Pride X Familiar ReVamp (Pride X ReVamp Book 1)

by Albert Ruckholdt

  Was the Purge nothing more than a smokescreen for the Sanctum to target me?

  If so, why had I gone from an asset to a liability? Had my efforts to determine the truth about the Warlords set off alarms within the Sanctum?

  Or was it because I was looking for another truth?

  I just didn’t know.

  Perhaps I was overestimating my role in the debacle.

  More than nineteen months had passed since I fled Pharos, and I was still no closer to an answer. Part of me suspected that Crimson Crescent had leaked false information to the Sanctum, which led them to believe my allegiance was in serious doubt. But again, nineteen months on and I had no proof, only suspicions. Those suspicions had grown stronger when I learnt of the Titan. That said, I didn’t trust Carlisle Crescent, but for now I had no choice but to do his bidding while following my own agenda when possible.

  I rolled onto my back and stared up at the dark metal ceiling.

  I knew the Lanfears were hiding an impressive collection of Artifacts and Fragments so it was possible they possessed a Warlord. They had chosen not to participate in the construction of the Vault chamber under the school some twenty years ago. Surely, they were hiding something special from the other Prides. They were always a crafty, secretive bunch. It was no wonder the other Prides were wary of them.

  Arisa Imreh Lanfear, the girl who held Caelum’s leash – that girl had grown up much too quickly. Inevitably, I was going to have to deal with her.

  Caelum….

  I wondered if next time we met, I would kill him properly, rather than leave him to die.

  I stretched a hand out to the dark ceiling.

  I thought I’d rid myself of my humanity, but for one moment, as that girl cried on her hands and knees, and pleaded for his life – for one moment I was once more Celica Desanto, sister to Caelum Desanto, and in that moment of weakness I gave that girl the means to save him.

  It was just one moment in time, and I swore I would never succumb to that weakness again.

  In order to defeat the Sanctum, the Primogens, and Silia Alucard, I needed to be more of a monster.

  There was no place in my heart for compassion toward my enemies.

  And that included Caelum, who had chosen to be my enemy.

  #

  (Silia)

  Seven faces, seven Primogens, looked at me, though one was conspicuously absent – the Lanfear Primogen, Yolanda Imreh Lanfear.

  The seven Primogens were holovid representations, yet their displeasure was palpable as they stood before my desk.

  They might as well have been physically standing in my office.

  The holovid images were nearly perfect.

  Xavier Augustine Avenir spoke in a measured, almost clipped tone. “I don’t recall this being the outcome you promised us, Field Commander Alucard.”

  I replied as smoothly as my anger allowed me to. “No sir, it wasn’t.”

  “An expensive habitat within Island Three has been damaged. A premier academy for our students was partially wrecked and is now closed for repairs. Military equipment destroyed, and dozens upon dozens of lives lost, all of them men and women under your command—a command granted unto you by the Sanctum. And we approved that command because they vouched for you.”

  “Yes…sir.”

  “The Sanctum supported you despite the fact you failed to terminate Desanto nineteen months ago.”

  “Yes…sir….”

  “And putting a lid on the situation is now impossible. The name Crimson Crescent is on everyone’s lips. The media, the news, the Nexus—it’s all anyone is talking about. And of course they’re demanding action. The people are demanding we bring Crimson Crescent to justice.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “And Celica Desanto is still free, and now in possession of the Artifact known as the Black Camellia. Do you have any idea how much of a threat she now poses to the Prides—and not just here in Pharos but across the colonized star systems?”

  I clenched my teeth for a heartbeat. “I do indeed, sir.”

  “Were you aware of the threat ‘before’ you decided to bait her by dangling the Warlord before her nose?”

  I chose not to answer, which agitated him even more.

  “It’s clearly apparent that Desanto is one step ahead of you. You taught her, you trained her, you created that monster, and to top it all you failed to dispose of her.”

  I stood up slowly then leaned over my desk, supporting my weight on my arms.

  I met Xavier’s anger with an iron hard glare as I spoke.

  “The Black Camellia was useless to us inside the Vault. We had no way of getting it out of there because there was no way for us to link the Warlord with another Regalia, and not without killing Desanto.”

