Pride X Familiar ReVamp (Pride X ReVamp Book 1) (18 page)

I didn’t argue with her. As I dressed I asked, “Where’s Caprice?”

“She went on ahead.”

I looked at the clock on the wall. It was after six pm. “Oh no. I’m going to miss out on training.”

Simone made no attempt to turn away while I dressed. “Caprice said it was fine. She would explain the situation.”

I finished slipping on my jacket, and Simone handed over my palm-slate.

“Thanks,” I said drily.

She folded her arms. “Until Sunday then.”

I exhaled a raspy sigh. “Yeah. Until Sunday….”

“Caelum, this Academy is important to me. The students here are important to me. I want to protect this school as best I can.”

I shook my head in disagreement. “Countess, I don’t think it’s your responsibility to do that. You’re a student, just like I am. Someone else should be protecting it.”

She breathed in deeply. “My Pride is Raynar, and as a Raynar I have a duty to uphold.”

That wasn’t news to me. She had said as much in the store room.

I shoved my hands into my trouser pockets.

“Countess, this school doesn’t mean squat to me.”

Her eyes widened slightly.

I pressed on. “But I can understand what you’re trying to achieve.” I took a deep breath and then said, “I have someone I want to protect as well. Just so happens she’s here at this Academy.”

Simone smiled wickedly. “In that case, I’ll give you one more reason to protect this school.”

A twinge of unease brushed my heart.

Simone continued to smile as she placed a hand over her chest. “Me.”

Reflections – 7.

Our Fragments were given to us to use responsibly.

That said, there were a number of restrictions and regulations we had to follow.

Knocking out our fellow classmates wasn’t one of them, unless we were in mortal danger from said classmates.

That was one reason why I didn’t use my Gauntlet against the five seniors who intended to teach me how to properly treat a lady.

The other reason was that I didn’t want to lose my Fragment. I had decided to work through the challenges of unlocking it, so losing it then wasn’t an option for me. I would follow the rules because my goal was to unshackle the Artifact’s Core, and release its full potential.

So when Caprice kicked Siobhan and Alistair unconscious, she received a stern reprimand from Arisa, and this was after the Kell Family formally demanded an apology from Arisa who was Caprice’s Guardian.

Do I need to mention Arisa was less than happy to do so?

Apologizing is not Arisa’s favorite pastime, so I’m certain she ensured Caprice was aware of her displeasure.

However, to this day, Caprice hasn’t told me what her penance was.

That said, I only learnt about the Kell Family’s complaint from Severin Kell, during a conversation we had months later, whereupon the Student Council President admitted he wasn’t the one who told his family about the incident. Rather, he’d wanted to keep the matter under the proverbial rug because he needed Caprice’s participation in his efforts to protect the Academy.

In other words, he didn’t want his family to rock the boat with the Lanfears.

Considering how things turned out between Caprice and those girls, perhaps it was all for the best.

Chapter 7.

(Caelum)

Sunday arrived.

Oh what a glorious day.

I had butterflies in my stomach.

This wasn’t like the occasions when Haruka and I would meet up to waste time in the commercial districts. Those were fun occasions with no strings attached except for the string of friendship.

I lie.

The only times I wasn’t nervous around Haruka was during school. By the beginning of last year, when I finally realized Haruka’s quality and caliber, I felt uncomfortable to be around her outside of a school setting. Now that her looks had leveled up courtesy of the Symbiote, I had trouble meeting her eyes even
on
school grounds.

I’m not sure how I managed to remain calm in her company during our talk in the garden.

If you’re wondering how I dealt with Caprice, well, I can say that I thought of her as a valued training partner and classmate. I already ranked Caprice an eight point five out of ten on the beauty scale, so that proves I did appreciate her looks. But sometime during the last few months, I’d subconsciously drawn a line between us. By the time I realized this, I also realized I’d grown comfortable around her.

I find it hard to explain. You could say that I valued her in a way that prevented me from seeing her as anything more than a comrade and partner.

No, maybe that isn’t right at all. I valued her in a way that made me treasure her as a comrade and a friend. But there were times when I found myself thinking of her as anything but a comrade and friend, and that scared me more than a little.

In any case, Sunday had arrived.

Yes, my big date with the Simone Alucard Raynar.

If Haruka was a nine out of ten, then Simone was closer to a nine point five out ten.

How was I expected to survive around her when I had so much trouble around Haruka?

While riding the maglev on my way to Habitat Three, District Seven, I hoped to calm my nerves by perusing the catalog for the upcoming autumn line from Veronica’s Secret. I had downloaded the catalog last night into my palm-slate. I
flipped
through the pages, engrossed in the variety of camisoles and teddies expected to be released next month.

