Veilbreaker: Shattering the Veil of Lies-Chapter 19: Tension

I stared incredulously at Andrea's overbearing figure through the pane of glass— Bodhi wondered what I was yelling for and looked at the window.

"AHH WHAT THE FUCK!" he also yelped.

Why did we both yell?

Andrea stood there, no emotion, unblinking, not a single movement. Staring into our souls— any man would be terrified from that. We sure were. Even Corvus yelped— his tiny figure hiding behind my hand.

With practiced elegance, she turned around and strode to the cafe's entrance. Bodhi and I gulped simultaneously— what the fuck was she doing? Her presence captured the cafe's attention like a rat to cheese. The sycophants were already bowing in her regality murmuring.

"Our Regent, The Ice Queen..."

'Shut Yo Bitchass Up!'

Sometimes the level they kiss ass genuinely nauseates me— I have too much self respect to stoop that low. But it seemed I wasn't the only one who felt that way, Bodhi also shared my bewildered expression with her... Andrea herself. For a split second, I swear I saw her brows knit in frustration.

"Oi Kerrigan is she... walking to us?" Bodhi whispered.

"Yeah she is— Why the fuck is she coming here?!" I hissed back.

We both were racking our brains on why she was approaching us on her own will— from my experiences so far either to fuck with me or assert dominance. I kept my guard up, did you think I trusted her just because she pet Corvus.

FUCK NO!

Before I knew it, Andrea stood right by our table— Bodhi just blinked 'help' in Morse code, his face stuck between confusion and existential dread. Meanwhile I kept a poker-face as I leaned back on the plush sofa, taking a sip of my hot chocolate.

"What do you want?"

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I spoke bluntly, leaving no room for argument. Andrea kept her composure, tilting her head down to look at... Corvus?! Putting her hands on her knees, she lightly knelt down to look at Corvus closer. My breath hitched— I don't know why, from the angle I looked at her... it was the most beautiful sight my eyes had ever graced. This was the second time this had happened to me. I almost wanted to trust her. Almost. Feeling couldn't take precedence here, she was a top ten— so far to me they were fucking dicks, both Liliana and Josiah.

Bodhi just tried to avoid looking at her, I couldn't blame him— he clearly didn't want to be involved. I respected that, the man knew his priorities.

I could hear the gasps in the background as the 'Regent' went to the two Nameless' out of anywhere here. As if a blasphemous act was taking place— like calm down.

"What's his name?"

Andrea broke the tensed silence between us with a soft yet carefully articulated voice, properly pronouncing every word as if reciting a speech. She glanced at me as she did, her short choppy hair wafted ever so slightly to reveal a small mole near her ear.

I wasn't being a pervert— I'm just naturally observant.

Opening my mouth to respond, I was interrupted by CORVUS!

"Corvus!" he chirped.

Both Bodhi and I looked at the little gremlin with disbelief.

'Did he just fucking talk— I thought he could only say 'papa''

Raising her eyebrows in amusement, Andrea tilted her head to the side inquisitively musing quietly.

"He speaks... interesting."

Andrea then stood up straight before standing next to me.

"Scoot over."

She commanded, I was too dazed to react. She didn't wait. Just shoved me across the sofa and claimed the spot like a ruthless dictator.

"Huh..."

I let out a confused grunt, halfway between a scoff and a seizure. I wasn't alone, Bodhi could barely process what was happening, I could see steam coming from his ears as he tried to make sense of the scene before him.

Andrea made herself comfortable in my spot, leaning onto the table resting her chin on her hand— looking at Corvus with eyes of indifference but her body language betrayed that, a hint of curiosity was visible to my baffled gaze.

"Nice to meet you Corvus, I'm Andrea Zimmel Montague."

Corvus tilted his head childishly, chirping.

"Long name."

"It is, isn't it." She mused with a faint curl in the corner of her lips, so faint if you weren't paying attention you wouldn't notice.

Corvus turned his head to look at me, his face contorted with shock and a hint of fear as he saw my bewildered yet cold eyes looking at him.

"Since when could you talk?" I asked in a low tone.

"Now. I learn from Papa head." He stammered without hesitation.

Bodhi leaned in with his own curiosity— he had to get involved now.

"What'd ya mean you learnt from his head?"

Corvus turned to face Bodhi, waddling, it was a really cute sight— so cute I had to hold in an 'awww'.

"Papa and me have bloodpact. We are connected mentally. I learn from Papa's memories."

My gut wrenched when I heard Corvus spill the words 'learn from Papa's memories.', that means he knew I killed his mother and about the simulation.

He knew about Richard.

He knew about everything.

And for a second, I felt that same cold hand on my spine — the one that held me down for years in that cursed place.

Corvus continued with a solemn tone as he had a downcast gaze.

"Papa's memories... sad. Bad people hurt papa. Papa kill mama but mama try kill papa."

'Fuck he knew.'

I felt violated, accessing my memory without my knowledge. Yet I didn't blame Corvus, he was just a kid that was just curious, I couldn't get mad at him. I wasn't a monster. I think...

Instinctively I took Corvus into my hands and looked at him with a soft gaze— speaking in a similar manner.

"Don't talk about that here, there are also bad people here."

Corvus nodded solemnly as I had a wry smile. I felt the gazes of Bodhi and Andrea— they didn't know the full picture but they had an idea of what happened. They'll never know about the simulation— no one will, I plan to take that to the grave.

I sighed deeply before turning my head to look at them. Bodhi was looking at me incredulously whereas Andrea kept her icy gaze at me.

