‘That’s fine,’ Zoe said, trying to suppress her smile.
‘Spence, you will be expected to sit in a disciplinary meeting this afternoon before recommencing classes,’ she said, with a look that dared him to challenge her.
Jesus. She really is scary.
Of course Spence rose right to the challenge. ‘Actually, I’ve just graduated high school. I’ve brought a copy of my records with me. I’d be very happy to attend combat training and additional physical education, though, since I’m sure I’ve missed some while I’ve been gone.’
I had to give it to him, he didn’t even break out in a smile. He delivered the whole speech of crap with the most sincere look on his face that Josephine was left with nowhere to go.
Wonder how long he’s been practising that!
‘We can discuss it later,’ Josephine snapped. ‘You can both take your bags to your rooms and get settled.’ She waved her hand at them, dismissing him and Zoe.
She’s awfully keen to get rid of Zoe and Spence.
I gave Lincoln a sideways glance but he shook his head, discreetly asking me to let it go. I did.
Josephine took her time to show her clear disdain for me before she turned to Griffin and Lincoln, showering them with false kisses. Her theatrics reminded me of Onyx’s.
Same drama. Different channel.
‘So you’re the human …’ she said, finally turning her attention to Dad. She didn’t bother to hide her dislike. It struck me as oddly similar to the kind of disgust exiles show us.
Dad nodded. ‘James Eden,’ he said holding out his hand. Josephine ignored it.
‘James, excuse me if I don’t pretend to be happy to have you in my Academy. Certain rights are afforded us within these walls and by insisting on coming here you have breached those rights of ours. Out on the street, I tolerate humans – I dedicate my life to your survival – but I have been Grigori for so long now that unless it is a matter of the greater good, I prefer to keep the company of my own kind.’
‘And I’m only human,’ Dad responded.
‘Correct,’ Josephine stated with no shame.
‘He’s my father, Josephine,’ I said, stepping forward, but Dad put his hand up to stop me.
‘It’s fine. I’d prefer not to suffer pretences either. I believe it has been made clear to you, Josephine, that I am here to escort Evelyn, and I expect to be with her at all times.’
Josephine laughed. ‘And what gave you the impression that I would allow that?’
Dad bristled. ‘I will be taken to Evelyn now. If she is locked up, then I give you my permission to lock me up with her, under the condition that my daughter is given access to me …’
He glanced at me. ‘If she would like to see me at any time. And you will provide this for the exact same reason that you let me inside your precious Academy to begin with. You want Evelyn, you need Violet, and without me you cannot be sure you will get either.’
Josephine’s eyes went wide and she cleared her throat.
Score one for the human.
Finally, she gestured to a guard standing silently by the entry doors. ‘Take him down to the holding cells.’
‘Dad?’ I started when they moved in to cuff him.
He shook his head. ‘Sweetheart, it’s fine. You do what you have to do and come and see me … when you’re ready.’ Then his eyes settled on Lincoln. ‘I’m trusting you to look out for her.’
Lincoln nodded. ‘I will.’ He said it as if he was giving an oath and it made me nervous.
When the guards had led Dad away Josephine turned back to us. ‘And then there were three,’ she said and, at seeing my stance – hands on hips and head down as if I was about to charge her – she chuckled lightly. ‘Save the demonstrations for a proper audience. I’d hate for you to be exhausted before the main event.’ She held her perfectly manicured hand out. ‘The Assembly are waiting for you.’
‘The entire Assembly?’ Griffin asked.
Josephine smiled knowingly and replied slowly. ‘Every last one of them.’
Griffin paled. Lincoln looked away.
Oh, that can’t mean anything good.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
‘Beware of dark and secret things.’
Sir John Clerk
Josephine led us into a large oval room. Again, the outer wall was entirely glass but this time it was opaque so there was no view. The space was largely bare, apart from a semi-circle of chairs which sat on a slightly raised stage at the far end of the room that looked like they’d been carved out of incredibly large trees – each one a different shade of natural wood. All were taken but one.