Ah, that balconette bra and panty set would suit Haruka perfectly. I should point it out to her next time—

I closed the catalog with a couple of taps on the palm-slate’s screen.

What the Hell was I thinking, picturing Haruka in that outfit while on my way to meet up with the Countess?

I’m so shameful.

I’d better delete the catalog just in case.

I arrived at the agreed upon point with a few minutes to spare. I expected to find her waiting for me and such was the case. As I spied her from a distance, I took in her attire.

A peach colored, one piece dress that clung quite well to her body. It dropped to mid-thigh and was cinched at the waist by a thin white belt.

Her legs were bare, and her feet sported three inch heeled, T-strap sandals. I couldn’t tell if they Jimmy Chan or Saint Laurien, though I suspected the latter.

A long sleeve, denim bolero jacket completed her attire.

Her handbag hung at her left hip with the strap diagonally across her body. Possibly a Lewis Votton, or Kocci brand.

Since I was hiding behind a support pillar, I decided to lean my back against it, acting like I was waiting for my
date
to arrive. I looked around the interior of the entrance to the mag-lev station. I didn’t see anyone suspicious, but then again, I didn’t have a practiced eye for that sort of thing.

Glancing at my watch I decided it was time to make an appearance.

I turned around and froze.

Two guys dressed in mid-market casual wear had approached her.

Simone was eyeing them with interest which only served to fuel their attempts to woo her.

I sighed and almost walked away.

Then I thought, to Hell with it.

At least my clothes were a little more upmarket, though my pants were styled in the current trend and I didn’t particularly think much of them. The salesgirl said the ensemble looked good on me and I had to take her word for it.

Oh, did I mention I went shopping yesterday?

Maybe I was taking this
date
thing too seriously.

I gathered my courage and began walking over to Simone, wondering how I would extricate her from the two guys surrounding her.

I felt a hand on my shoulder. I slapped it away and spun round instantly.

My body was milliseconds from overclocking when I saw tall man in a dark suit with narrow sunglasses standing a couple of feet away. A flicker of surprise crossed his face and I guessed he wasn’t expecting the speed of my reaction. However, he raised a single finger to his lips and made the hand sign to wait.

Then I noticed he was looking behind me over my head.

Warily I half turned in Simone’s direction.

The two young men were being escorted away by four dark suited men that had all the hallmarks of special agents, leaving Simone smiling prettily in their wake. She waved the men goodbye, then impatiently glanced at her wrist watch.

What the Hell? Were they private security?

I faced the man who’d stopped me, but only caught a glimpse of him slipping away into the station crowd.

My heart was racing just a little. I gave myself a moment to calm down, then resumed walking in Simone’s direction.

She saw me, and I noticed her gaze run over me like a medical scanner. Then she nodded faintly and a smile curled her lips.

Inwardly I breathed a sigh of relief. I made a promise to thank that salesgirl if I managed to survive today.

“Right on time,” she said, acting as if the last couple of minutes hadn’t happened.

I refrained from looking around for those special agents. Undoubtedly Simone had briefed them on who I was. After all, that one agent had held me back as though knowing exactly who I was.

If she was going to act innocent, then I would too.

She stepped away from the wall at her back. “Well then, shall we go?”

“Where do you have in mind?”

“I know a place. We can talk while we walk.”

She looped her right arm around my left.

My heart almost burst when she pressed part of her chest against my arm. I felt ‘them’ quite clearly through the fabric of her dress and jacket.

Very large. Very soft too.

I swallowed nervously while my damn heart pounded along.

Simone gave me a playful look that was quite merciless too. “Relax, Caelum. If you don’t loosen up how do you expect us to walk side-by-side?”

My voice almost broke. “Loosen up?”

She nodded. “Yes, you’re way too tense.” Her right breast pushed against me again.

I tried not to sound distressed. “Well, you’re not exactly helping.”

“Ara ara. You’ve never walked with a girl on your arm?”

I shook my head tightly.

“Not even with Haruka Amiella?”

A short sigh escaped my lips. I shook my head again.

She looked elated. “Ara ara. So this is a first for you. That makes me happy.”

She was just holding my arm, but you could have thought she’d just taken my virginity.

Well, maybe she’d just taken away a little of my innocence.

Simone shifted her posture beside me, her bosom bumping my arm as she did.

I steeled myself inwardly. I knew she was doing it on purpose. If I didn’t bear with it, today was going to be uncomfortable to the point of unpleasant.

