Souls of Steel: A Reverse Harem Sci Fi Bully Romance (Chimera Academy Book 1)

by Eva Brandt

  The words were brutal, but honest. That was our vow, the vow we shared with August and Pollux. We’d promised to always be honest, to drop our masks when we were with one another. We were the only ones who understood the burden a chimera tamer carried and that was why Selene Renard’s presence would throw us all into chaos.

  He froze, staring at me like he’d just received a tachyon blast to the chest. For a few seconds, he didn’t even blink. His pupils flickered red, the power of Tartarus dangerously intense inside him.

  “It’s not like that,” he finally said, slumping against me. “I just… I don’t know what I’m doing, Brendan. This is crazy.”

  I nodded and wrapped my arms around him. “Sphinx made her choice and we have to accept it. Besides, it’s not so bad. Selene might be a woman, but she seems nice enough.”

  “You know as well as I do that’s not the problem,” Knox replied. “I’d have preferred it if she hadn’t been nice.”

  We sat down together on the floor, staring up at the ceiling. The lights in my chambers pulsed rhythmically, the photon emissions almost mocking me. “We can always find another way,” Typhon hissed. “She doesn’t have to come close to our brood if she’s so dangerous.”

  I considered Typhon’s advice and a worm of an idea wriggled at the back of my mind. Selene Renard looked forward to her time at Chimera Academy, did she? Well, I’d make sure she didn’t enjoy it very much. Before the week was up, she’d be begging to go back to her home, to where she belonged. And my fellow Chimera Warriors and I would not be in any danger.

  Selene was officially a tamer and she had the support of a Grand Chimera. I respected that, so I couldn’t hurt her. But there were other ways, other methods that would chase her off without physically harming her.

  “Don’t worry, Knox,” I said. “Our brood will be safe. Always.”

  He must’ve heard the underlining danger in my voice, because he tensed. When he looked at me again, his eyes were sharp, clear, and yet, full of predatory intent. “What do you need me to do?”

  Above us, the lights flickered as tachyon particles emerged from his hands. “Don’t be so impatient,” I said, smirking. “Once we have our prey into our lair, we’ll act. Until then, we wait.”

  “Yes, Your Highness,” he replied.

  This time, when he kissed me, I kissed him back. If we both still remembered another pair of lips, we didn’t mention it.

  Selene was the forbidden fruit and we wouldn’t lay a finger on her. Her presence could jeopardize everything we had worked for. As the leader of our unit, I had to make sure she left the academy, no matter what my stubborn instincts insisted.

  Tamers of the Nymphs

  Selene

  Tartarus Base was located exactly 53.670 miles from Earth, on what had been an artificial asteroid belonging to the Sun-Dwellers. To this day, I was unsure how it had been claimed by our forces and stabilized in Earth’s orbit. I hoped to find out now that it would be my home.

  My journey on Prince Brendan’s vessel, the Venom, left me discombobulated and wary, so much so that I welcomed the distraction. I was even happier that, once we landed, I could reunite with my Sphinx.

  Until now, I’d only been able to talk to her through the strange connection we shared, but I felt off whenever we used it. She had advised me to not turn to it often. I didn’t have practice with it, so it could hurt me. Until I trained a little more, I was stuck without my friend in what would undoubtedly be a hostile environment.

  Well aware of my anxiety, Sphinx waited for me when I descended from the vessel. She was accompanied by another chimera, one that towered above her and emanated an aura that immediately made me wary. Serpentine from the waist down, but with a humanoid torso, the chimera had several heads, with the largest one being draconic and the others snake-like. I recognized the chimera as the legendary Typhon, Prince Brendan’s mecha.

  Sphinx waved me forward with a paw. “Come, Selene. I must introduce you to Typhon.”

  I padded to her side, grateful that she’d told me what to do. Otherwise, I would’ve been completely lost. “Typhon, this is my tamer, Selene. Selene, this is my old friend, Typhon.”

