SOMEWHERE ONLY WE KNOW ➻ DEMETRI VOLTURI

T R E N T U N O

It had been dark already when she had left, but now that Cecilia walked into the high alleyway, it seemed to turn even darker. All the light the moon and stars offered was blocked by the overlapping roofs and the single streetlight had been destroyed. Not that it was a problem for her with her supernatural sight. She could make every single dust molecule on the plastic garbage bags thrown next to the container, as well as the many tiny cracks in the bricks that made up the alleyway. 

It also meant that she could see the person standing at the end of the alleyway, though he probably couldn't see her yet. He was a mortal, his heart racing and his breathing loud and she was wearing a cloak darker than the night, which hid her whole body. Looking over her shoulder she could see a shadow following her, jumping from the ledges of the windows. He winked at her and Cecilia smiled back, feeling warm from the inside. 

Deciding to make her presence known, she started walking a little louder, the heels of her shoes clicking on the pavement. At the same time, she drew back her hood, exposing her pale face and golden eyes. Instantly, the man reacted by straightening his spine and looking up, his hands clenching on a velvet deep blue box. He had a forgettable face, eyes not quite blue enough to catch the attention and hollowed cheeks not deep enough to leave an impression, but enough to remind people of his recent losses. 

"Mr Carstairs, am I right?" Cecilia asked, breaking the silence. Her voice was cold and distant. 

The man nodded, and she could see the trembling in his movements. "Miss Cullen." His voice was quivering as well, but English was undoubtedly his native tongue. 

"Do you have what I require?"

"I do," Mr Carstairs replied. Fumbling with the lockets of the velvet box clumsily, it took the man several seconds to unlock them, before drawing back the cover. 

Cecilia took a step forward, eyeing the two sets of manacles curiously. It looked like they were made of normal iron, though it did seem to reflect a little even in the absence of any form of direct light. Raising her head, she stared Mr Carstairs right in the eyes for a moment. "These don't look particularly spectacular to me."

Mr Carstair's heart skipped an audible beat. "Oh, but they are," he said nervously. "Touch the metal, and you will know."

Shrugging to herself, Cecilia reached out for one of the manacles. As soon as her fingers touched the metal she felt a light tremble move to her body, as if the fabric was warning her of its unique properties. It was the same feeling she got whenever she touched the bars of the cells in the dungeons and not being able to suppress her curiosity, she grabbed one of the manacles from the box altogether, pulling on both ends. The mere force of her actions would have made the links of every other iron chain snap with ease, but not this chain. This chain barely remained tout. 

As soon as a pleased smile found its way to Cecilia's face, Mr Carstaris seemed to relax visibly. She looked the older man in the eyes and held out her hands. "I'll take it."

"What about your part of the deal?" Mr Carstairs asked hesitantly, closing the box and hiding the manacles from sight. 

Cecilia let her hands fall to the sides of her body, her expression changing into one of curiosity. "How even, did you get access to these manacles, Mr Carstairs?"

"They have been in the family for a long time, Miss Cullen," Mr Carstairs said quietly, still stumbling over his words. Cecilia couldn't help but wonder what it was about her that made him so frightened of her, whether it was the crest on her chest or the reputation that seemed to follow her even in the mortal world. "We, Carstairs, are rumoured to be descendants from a great alchemist, the one who forged these manacles. Nobody in my family believed it, since, for humans, this metal isn't any different from a regular iron, but I know it is. I have just seen it with my own eyes."