore.

It hurt even more to watch him drink the crimson
fluid that welled up from the wounds.

And then after a few moments it was over.

Caelum had a handkerchief in hand, and he used
it to wipe at his mouth a moment before pressing it down on my
punctured wrist.

“Keep pressure on it,” he said.

I didn’t need to be told twice. I looped the
handkerchief around my wrist, and applied pressure to the wound. I
looked up at him.

Caelum looked to be in pain but he was doing his
best to hold it back.

“Go,” he said. “Get out of here. She’s not here
for you.”

I started shaking my head, but he reached out
and bodily spun me away from him.

“Get going,” he snapped while pushing me away.
It wasn’t hard enough to make me stumble, but I did stagger for
several feet.

I half turned to face him. “Caelum—”

I watched him start to unbutton his shirt.
“Wh—what are you doing?”

“I don’t want it to get dirty.”

“What? Why?” I arched my eyebrows at him.
“Caelum, do you and the Princess have some sort of
relationship.”

“Gah—you’re not seriously asking me that, are
you?”

“Well do you?”

He looked aghast and stopped unbuttoning his
shirt. “No—definitely not what you’re thinking.”

“Then—?”

“Haruka, leave. Everything will be fine, but you
need to go.”

I started to scowl at him in protest.

Suddenly he was right before me. His eyes looked
into mine as though staring straight into my soul. His face, his
presence, completely consumed my awareness.

I felt him…inside my mind.

I heard his voice…inside my head.

“Go Haruka. Run.”

I could barely breathe let alone protest. Then
suddenly my body began to move. It started backing away unsteadily
from him.

Then it turned and ran.

I regained control as I fled down the path that
led out of the garden. It stretched through an arcade of trees.
Once past the trees, the path curved sharply in the direction of
the east wing of the academy building.

I ran without looking back.

When I came to a stop, I realized I was standing
at the foot of the steps that led up to a glass entrance.

This was the main building and entrance for us
high schoolers.

The middle schoolers building was off to the
east a couple of hundred meters away.

I looked up and through the wall of tinted
glass, and saw a few students milling about inside. They were in
the lobby where the shoe lockers stood.

True to their word, Siobhan and Alistair were
waiting inside. They were standing near the glass wall, and it was
Alistair who saw me first when she turned to look outside.

They both rushed out the entrance and down the
steps.

They both cried out, “Haruka.”

My breathing had recovered by then. “The
Princess came to the garden. She came for Caelum.”

Siobhan looked uneasy. “So those rumors were
true….” Her voice trailed away when she suddenly reached out and
grabbed my wounded left wrist. “What the Hell?” Her eyes bore into
me. “Haruka—what the Hell is this?”

“He—he drank from me.”

“What? Why?”

I shook my head quickly. “I don’t know. But—but
it’s weird. There was another girl with the Princess but she wasn’t
one of the regular four. Caelum—Caelum looked afraid of that
girl.”

A big frown settled on Siobhan’s face, but
Alistair had grown pale.

“Where—where are they?” Alistair asked.

“The garden. The one we go to sometimes.”

Alistair hefted her carry-bag and started to
walk in the direction I’d run from.

Siobhan stared at her then called out, “Ally,
where are you going?”

Alistair ignored her and picked up her pace.

Siobhan grabbed my shoulders. “Stay here. I’ll
go after her.”

Then she ran after Alistair.

Like Hell was I going to stay here.

I chased after them at a run, and caught up
quickly though I felt slightly winded. I was noticeably stronger as
an Aventis, but outside of physical education class I never
exercised. I was starting to regret my distinct lack of
fitness.

Then again, it was hard to exercise with breasts
as large as mine.

And I really shouldn’t be running around without
the
proper support
.

Siobhan asked, “Ally, what’s going on? What’s
got you rattled?”

Alistair replied, “Siobhan, you know about my
brother, right?”

“Yeah, he’s the—”

“My brother told me the Princess caused trouble
for the Raynar and Lanfear Prides a while ago. But it also affected
the Ventiss Family’s relationship with us Kells. In fact months
later and relations between my family and hers are still
strained.”

“So what’s your point? Are you saying the
Princess is causing trouble here at the academy?”

Alistair shrugged quickly. “Maybe. But there’s
something else that worries me.”

Siobhan leaned forward as she hurried. “Like
what?”

“Caelum Desanto, Caprice Steiner, Maya Khayman
and Rina Sayen are not the only Familiars in this school. There are
a dozen more Familiars here at Galatea. But there’s a second year
student, a Familiar in Class Two Cee, and she’s a Special.”

I was surprised Alistair knew the Familiars by
name, but what did she mean by Special?

Alistair glanced at Siobhan. “That girl answers
to the Ventiss Family.”

I blurted out, “Wait—you mean the girl that
shadows the Princess?”

Alistair nodded. “Yes, that girl.”

Siobhan growled softly. “So? So what?”

Ahead of us the paved path curved back toward
the garden and disappeared behind the arcade of bushy trees.

Quite abruptly Alistair came to a stop, and
Siobhan and I almost collided with her.

Since Alistair was blocking my view I moved to
my left, and saw a familiar girl standing on the path.

She had long black hair tied high into a single
ponytail, and she was dressed in the midnight-blue blazer and white
skirt of a second year high-schooler. She had what the boys would
call
sexy legs
, but more importantly she was using those
sexy legs to block the footpath.

She faced the three of us. “I suggest you go
back.”

Alistair inhaled deeply. “What’s going on,
Steiner?”

“Nothing to do with you,” Caprice replied.

Alistair nodded. “Fine. But I still want to
know.”

Caprice was quiet for a moment. “Did your
brother send you? Are you doing his bidding?”