  Typhon leaned over me and several of the snake-like heads opened, revealing metallic tongues. “A pleasure,” he hissed.

  The dragon’s eyes burned with Tartarus fire, but I didn’t let him intimidate me. I’d already decided this was my path. The people at the academy wouldn’t welcome me. Maybe I’d have better luck with their chimera counterparts. “The pleasure is all mine,” I replied. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for our world.”

  “I’m only following the wishes of the gods,” one of the serpent heads said.

  “That’s true, but it doesn’t diminish your accomplishments,” I argued. I hadn’t really thought about it before, but since I’d met Sphinx, it had become obvious to me that the service of the chimeras wasn’t acknowledged as much as that of their tamers.

  “You have a serpent’s tongue, Ms. Renard,” Typhon replied after a small pause. “I like you. I hope you will be able to join our brood.”

  I wanted to ask him what he meant by that mysterious comment, but Prince Brendan and Flight Lieutenant Alexander showed up before I could do so. At one point, they’d changed into unfamiliar uniforms and they were accompanied by two other people I didn’t recognize. “Ms. Renard,” Prince Brendan said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, “I’d like you to meet the other two members of our unit, August Cavallero and Pollux Donadieu. They are the pilots of the Charybdis and the Scylla.”

  August and Pollux bowed at the same time, as if they were one being. “Welcome to Chimera Academy and to our unit,” they said.

  I was immediately thrown by their strange dynamic. Physically, they were very different people. August’s dark hair and olive skin suggested a Spaniard ancestry, whereas Pollux was fair-skinned, with brown hair and deep blue eyes. Even so, the way their voices blended was almost deafening. They hadn’t shouted at me, but it felt like they had. My small backpack suddenly seemed far heavier.

  Before I could stop myself, I took a step back. “T-Thank you,” I stammered.

  They all ignored my less than flattering reaction. “We’ll be in charge of getting you settled in while Brendan and Knox report with the interim commander,” August said.

  “The base can get a little drafty and chilly, but we’ll do our best to accommodate you,” Pollux continued.

  I was grateful that they’d spoken individually this time, but even so, the sway of their words made me suspicious. Something was wrong. I just couldn’t put my finger on it.

  “Be careful, Selene,” Sphinx said. “I have a bad feeling about this. Typhon has been acting weirdly. His tamer is planning something, I can tell.”

  Her words did nothing to reassure me. I wanted to stay with her, but instead, I was forced to follow the weird duo out of the hangars and toward the main body of the academy.

  Instead of being linked to an actual building, the hangars opened into a long corridor made out of something that looked like glass. When I stepped on the floor, I felt it vibrate underneath my foot and sparks of red danced through the transparent surface. Was it a form of Tartarus diamond? I’d have to remember to ask.

  The corridor provided me with a view of Tartarus Base, the way it looked at ground level. Uniformed soldiers marched beneath us, ignoring the uncomfortable weather conditions. The protection shield around the base provided the people here with an artificial atmosphere, but the temperatures were far more extreme. Three-quarters of the time, Earth orbit left the base exposed to the rays of the sun, and today was no different, making the asteroid scorching hot. It wasn’t unbearable or dangerous, but it wasn’t pleasant either.

  Beyond the groups of soldiers, there were other training fields, ones meant for vehicles. From the distance, I couldn’t see much, but I could catch glimpses of flying vessels buzzing around and sharp blasts of crimson power lighting up the sky.

  “The r
emaining HRP units have a preliminary training session today,” August explained when he saw what I was looking at. “We haven’t had a battle with the apsids in quite some time, but they like to stay prepared, especially since they’re more vulnerable than us Grand Chimeras.”

  The huge amount of unfamiliar information in his words left me almost as floored as our first meeting. “I’m sorry… HRP units? Apsids?”

  “Ever chimera has an official tracker code name used for reports and communications,” Pollux replied. “The Sphinx’s, for example, is GCSPH, which stands for Grand Chimera Sphinx, of course. HRP is short for Harpy units. You’ve probably seen them a few times. They’re smaller than us and less difficult to pilot. And apsids… Well, that’s one of the more accurate terms for what you’d call Sun-Dwellers.”

