SOMEWHERE ONLY WE KNOW ➻ DEMETRI VOLTURI

T R E N T A Q U A T T R O

Cecilia ran through the castle faster than she ever had before, wondering if a vampire's body really was able to get through so many physical efforts. She knew for sure that her body didn't take it well to remove the existence of two persons, one of which contained more than a thousand years, from three minds. The ache in her head was worse than the one she'd had after breaking the Michael pentagram, the feeling of two knives piercing her brain and meeting halfway almost too overwhelming. 

Still, Cecilia pushed on, knowing she had a couple of minds left to crack. She wouldn't bother with the lower guard, after all, the Ancient Ones would declare any who would dare to come forward and tell them they had a vampire on the guard who had been able to take memories and plant lies crazy, and probably sentence them for execution under the pretence of lying. The first one would have to die, but after that, the other guard members, as well as counts and countesses would accept that the Masters had decided to get rid of her and her soulmate and then deny their existence altogether. It wouldn't be unusual for such a thing to happen. They would accept it like sheep and by the time someone actually dared to ask a question, she and Demetri would be in Angelokastro, a place hidden by Nikolai. It would be physically impossible to trace them. 

But the same didn't go up for more respected members of the guard, like Alec and Jane, to whom she was rushing right now. Though she didn't think it was likely that the Ancient Ones would leave the throne room today, which meant that she was free to roam the castle since all the other vampires had nothing to suspect of her, she didn't want to take the risk. Cecilia wanted to get out of Volterra as fast as physically possible. 

"It worked," Cecilia said as soon as she entered the dungeons. She sounded just as breathless as she felt and quickly, she threw her arms around her soulmate for a hug. Demetri pushed a chaste kiss on her temple, before letting go. Feeling warm from the inside, Cecilia turned back around. 

Jane and Alec were sitting in the empty cell next to each other, wearing murderous expressions on their faces. Now more than ever they looked like the Immortal Children that many textbooks had described, children that could murder entire villages in a simple tantrum. Not wasting another second, Cecilia reached out to Jane's mind first, taking all the memories of her and Demetri, before doing the exact same thing to Alec, leaving the evil twins looking dazzled and senile. 

After that, she turned to Felix, swallowing loudly. "I'm so sorry, Felix, but I have-"

"Don't worry about it," Felix immediately cut her off. He gave Demetri a playful shove, making it clear to Cecilia that the two had talked about the course of actions already. "I can't wait to finally forget about this baffoon."

Cecilia smiled slightly, grateful for Felix's attempt to lighten the mood. "I'm sorry I had to come between you."

"It's inevitable," he said, shrugging. "I'll find my soulmate one day and understand. For now, quit wasting time, do your magic trick and disappear from Volterra."

"Aye Captain," Cecilia said, giving a mock salute at the same time she entered Felix's mind. She let out a muffled groan, pushing the fabric of her sleeve against her mouth as she cringed away from the pain. Upon feeling Demetri's strong arm around her waist, hoisting her up and holding her together, Cecilia felt a little stronger. 

All of that disappeared however as she took Felix's memories of Demetri. She took away ages' worth of late-night conversations, deep discussions about Aristotle's meaning of true happiness, bantering and saving each other. She took away a part of Felix himself, the friend who had entered their scene of complete chaos and helped to hold down Jane willingly, putting his own neck at risk and suddenly, Cecilia felt incredibly guilty. Who was she to take away everyone's memories, parts of their character, so that she could live a happy life?"