The Arrival: Arianna Rose, #4

by Jennifer Martucci

  “I think you heard me just fine,” she said as she clutched her mug close to her chest with both hands. “But I’ll play along. What do you want from me?”

  Her question bubbled in his gut like a festering ulcer. He met her steadfast gaze and decided to dial up his appeal a notch. “Nothing really,” he said and allowed his magical eyes to be veiled by his generous, black lashes. “I just want to be your friend,” he added meekly.

  Her stance did not change and she would have resembled a statue of a goddess were it not for the hideous mug she held and the slouchy shorts and T-shirt she wore. She had a magnificent figure. It was a waste, really, that she chose to loaf about in shapeless, sack-like garments, even when home sipping coffee. When she became his wife, he would make sure she dressed appropriately.

  “Hmm,” was the only sound she made.

  His full bladder beckoned. “May I please use your restroom?” he nearly begged. “It was a long night out there,” he started but she interrupted.

  “You didn’t just go outside, like, behind a tree or something?” she screwed up her features and asked.

  Horrified, he recoiled involuntarily. She’d expected him to urinate behind a tree, like an animal? Was she out of her mind? He was Darius, the future supreme ruler of the planet Earth. He did not toilet in the wild.

  “Don’t look so grossed out. Plenty of guys do it,” she laughed.

  Her laughter vexed him. He worked to keep it to himself. “I am not like other guys,” he said with strained self-control and her jovial expression turned serious again.

  “Feel free to use the bathroom,” she said tightly. “If you want to shower, the pressure is terrible and the towels are tiny, but be my guest. There is an extra toothbrush in the medicine cabinet and toothpaste by the sink.”

  The words she was speaking were cordial enough, but her tone grated as if she were cursing at him.

  “Thank you,” he said. “I could use a shower.

  “I’ll just head over to Beth’s and check on her so you can have some privacy.”

  He would have liked for her to stay and join him, to see her tight body slathered in soap. He had not been with a woman in days. He grew anxious when his needs were not met, and she was a delectable treat for the eyes, even when dressed unappealingly.

  “That is very generous of you,” he said and ignored the low, twisting want he felt.

  He watched as she breezed past him and gathered clothes. “I’ll be back,” she said. “I’ll shower and get dressed at Beth’s,” she added as she closed the door behind her.

  Darius paused for a moment and scanned her small cabin. He contemplated searching her duffle bag, despite not having a legitimate reason to do so, but opted to shower instead. If she were to return and catch him, he would never gain her confidence and his destiny would grow all the more distant.

  After reliving himself, showering and brushing his teeth, he felt substantially better. He only wished he’d thought to bring a change of clothes. Of course, that would have looked odd, him rushing to her aid with luggage. He could sift and grab an outfit, but if she returned in his absence, she would doubt the integrity of his intentions. He was about to dress himself in the same clothes he’d worn all night when he opened a drawer of the small chest of drawers and noticed a single men’s T-shirt folded neatly. It must have belonged to Desmond, but that point did not bother him in the least. He picked it up and sniffed it. It smelled fresher than the one he had so he slid it over his head. The soft material clung to his chest and biceps. Experience had taught him that women enjoyed his many genetic gifts, particularly his physique. Arianna was a woman, not unlike the many he’d bedded. She would respond to him, if not right away then eventually. But she would respond to him. They all did.

  Darius glanced at himself approvingly in the narrow mirror and stepped outside into the clearing. Arianna was making her way back to her cabin. Clad in tight jeans and an equally tight T-shirt, her fit little body was finally on display for him to appreciate.

  “We’re going to the main house for breakfast. You’re welcome to come if you want,” she said as she strode past him.

  “I would like that,” he said and realized he spoke to no one. She’d disappeared inside and returned seconds later.

  “Beth is fine, by the way,” she addressed him as if they were already in the middle of a conversation. She walked briskly toward a large, log structure.

  He fell in step with her, matching her pace. “I didn’t doubt she would be,” he replied without missing a beat. “I trust the others are well, too,” he stated more than asked.

