Sorcha's Secret World, Part one.

Chapter 15, A cup of tea.

"We can't..."

"I don't know why I did that..."

We both spoke at the same time.

Loki's eyes were wild as he met mine, we had both retreated to opposite sides of the room. Loki with his back against the wall, me in the door opening.

My heart was beating a mile a minute. We couldn't. We shouldn't. Not with Loki wearing that collar and me wearing that awful bracelet.

"I know."

His breathing was ragged and he closed his eyes for a second as if to compose himself. "I know."

I wanted to take him in my arms and kiss him until we both forgot.

"Want a cup of tea?" I asked instead.

I stumbled down the stairs, not waiting for an answer. 'Want a cup of tea?' What the hell was wrong with me? Loki must have thought I was an idiot!

My hands were still shaking as I poured water into the kettle, my eyes burning with tears.

I had to fix this somehow. I'd promised he wouldn't have to go back. But I had no idea how. No idea what to say to make that happen.

The familiar ritual of making tea should have steadied my nerves, but it did nothing to calm me this time.

The doorbell rang just as the kettle stopped boiling.

"Hello love, what the problem then?"

Cedric was tall, although not as tall as Loki was. His blonde hair was tousled, his handsome face with its carefully groomed three-day stubble breaking into a smile as I opened the door. He was wearing a perfectly tailored cream coloured suit and designer sunglasses were perched on top of his head.

I practically burst out in tears at the sight of him.

"Oh dear, you really are in a spot of bother aren't you?"

Cedric gave me a big hug, pulling the door closed behind him at the same time.

"Your new partner giving you trouble?"

The news of my partnership with Loki had spread through the Secret World like wildfire.

I sniffed and blew my nose on the handkerchief Cedric thoughtfully offered me.

"In a way."

Loki was coming down the stairs behind me, his shirt neatly buttoned up again. "Cedric, this is Loki. Loki, meet Cedric, he's a friend of mine."

I had thought the two of them would get on, but they were staring at each other like two tomcats that unexpectedly met in an alleyway.

"Undead," Loki stated as fact. There was nothing about Cedric that gave away his true nature, but Loki somehow sensed it.

"Yes," Cedric said dryly, "it can't be helped, unfortunately. There's no cure yet." His eyes were going from my tear-streaked face to Loki, who had just come from my bedroom upstairs. Before Cedric could jump to any conclusions I quickly said:

"The Templars beat the crap out of him."

"Hey!", Loki sounded more than a little annoyed.

"Well, they did. I don't have time to protect your pride, sorry. I'm worried a magical SWAT team of Templars will come bursting through my windows any second to take you back."

I turned to Cedric, who wasn't looking as surprised as I thought he'd be.

"You Templars are quick to talk of justice and righteousness," he said with a frown, "and yet you are the cruellest to any you consider 'not your kind'."