Pride x Familiar (16 page)

I couldn’t accept her explanation, but then
again, I was just a kid who knew
nothing
about the world I
lived in.

However, the truth is my sister never told me
anything
. She never spoke about the school. She never spoke
about the Aventis, nor the Prides. She never discussed the odd
hours she had to keep.

She rarely answered any of my questions.

And she lied to me when she did.

Knowing what I know now, I can appreciate that
in her own way she was trying to protect me.

She was trying to shield me from the truth until
I was older, and ready to accept that truth.

My sister didn’t want me to hate her for
something she had no control over.

Like me, Celica tested double negative against
all the Symbiotic strains.

Like me she had scored highly as a pre-Awakened
Familiar.

And like me, one day she was bonded to a Pride
when her body reacted strongly to the Raynar Symbiote.

My sister was a Familiar, and not just any
Familiar.

She was special, top her class, crème of the
crop.

She joined the Artemis ranks, the elite dark
knights that answered only to the Primatriarch Council and the
Commander of Special Interventions.

She was that good, or should I say, she was that
bad ass
.

And then one day she died, and left me alone in
this horrid reality.

A year later, Caprice stabbed me in the chest
and injected me with Arisa’s blood, triggering my Awakening as a
Familiar.

Unlike Celica, I attended the remaining six
months of the year at my school for Regulars, whereas she had
transferred right away.

I had Arisa to thank for those six months, and
for telling me the truth about my sister.

It was just a pity there was so much even Arisa
didn’t know.

(Caelum)

I kept an eye on Prissila Ventiss Raynar, and an
eye on the girl standing behind her.

The girl had short, black hair and was dressed
in the uniform of a second year high-schooler.

She wore the badge of a Familiar, and another
bearing the Raynar crest.

She was probably bonded to a member of the
Ventiss Family.

And she was probably here to protect Prissila
from me.

Prissila Ventiss stepped deeper into the garden
and closer to me.

The Familiar kept pace a few feet behind her,
then moved off the path to stand where she had a clear line of
sight to me. Her movements were akin to Caprice’s – fluid, graceful
and hinting at great strength kept tightly under control.

I had often thought of Caprice as an unsheathed
blade.

This girl gave me the same impression.

I had no doubt that she possessed a Fragment,
but I had no idea what it might be.

One thing was highly likely – with my limited
training I was undoubtedly not match for her even if I used my
shield-blade.

Prissila Ventiss broke the silence. “Caelum
Desanto, welcome to Galatea Academy.”

“…thanks….”

“Oh, no need to thank me.”

“Then I won’t.” I swallowed tightly and asked,
“What do you want?”

“We haven’t formally met. My name is Prissila
Ventiss Raynar.” She bowed to me, and that made me feel really
uncomfortable.

I swallowed quickly and said, “I know who you
are.”

“Good. Now that that’s over, why are you so
nervous?”

She wasn’t wrong. I was nervous. Part of my mind
was busy thinking through the options I had, and what could I
possibly do against Prissila’s pet Familiar.

I stated, “You haven’t told me why you’re
here.”

“To introduce myself, and to clear up any
misunderstandings you may have regarding the Ventiss Family’s
intentions toward you.”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “What
misunderstandings?”

“You believe we mean you harm.”

“The thought has crossed my mind—a lot.
Actually, it’s running circles inside my head.”

She took a few steps closer. “Then that’s one
misunderstanding I intend to resolve before it becomes a
problem.”

In the corner of my eye I watched the Familiar
also step closer.

I decided it was time to show some of my cards.
I rolled up my right sleeve and exposed the Fragment bracelet on my
forearm.

Prissila eyed it with a complete lack of
concern. “I think you misunderstand something, Caelum. I didn’t
come here to fight with you. In fact, you would make short work of
me.”

“Yeah, but you brought
her
along.”

“True. But she’s here to protect me from
you.”

“From me? In that case, keep your distance.”

