A friend in need

I just had to make a phone call. After about an hour, a knock on the door brought me back to reality after spending some time resting on the floor, trying to recover from what happened a while ago. Stephen got up from beside me and walked towards the door. There was only one person we could trust, and that was nobody else than my childhood friend Robert. Things were becoming increasingly dangerous and weird. And the bitter truth is that Robert was my only friend. However, I didn't want to drag him into all this and endanger his life, if he accepted to help us we have more chances with one person plus.

I tried to stand up but my body wouldn't follow my command yet, so I managed at least to sit with my back against the wall. I turned my head towards the door, just in time when Stephen stepped aside and Robert entered the house.

Robert was a bit shorter than Stephen, with light brown hair up to the shoulders and honey-coloured eyes. He looked much younger than his age and had always a smirk on his face. But that smirk had vanished the moment he saw me. Dropping his bag on the floor, he run to my side, his face filled with worry, in contrast with Stephen who, whatever might happen, his face seemed to have forgotten how to express. But where his eyes were talking, who needed expressions...

"I came as fast as I could," Robert said, his voice almost sounding like a whisper. He took my hand and gently squeezed it. "You look a total wreck! What happened to you?"

I let out a soft laugh. I wanted to tell him everything, with every detail. Well, almost everything. And so, I did. Soon after Stephen and Robert helped me finally stand up, they brought me to the couch, where I began my storytelling. Stephen excused himself and withdrew himself to the kitchen to check on the stone. Maybe he wanted to give us some space to talk in private.

Being absorbed in our conversation, I didn't notice that outside was already dark. How time flies. When I had almost finished, Stephen came back and took a sit next to me. Robert was staring one at me and one at Stephen, his jaw nearly dropped and his eyes were glistening with amusement. For some reason, I thought that he might believe I was crazy, that all this was a hallucination of mine. The only thing he did was to stand up and turn towards Stephen.

"Lord Woods, it is an honour to meet you," he said extending his arm.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance" Stephen replied kindly. The two men exchanged a strong handshake, making Stephen's veins pop slightly on his forearm, which send a tickle somewhere within me.

I let myself be drawn into the couch from relief. Robert didn't think I was crazy, on the contrary, he believed every single word I told him and most important, he wanted to help. If I was not feeling so weak, I think I might be jumping around celebrating.

"So, now that I know the whole story, tell me how can I help you," Robert said.

Stephen sat on a chair next to us, standing straight like a ruler.

"We need to leave this place as soon as possible. I was thinking if there is any possibility to find any of the properties held by my family back in our days. Back then, most of our properties were located out of the main roads, hidden in the countryside and could be what we are looking for at the moment, but now I am not aware of how much things might have changed."

Robert looked deep in thought, trying to figure out something. Then I saw that familiar smirk returning to his face. Upon seeing it, my heart momentarily stopped. I prayed he found something.

"We will need an extensive search to locate your properties my lord, but for now I think I know the best place. However, I want you both to promise me something."

"What is your requirement?" Stephen said, his voice cool as the winter air.

"Promise me that you will let me join you from this part onwards, I mean till the end."

Stephen froze in his place. That was not something different from before, but this time the only difference was that he was tense. I, on the other hand, couldn't hold a smile spreading over my face.

"Of course, you can join us! You thought that I would tell you everything and leave you behind?"

Stephen gave me a look that made me freeze. Then, he turned to Robert.

"Would you excuse us for a moment?" Stephen turned to Robert hardly holding himself back to look as less threatening as possible. Robert nodded startled and with a quick move he stood up. "I think is time to use the bathroom" he smiled and left the room. As soon as his footsteps faded Stephen turned to face me, flames blazing behind his eyes. I pushed myself back to avoid him but I was sitting on the couch there was no place to go and I couldn't stand up without help.

"Did you plan this? Didn't you?" he speaks between gritted teeth.

"No, I hadn't. But if there's any chance to get out of this conflict with Professor Frost alive, I believe we'd be better if we had more people on our side." I glare back at him.

Who does he think he is? He came out of the blue and since I met him strange things happen beyond imagination and affect my life gravely. And he thinks he has the right to order me around? No way!

"Robert is a friend of mine since I remember myself. He has kept secrets that no one else knows besides us two and I know he keeps his word. He has resources and knowledge that may prove very useful to us so yes if he wants to join he will join and I don't want to hear more about this. He knows how to defend himself, in contrast to me."

Stephen stood wordless, looking at me like a marble statue. His eyes were deep in mine like he was searching if there was something deceitful in my words. When Robert's footsteps echoed in the hall, he let out a sigh and nodded at me in silent agreement. Robert's frame appeared in the hall and Stephen turned to him.

"I want to believe that you know how dangerous this is. We have to deal with forces that are probably beyond our power and we haven't figured out yet what was that reaction between Electra and the stone." His voice was deeper than before, highlighting one by one the dangers that we were facing.

But I knew Robert very well and I was certain that he had made his decision the moment I called him.

"Anything for my sister! Now, pack your things and come with me. Enough time we've wasted."

I hadn't even gotten used to my new home and now I had to leave it behind until our adventure was over. I put the essentials in a backpack and headed to Robert's car. We decided that Stephen will carry the box with the stone, to reduce the possibility of having a similar incident as before in the attic.

The engine of Robert's car roared, breaking the silence in the neighbourhood. I stared outside the window, watching the tall trees of Vintry Garden, move away as we were leaving St. Albans. I looked at the shops and the streets we were passing by, wondering when I will see them again. This whole thing had gone far more complicated than I expected, things had taken a different direction and being careful was our priority.

Stephen was right, the forces we were facing maybe were beyond our power. But we needed to put an end. And most certainly, not let it fall in the wrong hands of Professor Frost.

I wondered if any of his men saw what happened earlier at home, but considering that all this time nothing happened I assumed they had no clue. There was heavy silence inside the car. Stephen was seating in front, looking outside from his window. His eyes were scanning the roads outside, most probably checking for any of Professor Frost's men. When we were leaving town, finally Robert opened his mouth.

"We will head north, towards the Scottish border. there's a manor house that your family owned, which now has become a museum. There's one of the most exquisite antique collections in Europe. Of course, we cannot stay in the upper part of the house, which is open to visitors. But the estate has a small complex of auxiliary rooms hidden from the visitors' eyes where the house staff was living when the estate was used as a hotel in the 80s. I believe it's the best place to lay low."

I saw Stephen's mouth open but no sound came out and it closed again. He must have so many questions to make but that might end up in a very long discussion between them. Finally, after what it seemed like about an hour to me, he opened his mouth and asked Robert something but I couldn't pay much attention to his words as at that time, the darkness consumed me falling into a sweet sleep.