Lincoln stayed close to me as we were led to the centre of the room. There were no seats for us. I was desperate to talk to Griffin and find out why he was so freaked out that the entire Assembly was present.
We’d talked incessantly before and during our travels, Griffin briefing me on each of the Assembly members. But he’d told me that there would only be four of them at the Academy itself, at most. It seemed this was one of the rare occasions where Griffin had been mistaken.
I made sure my supernatural guards were in place. Before getting on the plane both Griffin and Evelyn had made me swear that I would keep my shields up as much as possible when in the Assembly’s presence and not tell them anything I didn’t need to – especially about my ability of Sight and, secondly, about my angelic ranking. I wasn’t to allow for any flashy displays of power. Overall, their suggestion was to do everything I could to look weaker than I really was – a concept that went against my nature. But I could try.
A man sat in the middle of the chairs on the podium. Four people sat to his right, another three to his left and there was a single vacant chair beside him. Obviously Josephine’s.
Griffin had explained to me that her position on the Assembly was one of the reasons she chose to remain partnerless. According to Grigori law, if one partner is elevated to a seat on the Assembly, then so too is their partner. As a result, they had an equal vote. Apparently, Josephine deemed no one worthy of a seat beside her. Partners generally voted in the same way, which often left Josephine wielding the deciding vote – a privilege she had no intention of sharing with an undeserving partner.
Total power wench.
Josephine took her seat.
‘Griffin, I believe you have met the members of the Assembly before?’ she began, every word oozing satisfaction.
Griffin nodded respectfully. ‘I have. Though I must admit, I have never known of the entire Assembly to come together for such an … informal occasion.’
That was Griffin’s way of highlighting to us, just in case we’d missed it, that something was up. Big time. If, in all his years as a Grigori leader, Griffin thought this was major, I wasn’t about to argue.
Josephine smiled, clearly enjoying herself.
Another bad sign.
‘Well then, allow me to make the introductions, for Lincoln and Violet’s benefit. In the centre is Drenson, the head of the Assembly and the ultimate face of Grigori around the world.’
According to Griffin, Josephine specifically chose not to be the head of the Assembly. She didn’t want to be the face of all Grigori. She was a strategist and a fighter, and enjoyed getting bloody too much for such a detached role.
Drenson looked like he was in his late twenties, but I knew he was old, in his many-hundreds. His hair was long, past his shoulders, and auburn, almost red in the light that filtered through the opaque glass. He wore a modern double-breasted suit in steel grey. Not the type of suit Onyx would be caught dead in but one that screamed power and money nonetheless. His brown eyes looked down on Griffin first, then Lincoln, before finally settling on me. He inclined his head slightly. I nodded back.
‘We have waited a long time to meet you,’ he said, his voice so deep it echoed through the room. A very faint accent hinted at Spanish being his native tongue.
‘I’m honoured to be meeting with you,’ I said, reciting the words Griffin h
ad told me to use.
‘Beside Drenson is his partner, Adele,’ Josephine said, gesturing to a slight woman who sat rigidly in her seat. Long black hair almost covered her mouse-like features.
She cast a sweeping gaze over all of us and said, ‘Welcome,’ before turning her attention straight back to Josephine.
‘Sitting next to Adele are partners Seth and Decima. The oldest serving members of the Assembly,’ Josephine said.
In turn they both cast their emotionless eyes over us and nodded in introduction. A shiver ran down my spine.
So old. So powerful.
We nodded back – but I noticed Lincoln’s nod seemed more of a bow. Seth and Decima were both tall and incredibly slender, both dressed in light flowing garments. Decima in all white – in contrast to her long black hair. Seth in all black – in contrast to his long white hair.
Griffin had told me about them on the plane. Seth and Decima were the most religious members of the Assembly – which apparently made them two of the most vicious warriors. They came from a time when religion meant fighting to the death – though demonstrations were now very rare. Seth and Decima felt their presence necessary only at times of great war. Perhaps that alone was the reason it seemed so strange they were here today.
