“Yes, I do remember.” Ian stared at Sebastian.
“Well, here you are. Your wish has come true.” Troy and Sebastian were happy to see a faint smile touch Ian’s lips. He was still pretty scared, as his voice was breaking every time he spoke.
“What else do I need to know?”
“Ian, we are going to be by your side and support you and Eva every step of the way. There are gifts, and there are drawbacks,” Troy said.
“What kind of drawbacks?” Ian asked alarmed.
Troy paused and ran his tongue over his dry lips a couple of times. Standing up, he turned to face the ocean. He pursed his lips and looked back at Ian. “Your heart will stop beating, and you’ll not be able to cry or dream any longer. You’ll have to watch people you love around you get older and die while you remain unchanged for centuries to come,” Troy admitted. He stopped talking and gazed over at Sebastian. Sebastian held a soft smile on his face.
“What will the gifts be?” They heard Ian ask eagerly.
“Besides all the things we already told you, you’ll be able to learn things much faster than any human. You’ll retain every little bit of information you receive just as if your mind was a hard drive. You’ll need to understand your strength so you don’t hurt your human friends.”
“Oh…God… What about my parents?” Ian now looked anxious.
“Statistically speaking, you don’t need to worry about your parents. They’ll never realize the change in you. Based on the path of human life, they’ll pass away way before they notice that you are not getting any older.”
“What about my sister? Oh…God!” Ian’s voice was trembling. “I don’t mind telling you that I’m scared out of my mind.”
“Ian, we do understand,” Troy said. “Sebastian and I had to deal with the exact same difficulty a long time ago. We had to do it on our own, but eventually we found friends that showed us how to adapt to our new life. We are here for you and Eva. And as time goes by, you’ll find a way to tell your sister the truth. She loves you; therefore she won’t stop loving you when she finds out that you’re an immortal.” Ian stared back at Troy, a million questions, whirling in his mind.
“Humans would give anything to be able to achieve immortality, and you now have it,” Sebastian added.
Ian was looking down at his hands again, going through the turmoil that Sebastian and Troy were very familiar with.
“Ian, are we good?” Troy asked wanting to make sure that Ian was okay.
“Yes, I think I’m fine,” Ian replied with his voice trembling, hands shaking, body quivering.
“I’m obviously scared of the unknown, but I’m more scared when I think of the alternative.” Nervousness had spread across his face, and a half a smile appeared on his dry lips.
“I should thank you for giving us both the gift of life,” Ian said, looking at Troy. “I’m worried about Eva, but I’m happy she will be with me for eternity. I would never want any of this without her.”
They stood up and shook hands, fully committing themselves to support one another. Sebastian and Troy said something to each other that was not transparent to Ian, at least not today. Tomorrow he would be one of the immortals, and there would be no secrets left between them.
Sebastian and Troy were surprised as to how receptive Ian was; terrified but receptive. They were ready to walk back to the car when they heard Ian’s voice.
“I do have one more question.”
“What is it?” asked Troy, turning back to look at Ian.
“Where should we go? I don’t have a vacation place or anywhere I can go that people wouldn’t know Eva or me.” He glanced eagerly between Troy and Sebastian.
“Don’t worry, Ian,” Sebastian said. “Troy and I have homes in Italy, and you can use either one of our homes; however, I have an immortal housekeeper that I think will take care of you while you’re going through the transformation. We still have over two months before classes begin, so you can stay away for a short period of time,” Sebastian added with a smile.
“We think that the best and safest thing will be to have Eva call her mother tomorrow and tell her that you both have decided to spend some time together away from here. Give her the excuse that you both need time to get over the accident trauma and heal without interference from friends coming in and out of the house everyday,” Troy said.
Ian nodded. “Thank you both. That sounds like a good plan.”
“When you get back, you’ll both be healed, and the bruises will be gone. No questions, no strange looks, and no worries.” Troy was now smiling, pretty pleased with the idea.