  I frowned in confusion. “More accurate terms?”

  “The sun is a gigantic ball of hot gas,” August said with a tiny, mocking smile. “It’s not an environment conducive to the development of any life form. Heliovore apsids do have a resilience to heat and feed on it, to a certain extent, but they don’t actually live on the sun.”

  That was the first time I’d heard anything like that. “But… Where do they come from?”

  “We’re not exactly sure, but at this time, we’ve pinpointed their tentative location as somewhere near Quasar 4D642. But you’ll learn more about that at the academy. For the moment, it’s probably best to get you settled in before the Harpy tamers finish.”

  I shelved my questions and curiosity for later. August and Pollux led me through the corridor, into another section of the academy. There were more people in this area, members of the staff, all male. Their gazes weighed heavily on me, making my skin crawl.

  I was very relieved when we reached the sleeping quarters, but that feeling didn’t last for too long. August and Pollux ushered me into a room that was obviously already occupied. There were five beds, but four were taken. Although expertly made, each individual bed had a different covering, one that depicted a specific creature.

  “This is the dorm of the Grand Chimera Unit,” Pollux said. “That bed will be yours.”

  As he spoke, he pointed to the bed closest to the right wall. The blanket on it was plain, but that was the least of my problems. Taken aback by this new, unexpected development, I couldn’t help but blurt out a stupid question. “Wait, does that mean we’ll share a room?”

  Pollux shot me a look that suggested he had severe doubts about my level of intelligence. “Yes, of course. There isn’t a lot of space here at the academy and what we do have, we tend to use for training purposes. Each individual unit tends to be placed in the same barracks. We’re actually fortunate to only share living quarters with a few others. The Harpy Squad has eight tamers, but people who have yet to qualify for a chimera unit share dorms with up to twenty men.”

  I tried to process how that was going to work, but I couldn’t fathom it. Settlements on Earth tended to be crowded too, because terra-forming was difficult and it took ages to return the ground to its previous state. Back at home, I’d shared an apartment with my mother, Louise, her mother and four other women.

  But that was different from living with four men I didn’t know in a space that was completely alien to me. In my sleep, I’d be even more vulnerable than before. And how would I change? Where would I take care of my private needs? Where would I bathe?

  “Is that a problem?” August asked. “Surely you must’ve realized that there aren’t any separate gender facilities at the academy.”

  It honestly hadn’t occurred to me. Maybe it should have, but back at home, the female part of the city did have amenities for male guests, just in case. Obviously, the people at Tartarus Base didn’t care about such things.

  “I didn’t have time to think about the particulars,” I replied. Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to calm down. “I’m sure it will be fine. I’ll adjust. What about the bathing facilities?”

  “We share that with the Harpy Squad,” Pollux told me. “Leave your pack here and we’ll show you where it is.”

  I obliged and left my bag on the bed. In hindsight, I should’ve known this would be a military installation. I couldn’t expect luxury or special treatment just because I was a woman.

  This was a good thing. In fact, it was exactly what I’d wanted. They were treating me like another tamer, ignoring my gender. I might be embarrassed and uneasy, but what was a little discomfort compared to what I’d learn and see here?

  Those thoughts didn’t anchor me for too long, because the bathroom was something right out of my worst nightmares. The toilet cubicles were sealed off, but the bathing area was open space.

  “Water is in short supply here, so we all bathe at the same time,” Pollux explained. “If you skip that, you’re stuck with the sonic or UV versions. But that’s not recommended for tamers. Our brainwaves are more sensitive because of our connection with the mechas and sometimes, even a little thing like a shower can have unexpected consequences.”

  That made sense. On Earth, most people tended to use sonic showers, but High Priestesses of Gaia didn’t, as it interfered with concentration and messed with their magic. Tartarus’s powers might be different, but they had that in common.