  Xavier’s holoimage took a step closer. “It might have been useless but it was out of Crescent’s hands. Now it’s back in their possession. This is the worst outcome.”

  I punched the desk. “We would have succeeded if you hadn’t countermanded my order.”

  “You’re holding me responsible?”

  “Yes! Why did you recall the Avienda? Only a Warlord can face another Warlord.”

  He looked aghast. “Can you imagine the damage to the habitat if both monsters faced each other?”

  “Celica Desanto had little experience piloting the Black Camellia. Compared to the Avienda’s pilot she was a complete novice. The Avienda could have easily subdued the Camellia with minimal damage to the habitat.” I hit the table again. “She could have done it with her eyes closed!”

  Xavier roared, “Don’t raise your voice at me!”

  I yelled back, “Then answer the question—why did you recall the Avienda?”

  “That is an Avenir matter, not a Raynar one.”

  A deep male voice cut in. “Actually, we’d all like to hear an answer, Xavier.”

  I glanced at Conrad Khayman Sora. The tall, lithely built man with a neatly trimmed goatee stared down Xavier. “Answer her question. Why did you recall the Warlord at the last minute?”

  “As I said, that’s an Avenir matter—”

  “Xavier, is there a problem with the Warlord Avienda?” implored Evelyn Isola Lorian. “Is there something you’re not telling us?”

  Conrad Khayman crossed his arms. “You get the opportunity to answer now, or before a formal Council seating. What shall it be?”

  “Are you questioning my position as Council Leader?”

  Conrad nodded. “Absolutely. This fiasco might have been averted had you not interfered.”

  Xavier noticed the looks he was receiving from the other Primogens – displeased looks, and a distinct lack of support. He stood tall and puffed out his chest. “The Avienda is our only link to the Titan. I deemed the risk of damaging it unacceptable.”

  I straightened behind my desk. “You’ve given Celica Desanto the time she needs to learn to operate the Black Camellia properly. Now if those two face each other, it won’t necessarily be a one sided contest.”

  “The Titan is more important,” Xavier insisted loudly.

  The tall and gaunt, Byron Thadius Fenrir, voiced his opinion. “Perhaps. However, I don’t believe there is anyone here that doesn’t question your judgment, Xavier.”

  “Question? Question me?”

  I watched the mood continue to swing against Xavier. It was clearly a concerted reaction against him.

  This was unexpected, though I’d hoped for it.

  Byron said, “While it is true the plan failed, we cannot fault the Field Commander since you delivered the coup de grace to her operation by withdrawing vital support at a critical time. In other words, you pulled the rug out from under her feet.”

  Xavier’s chest deflated a little. “My judgment was sound.”

  Byron arched an eyebrow. “Shall we vote on that?”

  I thought Xavier’s eyes would jump out of their sockets. “What?”

  Byron looked at his fellow Primogens. “I propose a vote.”

&nbs
p; “I protest,” Xavier said, “and that is my right as Council Leader.”

  Conrad was eyeing Xavier distastefully. “Indeed it is. We’ll need to arrange for a council meeting and follow protocol.”

  Byron shook his head while smiling faintly. “There’s hardly a need for that. Surely Xavier wishes to avoid all his dirty laundry being aired.”

  Conrad looked at Byron, while Xavier’s face darkened.

  Byron kept his attention on Xavier. “Oh, perhaps the good Primogen Augustine has something he wishes to tell us about the Avienda’s Khan.”

  Evelyn asked, “Its Khan? You mean its pilot?”

  “Yes. A Warlord is operated by a Khan, an individual blessed with a Regalia.” Byron focused on Xavier again. “Well, Augustine?”

  Xavier grew deadly still. He didn’t even blink. For a moment I thought the holoimage had locked up, but then he clenched his hands.

  “What do you want, Byron?”

  “Hand the Avienda and its Khan to the Raynar Pride.”

  I thought Xavier was going to cough up blood.

  A look of intense agony washed across his face. When he partly recovered, he shook his head just once. “No. The Avienda is Avenir property, as is its pilot, and its Regalia.”

