Sacrum

Sacrum

Chapter Twenty-Three

Neo threw me a long disapproving look. I hadn't been able to sleep that night and tossed and turned wildly in my twin bed worrying about Vincent, waking the black dog up with each one of my erratic movements. Now it was morning, and both of us were grumpy.

There was still no update about Vincent, so I did the only thing I could think of and marched over to Trusting's office to see if she had any news. However, when I got to her office, I didn't expect someone to barge in right after me, before I even had a chance to get a word out.

The intruder stopped dead in his tracks upon seeing me.

"Edward, what a surprise," Trusting exclaimed, right after she had just greeted me.

"A good one, I hope," he replied, finally taking his eyes off me and greeting her with a generous smile.

"Of course, always. What are you doing here, I thought you were on a long vacation?"

"I was, but how long can you enjoy doing nothing?" He replied in a nonchalant tone. "I came here to speak to my client, and to you, of course."

"Your client? Oh, are you representing Vincent Carandini?" She asked.

"Vincent's case has already been dismissed this morning. I left him in the very capable hands of Mr. Abramov for now, he should have him back here shortly. I'm actually here for Dani," he said, turning to look back at me. My mouth opened in surprise. Were they now charging me with some sort of crime as well? I wouldn't put anything past Arani Deadnus after what happened during the Summit, and the cruel way in which she arrested Vincent and Maratoni. But what could I have possibly been accused of? Did someone find out about me having the Specials manual? Or maybe it was my association with Vincent or Van Sant that was about to get me in trouble.

"Vinicius sent me pictures of you, but it's a lot different seeing you in person," the male vampire said, looking me over like a long lost relative. Apparently, he wasn't in a hurry to explain why I needed his assistance.

"Why exactly do I need an attorney?" I asked, not even bothering to delve into why Vinicius had been sending this stranger pictures of me. Trusting looked just as confused by the situation.

"Well, you don't really need one. At least not yet. See, I was Vinicius' attorney and I promised him that I'd look after you as well. So here I am," he stated.

I looked at Trusting, still not understanding what was going on.

"First, I have his will with me," he went on, looking over a navy folder with a stack of papers inside. This was a surprise. I didn't realize that my Mentor had a will, but of course it made sense. Vinicius was a powerful vampire with much influence and a large personal net worth which he accumulated over centuries. "Vinicius has left you the Valentini Academy," he said, making my jaw drop in shock. "He has requested that Arcadius Nomad serve as the headmaster, at least while you're still underage. When you turn 18, you will be able to appoint anyone of your choosing, if you so decide. Personally, I believe Nomad is a wonderful candidate." My mind spun with a million different thoughts, but before I could voice any of them, he went on. "As far as properties go, he has additionally left you his vacation home in Juneau, Alaska." This surprised me even more. I had no idea such a property existed. How many more secrets would I come to learn about my Mentor? Graham continued, "He's also left you a sizeable portion of his fortune, $50 million to be exact, with the rest going to various charities as well as other private recipients. Again, the money will be accessible to you when you turn 18, but in the event that you need anything right now, just let me know and I'll be able to get you the requested amount." I continued to stare blankly. "Last but not least, he's left you a letter, which I am to give to you on your 18th birthday."

After a long beat I replied with, "Couldn't I get the letter now?" I didn't care about the Academy, the house, or the fact that I was now a teenage vampire millionaire. All I wanted was to know what Vinicius had said in his letter to me. I wanted to know what he was thinking, and what he wanted me to do going forward. Maybe he left me some pointers, some suggestions on who to trust. Anything...

Graham looked apologetic.

"He's made it very clear that it's essential for you to get it on your 18th birthday, and not a day sooner. I will have it waiting for you when the time comes," he replied. "That sums up the will." Before I had a chance to digest the enormity of what had happened, Graham continued, "Now, to another matter. Boeriella, I hope you don't take this as an insult against the safety of the school, but I cannot trust Deadnus' officers to adequately defend Dani. Therefore, I've hired a private security firm," he said, handing her some papers. "Here's the protection order granting them access to school grounds." Trusting looked surprised.

"You think Dani is in danger?" She asked.

"Yes," he replied in short.

"Security firm?" I finally chimed in. "You want to have some random bodyguards follow me from class to class?" I asked, outraged.

"I know it's not ideal Dani, but yes."

"No," I replied, firmly. "I don't want them. I refuse."