  “Yes, Dane and Jason are fine,” she said, but regret shrouded her words. “We will tell Briathos about the others as soon as we see him. I should have woken him last night when we lost three of his men.”

  Briathos was a name he hadn’t heard in some time. He’d never met the man but knew of him. He was an elder who’d departed from the Order and existed in relative obscurity, until now. With Darius knowing of his whereabouts, he was on the radar of every Assassin in the world. But they could not act without his orders. And as long as Arianna was a guest of Briathos, he and his camp were safe.

  “I will be beside you when you tell him and answer any questions he may have,” he said when he realized a lengthy pause had loomed.

  “Whatever,” she said impassively and bobbed one shoulder.

  Her coldness chafed him. He had saved her life, and this is how she repaid him? It did not matter that he’d had Amitt orchestrate the entire event by tipping off the Assassins of the Dark Order and letting slip that she would be there. Amitt had been a key player. He could not have had any involvement in the dealing. He could not have risked being recognized. That was why he had not spoken before killing the men who’d been stationed there. Uttering a single word would have divulged his identity. He’d simply stepped in and saved the day, as planned. Arianna and her insignificant hangers-on had thought the occurrence spontaneous. He’d thought they’d be grateful and showering him with compliments and admiration. Apparently, he’d been wrong.

  She led the way inside a ten-foot entry hall that led to a grand foyer that more closely resembled the lobby of a hotel than a log home in the middle of nowhere. As a man parched for luxury and comfort after dividing his time between a ramshackle cabin and the front steps of said ramshackle cabin, he greedily drank in the cathedral vaulted ceilings and the towering stone hearth of what he presumed to be the living room of the house. He wondered why Arianna stayed in a cabin instead of the main house.

  “I bet you’re wondering why I don’t stay here, right?” she asked as if she’d read his mind.

  He hesitated for a fraction of a second and she picked up on it immediately.

  “Don’t worry. I’m not offended. I just like my privacy, you know, being alone,” she said lightly.

  But she hadn’t been alone when she’d chosen the cabin. She’d left that bit of information out. Ordinarily, he’d press her on the issue but seriously doubted that would be the best avenue to pursue to reap her loyalty. “I completely understand. I do, too,” he lied. In truth, he could not imagine anyone liking her privacy enough to forsake amenities such as plush carpeting, deluxe window treatments and, at the very least, a showerhead capable of actually spraying her body with a stream with force sufficient to clean her. But she hadn’t been reduced to the squalor he’d lived in when first banished to Gehenna, before he’d formed his empire there. She’d lived a pampered life.

  She breathed deeply and he looked at her as her chest rose. “Oh, I smell bacon,” she commented on the stench of frying swine. Eating the fatty flesh of a beast that marinated in its own filth was a treat to humans. He did not understand it and did not intend to partake of it.

  “Me, too,” he said and tried in vain to muster enthusiasm he did not feel.

  He opened his mouth to ask her to sit so they could talk before breakfast, but two men entered through the front door and made their way to him and Arianna. He recog
nized them from the bar the night before.

  “Arianna, I’m so glad to see you up and about,” one of the strapping men said and smiled broadly. Deep dimples appeared at the centers of his cheeks and Darius saw how his eyes lit up when he spoke. The display was nauseating and reminiscent of an excited puppy wagging his tail and on the verge of wetting the floor. To make matters worse, Arianna tilted her head sideways. Her pupils dilated and a look of genuine affection softened her features. She obviously cared for the man and had lost the modicum of interest she’d had in him.

  “Oh, Dane, this is the man who saved us, by the way,” she said in a pathetic attempt to introduce him. She then turned to him and said, “This is Dane and his twin brother, Jason.”

  He did not know why she’d bothered to preface her pitiful introduction of the men with the word twins. Anyone with eyes could tell they were identical. Dane was slightly taller and broader and Jason’s hair was just a touch longer, but he guessed those were details few bothered to notice. But he did. Predators noticed everything.

  “It’s really great to meet you, uh,” Dane said and fumbled uncomfortably. Arianna had neglected to inform Dane or Jason of his name. Darius immediately offered it.

  “Darius, my name is Darius,” he said.

