SOMEWHERE ONLY WE KNOW ➻ DEMETRI VOLTURI

E P I L O G O

She stared at the mirror, taking in all of her imperfections one last time. The small squiggly scar above her right eyebrow, her slightly crooked smile, the little bumps she felt when she rubbed her hands against her skin. All of them would disappear in the coming three days. Her blue eyes would turn red, at least until she hunted her first animal, or they would stay red if she failed.

She grabbed the brush from the edge of the sink, combing her hair even though there were no knots left to untangle. She supposed her brown locks were going to look a lot more lively as well. Staring at her reflection, she wondered if she was going the recognize the person that would stand there in three days, or if she would be a stranger.

Laying the brush down, her fingers grabbed the ruby pendant around her neck. The weight was different from the one Demetri had gotten her, but other than that, it made for a good substitute. It matched the dress she was wearing, the one she had changed into after she and Demetri had gotten back into the castle. It was a black dress, snug on her body and ending just above her knees. The sleeves effectively covered up the layer of goosebumps that had settled on her arms.

She grabbed two small clasps and put her hair up, so that it wouldn't fall on her face. Not that it would matter once she was laying down.

She looked in the mirror one last time, before opening the door of the bathroom and entering Demetri's bedroom. From her fidgeting fingers and her eyes flicking across the room, it was easy to conclude she was nervous. As soon as her eyes found Demetri's, however, she let her hands fall to her side. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves, smiling uncertainly.

"Are you ready?" he asked her, closing the book he had been reading and standing up from the sofa.

"Almost," she said, her voice shaky. Reality was slowly starting to set in, she was going to be turned within a couple of minutes. She would be equal, immortal. But before that, there was one thing she needed to do, which she knew simply wouldn't ever feel the same.

Clenching her eyes shut and folding her hands together, she lifted them high above her head, enjoying the way her muscles rolled underneath the tension. Her muscles relaxed again, some of her nerves melted away as well. She let out a relaxed sigh and opened her eyes once again, smiling as she caught Demetri staring at her. "Now I'm ready."

Taking ahold of his outreached hand, she let herself be pulled towards the bed. She laid down on the silky sheets, her head comfortably on the stack of pillows she had created before. Watching him kneel down next to bed, till they were on the same eye height, she knew she was making the right decision. Not that there was much of decision to be made, Aro had commanded it after all.

Not wanting her last thought as a mortal to be spent on Aro, she reached out, until she could lean her hand against Demetri's cheek. He raised his eyebrows, and she gave a nod just as silent. He bent over her, pressing his lips softly against hers. Cecilia could feel herself become nauseous from all of the emotions suddenly crashing over her and she willed Demetri to hurry up. To place his teeth in her neck and be done with it.

Her hand fell from his cheek as his lips found a gentle path to her neck, littering her cheek and jaw with kisses. He placed one kiss on the fragile skin of her neck, right over her pulsing artery. She held her breath and then she felt it, his sharp teeth breaking her skin and his venom entering her system.

He went to sit in the chair next to the bed, both of his hands wrapping around hers. Cecilia let out a sigh, her lips already twitching at the searing hot feeling that was spreading through her body faster than the speed of light. "Demetri?"

"Yeah?" he asked, his eyes full of worry snapping to her face.

She forced the corners of her lips up, resisting the urge to groan in pain. "I love you."

He smiled softly. "I love you too, Cecilia."

~ E N D O F P A R T O N E ~