Pride X Familiar ReVamp (Pride X ReVamp Book 1)

by Albert Ruckholdt

  “They probably had a good track record,” I pointed out bitterly. “Success breeds confidence. Yada yada.”

  “Why do you lack self-confidence?”

  “Huh?”

  She was watching me carefully. “I see no reason why.”

  “You’re joking right?”

  “Do I appear that way to you?”

  I studied her face for a moment. She looked to be sincere which made me feel awkward and uncomfortable.

  Simone arched her eyebrows at me. “Well?”

  I drank down a mouthful of my soda. “Let’s just say I don’t make you look good.”

  “Ugh,” she groaned softly.

  I added, “Besides, we both know that if not for my Fragment you wouldn’t even glance my way.”

  “That is true. Conversely, if not for your Fragment would you even consider associating with me?”

  “I’d be too afraid to,” I replied with complete honesty.

  “So my appearance would drive you away.”

  “It would.”

  “So you would be judging me like a book by its cover.”

  “I’m used to doing that by now. Besides, every guy in my position does the same.”

  “Don’t you think that’s a waste?”

  “It is, but what chance does a Regular person have to get past the cover and into the contents of the book?”

  She was quiet for a moment. “In that case, shouldn’t you be making the best of this opportunity to peruse the book?”

  I nodded, noticing the waitress was returning with our orders. “I would, but I’d probably find it hard to read.”

  “Humph,” she uttered and folded her arms under her breasts.

  Our lunch was served, and I asked the waitress for another soda.

  I faced Simone after the waitress walked away. “So, are you going to give me a straight answer?”

  “Ask away…within reason,” she replied, and I took the hint.

  “Alright, then I’ll ask what’s the point of today?”

  “To cure your prejudice…toward me.”

  I felt my stomach tighten.

  Simone was looking at me intently. “I may have been born an Aventis, but I’m not a monster. I don’t want you hating me. I need you, Caelum. I need your help, and your support. But I also want you to see me for the girl that I am, and not just an Aventis of the Raynar Pride.”

  I looked down at the burger on my plate. “I told you before, it’s a little hard letting go of almost six years of hatred and blame.” She was quiet so I looked up at her, and said, “But…I don’t hate you, Countess.”

  Her eyes flickered. “You don’t?”

  I shook my head faintly. “No, I don’t. I may not entirely trust you, but I don’t hate you. And I don’t blame you for what happened to my parents.”

  I spoke the truth, and after a little while realized my words had put her at ease.

  She took a deep breath, and gave me weak smile. “In that case, let me use this date to earn your trust.”

  “You can do that by answering my questions.” I took a mouthful out of the burger I’d ordered. After washing it down with my rapidly dwindling soda, I said, “Be honest with me and I’ll decide if I can trust you.”

  “You’re placing a lot of importance on yourself.”

  “Actually, you people are. You’re the ones that perceive us Familiars as something of value, but that’s only because we can use the Fragments.”

  “You don’t see value in the Fragments?”

  “To be honest, I’m rather scared of them,” I told her. “I’m also quite scared of what we’re not being told. I don’t get a straight answer out of the researchers whenever I describe what I’m seeing.”

  “Seeing?” She frowned just a tad. “What do you see?”

  I put the burger down on its plate. I was trying hard to decide if I should trust her, but I’d opened the box and let the cat out – so to speak. She wasn’t going to let me off the hook without an answer.

  “Caelum?”

  “I think my Fragment isn’t a Fragment.”

  Her reaction spoke volumes, as did the silence that followed. She grew rigid and remained that way for a long while, until she finally asked, “What do you think it is?”

  “Isn’t that obvious? I think it’s an Artifact.”

  “How…how do you know this?”

  “Because sometimes I can see the full Fragment in my mind, and it doesn’t look like just a gauntlet.”

  Simone’s eyes darted for a moment.

  I didn’t doubt for a heartbeat that her people were nearby. “Do you want to talk here, or elsewhere?”

  She shook her head and I saw faint distress in her eyes. Then she relaxed quite suddenly. Actually, it was more like she’d raised the white flag of surrender. She sunk back into her seat.

  I heard her mutter as she palmed her forehead. “Caelum. I’m sorry. I didn’t plan this at all. You must believe me.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  I grew concerned and looked in the direction she’d been looking.

  Ack!

  I looked right into the eyes of the one person I did not expect to meet. However, if I considered the upmarket nature of this arcade and the shops within, maybe her being here was coincidental. Even so, it was still bad luck nonetheless.

  I looked at her, and the Princess looked right back at me.

  Her entourage of girlfriends, the Fearsome Quartet, stood behind her.

  I recognized the three girls that slapped me, and the one that kicked me.

  Truly a fearsome quartet.

  Simone took a deep breath as the Princess stopped beside our table.

  “Wha—what is the meaning of this?” the golden haired beauty asked, somehow managing to keep her voice down.

  “Ara ara, I didn’t expect to see you here.”

  “What are you talking about? You and I come here all too often.” The Princess placed her hands on her shapely hips. “Is this the reason why you refused my invitation last night?”