"If this information leaves this table, I'll kill you two." I said bluntly, my head downcast.

Bodhi slowly calmed down, nodding.

"My lips are sealed, you crazy bugger."

Andrea on the other hand leant back on the sofa— tilting her head to face my heterochromatic eyes. An electrifying staredown commences, where we bore our gaze into one another's soul.

"As long as you let me pet Corvus, every morning at homeroom."

'HUH?!'

I was expecting a condition of sorts, but what is this! How much does she like petting Corvus.

"S-sure... Why not..." I stammered in a daze.

She nodded— her gaze resting on Corvus' tiny figure in my hands. She suddenly turned away— leaving me once again baffled. One thing I did notice though was that her ears were slowly going red, she was embarrassed about something. I was tempted to laugh— the whole scene in front of me was cute and funny.

"Can I pet him now?" She mumbled quietly.

I didn't even have to respond, Corvus already jumped out from my hand— pattering to her. Chirping enthusiastically.

"Yes. I want rubs!"

Bodhi stifled a laugh, his face going red but unbeknownst to me he glanced at my lonesome. Bodhi mumbled something very quietly, I couldn't hear it.

"Who is this bugger really?"

Andrea on the other hand, gently began to pet Corvus. The three of us had a comfortable silence, none of us were friends by a long-shot. But I can say with confidence that they're tolerable. Something different can be said about the incredulous stares the students in the cafe were giving us.

The 'Regent' sitting with a nameless and some transfer student nobody knew about. For them it was as if armageddon was taking place right in front of them. Some nosy fuckers even took a couple hundred— thousand pictures and most likely spread it around.

Not that we gave a damn.

"You know Kerrigan, it's your first day and you've already pissed off a lot of people. Especially rank 2 and 4."

Andrea broke the comfortable silence.

"You mean that girl, Liliana and that dipshit Josiah?" I retorted as I finished my cup of hot chocolate.

"Mhm" Bodhi affirmed as he crumpled his cup and with the form of a 3-pointer basketball shot landed it in the bin.

"Nice one." I acknowledged.

He just smiled smugly.

Andrea rolled her eyes as she continued, rubbing Corvus' head as she did.

"Honestly I'm just impressed by the balls of steel you have, you're not even as powerful as them yet you can talk down to them like they're beneath you."

Tilting my body to face her, leaning against the window. With a poker-face, I raise an eyebrow.

"I don't care about them, that's all." I bluntly answer.

Andrea giggled.

Startling both Bodhi and I. From Bodhi's perspective this was the first time he's seen the Regent, The Ice Queen laugh. From my point of view, I didn't know much about her since it's my first day so her laugh only just caught me off-guard.

"I didn't expect that answer..." She turned her head to face to meet my impassive heterochromatic eyes.

"You're really interesting you know that... oh, and by the way... that little stunt Josiah pulled? Detention and a five-hundred dollar fine. Just thought you'd like to know."

She added in a voice that was both cold yet expressive. I couldn't get a read on her, she was too unpredictable; one moment an Ice Queen, the next petting Corvus. She was an enigma. She was planning something— I wasn't going to get myself trapped in it.

I nodded, suspicion brewing in my mind.

"Thanks I guess."

I didn't trust her in the slightest.

She calmly went back to petting Corvus, the little bastard was having the time of his life. Glancing at Bodhi, he also felt uneasy about the situation— she was friendly. Too friendly.

I broke the ice.

"What are you trying to pull off, Regent."

She glanced at me, her expression now once again icy. Her piercing lilac eyes, boring into my passive ones..

"Whatever do you mean?" She retorted, her voice smooth but void of emotion.

"The Regent doesn't just sit with a bunch of nobodies for fun and act all friendly without an ulterior motive." I calmly stated.

She went quiet for a few moments, a pin-drop silence. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Bodhi didn't know what to do, he didn't want to get involved but his curiosity was eating him alive.

She scooted closer to me, our faces inches from one another, as if analysing me like a lab experiment. I couldn't back away— I was right against the glass pane, we were sat next to. I could feel her stinging— almost sub-zero breath.

'She probably has an ice affinity...' I deduced in my mind.

I felt the temperature drop as she got closer, my skin stinging from the chill. Yet I didn't waver, masterfully donning my poker-face. I just met her intense stare with mine.

"Are you gonna kiss me or something?" I bluntly question.

Andrea goes beet red, being absolutely blindsided by the question. Even Bodhi choked on air when hearing my blunt question— leaving him coughing and wheezing.

"Bloody hell mate, you've no filter?!" He wheezed between coughs.

The students eavesdropping spit out their drinks, some choking on them in the background.

Taking a deep breath Andrea calmed down and looked me in the eyes with coldness. I gulped, I think I pissed her off. She then puts her palm on my mouth— I let out a muffled grunt of confusion as she puts a finger to her lips.

"Shhhhh." She hissed.

Corvus and Bodhi looked at the two of us with their jaws falling to the table— unable to comprehend what's happening. Corvus jumps onto Bodhi's shoulder and whispers innocently.

"Is Papa mating?"

Bodhi almost chokes on air once again before rapidly shaking his head 'no', his face beet red from shock, confusion and exasperation.

Andrea then says in a paced, bone-chilling voice.

"I'd like to recruit you to my Clan."

"You see..."

She leans even closer, her lips brushing past my ear— I felt the hairs at the back of my neck sticking up, goosebumps spreading.

"There's going to be a war in New Washington Awakened Academy soon. I need you to join me, my wildcard..." she whispers dangerously.