Don’t get me wrong. I was enjoying the supple fullness of her glorious bust. But I was also unaccustomed to it and the presence of an attractive girl on my arm. This was indeed all a first for me. Haruka would occasionally pull on my arm, or grab my hand when she chose to drag me along. However, that was the extent of the physical contact between us.

Simone had taken things to a whole new level.

Relax. Relax. Breathe in nice and evenly. Clear your mind the way Caprice’s trainer taught me.

Bump. Squish. So warm and tender….

Ah, damn it. I lost my concentration and couldn’t clear my head.

Simone started to steer me in the direction she wanted to travel. She would pull slightly to turn left. She push her breast against me when she wanted to turn right.

We walked out of the station, and along the wide footpath. She chatted along amiably while I managed to respond every so often. After fifteen odd minutes of walking we arrived at a large retail arcade that ran through an enormous mall.

Holy crap this thing was big. At least twelve floors and half as large as a district block.

“Here we are,” she announced. “Let’s take our time.”

“This thing is huge,” I muttered.

“Never been here?”

I shook my head. “No, I lived in Island Two most of my life. Island Two has pretty much everything you could want so I rarely travelled outside of its four habitats.”

She nodded as she listened. “Think of Island Three as more upmarket.” She nudged me forward by pressing against my arm. “Let’s go in.”

I wasn’t getting used to the feel of her bosom at all.

Gritting my teeth as though about to dive off a cliff into deep water, I freed my arm from hers then took her right hand in my left.

I felt Simone’s surprise as it ran through her arm into her hand. Keeping my face averted while feeling my face burn, I said, “Okay, now we go in.”

I pulled her gently along.

Despite it being a Sunday, the crowds were remarkably strong. Groups of teenagers milled about or wandered aimlessly. I noticed gaggles of girlfriends, and guys in clusters scoping them out. There were lots of couples too, though they ranged in age.

The farther we walked, the more at ease I grew, though my hand did feel unnaturally warm as I held onto hers. I noticed her hand was warm too. Occasionally her fingers would tighten about mine.

What a strange feeling it was to hold a girl’s hand. Comforting, yet nerve wracking at the same time.

I found myself thinking of the times Haruka would pull me by the hand.

Her hand and Simone’s felt remarkably the same. Slender, tender, warm, and fragile.

Yet as an Aventis, those hands were anything but weak. Simone’s fingers could break bone as easily as breaking a thin branch. Haruka too.

They had the appearance of weak girls, yet they were stronger than a Regular male of greater size and mass.

Thinking of the differences between Regulars and Aventis soured my emotions a little.

My own existence was an abnormality, like something caught between two extremes.

Simone window-shopped for a while.

I didn’t think this ‘date’ was going anywhere, but after a while I noticed I was a little more at ease around her.

She grew bolder, walking into a handful of boutiques catering to young women. She put me through the boyfriend act, asking for my opinion on several items before wandering into the change rooms. Then she would model them for me for a further opinion.

I was exhausted by the time we broke for lunch.

There is only so much lingerie even a pervert like me can handle.

There was a food court in the middle of the arcade, up on the fourth floor. But Simone led us up to the fifth level where the shops offered a more cultured eating environment. She strode into a restaurant and I dutifully followed behind her like a puppy trailing its master. After we were seated a waitress took our orders, then brought us the refreshments we’d asked for – an ice tea for Simone and a dark colored soda for me.

Simone drank her tea demurely, and gazed out the window.

I looked at her over the rim of my large glass.

Considering the security around her, I couldn’t help but wonder at her family circumstances.

I put my glass down on the table. “Countess, may I ask you something?”

“Please, call me Simone.”

I shook my head a little. “No, that doesn’t feel appropriate.”

“And why not?”

“Because I really do feel the title suits you.”

She blinked blankly for a moment. “Ah, that is so annoying.”

“Sorry, but it’s true.”

She placed her hands on her lap – at least I assumed so since I couldn’t see her hands anymore. “Very well. What do wish to ask?”

“Do you do this often?”

“You mean shop? I do indeed.”

“In the company of a maid or servant?”

“Uh…well…yes.”

“And a half dozen personal guards.”

“Oh…so you saw them, did you?”

I gave her a subtle nod. “A rather intimidating show of force.”

Simone reached for her long glass of iced tea. She drank a little more then placed it back down on the table. “That doesn’t happen very often. Today was a rare occasion. As you surmised I’m usually in the company of a personal maid or two whenever I embark upon a shopping expedition.” She smiled slyly. “Those boys certainly had courage.”