  Simone smiled contritely and palmed her hands together in supplication. “Sorry, sorry. I told you I had a prior engagement.”

  “A prior engagement—with him?” The Princess pointed at me in displeasure.

  “Yes, with him. Is that a problem, Prissila?”

  “Simone, you know exactly how I feel about him.”

  “Yes, yes. You call me every night to vent out your frustrations.” The Countess sounded weary. I could only imagine how long those calls lasted and how one-sided they were.

  The Princess sounded irate. “Then how could you reject me over him?”

  “Because this is a date, Prissila. I don’t date girls, remember?”

  “A—A date!”

  This time she couldn’t contain her emotions. Her loud cry attracted the attention of the seated patrons.

  “Yes. A date,” the Countess said as she leaned forward. She planted an elbow on the table and dropped her chin onto her palm, then looked up to regard the Princess. “Is that so impossible to believe.”

  I thought the Princess was going to turn blue.

  She looked to be struggling for air. “I can’t believe you’re associating with this lowly Familiar.”

  Eh? Are we back to that again? And in a semi-crowded restaurant of all places?

  I chose to ignore her and resumed eating my burger.

  Actually, I wasn’t even hungry. One more mouthful was about as much as I could eat. I put the burger back down on the plate.

  Simone smiled thinly at the Princess’s words, then fixed Prissila with a hard stare. “Why is that an issue? And since when is he a lowly Familiar? I happen to value him as highly as the next Aventis.”

  “That’s just preposterous,” the Princess retorted.

  She was starting to sound like an old recording on infinite playback.

  Simone smiled enigmatically. “You know Prissila, you seem fixated on Caelum. Granted he’s seen your underwear and guessed yo
ur measurements pretty well, but I’m starting to wonder whether you actually like him.”

  I almost choked, and the Princess really did turn blue.

  She looked ready to pass out on the spot. “How—how can you say that?”

  “Well, you talk about him a lot. And you had me check on his background, so I’m thinking you’re interested in him.”

  “That’s not it at all. I—I just wanted to know if what he said was true.”

  I downed my soda quickly and looked up at the girl.

  What had I said to her?

  She met my eyes but hastily averted her face.

  The Countess said, “You didn’t believe his parents were dead, did you?”

  “I—I thought he might have been looking for sympathy from me.” She folded her arms under a bust that was equally as magnificent as Simone’s. “I have heard sympathy stories before…and I’ve fallen for them too….”

  “Well,” the Countess said, “you are a romantic at heart. It explains why you read so many romance novels.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with reading,” the Princess whined.

  I was starting to understand her a little better.

  She glanced at me, then glanced again before finally giving me a sidelong look. “I’m sorry…for your loss….”

  I wiped my mouth with a napkin, then sighed and gave her a nod. “It happened more than five years ago now. It still hurts to remember it, but I’m still here and I don’t plan on letting my grief stop me from living my life.”

  I stood up from my chair then faced her properly.

  “Princess, I’m sorry for my behavior. I don’t hold you responsible, and I know you had nothing to do with my parents’ deaths. Also, I should be accustomed by now to the manner in which the Prides view us Familiars.”

  I gave her a deep bow.

  “I’m very sorry for having offended you.”

  I straightened slowly, fully aware that a lot of the patrons were watching us.

  The Princess was standing stock still, her face gradually growing pink. “You—you’re apologizing to me?”

  “I am indeed.”

  “Oh…well then…I guess I have no choice but to accept.” She turned her body and pointed at me. “However, it’s going to take a great deal more for me to forgive your shocking conduct.”

  I let my shoulders sag. My voice was flat too. “You want me to strip and run through this arcade naked?”

  “Ah—no, no! Of course not.” She looked about furtively before aiming her concerted attention on me. “How can you even suggest such a thing?”

  “You suggested I run around the school in my underwear—”

  Both her hands slapped over my mouth. She made a shushing sound. “Don’t bring that up now.”

  “Hmm,” I mumbled.

  Her girlfriends were looking at each other anxiously. Actually, they looked downright nervous. Why were they nervous?

  The girl that kicked me on Friday stepped a little closer. I actually trembled in memory of that painful event and eyed her warily.

  However, she addressed the Princess, choosing to completely ignore me. Yet, she was clearly nervous to be near me and that puzzled me.

  “Prissila, we’re going to find a table for the four of us.”

  “Huh? Oh—good idea. I’ll be there shortly. Wait—did you say four?”

  “Yes,” the girl replied.

  Prissila shook her head quickly. “I’m not planning to join them.”

  The girl waved a hand gently. “No, no. It’s quite alright. You should enjoy the time with your friends.”

  “Friends? What are you saying?”

  The girl bowed respectfully to the Countess. “Vice-President. Please enjoy your meal.”

  How could someone so polite be so violent? Again I trembled slightly in fear of her.

  “We’ll be going now.” The girl stepped away, and rejoined the company of her companions.

  The Fearsome Quartet looked very nervous and almost anxious to leave.

  Prissila sounded frantic. “Wait for me, I’ll be done shortly. Wait, aren’t you getting a table? Why are you walking out of the restaurant?”

  True enough the Fearsome Quartet walked out of the establishment.

