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 had 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.