Pride X Familiar ReVamp (Pride X ReVamp Book 1) by Albert Ruckholdt Read Free Book Online Page B

Pride.
    Caelum Desanto afil Lanfear.
    That was his official name now.
    I watched him walk down an aisle of smart desks and seated students.
    He walked to the girl at the back of the room, and sat at the empty table on her left.
    There were a number of empty tables around her.
    For as long as I’d been a part of the class – a mere six months – she had always been alone. She had sat alone, eaten alone, studied alone, and played gym activities alone.
    But now she was no longer alone.
    She had Caelum sitting to her left.
    I watched him nod to her politely, and she returned it with a faint smile.
    They wore matching pins on their jackets.
    My heart felt like it was being squeezed by an iron fist.
    He had swept his gaze over all my classmates. He had surely seen me seated by the window, halfway down the length of the classroom.
    And yet, he had walked down the aisle between the smart desks with his eyes focused solely on one individual – the girl that was a Familiar just like him.
    Caprice Steiner afil Lanfear.
    Not once did Caelum look my way.
    My vision swam, and I couldn’t prevent my stomach from beginning to heave. I raised my hand, then mumbled something as I staggered to my feet and then stumbled away from my desk. I was aware our homeroom teacher was speaking to me, but I couldn’t understand a word of what he said.
    I ran to the girls toilets and fell into an empty stall. With my head above the toilet bowl, my stomach heaved and emptied its contents.
    It wasn’t done until I’d dry retched a few times.
    “Haruka? Haruka—she’s in here.”
    I heard footsteps and the voice of a girl I knew.
    Reaching up I pulled at the paper in the dispenser, hurriedly wiped my mouth, then flushed the toilet.
    I looked up at Siobhan.
    The blonde girl returned my look before reaching down. She picked me up easily enough and sat me down on the toilet seat. Needless to say she lowered the seat cover first.
    “Haruka, look at me. How do you feel?”
    “Sick….”
    “Is it something you ate? Something you might have drunk last night? Where does it hurt?”
    I shook my head, then pressed down on my sizeable chest. “Here….”
    “What does she mean?” I recognized that voice as Alistair’s. “Is it chest pains? She can’t possibly be having a heart attack. She’s one of us.”
    Siobhan was studying me intently. “Haruka? Is it…heartache?”
    The pain in my chest grew and I nodded furtively.
    She sighed and asked, “He’s the Caelum you spoke about?”
    I nodded fitfully.
    Alistair whispered softly, “Oh my gods. But—but Haruka you said he couldn’t be an Aventis. You said all his tests were negative.”
    Siobhan caught my gaze with hers. “You didn’t know, did you?”
    I shook my head. My throat burned. “I didn’t know….”
    Siobhan sighed again. “Let’s get you cleaned up and back into class. Or do you want to go to the nurse’s office?”
    I looked down at the tiling and gave her question serious thought.
    “Maybe I’ll…maybe I’ll lie down for a little while.”
    Siobhan nodded. “Okay. I’ll walk with you.” She turned and addressed Alistair. “Tell Ms. Fauntine I’m taking Haruka to the nurse’s office.”
    As I washed my face at the hand basin, and rinsed out my mouth, I realized what a fool I’d made of myself. No doubt Caelum was thinking I’d rushed out dramatically just to grab his attention.
    I felt ashamed, and I felt scared.
    Not once since attending the Academy on my first day, had I ever felt so scared about walking into my classroom.
    I looked at Siobhan’s reflection in the mirror.
    “I’ve changed my mind. I’ll go back to class.”
    I would have to do so eventually.
    I would have to face him eventually.
    I dried my face, brushed out my hair with my fingers, then steeled my back.
    I walked out of the girls’ toilets, down the corridor and then back into my classroom.
    I forced myself not to ponder whether Caelum paid any attention to me as I stepped into the