Prissila came to a stop, and folded her arms
under her impressive chest. She regarded me quietly for a long
moment. “As a proud member of the Ventiss Family, I wish to make
the following quite clear. We have no intention of harming you. We
never did.”

I swallowed and stared at the beautiful girl,
wondering if I could really accept her words for the truth.

I fixed a frown upon her. “Then why attack the
Lanfears?”

Prissila gave me a thoughtful look. “Tell me,
Caelum Desanto afil Lanfear, what do you know of the circumstances
surrounding your Awakening seven months ago.”

“I was told there was an agreement between the
Raynar and Lanfear Prides. The Raynars offered my guardianship to
the Lanfears and they accepted. But your family broke the agreement
and came after me.”

I had to breathe slowly and deeply for a while.
As Haruka’s Symbiote spread throughout my body, the pain was making
me sweat under my uniform. But I needed all the physical help I
could get. I didn’t trust Prissila, and I most certainly wasn’t
going to relax my guard in front of that Familiar. But still, it
was hard just to remain standing.

Prissila nodded and smiled faintly. “That is
correct. My family disregarded the agreement. We were opposed to it
from the beginning.”

I frowned at her. “Why? Don’t the Prides
normally come to an agreement over which Familiars they will assume
guardianship? Arisa said there was a system in place that would
provide a medium for the Prides to negotiate, barter and bargain
over pre-Awakened Familiars like we’re some kind of prized animals
for sale.”

“That is true. Familiars are a rare species and
of importance to us.”

I didn’t like the way she referred to us as a
species. But then again, I’d just called my kind
prized
animals
so who was I to talk. “We’re important because we can
control the Fragments and Artifacts.”

She nodded faintly. “Yes.”

“So why break the agreement over me?”

“Because you’re too important to palm off to
another Pride. Way too important.”

“Important? Me? Are you sure you have the right
Familiar?”

“Yes, you’re definitely the one we were after.”
She tipped her head to a side. “I’m surprised you haven’t been told
how special you are.”

I had trouble believing what she’d just said.
“Special? Are you serious?”

“Of course, why else would my family choose to
ignore a directive from my Primatriarch and break the
agreement.”

I shook my head. I wasn’t ready to accept her
words. “This wasn’t what Arisa had told me.”

“Oh, what did that woman tell you?”

“Arisa was told me the Ventiss Family has a long
history of feuding with the Lanfear Pride and the Imreh Family. She
said your family has frequently clashed with hers on everything
from business ventures to claims on Familiars. Breaking the
agreement between the Raynar and Lanfear Prides was not entirely
unexpected. But she admits that on this occasion they were caught
with their panties down.”

She frowned. “But that’s not an
explanation.”

Prissila was right, it wasn’t.

Arisa had avoided answering my question. At the
time, I wasn’t in a position to press her for an answer.

But maybe now I would get answer.

It certainly seemed like Prissila was willing to
give me one.

I asked, “Why do you call me special?”

Prissila inhaled deeply, making her bountiful
chest heave magnificently. For a moment, the vision of her bosom
rising and falling distracted me from the burning pain within my
body. I was so distracted that her next words confused me.

“Caelum Desanto, have you ever heard of the
Original Twelve bloodlines?”

“Wh—what? What bloodlines?”

The pain was making my hands tremble and my skin
felt like it was on fire. I knew the rate of rapid growth wouldn’t
last for much longer. I just needed to keep it together for a
couple more minutes. I needed the boost it would give me.

But I was having trouble concentrating on her
words.

There was no way Prissila hadn’t noticed. In
fact, I thought she might have been pacing her replies, keeping
them short and simple.

Why was she being so considerate toward me?

Prissila breathed in deeply again. “The Original
Twelve—”

She stopped sharply, and I sensed someone enter
the garden from behind me.

Prissila’s pet Familiar shifted her stance, as
though preparing for a fight.

But Prissila calmly raised her chin a little and
smiled faintly. “You can relax, Steiner. The Ventiss Family doesn’t
mean Caelum any harm.”

I heard the flat response from behind me. “I’ll
be the judge of that, Princess.”