‘On my right,’ Josephine continued, ‘sit partners Hakon and Valerie, who also run the training academy. You can expect to see more of them in the near future.’
I suppressed an urge to object to this. Griffin had warned me that it would be unlikely the Assembly would permit my stay unless I agreed to attend some Academy classes. I wasn’t happy about it. Something about conforming to their structure rubbed me the wrong way. Josephine didn’t try hard to hide her knowing smile.
Glad to see she can entertain herself.
Hakon was huge. I wouldn’t have been surprised if one of his previous names had been Hercules. He had short blond hair that made me think he might be Scandinavian. His light brown eyes, almost topaz, met mine. He didn’t look impressed with what he saw.
His sheer size was mind-boggling. I didn’t realise muscles could be that big and it wasn’t as if he was trying to hide them. He was wearing only a strip of brown leather over his top half. I could see his entire chest. It was …
Lincoln cleared his throat.
Crap. I’m staring.
Embarrassed, I blinked, nodded to Hakon and quickly turned my attention to Valerie, who looked tiny beside him despite the fact she was probably the most athletically built of the women on the Assembly, notably dressed down in black leggings and a white sweater. She looked like she’d just come off a training session, which made me kind of warm to her. Then she gave me a full up-and-down and – by the judgemental glance she shared with Hakon – made it obvious she wasn’t impressed with what she saw either. I felt my cheeks flush.
‘And finally,’ Josephine spoke up again, after we’d exchanged nods and awkward hellos with Hakon the Hulk and Valerie, ‘closest to you are Wilhelm and Rainer.’
It didn’t take a genius to realise that these two were her least preferred Assembly members from the way she brushed over them so quickly, barely gesturing in their direction.
I guess that makes them my new besties!
‘You can call me Wil,’ Wilhelm said kindly, nodding at Lincoln and me. ‘Welcome to the Academy.’ His glance moved to Griffin. ‘Good to see you, old friend. You’ve been sorely missed.’
Griffin nodded, a smile spreading. ‘And you, Wil. You too, Rainer.’
The woman stood up – the first of the Assembly to make any kind of move – and walked to Griffin. She kissed him on each cheek and took his hands, emotion passing between them.
‘I’m sorry for what Magda has done. Her actions have hurt us all, but you the most. She was lucky to have you as a partner and wrong to have betrayed your trust.’
I liked Rainer.
‘Thank you,’ Griffin said, his head bowed humbly.
I could tell his respect for her was genuine and his gratitude heartfelt. Rainer leaned in again and whispered something in his ear. Griffin nodded again and I was sure I spotted a tear in his eye before he blinked it back.
Rainer turned towards Lincoln and me. She was about my height. She was beautiful. Glossy black hair cut straight and sharp at shoulder length. She had an exotic look to her, more so than Adele’s. In fact, her eyes were so striking she reminded me of …
‘Nyla,’ I whispered. The name fell from my lips before I could stop it.
She smiled. ‘Nyla is my sister. My twin sister, though not identical, obviously.’
I stared at her – the similarities now clear. The way she conducted herself and the warmth in her eyes left no doubt she was Nyla’s kin.
Nyla had never told me she had a twin. But then again, older Grigori rarely spoke of their families – it was a no-go subject. More often than not they’d either been lost or outlived.
‘I … I … Nyla was … She was amazing,’ I stuttered.
Rainer’s smile broadened as I fumbled with my words. ‘She was amazing. And I have every confidence she will be again.’
At that, a steely determination that was gone as quickly as it came flashed in her eyes, leaving me in no doubt – Rainer, like her sister, was a fierce warrior.
‘You’ll have to pay her a visit during your stay,’ she said, returning to a lighter tone as she went back to her seat.