  Dane extended a large hand. Darius clasped it, as was customary, and was surprised when the man drew him in and clapped him on the back in a half-hug. “I never got to thank you for saving my life, so thank you,” he said earnestly.

  “Yes, thank you for saving all of us. We owe you our lives,” the other man, Jason, said, thankfully with less slobbering.

  “I am honored to have been able to help,” Darius did his docile, nod-bow hybrid. He was becoming an expert at pretending to be humble and tame.

  “We were lucky you came when you did,” Jason said somberly. “Those men, the Assassins of the Dark Order, we heard they were hunting us.”

  “They weren’t hunting you,” Darius said. “They were and are hunting the Sola.” He let his words hang in the air, grave and grim.

  “If you hadn’t come when you did, they would have killed her,” Dane said. His worry was evident.

  “Yes,” Darius affirmed.

  “They killed Lance, Ewan and Clint. Three good men died,” his eyes shined with unshed emotion. He blinked feverishly then continued. “They tried to kill us, and tried to kill Arianna,” Dane grumbled. His last words, when he’d made mention of the attempt on Arianna’s life, had reeked of puppy love. The man-child might as well have held up a sign that said, “I love this girl so much” with a big neon arrow pointing toward her. She, of course, was oblivious of his feelings, selfish bitch that she was. If Darius were capable of compassion for others, he would have pitied Dane. But he wasn’t, and did not feel a shred of empathy for the love-struck moron. In fact, watching Dane pace like a caged animal, fretting about the deaths of his friends and the attempted assassination of the woman he secretly pined for, was quite annoying. He pitied himself for having to watch the awful display. Dane’s lips were stretched tightly over his teeth and he clenched his fists in frustration. The scene was laughable. But he needed to continue with his charade. He needed to position himself close to Arianna and her inner circle of friends.

  Darius, seeing an opportunity to align himself with one of Arianna’s close friends, placed a firm hand on Dane’s shoulder and said, “Those bastards are dead, and if more come for her, we’ll kill them too.”

  Dane’s nostrils flared, confirming that Darius had given him just the right dose of pep-talk he’d needed. “Damn right we will,” he said through his teeth.

  “Come on, guys, let’s go find Briathos and tell him what happened last night,” Arianna said and disrupted his moment of false bonding with Dane.

  Jason and Dane’s attention returned to her. She began walking down a long narrow hallway and the smell of frying bacon saturated the air, stinking like sweat and burning rubber. The others oohed and seemed to savor it. Darius felt nauseated by it.

  They continued to a deck laden with hanging baskets overflowing with growth and plants with blooms in every color imaginable. A faint breeze stirred and caused fronds to sway. Darius caught a glimpse of something else, something that was not part of the vegetation. Snow-white tendrils, caught in the wind, waved and danced.

  “Briathos,” Arianna said softly.

  The white tendrils ceased their movement and covered the shoulders of a man who appeared to be dressed in silk pajamas. The man turned and faced him. Pastel-blue eyes, bottomless and similar in color to an arctic lake, zeroed in on him.

  “Arianna,” the man addressed her, but his eyes still targeted Darius, holding him hostage for several agonizing seconds until he smiled and focused on her. “It is always a pleasure to see you.” He took her hands in his. His voice oozed sweetly. Darius wanted to vomit. “Please, come, sit with me,” Briathos continued to fawn. “All of you, even your new friend.” His eyes returned o Darius.

  “Oh,” Arianna turned toward him. “This is Briathos,” she said and bypassed yet another proper introduction.

  “It is an honor to meet you, Briathos. I am Darius.”

  “Lance, Ewan and Clint were killed last night. We would have been too, but Darius saved us,” Dane blurted out.

  The old man gasped and he brought a fist to his mouth, covering pursed lips with it. “What happened?” he asked.

  “Beth and Arianna came with us to a bar in town,” Jason began. “We ate and played pool. Then the place started to clear out and we started feeling, I don’t know, like our arms and legs were heavy all of a sudden. Then the bartender told us he’d drugged us and that he was going to kill the Sola.”

  Briathos’ hand fell to his side. He trembled and looked as though he may faint. “No,” was all he said as he sank into an outdoor chair.

