When lunch break came around, I excused myself from Caprice, even though this would leave her in Jaxon’s clutches. She barely held onto her emotionless façade as acknowledged me with a nod.
I felt like I was running away from him – running away from a confrontation over Caprice.
It twisted my innards, but I’d made a promise to the Countess.
And so I backed away from a fight I sorely wanted to win.
#
(Caprice)
Lunch break.
Caelum left the room before me.
I had no idea where he’d chosen to go, and I regretted not asking.
But with Jaxon sitting beside me, I found it hard to keep up my usual persona.
I found it hard to look at Caelum.
I left the classroom a couple of minutes after he did, and hurried to meet up with Maya, Constance and Rina who’d been summoned to the Student Council President’s office.
Unfortunately that bastard Jaxon followed me as he too had been summoned.
I had the feeling he would have ignored the summons if I wasn’t attending the meeting.
Jaxon asked, “Hey, are you going to show me around later?” He walked a few steps behind me. His longer strides made it easy for him to keep up with me.
“Find your own way around,” I growled, struggling to keep my emotionless mask in place.
“Come on, Cappy. Don’t be like that.”
I snapped. My anger and frustration ripped through my façade. “Don’t tell me how to be. And don’t call me Cappy.”
“Doesn’t Desanto call you Cappy?”
“No, he most certainly does not.”
“I get the feeling you act differently around him.”
“Of course I do.”
“Because you like him?”
I stopped sharply in the hallway, and half turned to face him. “Yes. Because I like him, and I don’t like you.”
“I can’t see what you like in him. There’s nothing special about that guy.”
“You’re not me. You wouldn’t understand.”
He cocked his head to a side. “If you’re going to blame someone about this”—he showed me the Artifact bracelet on his right wrist—“then blame the commander.”
I took a deep breath. “You could have turned it down.”
He shook his head. “No. This Artifact belonged to my ancestor. Now that it’s back with the right bloodline, I don’t plan on parting with it.” He shrugged casually. “Besides, I’m the perfect fit for it. With my background and training, and my compatibility with the Kaiser’s Blessing, it belongs with me.”
I had no argument against that. Jaxon was clearly the best choice for the Fragment that was actually an Artifact. But it wasn’t a fact that was easy for me to accept.
He shrugged again and half smiled at me. “You shouldn’t worry about him. They’ll match him up to a Fragment sooner or later.”
“Or maybe they won’t.”
He pursed his lips for a moment. “Or maybe they won’t. Either way, it’s no lose. There was no way he was ever going to be fit as your teammate.”
I gave him a tight smile. “I look forward to the day Caelum puts you in your place.”
Jaxon’s eyebrows rose a fraction. “But he already did. By running away he vacated the spot beside you. He left you open for the taking.”
I watched him casually walk up to me. The honest, open desire on his face made my chest ache a little with the promise of heartache ahead. But I couldn’t turn away from him, not with that look on his face.
“I’m not going to lie to you,” he said. “I may not have had a hand in taking the Kaiser Armor from him. But with you it’s different. I’m going to make you mine, and I’ll do it through my own efforts.”
My eyes widened at his brazen declaration. “Wh—what? You’ll make me yours?”
He nodded. “Unlike him, I won’t run from your side at the first sign of trouble or when a rival shows up.”
I swallowed and pressed my lips together.
Damn it, Caelum, why did you run away?
Jaxon looked down at me. “I want you, Caprice, and I’ll do whatever it takes to win your heart.”
“Wh—why? Why do you want me?”
“Cause you’re the perfect match for me. Your Valkyrie Armor and my Kaiser’s Blessing. We’ll be the Familiars wielding the strongest Armors in the colonized systems.” He tipped his head slightly. “You realize it don’t you? You’re Valkyrie Armor is just like my Kaiser. It’s an Artifact, not a Fragment. It’s the real deal, the full enchilada. No missing pieces.”
I stared at him, trying to hide the shock from spreading across my face. I swallowed, shook my head ever so faintly…and lied. “That’s not true.”
“Trust me. You’re mother left you an Artifact.”
I couldn’t help my eyes opening wider. “You know about my mother?”
For a heartbeat I thought his eyes widened and his body stiffened ever so slightly.
If I’d blinked I’d have missed his reaction.
But a heartbeat later he was smiling again. “Yep. The good Commander told me about her. One of the best Familiars the Artemis ever fielded. Maybe not as talented as Desanto’s sister, but she was clearly up there with best.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “You sure talk like you know a lot.”
Again, I thought he might have hesitated for a fraction of second.
He nodded faintly. “I do, because I’ve been told a great deal.”
“And you assume that it’s all true.”
He pressed his lips together for a moment. “In this case it’s definitely all true.”
I refrained from crossing my arms, instead keeping them at my sides. “If the Valkyrie Armor is an Artifact, why can’t I manifest it like your Kaiser’s Blessing?”
“All you have to do is open up to it, accept it fully, and you’ll be able to manifest it completely. Right now, it’s only half way there.” A short laugh slipped his lips. “Just like me. Even with my high compatibility, I’m still not able to fully summon the Kaiser. But that won’t stop me from trying.”