  The concept would’ve been more reassuring if it hadn’t meant I’d have to shower with at least a dozen men. This was getting better and better.

  “Showers are daily, before lights out,” Pollux finished. “We’re also required to go through a regular decontamination process whenever we go on missions. That won’t be necessary if you took a bath on the Venom.”

  I had, although at the time, I’d deemed Brendan’s invitation to do so almost insulting. Whatever intentions Brendan might have toward me, he’d been honest when he’d given me that warning. “Yes, I did. Thank you.”

  “Excellent.” August grinned, his eyes glinting with an unsettling light. “Now, since that’s out of the way, you should probably change. Not that you don’t look good in Terran clothes, but they’re just not appropriate. People could… assume.”

  “I don’t actually have a uniform,” I replied, ignoring the more suggestive part of his comment.

  August waved off my words. “Someone must’ve brought you what you need by now. Don’t worry about it.”

  He was right. When we got back to the dorm room we would share, a tightly wrapped set of clothes was waiting for me on the bed. There was also a new locker, one where I presumably needed to place my things.

  “We’ll step out to give you time to change,” Pollux offered. “When you’re ready, we’ll be waiting for you outside.”

  If I was right, his attempt to respect my need for privacy would be useless in the long run. Still, I appreciated it. It meant that when August and Pollux left the room, I could collapse on my bed and allow myself a few moments of hyperventilating without them seeing me.

  How was I supposed to handle something so crazy? I tried to imagine myself in the bath, with all those men, and wanted to scream. It was just wrong.

  Oh, for Gaia’s sake. I couldn’t think like that. I just had to focus on the decision I’d made, on my dream to become a true tamer.

  General Rhodes had said that in my current state, I was a danger to myself and others. He was right. I had to remember that.

  Chimera Academy was not supposed to be a refuge or a comfortable home. It was an opportunity. In the future, I’d have to face far more than an invasion of privacy. I might have to go into battle against Sun-Dwellers. I could hardly do that if I fell apart at the mere idea of a man seeing me nude.

  With that thought in mind, I dragged myself out of the bed and started to change. Shedding my old clothes and pulling on the Chimera Academy uniform felt weird, both alienating and cathartic. It was as if through this simple act, I was taking the last step into uncharted waters.

  I was a simple girl, with no real talents beyond this strange connection with the Sphinx that had landed in my lap. Even so, I was well aware that the
unknown was a double edged blade. It could hold many foes—like the aliens who’d come to hunt us down—or it could provide salvation—like the chimeras.

  I zipped up my jumpsuit and swept my hand over the tight material, marveling at the perfect fit. Time would tell which category Chimera Academy belonged in. I’d just have to hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

  * * *

  Pollux

  “This sucks. No wonder Brendan had to drag Knox off. I didn’t expect her to pack such a punch.”

  I sighed and leaned against August’s shoulder, finding comfort in his proximity, just like I always had. “Brendan is right. We can’t let her stay.”

  It wasn’t fair, because I did believe the Sphinx had known what she’d been doing when she’d picked Selene. But at the same time, Selene wasn’t prepared for this place, for what it meant to be a Chimera Warrior, and for the misery of the existence of the women who lived on Tartarus Base.

  A twinge of grief coursed through me as I thought about my sister. Once, she’d been able to smile too. I could still remember the hugs we’d shared as children, the way we’d watch the chimeras together and count the stars.

  She was gone now, lost to me, like so many others. If not for August, I didn’t know what would’ve happened to me. He’d kept me from falling apart until we’d gotten the chance to meet Scylla and the others.

  “You’re stronger than you know, my darling,” Scylla murmured in my head, having obviously heard my thoughts. “But you’re correct. It’s for the girl’s own good that she leave this place.”

  Her voice held a mix of anger and sadness. While the burdens on her soul were very different from my own, she understood the cruelty of selfish hearts better than anyone.

  “Can’t you make Sphinx change her mind?”