"Dani, it's for your protection. It's not negotiable," he replied, sparking irritation in my very core. Who was this vampire coming in here and ordering me around?

"I barely just met you three minutes ago, you're a complete stranger to me. Now suddenly you're my attorney and you're assigning me bodyguards? No, I don't want that. I don't need a lawyer," I said to Trusting, who looked torn. After a while, Graham spoke.

"Can I please have a moment with him?" He asked Trusting, and I was hoping she'd say no, but she just nodded.

"I'll be back in a few minutes, Dani," she reassured me. After she left, Graham pulled out two chairs and sat down, then gestured for me to take a seat next to him. We sat in silence for a moment until I spoke.

"What?" I said, annoyed.

"You said I was a stranger. I'm trying to become less of a stranger." I rolled my eyes. There was no way he was being serious.

"Why?"

"Because I'd like to be a part of your life, Dani," he admitted, and I felt his sincerity. However, I was still unconvinced about his motives.

"Why now? Where have you been all this time after Vinicius died and I had nobody to advocate for me?" He looked guilty.

"I'm sorry I've been away all this time. I can't really explain why, but it's how Vinicius wanted it, and as you know, we've always been but mere marionettes in his play," he mused quietly, then seeing the reaction in my face he added, "and I say that with all the love and respect possible. Vinicius was, and always will be, my dearest friend."

"Why didn't he want you around me?" I asked, still suspicious. Graham sighed.

"He didn't want you to be influenced by a lot of external factors until you were at least 18. Certainly not a criminal lawyer like me. Now that he's gone and things have become quite messy, I decided I couldn't wait any longer."

"You really think I'm in danger?" I asked. He nodded.

"Yes."

"From?"

"I'm still trying to ascertain. I had disconnected myself from the world after what happened to Vinicius. It was such a painful loss for me, and hard to understand. It was only yesterday that I learned about Dr. Van Sant's murder and the events that took place during the Specials Summit. Without going into too much detail, the bottom line is, anyone connected to Vinicius in any meaningful way must be careful right now. Especially you."

"And you?" I asked. He was connected to Vinicius too, after all.

"Having been an attorney for as long as I have, I know far too many secrets, and in the event of my death, they would all find their way to the surface and make it very uncomfortable for some of my prominent clients. So, I'm probably safe for now, no need to worry about me, Dani," he replied, and gave me a small smile. "Now that we're slightly less of strangers, will you accept my protection officers?"

I groaned at the idea.

"Just one, right?"

"I'd be more comfortable with at least two," he argued.

"No, I can't have two people on my heels at all times. One is bad enough." He thought about it for a moment.

"Fine, just one then," he conceded to me, and I felt a slight sense of victory. He didn't seem like a vampire who conceded easily. Perhaps he took pity on me.

I extended my hand so that we could shake on our compromise. He took it with a smile.

"Will you be sticking around?" I asked.

"Yes, I'd like to come see you on the weekends if that's alright with you. And the protection agent will have a cell phone, so if you ever need to reach me, just give me a call." I nodded. It felt strangely nice to have someone care about me and look out for my wellbeing.

"What's going to happen to Vincent?"

"Well, he is the sun and the moon of Arani's deranged solar system. Knowing her, she will not rest until she finds something that sticks. I presume we'll be back in court again fairly soon."

"How can we make her stop?" I asked.

"She's like a dog with a bone. Once she gets a taste, you can't rip it out of her mouth. When Vincent turns 18, relocation to another country will be the best option. But even then, it's hard to guarantee that she'll move on." So Vincent was facing a life on the run. Great, I thought. "I have to go soon. The protection officers should be here in a little while."

Panicked by the memory of saying goodbye to Eric Van Sant and then seeing him slaughtered, I quickly uttered a somewhat pathetic sounding question. "Will you be back?" He seemed softened by my concern.

"I will. I promise. It is my hope that we will become good friends in due time."

He squeezed my shoulder for a long moment, then walked out the door.

I returned to my room, where I found Laura and Angelo patiently waiting for me. Laura was still skittish around Neo, but Angelo seemed to be getting along with the black demon just fine, as he playfully tried pulling the toy tire out of the dog's slobbery mouth.

"Any news?" Laura asked, referring to Vincent. I filled them both in on the will and on my meeting with Graham.

"Come to think of it, I do remember seeing him in the news quite a few times, Dani. He's represented some big names. If he's on Vincent's side, that's a great sign," she said. "I actually don't ever remember hearing about a case he's lost." That was reassuring. Angelo was more interested in my new financial status.