I frowned at him. He couldn’t manifest it fully? There was still more to his armor?
Jaxon stepped a little closer. “I want to learn to draw out the Kaiser’s full potential. And I want to do the same for you. I want to work with you and help you be the best you can be.”
I swallowed uncomfortably. “Why?”
He laughed unabashedly. “Because I think you’re the most gorgeous girl I’ve ever met. If I had you at my side I’d be the happiest man in the galaxy.”
Seeing the strength of his reaction, and the undisguised honesty in his eyes, I didn’t feel I had a reason to doubt his feelings.
However, what troubled me the most was the little jump my heart gave.
It wasn’t supposed to jump for anyone other than Caelum.
Distracted as I was, Jaxon chose the next moment to take me by surprise.
Before I knew it his hands had cupped my face and brought my lips onto his.
He kissed me gently, and my eyes grew lidded.
When he parted my lips with his tongue, I was too confused to stop him.
Damn, he really knew how to kiss a girl.
My legs grew a little weak under his attention, and I felt my breathing grow ragged.
Then he broke away, leaving my lips feeling lonely.
He looked down at me, and we locked gazes. “I’ll do whatever it takes.”
His words made me feel conflicted. Helpless, and weak. Guilty and yet reassured.
He was asserting himself in a confident manner that Caelum never demonstrated toward me. It was one of the reasons why I was unsure of how Caelum felt about me.
It was why I believed my feelings were unrequited.
But Jaxon wasn’t like that.
He was being honest and upfront about his feelings and his desire, and it was making my feelings war with each other.
I pushed him a
way with enough strength to put several feet between us.
Then I glared at him, feeling a wellspring of guilt gush through me. “Don’t ever—don’t ever do that again.”
I harshly wiped my lips with the back of my hand, then turned on the balls of my feet, and fled almost at a run down the corridor.
#
(Caelum)
The Countess gently asked, “So you met him.”
I nodded while looking out the window of the Student Council meeting room. “Yeah, I met him.”
“First impression?”
“Arrogant and confident.”
I didn’t want to mention the fact that he was clearly laying claim on Caprice.
I heard her sigh as she placed her tea cup down on the saucer.
The Countess said, “Well, he’s demonstrated his affinity with the Kaiser’s Blessing, and silenced any who doubted his talent and combat ability.”
I folded my arms unhappily. “Good for him.” I clenched my hands into fists. It took some effort to relax them.
The Countess’s words were whispered. “But not for you…or for us.”
I almost missed the last part. I shot her a look and saw Simone staring down into her cup.
“My tea is cold,” she muttered, then stood up and walked over to fill herself a fresh cup.
My gaze followed her progress. I forced a change of subject upon the conversation. I really didn’t want to talk about Jaxon Deneve. Instead I asked, “What does the President have to say about all this?”
“He said it wasn’t his place to comment.”
“So he’s just towing the party line.”
“Severin doesn’t have a choice. Then again, he can be quite sneaky, so he could be planning something behind the scenes.” She finished preparing her cup of tea but chose not to walk back to the table. Instead, she sipped it while standing beside the kitchenette.
“Where is our esteemed President?”
“Busy with the troops.”
“Ah, I see.” Another briefing in the President’s office.
I turned back to look out the window. The courtyard some distance below was replete with students enjoying their lunch. They were oblivious to any threat that Crimson Crescent posed to the academy.
“Countess, do you think Crescent will make their move soon?”
“They broke the encryption on the sixth seal last Wednesday during the ruckus at lunch time.”
I spun my head and stared at her in blatant shock. “They broke the sixth seal?” I straightened away from the wall beside the window. “That means one more and they have access to that part of the network. Why aren’t the seals being re-established? I mean, surely the Powers-that-be can create new encryption keys for them.”
The Countess shook her head. “I have no idea. Perhaps they’re laying a trap for Crescent. Or maybe they just want to learn what Crescent is after. The Powers-that-be may have chosen to involve the Student Council, but they’re still less than completely candid.”
I regarded her for a while as she calmly sipped her tea. “Countess, why are you here and not in the President’s office with the others?”
“Because I just don’t care anymore.”
I frowned at her. “What?”
“I don’t care what Crescent does. If Severin wants to continue being a puppet of the Powers-that-be, or rather a puppet of my mother’s then I simply want no part of it.”
My frown grew twisted upon her words. “Is that true? What about wanting to protect this academy? What about everything you told me in the storeroom?”
“That was then, this is now.”
“I don’t believe that. Not from you.”
The Countess sipped her tea her face betraying no outward reaction to my words.
Her voice was another matter. “What I said doesn’t matter anymore. Also, my mother told me in clear terms that I was to have no more involvement in the operation. She expressly forbid me from becoming involved with any new developments.”
“So you just walked away from it all.”
“I did. I don’t have a choice. She is my mother and I live under her roof and by her rules.”
“That doesn’t sound like you, giving up so easily.”