  “It is clear that you don’t know how to employ it,” Byron continued smoothly. “It should be left in better hands.”

  Conrad looked thoughtful. “No. That’s asking for too much.”

  I raised a hand. “Then may I propose a compromise.”

  Seven Primogens faced me, including Xavier.

  I swallowed and said in a confident tone, “There is another candidate for a Warlord.”

  Evelyn spoke softly. “Another candidate?”

  “Yes, Celica’s brother…Caelum Desanto afil Lanfear.”

  I watched them react as I expected, with mixed emotions.

  I pressed on. “It’s clear that brother and sister are not on the same page. Caelum Desanto has rejected her offer, and suffered for it. I propose we nurture their differences to our advantage.”

  Evelyn smiled thoughtfully. “Is it wise to involve him? How do you propose to earn his unwavering trust and co-operation?”

  I took a deep breath. “I have confidence in my younger sister. If anyone can ensure his loyalty and devotion, it’s her.”

  Evelyn smiled a little more broadly. “I see. You plan on having her capture his young heart.”

  Conrad looked deeply concerned. “That’s dangerous.”

  I shook my head faintly. “No sir. I believe it’s the best way. Love can be a powerful force, and a very strong bond that money and all the riches in the worlds cannot compete against.”

  Xavier snorted. “Preposterous—completely absurd. Love? Are you daft, woman?”

  I ignored him, but barely so.

  Byron sounded amused. “So what’s the compromise?”

  I swallowed again. “Rather than handing the Avienda over to us, I propose that Caelum Desanto undergo training at the hands of the Avienda’s pilot.”

  Xavier started to protest, but Conrad waved him quiet. The Primogen of the Sora Pride nodded at me. “Continue, Commander.”

  “Thank you, my Lord.” I returned his nod respectfully, then straightened. “We have ascertained that Desanto is bonded to an Artifact known as a Kaiser, specifically, the Kaiser’s Blessing.”

  That earned me a round of raised eyebrows.

  Evelyn smiled thinly. “The Lanfears were in possession of a Kaiser…how amusing….”

  I didn’t find it amusing, but kept the thought to myself. “At present, Desanto cannot fully summon his Artifact. I believe the Avienda’s Khan can help him achieve that.”

  Xavier protested. “On what grounds do make such a flimsy suggestion.”

  I regarded him flatly. “Because that girl is gifted not only with a Regalia, but with a Valkyrie, just like Celica Desanto.” I paused before asking, “Am I wrong?”

  The faces of six Primogens studied Xavier.

  His eyes darted about with growing anxiety.

  Rather quickly he relented to what I already knew as fact.

  I was grateful he was only standing before me as a holoimage. I didn’t fancy being struck by his spittle as he thundered angrily.

  “Yes, gods damn it, that blasted little bitch is bonded to a Valkyrie and a Regalia. So what if she is?”

  I cleared my throat calmly. “Valkyries and Kaisers are somewhat similar in both power and performance. That little bitch as you call her would be able to teach Caelum Desanto how to summon the Kaiser’s potential.” I paused before adding, “Afterwards, we can work with the Lanfears, and find him a suitable Warlord.”

  “Dear gods,” Xavier muttered. “You’re proposing we work with that untrustworthy Pride. Are you serious?”

  I narrowed my eyes at him. “The Raynars and Lanfears are closely related. In fact, the two Symbiote strains are almost the same but for a handful of differences. Are you implying the Raynar Pride is also untrustworthy?”

  He closed his mouth as six pairs of eyes regarded him intently.

  Conrad asked, “Well, what do you say to that, Xavier?”

  Xavier gave me a heated glare, one that would have singed a solar panel. “I need to discuss the matter with my people.”

  “We want an answer now,” Evelyn demanded with an icy smile.

  Byron, Conrad, and the others all nodded.

  I watched Xavier’s holoimage grind its teeth. Eventually he growled, “Very well. I’ll make the arrangements to have the Avienda’s Khan reassigned.”

  Conrad nodded very slowly. “Excellent idea.”