  My groin muscles relaxed in relief.

  The Countess snorted. “Give up, Princess. They’ve seen right through you.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “They spent last week getting revenge for you. Now they’re seeing you actually like him rather than hate him.” Simone smiled evilly. “They’re feeling betrayed by you.”

  “Huh? That can’t be.” She turned her head toward the departing girls. “Chantal, Adrianna—girls please wait.”

  Prissila’s hands were still firmly planted over my lips. I was sorely tempted to lick her palms with my tongue. The moisturizer she used on her hands had a nice smell to it.

  Actually, I’d noticed she had a fine scent to her as well.

  Was that Catherine Dior she was wearing, or perhaps Jacques San Lauren?

  Since my body had been boosted into the realm of a Familiar, my ability to recall smells and tastes had improved considerably.

  As I pondered the fragrance she was wearing, a tall man in a waiters’ suit approached Prissila. The name badge he wore identified him as the manager. He leaned forward as he spoke, towering over the Princess.

  “Mademoiselle, might I request that you not disturb the customers.”

  “Heh?” Prissila muttered.

  The manager indicated the far depths of the restaurant. “Perhaps you would care to join your companions at another table?”

  “Ah, I wasn’t planning on staying.”

  I heard Simone giggle then say, “Come on, Prissila. You’re already here.” She stood up and spoke to the manager. “Sir, we’d be grateful for another table.”

  He nodded. “This way please.”

  Prissila’s head was spinning left and right, alternating between Simone and the Manager.

  I reached up and had to apply a fair bit of strength to remove her hands from my lips. “Princess, shall we be going?”

  “Heh? Uh…very well….”

  Her shoulders slumped in defeat.

  I indicated she should lead the way, and moments later she followed Simone and the manager deeper into the premises.

  That’s when my right arm tingled.

  It was faint, and I had to admit I’d never felt it before.

  I wondered why when a sudden, ominous feeling crawled up my arm, shoulder and down the length of my spine.

  I turned to the entrance of the restaurant in time to see it vanish in a flash of violet light.

  My body shifted into overclock mode a millisecond later.

  Tables, chairs, people – they all flew up into the air as though the floor under them had erupted upwards.

  Then they were slammed into the depths of the restaurant by an invisible shockwave.

  My Fragment had manifested by then. My right arm was braced before me. With its bladed shield the gauntlet took the brunt of the shockwave. I felt the equivalent of an effect-field emanate from the gauntlet. It warped the air around me, forming an even larger shield that prevented bodies, tables, chairs, and bits of the floor from knocking me back.

  This was the ability of my Fragment. Both a shield and weapon rolled into one. But it wasn’t the full manifestation of the Fragment. For a single heartbeat I saw in my mind the image of the Artifact, and realized I was manifesting only an element of the whole device.

  The shockwave rolled by, leaving the interior of the restaurant in shambles.

  I had no idea what had just happened, but it appeared this part of the arcade had been targeted. Crimson Crescent came to mind, but I had no proof.

  Thinking this I turned to look for a sign of the Countess and the Princess. I ran as best I could toward the debris even as parts of the ceiling rained down around me.

  I saw bodies, and parts of bodies.

  I smelt the b
lood around me.

  I pressed on, growing ever more desperate for a sign of the two girls.

  And then I found the Princess, lying under plaster and permacrete. I found the Countess moments later in a similar state. My heart was pumping so loud and fast I didn’t bother trying to feel for a pulse in either girl. But Prissila moaned when I used my gauntleted right arm to clear away the large pieces of rubble from her body.

  While I did this, I heard the groans and cries of pain from the survivors.

  What the Hell just happened?

  Was that some kind of beam weapon?

  How could anyone bring a cannon into an arcade full of shoppers?

  I clenched my jaw as I pulled Prissila free of the last of the rubble. Her dress was torn and frayed around the edges and she’d lost a shoe. But she was alive, and I was thankful for that.

  I freed Simone next, then spotted the manager. He was out cold, but was breathing at least.

  I tried rousing the girls. We needed to leave the confines of the ruined restaurant. I had no idea how much longer the ceiling would hold before collapsing.

  There were the other survivors to consider as well.

  I needed to help them too, but I didn’t want to leave the two girls.

  Damn it. Was this what it was like to have to make painful choices?

  I swallowed and came to a decision then. I would carry them out to safety, then return for whomever I could find alive.

  My gauntlet tingled again.

  I spun my body and faced the ruined entrance. I could hear the sound of alarms and the cries of people outside in the arcade. But my attention was grabbed by the silhouette of a woman, possibly a girl walking toward me.

  Her right forearm was encased in something that resembled a cannon. It was angular and shaped like a crystal shard. It might have had a place on a small tank, but it looked incongruous on her slender body.

  I figured it for a Fragment. If so, then she was a Familiar like me.

  She stepped on the ruin of rubble and bodies, coming to a stop a dozen or so meters away.

  She was dressed in a long, flowing coat. Under it, she wore a skintight black and grey suit that was noticeably thicker than a wetsuit. It had the hallmarks of a pressure suit designed for use in a vacuum environment. In other words, it was what the military called a skinsuit.