Blood Bound

Chapter 34: The vampire of Emerald City

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.