“I would have never thought of that, but I like it.” Ian’s smile was still a little apprehensive, but less fearful.
“Do you want to get a drink, or do you want to go back and talk to Arielle?” Sebastian asked.
“I think I’d like to get this over with, if you don’t mind.” Ian looked determined to resolve this in a hurry. They agreed, and they walked back to the car feeling optimistic, each one of them for their own reasons.
“So I’m now just like you guys?” Ian laughed quietly.
“Well, you’ll be by tomorrow evening,” Sebastian answered Troy laughed out loud as he stepped on the gas.
“Wow…amazing. Will I feel any different?”
“No, you’ll not feel any different; you will still be Ian. The things that will change in your body and mind will be completely undetected by the people around you. You and Eva will be the only ones that will recognize your differences. You’ll have to be careful around humans though, as your powers will now become exceptional,” Sebastian stated.
“Will I enjoy a beer after this?” Ian asked, chuckling.
“Not exactly as you do now, but you will,” Sebastian snickered again.
Chapter 8
IT WAS AFTER TEN that night when they got back to the house, and Arielle was still up reading her book. She was startled to hear all three of them walking in. She put the book aside and walked into the study.
“Hey, Ian! I didn’t expect to see you,” she exclaimed. “How are you feeling? How are you getting along with that cast?”
“Hi, Arielle. I’m fine, the arm is fine, and I’m really happy to see you.” He walked up to her with a big smile on his face and kissed her on both cheeks. She hugged him, smiling with true pleasure.
“How is Eva?”
“She is fine, a little confined in the leg cast but always happy,” Ian replied with a smile, and Arielle was sure he was thinking of Eva.
Sebastian came close and pulled her into his arms, pressing his lips softly on hers and he let his finger ran up and down the planes of her back, making her shiver with excitement.
“Hi, baby…” She heard his velvety voice, and he kept her in his arms. He was peering at her with a strange look in his eyes.
“What’s up?” she asked, as she had been waiting to hear what the heck was going on since the moment they had left.
“Arielle, we need to talk to you, baby,” Sebastian said.
“Oh! Did something happen? Does it have something to do with the phone call you received before you left?” she asked, sure that something was terribly wrong.
“Arielle, I told you that the phone call was just business. This is a little different, and we feel that you need to be involved,” he murmured. She noticed trepidation between the three men in front of her. She left his arms and took a seat, overwhelmed by curiosity. She stared in his beautiful eyes in wonder.
“What is it?”
They took a seat across from her, and Sebastian reached over. He took both of her hands in his and smiled with that amazing grin that kept her captive. His voice was soft but serious. “If you were an immortal with the power to control life and death, would you let a loved one die in a car accident knowing you could keep them alive?” His question took her by surprise. This was definitely not what she expected.
Arielle remained silent, a little shocked. “What?”
“What w
ould you do?” he pressed on. Her smile faltered under his penetrating gaze, and her body went into full alert. Something told her this was not a hypothetical question. She knew Sebastian extremely well. He would never ask her this kind of question unless this was a situation in hand. Her mind was now working double-time. What happened in the last few hours to bring this up? Her eyes were piercing through to his soul, trying to decipher his thoughts. What is he insinuating?
“Arielle, did you hear me?” Sebastian asked again. She noticed that the three of them were watching her carefully, emotions flashing in their eyes.
“Yes, I did hear you,” she muttered with a thoughtful frown. “But I’m scared to ask what you are implying. Sebastian, I know you better than you think I do. Why don’t you just come out with it?”
“No, I need for you to answer my question first. What. Would. You. Do?” he accentuated each one of the four words.
She pursed her lips before she replied. “I would keep them alive,” she said without blinking. “So now let’s hear what you’ve got to say,” she said. She looked at him with a frown, but not without reservations.
Sebastian’s eyes flickered between Troy and Ian, but they said nothing. After a few seconds, he raised his hand and cupped her chin. His eyes held hers. “It’s about the night of the accident,” Sebastian said. His voice was slow and quiet. “I told you part of what happened. I didn’t think you were ready to hear the whole truth.”