Alistair frowned then shook her head. “I’m here
because I just want to know why Prissila Ventiss is seeking out
Caelum Desanto. After all, the Ventiss Family has history with us
Kells.”

Caprice nodded faintly and I almost missed it in
the artificial
afternoon
light. “Yes, as do I. So I suggest
for now you let things be and let me handle them.”

Alistair hurriedly asked, “What are you going to
do?”

“Support Caelum. What else would I do?” She
started turning away.

I quickly stepped around Alistair. “Wait. Can
you tell us what’s going on?”

Caprice remained on the path, half turned in our
direction. Her almond eyes betrayed no emotion. She was like a
life-sized doll molded with exotic, beautiful features that held
not a single trace of life in them.

“Haruka Amiella, you’ve done enough for now.
Please, do not associate with Caelum Desanto anymore.”

I felt my stomach harden. “Caelum is my friend.
You don’t have the right to tell me what to do.”

“Then you will get hurt,” she stated flatly.

“What? Are you threatening me?”

She shook her head faintly. “No. I’m stating it
for your well-being.”

“What?”

“Caelum is no longer the Caelum you knew.”

“I know that. He’s a Familiar. He drank my
blood—I know he’s different.”

Caprice’s eyes glanced at my wrist.

I stepped closer. “You can’t stop me. If you
hurt me, you hurt Caelum. Do you think he would allow you to hurt
me? How do you think he’d treat you if you did?”

She remained quiet but her eyes narrowed a
fraction of an inch.

I pressed on, and stepped a couple of feet
closer. “You think I haven’t noticed?”

“Noticed what?”

“You play the doll quite well, but it’s not
perfect. I’ve watched you around him. That mask of yours slips off
when he’s around you. You have a rather shy smile don’t you.”

Her eyes narrowed a little more.

I straightened, feeling a little more confident
as I did.

I was willing to bet Caprice wouldn’t risk
harming me for fear of what Caelum would do if he found out.

I gave her a nod. “I’m not the only one that’s
noticed. The other girls have too. There are a lot of rumors about
the two of you, and it’s only been a week since school
started.”

“What rumors?”

“You figure them out. All you have to do is
listen to the talk around you.”

“Are these rumors harmful to Caelum?”

I frowned inwardly. “I don’t think so.”

“Good. If they were, I would have to do
something about them.”

Her voice wasn’t flat anymore. It was cold. So
very, very cold.

I took another step closer, but this time she
faced me fully.

“I don’t have time for you. Go back, or get
hurt,” she stated with absolute certainty.

“What is Caelum to you?” I asked.

“My friend. My comrade. My partner. He is
important to me.” There wasn’t the slightest hint of hesitation in
her voice. “And right now he needs my support.”

Caprice turned away and resumed walking down the
path in the direction of the garden.

For several heartbeats I fought against the urge
not to follow. Fear held me back. I pictured Caprice like an
unsheathed knife. Beautiful but deadly.

Would she really hurt me if I continued toward
the garden?

Could I use Caelum as a threat against her?

Then Alistair grabbed my shoulder and held me
back.

I saw her swallow.

“I didn’t count on her being here,” Alistair
muttered. “I think if we want the truth, I’ll have to try getting
it out of my brother.”

I regarded Alistair for a moment. When I looked
down the path again, Caprice had disappeared.

Siobhan’s voice was clear in the silence that
followed. “Let’s get out of here.”

I didn’t want to leave, but Alistair shook my
shoulder. “This was a bad idea. Sibby’s right, let’s go.”

Reluctantly, I gave in to their judgment and
followed them as they walked away from the garden.

My thoughts and feelings were a mess.

Caelum’s confession of sorts had opened up old
hurts and disappointments.

But they’d also made me realize how important he
still was to me.

If Caelum was in trouble, I would find a way to
help him.

After all, I still owed him an answer.

I believe without a doubt the Prides’ scientists
will figure out the workings of the Fragments and Artifacts long
before man understands woman.

I just had to say that. Now, on to the
briefing.

I have a sister.

Actually, to keep things simple at this stage,
let’s say I
had
a sister.

Past tense.

I was ten turning on eleven when my parents died
in that freighter explosion.

My sister, Celica, was almost sixteen.

With the death of our parents, and the fact we
had no living relatives remaining, we were placed into the care of
the Pharos authorities. I had no idea what that meant, and was
terrified we would be separated, but the people in charge saw fit
to have us live together in an apartment provided by the
colony.

I later learnt the Raynar Pride had taken
responsibility for us, and seen fit to care for us after we lost
our parents. It was the Raynars that arranged for my sister and I
to live together. They also saw to our living expenses and other
basic needs, as well as our compulsory education.

Despite this, I was angry at the Prides. I held
them responsible for the loss of our parents, as much as I held
Crimson Crescent responsible. I have to admit, this anger and
hatred I felt was something that cultivated very quickly over
time.

Strangely, my sister was oddly non-committal
whenever I expressed my anger toward the Prides, Aventis and
Crimson Crescent. It was as though she simply didn’t have an
opinion on the matter. Her lack of one would make me even angrier
at times.

I was angry, but I was also scared and
confused.

You see, my sister had a lot of dealings with
the Aventis.

Not long after our parents died, she was
transferred to an Academy that catered almost exclusively to
Aventis students. It was the kind of school that had no Regulars in
their student body. This made no sense to me, since she was clearly
not an Aventis.

When I confronted her about it, all she said was
that it was something arranged by our parents with the Raynar Pride
in the event of their deaths. She said it would ensure she received
the best education possible. And it didn’t bother her to be
surrounded by Aventis day in and day out.