  “Those cowards murdered Lance, Ewan and Clint,” Dane said quietly. “Three of our own were executed and there was nothing we could do to help.”

  “If Darius hadn’t appeared from thin air and taken them out, none of us would be here,” Jason added.

  Briathos’ gaze filled with tears, his face scrawled with lines of profound sadness. He squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his forehead for a moment then when his eyes opened, they immediately went to Arianna. “I am deeply saddened to have lost Lance, Ewan and Clint. They were good and decent men, as well as promising students.” He shook his head slowly. “But the Sola and her protectors are safe and we have to try to see the positive in that.”

  Darius heaved a silent sigh. He wondered whether Briathos was about to look to the shafts of light piercing the tattered bank of clouds and start yammering about an imaginary friend shining down on them and sparing their precious Arianna. If he did, Darius would be forced to leave and come up with an alternative way to manipulate her to his side. Even he had his limits.

  “Come, let us go and break bread together. We can share the tragic news with the others after,” Briathos concluded and glided to where they’d just come from.

  Darius followed him as did Arianna, Dane and Jason. They stopped when they reached a long table set with every kind of breakfast food imaginable.

  “Grab a plate and dig in,” Arianna leaned in and said to him. A swath of raven hair fanned across his face when she turned from him and picked up two plates from the end of the table. She handed one to him then proceeded to select a few items from the buffet. He kept watch on her as he quickly patched together his meal. He did not want to let her out of his sight for fear he would not be seated with her at one of the many small round tables set up in the sprawling dining area. A croissant fell to the floor and he was forced to kneel, pick it up and throw it in the trash. In the process, he had lost her in the fast-filling room. A sea of people flooded the space at once, all dillydallying as they chatted and inspected the buffet. He wanted drop his shoulder and plow past them but knew he needed to remain on his best behavior. So instead, he said “excuse me” about a dozen times and shuffled toward th
e tables.

  He spotted Arianna immediately. She was at a table that seated twelve and only one chair was unoccupied. He hurried toward it.

  She did not look up when he pulled his chair out. “Wow, everything looks delicious,” he said to get her attention.

  She nodded and chewed and glanced at him fleetingly.

  “This guy is a hero,” Dane said and pointed to Darius. Bits of food fell from Dane’s full mouth when he’d spoken and Darius’ stomach churned. “Guys, this is Darius. He saved us last night.” Seven sets of unfamiliar eyes watched him in wonder and admiration as Dane retold the story of his deed at the bar. Jason and Dane took turns detailing his gallant act, speaking of him in a reverent tone, a tone befitting his station in the universe. He listened and nodded humbly, offering a shy smile here and there. Arianna ate her food and refused to meet his gaze. Her friend, however, the other girl he’d saved last night whom he learned was named Beth, watched him with the eyes of a hawk and listened keenly.

  When Dane and Jason finished regaling the table and questions had volleyed back and forth, Briathos pulled up a chair across from him and narrowed his eerily milky eyes. “Are you the Darius spoken of in the old prophecies?” he asked.

  Darius had been prepared for such a question, had even rehearsed the answer right down to minute facial expressions.

  “I am,” he said and assumed a demeanor of thinly veiled discomfiture. He dropped his gaze to his lap then gazed back up at his riveted audience. Everyone leaned in, quiet, waiting, except Arianna. She leaned against the back cushion of her chair and had folded her arms across her chest. “But please, do not put any stock in anything you have heard. All of it is likely misinformation. There are many different interpretations of the prophecy of the Sola. But the only shred of truth to it lies in my arrival. I am here to protect her. That’s it. I am to protect the Sola so that she can fulfill her destiny.”

  “And what is that, exactly?” Briathos asked in his sugarcoated voice.

  Darius took a deep, thoughtful breath then answered, “Only the Sola knows, and if she doesn’t, she will soon enough. It is not for us to know or determine her purpose. We are to serve her, to follow her on her journey to glory.” He lowered his head as if bowing in prayer and readied for the part of his performance that would be worthy of a curtain call. With tear-filled eyes and a small, childlike smile, he raised his chin and said, “She is our savior.”