She examined every thought in her head, and she couldn’t think of a single thing that would be news to her. She knew all about her friends and their injuries, as well as the fact that two of them were already home recovering. So what could possibly be the big secret?
“Arielle, stay with me,” Sebastian said.
“I’m listening,” she said awkwardly. Sebastian was still holding her hand with one hand and her chin with the other while leaning forward. Their faces were centimeters apart, and his eyes were locked on hers.
“There’s only one way I can say this.”
“Oh, my, God. Sebastian, spit it out,” she ordered.
“The night of the accident, Ian and Eva didn’t survive the impact,” he said, gently.
Her eyes narrowed, and she stared at Sebastian in total disbelief.
She looked over and her eyes rested on Ian’s handsome face. He didn’t look like a dead person. It took but a minute, but she burst out into a hearty laugh. They were playing some kind of game. She was not going to fall for it.
“Oh…my…Gosh. That’s way too funny, Sebastian!”
Sebastian let go of her chin and her hand and leaned back on his chair, watching her, giving her time to calm down. She noticed that he was tapping his fingers on the leather chair intensely. “I’m not joking, Arielle,” Sebastian finally said. She looked past him at Ian and Troy, and they were not laughing. Her eyes settled back on Sebastian’s face. His expression was serious, and his lips were pursed tightly.
A small gasped escaped from her tight lips. “What are you saying?” The laughter died. She looked again passed Sebastian trying to decipher the look on Troy and Ian’s faces.
“Arielle, I’m trying to tell you that Ian and Eva were killed the night of the accident. They are alive because Troy couldn’t let them die,” Sebastian pressed on, but she had stopped listening. He stared at her, and she met his nervous gaze with hers.
She was going into a panic mode; she didn’t like where the conversation was leading. She bit down on her lower lip, and she shut her eyes, getting ready to absorb what he was telling her. She felt his lips pressing against hers and him asking her to look at him. She opened her eyes, and he knew by the alarm he saw there the strain she was feeling. She was tired of bad news and bad situations; it was always the sweet and the bitter mixed together when it came to Sebastian and his undying world.
“Do you mean…?” She couldn’t finish her sentence because fear traveled like lightning across her body, and her eyes rested on Ian. He forced a smile, and she was frozen in place. She was now completely alert, and she knew exactly what Sebastian was saying.
“Oh…my…God! Oh…my…God! Oh…my…God!” She forgot every single word in the dictionary except those three words. She felt that she was locked in a hollow tube, unable to get any air into her lungs. Her eyes welled up, her body went limp, and her head fell back on the chair. She was unable to keep her body upright. Sebastian stood up quickly, pulled her up into his arms, and held her securely.
“Arielle, Ian is happy with the outcome.”
“Ian knows?” She fastened her gaze on Ian, and she saw a wide smile spread across his handsome face.
“Ian!” She shrieked in sheer shock. “Is this true?” She said staring at him. Ian was strangely calm.
“Yes, Arielle, it was hard to believe that Eva and I died that night, but thanks to Troy here we are.” Ian said, peacefully, trying to hide the emotion that solidified his voice. Sebastian helped her sit back down, pressed his lips on her forehead, and took a seat right across from her. She forced herself to concentrate, but her mind was churning wildly. Eva’s beautiful face had become the center of her thoughts. Eva, an immortal! That is bloody outrageous.
“Arielle, please stay focused,” Sebastian’s voice shook her out of her daze. “I’ll explain everything.”
“I’m sorry, Sebastian,” she murmured. “I’m a little nervous; I always have a hard time when it comes to the unbelievable world of yours.” Her voice cracked. “I should be used to bizarreness by now, but somehow I still find myself consumed with fear.”
Sebastian smiled and took her hands in his again before he continued. She stared at their hands and traced the top of his hands with her thumbs.
