The Golden Bond

Chapter 20

That morning was like a scene from a film, a typical syrupy film depicting the "morning after" and now the characters are unsure of how to behave with each other. Should they quietly escape without their shoes or hang around for breakfast together during which they'd have nothing to talk about.That part about breakfast would fit us – except nothing had actually happened between us the previous night. I have no idea why we woke up in such an embrace but it seems it was just a pure reflex from us both. William's reflex was to protect and mine seeking protection and a feeling of safety in strong manly arms.

As soon as William woke up and realised what was happening, he was out of bed like a shot. I felt like I had the plague or something, for a moment. My inner voice once again ordered me not to think about it.

Shortly afterwards room service knocked on the door. They had brought us breakfast in bed as promised. William had been joking sarcastically with the receptionist yesterday, today however it seemed like a great idea to both of us.

I went to the bathroom to wash and afterwards had croissants, which were still warm, with butter, honey, coffee and fresh peach juice in bed. Soft rays of sunlight entered the room from outside and for a while I felt like I was on holiday again. However, this wasn't a holiday.

"When are we going back home?" I asked.

William had been silent but after he'd emerged from the bathroom and took his breakfast tray, my question lured him to sit down next to me on the king sized bed. He probably knew that a lengthier discussion would follow. "I don't know, Sofia. I've told you already that I must find Victor first," he said at last.

"And can't I go on my own? I'm able to protect myself now and I'm obviously quite a burden to you," I said bluntly.

William furrowed his eyebrows and took his time replying. "I'm sorry but you wouldn't be safe at home on your own. This is more serious than you think, Adam will go after you until he reaches his goal, so you must stay here with me." Silence again.

"What if I don't want to?" The words shot out of me inadvertently. It later occurred to me that they had hurt him.

"I'm sorry but you have no choice. If you return home, they'll kill you." His honesty paralysed me.

"They'll what?! Since when has this become a hunt for an unsuspecting wrapping service owner?" The panic in my voice must have been immediately obvious. We'd never talked about this openly before and my fears suddenly made my croissant taste bitter in my mouth.

"Don't be afraid, Sofia. You're safe with me. You'll simply have to endure it a bit longer. After I've found Victor and we return home with him, our Club will destroy the data centre. The Umbra Club will then eradicate Adam themselves because he's messed up such an important project. He won't threaten you anymore then and you'll be able to return to your old life. Just please be a little patient now, OK?" He looked at me deeply in the eyes for a moment as if he thought he could convince me just like that.

"But why would Adam want me dead? Jesus, I'm a complete stranger to him," I said and looked at my guardian puzzled.

"It's complicated," he replied, "but it's a kind of revenge. He wants to pay me back."

"Great. I still don't understand what I have to do with it." I was playing dumb but I needed to get the truth out of him somehow. Peculiar things were happening all around me and I had no liking for it any more, at times I didn't even know what to believe.

"Believe me," he said. He was reading my thoughts again. "Adam is testing my loyalty to the Club, he wants to break me. He thinks that I'll break the rules of the Club as he did a long time ago, which was why he wasn't admitted after the final exam. I passed the exam at that time and accepted a position in the Club. He considered that a betrayal of our friendship and now he wants me forced out of the Club too, as he was, for breaking the rules. He's chosen the most appropriate way to do that, our Code doesn't allow relationships with any other people. At the same time, however, it orders us to protect the weak and those who are in danger, in the worst case through our own fault. Can you see that crossover point yet, Sofia?" he asked finally.

For a while, I was just sitting there in silence. So that's what it's about. That's why he doesn't even want to touch me... that's why he's so cool towards me. Unfortunately there was no way for me to know that he hadn't told me about another, very significant part of the story... "So what now – is it tit for tat? Some alpha male macho bullshit, I'm sorry, but what's that to got do with me? I don't have to go through this!" Rage ran through me. At home, my shop was bursting at the seams with orders that Wanda was unable to cope with by herself. Julian or Yvette had to go to my house to water my plants so they wouldn't wither. No one had any idea where I was because I wasn't allowed to tell anyone. Now I found out that it was all because of two... ahem!guys settling old scores? "Excuse me, but how did I find myself in the middle of this contest??" My voice probably sounded a little mocking because William's expression became more and more anxious. He felt guilty.

"It was a coincidence, I'm sorry about it. I came into your shop only because I was walking past. When you pricked your finger and I instinctively held your hand, your energy transmitted itself through me and into the stone. That's why I told you at the time that you couldn't touch it, remember? So it wouldn't suck in any information from you. Unfortunately I hadn't realised that I could also be a transmitter of your energy if it's strong enough. Adam used that, he connected with you and began to harm you because he knew that under the Code I must protect you. I'm sorry, please forgive me..." I could hear the disappointment in his voice. He'd failed and he knew it. He felt dreadful and I wasn't making it any easier either.

I don't even know how, but I imagined I was hugging him, that I was putting the tray with his food aside and holding him in my arms, that my long hair was falling onto his arms which were embracing me too. I imagined him leaning his head on my shoulder, forgetting all his troubles for a moment. I ran my fingers through his hair and kissed him on the forehead as he'd done to me the previous day. We stayed like this in a tight embrace for a short time, until the image faded. I closed my eyes and when I opened them again, William looked at me in disbelief. There was astonishment in his face and I didn't know what the cause of it was.

"I saw it, Sofie, how you..." he started but I interrupted him. I'd hoped my image might reach him and that was why I'd created it.

"Saying 'thanks' will be enough," I said and smiled.

He smiled shyly back.

"You're not allowed to touch me, fine. I'm a burden to you, fine. I'm just a coincidence, fine. But that doesn't mean that I'm not allowed to touch you, that you're just some stranger from the street to me and one other thing... sorry but I don't believe in coincidences." I looked at him and he didn't say anything for a long time, after which I finished my coffee and left to get dressed wondering what this day would bring.