We walk through the oak doors. I thought it would lead us straight to his office but we end up walking through another hallway. It's dark, only illuminated by several lamps that shine dull lights upon painted portraits lining the walls. I slow down and take a further look. Most of them are of middle-aged men, looking haughty in their best suits.
"Portraits of the Elders," Kenji explains. "Of the current ones, at least. The portraits of the former Elders are kept in a vault for safekeeping."
I count the portraits. "Are there always supposed to be 13 of them?"
Kenji nods. "The factions are more but they divide the rule evenly among them. So there are 13 Elders in each continent. 13 might seem like an uneven, unlucky number in some cultures but that number is considered lucky in others, like in Grigori's homecountry, Italy."
"And which factions does Grigori rule over?" I ask, noticing that the last portrai is of the Italian vampire himself. He has a confident smirk curved on his lips and his expression is patronizing, like he deems everything but himself less worthy of attention.
"Most states on the West Coast," Kenji replies. "Ironically, he likes it warm. Probably reminds me of his former home."
"Why is it," Grigori chimes in, his voice laced with undisguised malice. "That you're telling the human of our secrets, Mr. Yamasaki?" He looks behind his shoulder, glaring. "We don't even tell the Sangues that much because we don't know who we can trust."
Kenji puts a reassuring hand on my shoulder, squeezing it gently. "Because I trust Leia," he says simply, grinning. "A little trust here and there never goes awry."
Grigori scoffs. "Tell that to our fallen comrades who trusted blindly and died in vain." His piercing grey eyes fall upon Sophie. "Tell that to the ungrateful mutt who stands here before me."
Sophie flips him the finger, muttering curses. Grigori narrows his eyes to slits. In one fluent motion, he smacks her across the cheek. The slap echoes through the hallway. Sophie sways to the side, grabbing the wall for balance. She glares up at him, an angry, red mark blossoming on her swollen cheek.
I'm rooted to the spot, in shock of what I had just seen. I know Sophie's fast but I barely saw him move. Is this an example of an Elder's power? I want to run over to Sophie but my legs have turned to stone. I'm terrified that he'll slice me in half if I so much as move an inch.
"I will not have that kind of language in my quarters, Sophia," Grigori hisses, taking out a handkerchief and cleans the hand he used to strike her. "It's not out of kindness I have for you that I allowed this meeting. It's purely due to my duty as an Elder and as your former guardian. Remember that."
"Hey, I said we should keep this civil," Kenji says apprehensively.
"Either she shows some respect to me and the situation at hand or you'll keep her on a leash!" Grigori snarls.
He turns around and opens the door. Kenji's brows furrow in frustration and he turns away from my questioning look. I think he knows that he has no power here, unlike his own influences in Edmonton. Obeying Grigori at his turf is necessary but tough. His fists clench, making his bicepts twitch.
Once Grigori is settled in behind his desk, I hurry over to my friend. "Are you alright?" I ask anxiously and raise a tentative hand towards her bruised face.
"I'm fine," Sophie mutters and brushes my hand away. "I've had to deal with this crap for two years. I can handle it."
She straightens up, her head held high and marches inside. Afraid that I'll be left behind in the dark hallway, I rush after her. Grigori's office is much brighter than the previous corridor but colder; One side of the office is filled with small screens, their glares casting black and white images of various places of the entire building. Each place, I notice, has a guard on watch. The other side of the office has a couple of stuffed animal heads perched on the walls; a deer, a rhino and a lion. I'm sure it's to display the assumed correct order of the food chain. I'm actually surprised that he hasn't stuffed a human head there. The red color of the walls, while warm, have a much ominous feel to it. Now matter how I look at it, or avoid looking at it, it reminds me of blood and of what kind of creatures lurk within these walls.
"Now then," Grigori begins and beckons us to have a seat in front of his enormous oak desk. Kenji sits but Sophie defiantly stands behind the carved, antique chair. I'm unsure whether to sit or stand but after one look of Grigori's contemptuous glare, I hastily sit down. "What is it that you require of me?"
"Sophie wishes to seek advice from you," Kenji says after a moment of tense silence. "I'm sure you've heard of what has happened."
"I have," Grigori drawls, examining his sharp fingernails in a bored manner. "Tyler's guardian, Colby, has contacted me and he's determined to get his just retribution for the murder of his ward."
My heart sinks. Judging by the tone of his voice and body language, it seems clear that he is completely indifferent to Sophie's plight.
"I don't know why you thought it would be wise to come to me for help," Grigori continues. "but you must know that there's nothing I can do. The law is the law, I hope you remember? You either abide by them or you perish. But of course, you were never the law-abiding type."
"That's not fair!" I blurt out angrily, jumping to my feet.
All three vampires stare in disbelief. Sophie gives me a shut-up-now kind of look and Kenji blinks fast, his mouth slightly open. Grigori is first to recover though, disdainful eyes locked on me.
"What is not fair, human?" he asks softly but I can detect the iciness behind it.
"Sophie only killed him in self-defense! He was trying to rape her and killing him was the only way to stop him. She had no choice!" I say angrily, disregarding the small shakes of Sophie's head as I continue: "If you tell that person's guardian about it, I'm sure he'll understand."