  Xavier turned to face him. “However—and this I will not compromise on—the Avienda will continue to remain in the Vault kept under Calista Academy. Is that clear?”

  The two men stared hard at each other.

  Eventually, Conrad nodded once again. “That’s sounds acceptable. After all, it’s clear that you have trust issues concerning the Avienda’s Khan. For now, we’ll choose to err on the side of caution. The Avienda stays in the Vault under Calista Academy.”

  I watched the two men discretely, feeling the winds of change blowing between them.

  Then I bowed politely to them both. “Thank you, my Lord Primogens.”

  Xavier glanced at me with the promise of retribution in his eyes, but I ignored him as I straightened. There was another matter I needed to address, so I spoke before anyone could interrupt me.

  “Leaving aside the fact we were denied the means to properly face the Black Camellia, the truth is we had no idea Crimson Crescent would execute such an escape plan. Bringing a starship into the habitat was completely outside the realm of what our tactical analysts believed was possible.”

  I looked at one Primogen in particular – Morgan Sandoval Sanreal, a tall, broad shouldered individual in his late middle years, with closely cropped dark hair.

  His eyes met mine, and I asked, “That ship was Induran was it not?”

  His nod was somber. “Unfortunately, that vessel was indeed the Induran.”

  Conrad regarded him. “So the reports we had of its destruction were premature.”

  Sandoval’s somber expression deepened. “It’s possible all we destroyed was a decoy…or worse still, a sister ship Crimson Crescent was trying to build in secret.” He took a deep breath. “It’s clear their ship has been upgraded with a Core Artifact. That means someone made a sacrifice and merged with the Core, allowing it to integrate with that starship, giving it the ability—among many others—to tunnel through a mass shadow and open a rift within a habitat.”

  I swallowed discretely before stating, “In other words, the Induran is now a sentient ship.”

  A hush fell upon my office and no one looked at each other, though I kept my attention on Sandoval who grew noticeably despondent.

  Clearing his throat, Conrad asked Sandoval, “What do we do about that? Starships are your Pride’s forte. How do we counter Crimson Crescent’s vessel? Your family�
��s company built it. Surely you know its weaknesses best.”

  Sandoval looked up at the ceiling for a moment. “I believe it’s time we gave Paloma the opportunity to stretch her legs and show you what she can do.”

  I kept my surprise remarkably well hidden, though my heart beat with excitement.

  The super-Pathfinder, Paloma.

  The pride of the Sanreal shipbuilders.

  A vessel designed from the keel up with the intention of incorporating a Core Artifact. I’d heard rumors it was somewhere out in the Hurakan Nebula undergoing trial runs. No one knew what it looked like, or what it was capable of, but the rumors indicated it was a starship in a class of its own. It was constructed in complete secrecy deep in the Nebula at a shipyard only known to the Sandoval Family – built to supersede Induran, after Crimson Crescent stole the latter almost two years ago.

  Conrad asked in a surprisingly respectful tone, “Is she…is she ready?”

  Sandoval inhaled deeply before nodding. “Yes. She’s ready….”

  His expression took me aback. He looked like a man burdened with deep, heavy regrets.

  Closing his eyes, Sandoval’s voice fell to a barely audible whisper. “…and she’ll fly like the solar winds.”

  Chapter 20.

  (Caelum)

  I was in an induced coma for two days.

  I missed the weekend that separated the second and third weeks of the school year.

  It didn’t matter. I was alive. To me, that was infinitely more important.

  I had no visitors but for the doctors who checked up on me when I woke up on Monday.

  Arisa was notified of the change in my condition, and came round to see me. She was tightlipped and said there were things she couldn’t discuss. Matters with the Primogens. She had been forced to answer questions put to her by her Pride’s Primogen, Yolanda Imreh Lanfear, her aunt. She did tell me Caprice was fine. She promised to send Caprice over now that I was awake.

  On Tuesday, I learnt school was closed for at least a week if not two, while engineers surveyed the damage to the buildings.

  Caprice came round to my hospital room and told me this, including the unbelievable disappearing act pulled by Crimson Crescent after Celica retrieved the Artifact she came for.