SOMEWHERE ONLY WE KNOW ➻ DEMETRI VOLTURI

V E N T U N O

A/N: an extra update for the 50k reads, thank you all so much for the comments and votes <3

Cecilia raised a single questioning eyebrow. "You did all this scheming and plotting just so that you could trap me in an abandoned church in the middle of somewhere in Russia?"

Vasilisa, who stood with her back to the door Cecilia had entered the room through, nodded, a smug and satisfied expression on her face. She put her hands on her hips and once again Cecilia's eyes landed on the ring with the crown she was wearing. "I think a couple of decades on these holy grounds might make you question your alliances. Besides, once I've overthrown the Ancient Ones, there will be no one else you can swear your alliance to, except that priest over there. I mean, look at it from my point of view, the Ancient Ones deserve a final rest after thousands of years as well, don't you think?"

"I think I would rather for it to be you, if someone really has to be put in the ground," Cecilia said. Her annoyance was growing with each and every second. "Nothing personal."

"You should learn to watch your mouth," Vasilisa said. "I thought a decade with the Volturi would have taught you respect and formality."

"What are you going to do about it?" Cecilia countered sarcastically. "Kill me? Seems a bit difficult, seeing I'm on one side of the pentagram and you're on the other."

She could see the features on Vasilisa's face slowly turn into anger as well. Good, Cecilia thought, I'm not going to be the only one going bonkers here. Suddenly, she caught a small movement behind Vasilisa. She had her back turned to the heavy wooden door, in which someone appeared slowly, not making a single sound. A wave of relief crashed over her as she recognized Demetri and she did her best to hide her feelings.

Cecilia turned back to the crazy woman in front of her, realising that making her angry might be the best option here. Angry people didn't think their actions through, and they didn't pay attention to their surroundings. "Besides Vasilisa, what do you think will make you a better leader than the Volturi?"

"I am just and fair," Vasilisa said, some of the anger disappearing from her face. She seemed glad to be talking about something else than insults, especially if it was about her ambitions. "I won't stand for corruption, like the Ancient Ones do."

"Fair?" Cecilia let out a loud snort, followed by a sarcastic chuckle. "Claiming you will let a beloved go in an exchange and then killing her seems hardly fair, wouldn't you agree?"

Vasilisa made a dismissive gesture with her hand. "It was just a stupid mortal."

Slowly, it dawned on Cecilia that she could simply use her gift on the woman in front of her, make her forget she was here in the first place. Feeling stupid for not realising it earlier, she tried to reach out to Vasilisa's mind, like trying to grab and hold on to a growing vine. But it didn't work, she felt nothing, except for a growing headache.

Vasilisa looked at her bemused. "Is your gift not working?"

Instantly, Cecilia stopped all her efforts, her eyes landing on the circle she was standing on. Without a doubt, it was the Michael Pentagram meddling with her gift. Her glance snapped back to Vasilisa. "Remind me, did you just claim that you were fair?"

"Fair," Vasilisa agreed. "Not stupid."

"Highly questionable," Cecilia muttered in reply, earning herself an angry glare. Finally, it appeared that she had managed to push Vasilisa over some edge, because the woman strode forward, right up to the boundary of the pentagram. At the same time, Demetri slipped into the room, standing directly behind Vasilisa without the woman noticing it.