Grigori snorts with laughter and it pierces me like an arrow to the heart. "And this is why humans can never understand our ways of life," he scoffs, wiping an imaginary tear from his eye. "In order for us to survive in this world, we must obey the rules set for us. Without order, we'd been obliterated centuries ago. Sophia's case is not the first one that has come to light. We deal with all cases such as this the same way we have donw since we established the laws." He rises from his seat and faces the surveillance screens, his hands behind his back. "Sophia will face her punishment once Colby and his men arrive."
"But!" I raise my voice in exasperation. "She doesn't have to die for simply protecting herself!" Angry tears are threatening to cascade down my cheeks. My heart is hammering in my chest and heat is slowly consuming me, not from anxiety but from the injustice of it all.
"It's OK,"
I whip around. Sophie's clutching the back of the chair, her claws making indents in the polished wood. She's trying to keep the shakes at bay but failing. I want nothing more than to hug her right now but I know she wouldn't allow it. Her pride depends on it.
"I knew that you wouldn't be able to help me. Perhaps deep down you just don't want to," she says quietly, her voice breaking. "I know that the laws that have been around for centuries are not gonna be changed for someone like me," She takes a deep shuddering breath. "That's not why I'm here."
"Oh?" Grigori raises an eyebrow, mild amusement crossing his face. "And here I thought you'd be begging me to change it."
Sophie shakes her head. "That's never gonna happen. I'm here to get my last wish."
Grigori frowns. "Oh, that," he mutters disdainfully.
"That's right," Sophie says, more confidently and more true to herself than she had been earlier. "Every vampire that's about to receive the death sentence has the right to contact its guardian and get their last wish granted."
Grigori's frown deepens. "That's correct but you should know that a guardian cannot prevent the sentence, even if said guardian is an Elder."
"I know all about it," Sophie snaps impatiently. "That's not my last wish anyway."
Grigori sighs irritably. "Very well," he concedes. "What is it then?"
"Only the guardian and the ward are supposed to know," Sophie points out, looking meaningfully at me and Kenji.
"I know," Kenji says, a grin playing on his lips. "We'll wait outside. Come on, Leia."
He gently takes my arm and steers me outside as I stare dumbfounded at the two remaining vampires. I'm very confused. Did Sophie just say that the sole purpose of this trip was to get her last wish granted? I thought we'd be pleading her case, make Grigori see that Sophie hadn't meant killing that other vampire. It, somehow, makes everything that we've been through a total waste of time.
"What the hell?" I say quietly when Kenji opens the door to where the vampire guards and secretary are still sitting.
"It's a private matter," Kenji explains softly, leading me back to the velvet sofa. "We're not supposed to know."
"That's not what I meant!" I snap furiously. I pace around the sofa, running my fingers through my hair. When that doesn't calm me, I begin biting my nails. "I mean, is this it? We can't do anything?"
"No, I'm afraid so," Kenji sighs deeply. "We can't bend the rules in favour of Sophie. The law is the law."
"Well, your law is fucking stupid!" I shout, throwing my arm up in frustration. I ignore the annoyed stare from the secretary. "It's not fair and she deserves a just trial! If she were tried in a normal, human court, she would get off easily!"
"That's the thing," Kenji chuckles weakly yet his eyes are sad. "We're not exactly part of your normal world."
His statement does nothing to quell my unease and frustration. I want to shake him, shake some sense into him. I want to throw stuff, to break them. But there's nothing handy around and I'm not going anywhere near the reception desk, even though I desire nothing much than to scream at them or even attempt to hurt them. Anything to make them change their ancient, stupid rule. But I can't and the helplessness seems to deflate my anger. I slump on the sofa, next to Kenji.
"There's really nothing we can do?" I whimper, gripping my elbow to stop the oncoming trembles that are reaching its boiling point within me.
Kenji wraps his arm around me and I feel oddly warm, despite his cold skin. "I'm sorry," he says.
I squeeze my eyes shut and clench my jaw, forcing myself not to cry. I need to be strong now. Not for myself but for Sophie. She's the one who needs it most of all.
The doors open again and Sophie and Grigori step out. Sophie looks grim, her eyes downcast but I can faintly see a triumphant grin twitch on her lips.
"You are to await in the holding cell until Colby arrives," Grigori instructs her and she gives him a curt nod.
The guards finally move and situate themselves on each side of Sophie. She glares at them but makes no attempts to move or otherwise flee.
"You two as well," Grigori barks at us. "Mr. Yamasaki, I hope you're ready to deal with your punishment for being the doomed's accomplice?"
Kenji nods stiffly. "I am," he says casually, like they're not discussing punishments but the weather.
"What about me?" I inquire, looking from Grigori to Sophie. She gives me a sad smile.
"I have not decided your sentence yet," Grigori drawls. "I might even let you choose: My staff or the ghouls."
One of the guards grabs my arm and I shriek, yanking it away. I back away from them until I bump into Kenji's chest whose strong arm ensnare my waist. I look up, terrified.
"I'm sorry," he says again, full of remorse.
This can't be happening!
I open my mouth to scream but suddenly I feel a sharp blow at the back of my neck and everything shuts down.