SOMEWHERE ONLY WE KNOW ➻ DEMETRI VOLTURI

V E N T I D U E

She cleared her throat softly before continuing. "I suppose a banishment from Volterra will suffice."

Aurelia broke down in sobs and tears again, though this time they seemed a little more grateful. With her glazy eyes turned to Cecilia, she showed a watery smile. "Thank you," she sobbed. "Thank you for your mercy."

"Your soft and sweet, Cecilia. You've been given a gentle heart," Aro said, nodding to himself. His cloudy eyes moved from Aurelia to Cecilia, showing a great deal of empathy. A little too much, to Cecilia's opinion. "But you have much to learn. For starters, you are not a mere human. You're a soulmate, to a member of the Guard. An assault on you is an assault on the Volturi itself and we simply cannot let that pass. Not if we are to maintain our position against all the other covens, all waiting for a sign of mercy and meekness."

She sincerely doubted whether the Volturi really regarded her as high as Aro claimed, but she had to admit that he had a way of twisting words so that they seemed both sincere and of importance. Then again, he's had centuries of mastering this art. She nodded, because it was the only thing she could do. "I fully agree with your wisdom."

"Besides, sweet child," Marcus joined in on the conversation. He was still sitting in the very same position as he had been when Cecilia had walked into the throne room, still radiating boredom and ancientness. "You mustn't forget what has happened here today. Aurelia has been embarrassed, stripped of her senses and delivered to your mercy. When you let her go, as you kindly suggested, it won't be long before that embarrassment turns into hate. It's like a smoldering fire, give it enough time and air and it will turn into the greatest flame you have ever seen, burning your hands on it."

"No, it's not true," Aurelia cried, despair clear in her voice. "I will not even go to retrieve my things. I will leave and never come back. I promise... I promise."

She broke down in full tears again and Cecilia had to resist the urge to look down on her with a compassionate expression. Instead, she focused her eyes on Marcus, biting down on her teeth harshly. Once more she found herself unable to disagree with the wise master and so she nodded. "That is true as well."

"Well then, cut out the infection before it can start to spread and be done with it," Caius sneered. He made a rude gesture with his hand and rolled his eyes irritably. "This trial has gone on for long enough already."

Cecilia bit on the inside of her lip, hating the feeling of frustration that was slowly taking over. Her fingers were no longer fidgeting because of nerves, but because of annoyance. Annoyance for being driven in a corner in which she was forced to sentence a woman to die. Yes, the woman had attacked her, but no grave harm had been done and yet here she was standing. Alone, in an old throne room in Italy, separated from her family and about to pass judgement on a matter her hand was forced in.

Her eyes found Demetri's and some of her annoyance disappeared like snow before the sun. She wondered how long it had taken Aro and Chelsea to get inside his head and how on earth she was going to get him completely out. She wasn't exactly sure what she'd expected to find by looking at his face and though his facial expression didn't betray anything, the little nod he gave her provided her more support than anything else in the throne room. 

Her eyes snapped toward Aro again, who was looking at her expectantly. The muscles in her face hardened and she pushed her shoulders backward, hoping that at the very least she wasn't looking as weak as she was feeling. "Very well," she said, swallowing the lump in her throat. "I hereby sentence Aurelia Lockeheart to death."

"Excellent," Aro said cheerfully, clapping his hands together at the same time Aurelia started screaming. 

Cecilia let a breath escape she wasn't even aware she'd been holding and allowed her shoulders to slump ever so slightly. She blinked and where Aurelia had been kneeling on the ground before she closed her eyes, she now was standing in front of her when she opened them again. Her eyes were wide open, her mouth twisted in a grimace, her neck and head in a death grip by none other than Demetri. 

She let out something in between a scoff and a huff, staring at her soulmate gratefully. Alec might have blinded her senses, but apparently, she still had enough of a vampire instinct to locate the only mortal in the room. Cecilia smiled uncertainly, watching Demetri whisper something in the other woman's ear, too soft for her imperfect ears to catch. Then his grip tightened, Aurelia's skin cracked until her head came loose from the rest of her body and Cecilia's smile disappeared. 

She knew he didn't have a choice, just like she hadn't had a choice, but she decided there and then that she would do everything in her power to make the two of them escape the claws of the Volturi for good.