Prissila shrugged and directed her attention on
me. “It looks like we’ll have to continue this discussion another
time.”

I shook my head. “Wait, you’re not going to tell
me?”

“I’m afraid not. But I look forward to
discussing this later.”

I took a step toward her, aware her Familiar was
watching me through narrowed eyes. “Can you at least tell me what
the Ventiss Family intended for me?”

Prissila looked bemused, then amused. “Isn’t it
obvious? We wanted to bond you to us.”

“To the Raynar Pride?”

“Yes, and to me. My blood was supposed to awaken
you.”

I couldn’t stop my mouth from falling open.

She smiled at my reaction. “Seven months ago,
your test results showed compatibility as a Familiar to four
Symbiotic strains. It was quite a change in your body from the test
results conducted six months earlier. But what surprised everyone
was how immensely compatible your body was with the Raynar
Symbiote. The Primatriarchs agreed that the Raynar Pride was the
best choice for your affiliation. Raynar blood should have Awakened
you.”

I stared at her in stunned silence.

I really didn’t know what to say to this
revelation.

Prissila gave me a regretful smile. “The Ventiss
Family had everything in place to bring you in. But then someone
decided it was better to leave you in the hands of another
Pride—another family. That set off a chain of events that led to
the misunderstanding you’ve been harboring against us.”

Prissila’s attention shifted to a point off my
right shoulder.

I heard grass and soil being stepped on and
assumed Caprice was taking a position where she could face off
against Prissila’s Familiar.

Her voice was as flat as usual. “I think you
should leave, Princess. Caelum and I have another commitment.”

“Yes, I know.” Prissila focused her attention on
me. “We need to do this again. But for now, I bid you adieu, Caelum
Desanto.”

She bowed her head to me, but pointedly ignored
Caprice.

However, before she could fully turn away,
Prissila said, “A word of advice. Be cautious of Simone
Alucard.”

Remembering the incident in the storeroom, I
snorted involuntarily. “Now I get the warning.”

“Better late than never. Her weak attempts at
seduction aside, I suggest you think carefully about becoming
involved in the Student Council’s poorly resourced idea of opposing
Crimson Crescent. It’s bound to end in failure.”

At her words, my stomach turned to lead.

She knew about the Student Council’s
intentions?

Prissila didn’t give me a chance to respond.

Turning away, she began walking out of the
garden.

But her Familiar hung back. The girl spared
Caprice a thin, cruel smile. “Next time, Steiner, I won’t be caught
by surprise.”

“What a pity, Constance,” Caprice muttered in
monotone. “I thought you would have learnt your lesson by now.”

The girl shook her head at Caprice, as though
she were pitying her. “Next time, I’ll be the one teaching you a
lesson.”

She turned away and walked quickly yet
unhurriedly after Prissila.

As she did, I felt the pain in my body ease up
considerably.

By now the Avenir Symbiote was firmly entrenched
in my body. It would stay there for almost a day before it ‘burnt
out’ and quickly died. Its remains would be consumed by my
body.

At least its ‘death’ wasn’t painful like its
rapid growth was.

But it was sure to mess up my appetite for the
next few days.

I looked at Caprice. “So that’s Constance. I
guess she hasn’t forgiven you for the pounding you gave her on the
rooftop.”

Caprice gave no indication she’d heard me as she
started walking along the path through the garden. She was going to
leave the garden via the same exit chosen by Prissila and her
Familiar.

I called out to her sharply. “Caprice—is it
true?”

She stopped walking. “Is what true?”

“Is it true that I should have been awoken by
the blood of a Raynar?”

She had her back to me, but I sensed the
disquiet in her. At the least, I thought her voice sounded
uneasy.

She replied without turning around. “Does it
matter? You’re bonded to the Lanfear Pride. Even if the Raynars
wanted you now, they can’t have you.”

She resumed walking.

“Is that really true?” I asked. “Is it really
true that I can’t change my affiliation?”

I thought I saw her miss a step. At that moment,
something became abundantly clear to me.