‘Well, now that all the introductions have taken place,’ Josephine said, looking decidedly bored following Rainer’s interruption, ‘there are a few matters we would like to discuss. The first of which is identifying exactly which rank Violet Eden has been created from. As exciting as the rumours have been, I believe it’s time to put this issue to rest once and for all.’
Griffin stepped forward. ‘Josephine, it has already been a long day for us. Surely Violet is entitled to some Academy training before any testing is carried out.’
Josephine’s upper lip twitched. ‘We’ve waited long enough, Griffin. Don’t think we are not aware that you have been withholding information from us as well.’
Griffin dipped his head. ‘Nothing that I believed was cause for imminent danger to my Grigori brethren or to the Academy.’
‘And what about to the Assembly, old friend? Have you withheld any information that could be detrimental to the Assembly?’
Griffin took his time. He looked at each member, some returning his gaze, some, interestingly, averting it. Their reactions didn’t give me confidence about what was to come.
‘Nothing that wasn’t in the best interests of the future of the Assembly.’
Rainer, Wilhelm and Hakon kept their attention on Adele, so I did too. When she inclined her head slightly, as if accepting what Griffin had said, I wondered if she was a truth teller, like Griffin. Whatever she was, her nod seemed enough for those who’d been paying attention to her.
‘Have it your way, Griffin, but we will not allow Violet to leave without at least submitting to a small power gauge first. Drenson has offered his services for today.’
Griffin looked at me, his expression grim. ‘Do you remember when you first met Rudyard?’
Did I ever! He had taken my hand and pushed his power into me, taking me over in a completely intrusive way. It wasn’t something I ever wanted to experience again.
I nodded, looking back at the Assembly. It was easy to see who my adversaries were – they were the ones smirking. I swallowed down the bitter taste at the back of my throat and nodded to Griffin again.
He closed his eyes briefly and it set off every panic button in my body.
Seth stood up and moved to the centre of the room. He took off his loose-fitting shirt to reveal a slender body with tight muscles that reminded me of a racehorse. He turned his attention to Lincoln.
‘Perhaps you would like to take your shoes off,’ he said in a strong accent that I couldn’t place other than knowing it was European. It made me nervous to consider that I possibly couldn’t place it because it was simply
that old.
This place is like the United Nations.
I looked between them as Lincoln took off his shoes and then his shirt. When I caught his eye he shook his head and said under his breath, ‘Don’t watch. Concentrate.’
What the hell does that mean?
I looked at Griffin, who was backing away, and noticed a white box marked out on the floor – a sparring field. I’d just spent hours being told that Seth was a master fighter – ‘unbeatable’ and ‘unstoppable’ were the words thrown around.
‘Violet,’ Josephine’s voice sang out to me, ‘would you please join us up here? I’m sure you’d agree the sooner we can have what we need, the sooner we will all be able to get on with our day.’
I walked towards her, keeping my focus on Lincoln and Seth as they started to circle one another like predators.
Shit.
‘I don’t understand. Are you making Lincoln fight?’
Drenson stood up and walked towards me. ‘I’m afraid a little distraction always helps get this side of things done more swiftly,’ he said. He held out his hand, just like Rudyard had done, and I knew that whatever Rudyard had done to me the first time we met would be nothing compared to what was about to happen.
At my hesitation, Josephine nodded to Seth and in less than a second he had launched himself metres into the air and come back down spinning with inhuman speed and strength, his foot colliding with Lincoln’s face, sending him straight to the ground before he’d had a moment to react.
Lincoln leaped back onto his feet quickly, as my breath caught at the sight of the blood pouring down the side of his face.
And that had only been the first hit.
‘Your hand, Violet,’ Drenson said.
Oh, God. What have we walked into? These people are insane.
Lincoln took another hit and barely managed to stop himself from going down again. Before he righted himself, Seth, at lightning speed, delivered another terrifying blow that I suspected dislocated Lincoln’s shoulder, from the awkward angle of his arm afterwards. I heard a whimpering sound and realised it was me.