SOMEWHERE ONLY WE KNOW ➻ DEMETRI VOLTURI

D I C I A S E T T E

The bells of the churches started tolling the very moment Cecilia and Demetri stepped inside the restaurant, telling them that it was eight o'clock sharp. She let herself be helped out of her jacket, before Cecilia grabbed Demetri's arm again. A friendly looking waitress guided them to their table, which was conveniently located in a seemingly private and restricted area.

Everything reminded her of the times Demetri had taken her to a restaurant when she was still mortal, and she tried not to stare at the decor hard. It was a very fancy restaurant indeed. Chandeliers hung from the ceilings and the floor was made of marble. People in expensive suits and dresses were seated amongst the tables, talking to each other in hushed voices and languages Cecilia didn't understand.

She held onto Demetri a little tighter, failing to notice the worried expression that crossed his face as he looked down at her. Even after more than thirteen years with the Volturi, she still had difficulty pretending to be someone she wasn't. She was Cecilia Cullen, raised by her mortal family which in no way was formal and didn't participate in solemn and political activities, but she was wearing the mask of Cecila Volturi, a strategist and diplomat. Channeling her inner Cicero, she forced a polite smile on her face.

The waitress led them to a secluded table. A woman was sitting there already, wearing a red evening dress that left most of her cleavage exposed. As she stood up, Cecilia noticed the split in the dress that went all the way up to her thigh and the confident smile on her face. She tried hard and failed to suppress the wave of jealousy that crashed over her. The woman in front of her reminded her an awful lot of Heidi, who every now and then still tried to steal Demetri from under her nose. Anya Popov even had the same flawless skin and brown curls tumbling down her back.

Anya moved to Cecilia first, grabbing her by her upperarms firmly and pressing a kiss against both of her cheeks. She held her hand out to Demetri next, who pressed a chaste kiss on the back of it. The three of them sat down.

"You wanted to speak with me," Anya said, breaking the silence and cutting right to the case. She had a thick accent and Cecilia found that that somehow only increased her mysterious beauty.

At least she spoke English. Cecilia couldn't imagine how awkward it must have been if she would have had to sit still and look pretty all night. She still had to do that, but now at least she could talk. She doubted whether she should approach the matter tactfully, but decided against it. "I need you to get a message to Nikolai."

Anya raised her eyebrows in question. Much like the rest of her body, her eyebrows were perfect as well, symmetric in a way that was impressive even for vampires. "Nikolai," she said, sounding surprised. "What is that you need from him?"

Cecilia shared a quick look with Demetri and continued as he gave her the slightest of nods. "He needs to hide me and Demetri," she hesitated for another second. "And if possible, an entire place as well."

"I'm not quite sure he's even able to that."

"I am," Cecilia answered curtly, watching with a hint of triumph as Anya raised her eyebrows as if she had been slightly insulted. Nikolai had done it before, not only hiding her, but also the room of the hotel she'd been staying in. For every tracker it felt like a dead end, at least, that was how he had explained it to her. Of course, an entire castle was something different than a simple room, but the manner would be the same.

Anya shifted in her chair, her eyes gliding over Demetri. She was wearing dark contacts, the edges already dissolving from the acid. Her eyes snapped back to Cecilia, an amused smile finding its way to her face. "What makes you think Nikolai will do it?"

Cecilia folded her hands in her lap comfortably, trying to radiate a confidence she didn't feel. She had acted, spun lies and told fairytales before, but it she still hated it. It wasn't part of her, not really. "He owes me his life."

Anya smiled. "Seems like heavy burden to me."

"He gets to undo himself from that burden," Cecilia said. She could feel Demetri's hand landing on top of hers and silently she intertwined their fingers. She drew a strength and comfort from him he possibly couldn't understand and it took her everything not to turn to him and to smile. "That is, if you get the message across."

Anya was silent for a moment, as if she was considering her words. Cecilia let her eyes wander over the rest of the restaurant. In the back she could hear the soft mummer of voices, but there was nobody within ears-distance from them. Anya must have the restaurant under her thumb the way the Volturi had theirs.

"Very well," she said after a while. Cecilia tried hard not to show the wave of relief that crashed over. "I'm not one to stand in the way of requited favours, but-" Cecilia could feel her stomach drop in the heels she was wearing. She hated buts. "I'll ask a favour of my own."

"The money was your favour," Demetri said sharply. Cecilia looked at him, feeling somewhat glad for the look of disgust on his face.

"The money was for this appointment," Anya replied, her voice suddenly sounding bitter. Her eyes snapped from Demetri to Cecilia, like a snake. Once there, resting on the sweet face of Cecilia, the muscles in her face relaxed and her grimace made way for a soft smile. Cecilia wasn't fooled that easily, but she pretended to be. "The favour will be personal and in return, you can ask something of me. I know a lot."

Now it was Cecilia's turn to consider the words before speaking again. "What exactly are you asking of me?"

"I have an enemy here in Moscow," Anya said simply. Her fingers trailed over the hold of the dinner knife in a gesture almost thoughtless enough to be passed off as absentminded, but not quite. "He's threatening to overthrow the business I have spend so many years crafting carefully here and I need you to take a memory for me. Just one. It will solve all the problems. Obviously, I'll make sure you have access to him."

Cecilia felt Demetri squeeze her hand, as if warning her not to agree, but she had already given one firm nod. "It's done," she said. "And I need all the information you can get on a certain woman. She's better known as the black princess, I believe."

"The red princess," Anya instantly corrected her. She looked somewhat annoyed, but it disappeared from her eyes so quickly Cecilia wondered if she had imagined it altogether.

Cecilia raised one eyebrow, suppressing the smile that threatened to overtake her mouth. "I see you know a lot indeed."

Anya, suddenly looking done with the conversation, placed both her hands on the table in a resolute manner, a polite smile on her face. "I shall contact Nikolai tonight," she said, raising from her chair already. "And leave you a time and place for our favours to be exchanged."

"I will need conformation," Cecilia said. "The address of the house I stayed in when I was seven years old. Only Nikolai knows it."

Anya nodded and gave both of them a nod of the head before stalking off. Watching her walking away was like observing a swan flying, her movements delicate and well thought out. Noticing a reflection of the light, Cecilia's eyes landed on the source of reflection. It was a band around Anya's ring finger and thanks to her improved vision, she could make out the shape of something that looked like a tulband split in the middle by a small pillar of rhinestones with a cross on top it. Cecilia thought it looked oddly ancient and well-crafted and she couldn't help but wonder when Anya had been turned.

Once she was out of sight completely, Cecilia let out a breath she didn't even know she'd been holding, an action completely unnecessary. She squeezed Demetri's hand and pulled him up, the two of them leaving the restaurant the different way quietly. When they were outside, having walked a couple of streets in silence first, making sure no one was following them.

It was Demetri who broke the silence first, turning to her with a cheeky smile on his face. "Turns out I was the one sitting still and looking pretty," he said, a teasing tone in his voice.

Cecilia let out a chuckle, glad to feel some of the tension escape her body. "You did a very good job."

He raised their intertwined hand, pressing a hard kiss on the back of her hand. "So did you," he said earnestly. "Though I'm not sure about the favour she asked you for."

"It can be no harm, I've taken memories before," she said, shrugging slightly. "And I hope to get something valuable in return."