“Arielle, are you all right?”
“Sure,” she replied in a cynical voice. “I just found out that two of my best friends died, that they could have been taken away forever.” she said, She then looked up and met his gaze. “What would make you think that I’m not bloody all right?”
Sebastian winced at her statement, pursed his lips, and remained silent. She noticed despondency crossing his eyes, and she immediately felt dreadful for lashing out at him.
“I’m sorry, Sebastian,” she said. She pressed his hands softly, and she saw his eyes softening as a smile teased the corner of his beautiful lips.
“Arielle!” She heard Ian’s voice and she looked up. “I’m very thankful to be alive. But we need your help.”
“What could I possibly do for you?” she asked, looking completely at a loss. “You are now a powerful immortal, and I’m a simple human. How could I possible help you?”
Ian seemed to disregard her remark.
“We must talk to Eva tonight, because by tomorrow evening, we’ll be completely healed, and it’ll become obvious and quite strange to everyone around us.”
“Oh…my…God!” She whispered eyes wide open. “She’ll be terrified.”
“Arielle,” Troy’s voice was hard, shaking her out of her own thoughts. “Would you rather be attending two funerals right now, or have Ian and Eva right here with us alive and well?”
She stared at him, realizing how unfairly she was acting. She bit her lower lip hard and exhaled in utter frustration.
“Troy, I am glad they are alive,” she said, gazing in his eyes. “It’s just so hard to comprehend something so huge. Please understand this isn’t an everyday event in a human life.” She truly was happy to have them alive. However, she could not help feeling strange about the news.
Her clear blue eyes flickered to Sebastian’s direction. She leaned forward and cupped his face with her hands. “So…are you saying that our little group of eight is made out of three humans and five immortals?” she whispered.
“Yes,” he replied, smiling. “But, Arielle, you have this whole thing wrong.”
“Oh, how so?” she asked, still holding his face.
His lips curved at the corners. Their faces were very close. His breath caressed her face, and she closed her eyes, enjoyin
g his immortal scent. “You aren’t just any humans; you are the people that gave meaning to our miserable existences,” he murmured. “I know that I’ll love you for eternity.”
Troy and Ian were smiling, and she knew Sebastian was right. How will this ever work? She thought to herself. I am going to die, and he will remain behind for centuries to come. She didn’t realize she was thinking out loud until Sebastian’s voice shook her out of her trance. “Arielle, this is your destiny. I’m not going to go through eternity without you. You might be human right now but that will change when the time is right.” Sebastian smiled as he leaned in and pressed his lips on hers.
“Eternity….” she murmured and chuckled under her breath.
“Yes, eternity. You are part of me now, and I’m part of you, and this is our destiny.” His voice was firm. She forced a smile; leaning in, she kissed him back. Rising to her feet, she walked over to Ian and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“I love you, Ian, and I’m so happy that you are alive and well. Immortal or human, you are still Ian, and nothing has changed,” she said. He was looking at her with a warm smile, and she could see moisture in his eyes as he wrapped his good arm around her and hugged her tightly. She could sense that he was thankful for the encounter.
“I love you, too, Arielle; I’m extremely thankful for Troy’s gift,” Ian said unpretentiously. “I now have eternity to spend with Eva, something I never dared to even dream about. I feel completely freaked out thinking of that both of us actually died on that dreadful night.”
She nodded. Next she walked over to Troy and wrapped her arms around him and kissed him on both cheeks.
“Thank you for keeping my friends alive. I love you, Troy, for many reasons, but this one is huge.” She chuckled as he smiled and picked her up to twirl her around the room, making all of them laugh out loud. As soon as her feet hit the floor, she turned and fell in Sebastian’s arms and held him tightly. I’m so lucky to be loved by him. And how wild is it that Ian and Eva are now immortals? I would never have thought that in a million years, she thought. She heard Sebastian’s soft voice one more time, and his arms tighten around her.
Arielle Immortal Quickening (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 4) Page 7