She bit her lower lip and gave me long, thoughtful look. “You don’t know me, Caelum. You can’t say that so offhandedly.”
“I didn’t. I really believed you wanted to play an important part in protecting your academy.”
She put her cup and saucer down on the kitchenette bench. “I did want to play a part, but not as a puppet of my mother’s. The way things are now, I have no meaningful role to play at all.”
I remembered her stating she made her own shadow.
I laughed curtly under my breath. “That’s a pity. I really wanted to mess up Crescent’s plans, but helping you out was an added bonus.”
“Truthfully?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
I turned away and walked back to the window. Looking down at the peaceful scene below, in contrast to what I’d witnessed in the cafeteria last week, I couldn’t help voicing my doubts. “But after thinking about everything that’s happened, maybe we shouldn’t get in Crescent’s way. Maybe we should let them take what they want.”
I heard the Countess inhale sharply. When I looked at her over my shoulder, I saw her staring pensively at the floor.
Seeing her this way, I couldn’t stay silent. “Back in the storeroom, maybe you were right when you said the Student Council shouldn’t have gotten involved.”
She pressed her lips into thin line. “It’s too late now. The wheels are turning and plans are in motion. Even if we don’t know what Special Interventions has in mind, I doubt there’s anything we can do that will change the course of events….”
That was indeed a distinct possibility.
I couldn’t hide my mixed feelings from flowing onto my face.
At that moment, I felt the faintest of shivers run across the floor of the room.
It was something I wouldn’t have noticed before becoming a Familiar.
I glanced at the Countess, but she was lost in thought with her eyes downcast.
Then I felt it again, and this time I straightened and looked about the room carefully.
The Countess blinked and looked up at me. “What is it?”
“I don’t know. I felt the room tremble—there! Did you feel that?”
She frowned and then her eyes narrowed. “It could be the artificial gravity, maybe a fluctuation in the effect-fields that simulate it.”
For some reason, I had the urge to look outside.
Far below in the courtyard, the students were beginning to notice it as well. I saw them stand and look about with faint worry.
Then I turned my attention upwards to the habitat ceiling. The mimetic field mimicked an afternoon sky complete with white puffy clouds, but it was only a simulation.
Yet now I saw the sky darken considerably as though a real black cloud was spreading overhead. Tremors rattled the contents of the room. I heard the Countess gasp in fright when the items on the kitchenette fell over.
But I was engrossed on what was happening outside. “Simone—something’s happening above the academy.”
I pushed the window doors open and stuck a good third of my body out the opening. While holding onto the window frame I was able to look directly upwards.
“Caelum, be careful.”
The room and walls were trembling harshly now. I had to hold onto the framing tightly so that I wouldn’t fall out.
Then I felt Simone’s arms wrap around my waist.
“Caelum—stop it. Get back inside.”
“Simone—look. Look above us. What do you see?”
“No, I don’t want to.”
I heard real fear in her voice. It fueled my limbs and drove my body to retreat back into the room.
The Countess was holding onto me tightly, but her eyes were wide open in fear.
I winced and gasped. “Simone—
Simone you’re holding me too tight.”
“Please, please don’t go. Don’t go Caelum.”
I reached down and put real effort into forcing her arms open. “Simone, relax. I won’t leave you but we can’t stay here. We need to leave the building and find shelter.”
Her eyes shifted upwards and her gaze met mine. “What? No, we’re safe here in the academy.”
I grabbed her arms and squeezed them hard, causing her to wince sharply. “Simone, listen to me. We need to find shelter, maybe even escape Habitat One.”
“What? Why?”
I released one of her arms and pointed at the ceiling. “Because there’s a trans-light breach opening up right over the academy grounds.”
Her eyes widened and she mumbled, “That’s not possible.”
“Yeah, well tell it to whoever is opening up that breach.”
The shelving was shaking so badly it was separating from the walls. I felt the room sway nauseously before a piece of the ceiling crashed down on the large meeting table.
From outside I could hear the sounds of students screaming and yelling.
Then, almost in afterthought, an alarm began to ring out across the academy.
Then a violent quake hit the room, and I heard the building groan like a titanic wounded beast. Simone and I were knocked to the floor. Instantly my body over-clocked and I wrapped my arms around Simone while forcing my body to twist so that I would cushion her fall. The habitat lighting failed as my back hit the carpeted floor, and the room’s lights flickered and died a heartbeat later.
The sudden darkness was filled with even louder screams and cries for help. I could hear people panicking wildly in the hallway outside. I could hear them stumble and fall over each other.
Why hadn’t the emergency lights kicked in?
Every room had emergency lighting.
Just how badly compromised were the academy’s systems.
“Simone? Simone are you alright?”
“I’m an Aventis,” she replied in a shaky voice. “I can—I can handle this much.”
“We have to get out of the building, and find one of the emergency shelters.”
I fumbled for my palm-slate, pulling it out of my back trouser pocket. Quickly I found the flashlight feature. It would kill the battery in six hours, but that hardly mattered. Then I started running through the map menu, looking for a map that would lead us to the nearest emergency shelter.
Pride x Familiar Page 34