"So you're a millionaire now? How does it feel?" I shrugged my shoulders. I would have much preferred to have my Mentor back.

"I don't know. I don't really have access to the money until I turn 18 anyway."

"I wonder what Vinicius said in the letter," Laura mused.

"Me too. I just wish I could read it now."

We continued to discuss Deadnus, Vincent, Maratoni and the security officers, until it was time to go to class. I struggled, not being able to concentrate on any subject. Halfway through, I bumped into a vampire wearing a suit.

"Daniele Marchesi?"

"Yes," I replied, hesitantly.

"I'm your new protection officer, Declan. I'll be switching shifts with my partner, Robyn, who you'll meet later tonight." He extended his hand, and I shook it.

"Right, thank you," I replied, not feeling enthusiastic but not wanting to insult him either. He seemed to pick up on my mood.

"Don't worry, most people dislike the idea of having a protection office, but I promise you, after a while you won't even notice me. I'll just be nearby, making sure that nobody with nefarious intent is allowed to get close to you," he explained, and I felt guilty. This poor vampire who was hired to protect me was now having to make me feel better about his job.

"Thank you, honestly, I really appreciate what you're doing," I said, and he smiled. Then I remembered the hut in the woods and realized that his presence would certainly complicate things for me. What if I needed to eavesdrop on someone from my spot above the nurse's room? I sighed.

True to his word, Declan did his job so well that by the end of my classes I did actually forget he was tailing me. It was only when I came to my room, when he suddenly put a hand on my arm and became alert.

"Someone's in there," he said.

"Probably Neo, my dog."

"No, I don't think so," he whispered, keeping me at bay with his arm. "Let me clear the room."

Suddenly he pulled out a gun.

"Surely that's unnecessary," I mumbled, but he put a finger to his lips and shushed me.

He barged into my room and yelled, "Hands up!"

"What the hell," I heard a familiar voice.

"Who are you?" Declan demanded.

"Who the hell are you?" Vincent yelled back.

"It's okay Declan, he's a friend," I chimed in.

"Who the hell is he?" Vincent asked.

"Vincent, this is Declan, my new protection officer. Declan, this is Vincent, my close friend." Vincent seemed to take issue with the description but said nothing.

"My apologies. Nice to meet you," Declan said. "Next time, try waiting at the door so we don't have to go through this again." Before Vincent could reply, he closed the door behind him and left us alone.

"A protection officer?" Vincent asked in a tone that suggested he was still annoyed.

"Graham insisted," I replied.

"Graham?" Vincent asked, his curiosity making him forget his annoyance. I nodded.

"Apparently he represents me now," I said.

"Huh, interesting," was all he came back with, but I could see his brain working. I knew I wouldn't get much more out of him on the topic, so I decided to ask about his hearing.

"What happened in court?" Vincent sat down on my bed and Neo grumpily protested the slight movement. I sat at my desk, slowly taking out my books and my homework.

"Not enough evidence to proceed to trial."

"What fugitives did they accuse you of helping?" I asked, trying to keep my voice calm. He looked at me for a moment.

"My cousins, Katarina and Giovanni," he replied, watching my reaction carefully.

"And were you?" I asked.

"If I say yes, I'll be confessing to a crime that's punishable by death, Dani."

"Well, you could say no."

"Well then, I'd be lying, wouldn't I?" My heart sank. So it was true, my suspicions were confirmed. Denial was no longer an option. There were family members who had survived the War of the Clans, and Vincent and Maratoni were now helping them surface. For what purpose? Of course, deep within me, I already knew the answer.

"Are you planning something against the State?" I asked, barely above a whisper. He took a while to answer.

"The time has come for you to think some things over, Golden One," he said, sitting up. "I know you may think it's your job to stop what I'm doing. Maybe even that you were created for the task. But times have changed. Things are not as they were when you were created 18 years ago, Dani. If, after everything you saw at the Summit, you think that working for Arani Deadnus and the Protection League is in favor of the vampire world, then by all means, do what you need to do. Like I've already told you, I will never hurt you, Dani, no matter which path you choose. But, let me make it very clear, I also won't let you stand in my way. Now, the question you need to answer sooner rather than later is, who's really the villain?" He said looking deep into my eyes. I couldn't move or speak for a long while. "Think it over," he added, then he got up and left.

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.