Arielle Immortal Passion (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 3)

by Lilian Roberts

  “I found out the first weekend Sebastian came to Brighton,” Arielle said.

  “And I found out just before Troy and I moved in together,” Gabrielle replied.

  “I thought we had no secrets, why did you keep this from me?” Eva asked, scrutinizing both Arielle and Gabrielle.

  “We are sorry about that, Eva,” Arielle murmured with a sincere look of regret in her eyes. “But it wasn’t our secret to divulge.”

  “How did you feel when you found out about this?” Ian asked.

  Gabrielle and Arielle exchanged looks and hesitated for a long moment before responding.

  Arielle was first to reply. “When Sebastian told me about his immortality, I was terrified,” she said. “My first thought was to run away and stay away.” She laughed quietly, looking off into the distance, bringing back to her mind the very moment in that hotel when Sebastian divulged his secret to her. Then, pressing her lips together, she continued, “But the thought of running away was drowned by the burning power of the love I hold for Sebastian. That power had sunk so deep in my soul that it wiped out the terror.” She stopped talking and smiled affectionately at Sebastian as a rush of soaring emotions enveloped her once again. Sebastian watched her closely, her emotions reaching deep inside his core, caressing his soul. His chest swelled with pride as he held Arielle’s gaze for a long moment.

  Arielle smiled again and drawing a breath, she turned her gaze back to Eva and Ian, who were watching her closely. They looked stunned. Both swallowed hard. Ian sighed and Eva humphed. It was the best she could do at the moment. Slowly, she moved her hand and with her finger she started to draw circles in the sand. They all sensed Ian and Eva’s overwhelming thoughts, so they remained silent, waiting for them to find the right words, to ask the right questions. They frantically looked for those right words. Arielle and Sebastian could clearly read their minds. They were still scared, but they were becoming more comfortable with the issue of immortality as the conversation continued.

  Finally, Eva looked up at Gabrielle. “And what about you, Gabby? How did you feel about Troy’s immortality?”

  Gabrielle blinked and, fixing her gaze on Eva, she said, “It was pretty much the same for me. The only difference was that I had Arielle to help me through it. That made it a bit easier to accept. But trust me, I was utterly terrified.” She looked over at Troy and reaching out she took his hand and pressed it over her heart. “But it really doesn’t make any difference to me that Troy is an immortal. None at all.” Their eyes met and Troy smiled blissfully.

  Ian and Eva could clearly hear and see the waves of love that were passing between Troy and Gabrielle, and Sebastian and Arielle.

  Confusion was still painted on their faces, but they seemed to accept the information and understand the significance of the secret.

  “Ian? Eva? How are you feeling? Are you okay?” Gabrielle asked. She could see how rigid they held their jaw lines. They both blinked and nodded glumly.

  The discussion came to an end and they all stared at the ocean, trying to reflect upon the words that had been spoken and the emotions that had touched each of them in diverse ways.

  “Where do immortals come from?” Ian asked finally, breaking the silence.

  “We don’t have the answer to that question,” Troy said. “We don’t even know the purpose of our existence. I think it’s like asking why does the sun come up during the day? Or, what is the origin of genesis? We live normal lives, just the same as you do. It’s just that they go on forever.”

  Arielle was absorbed in her own thoughts when she heard Sebastian’s voice, soft as velvet, directing his comments toward Eva and Ian.

  “We have had a very hard time making friends throughout the centuries for many reasons,” he continued. “Some of those reasons are obvious and some not so obvious. When we do make friends, we treasure the friendship and try to help our friends benefit from our world. This world would not be open to you unless we had gotten to know each other.” He paused for a moment, then added, “We learn from your world in the same way. In any case, we know for a fact that friendship is not as necessary for most humans as water or food are. However, life is meaningless without someone you can confide in and share secrets with.” He paused again before adding, “I don’t want Gabrielle and Arielle to lose Eva as a friend due to a misunderstanding about our existence. We hope you two will be able to accept us for who we are and forgive us for keeping it a secret from you.”

  Eva and Ian were still quiet, but they were beginning to seem less anxious.

  “So, Troy, I guess what you told us about your family was not true,” Eva said. “What’s the truth? And how did you end up at our school?”

  “I saw Gabrielle in San Marco two years in a row while she was on holiday with her parents,” Troy said. “She was horseback riding with her friends near our estate, and I never had the chance to talk to her alone. I watched her every day and I fell completely in love with her. I had to follow my heart and try to make her love me back. I thought attending your school would be an easy way to get close to her.”

  “Your mystery rider!” Eva blurted, eyes wide and staring at Gabrielle in amazement.

  “Yes, isn’t that incredible?” Gabrielle smiled as her eyes turned to Troy. Her smile sent Troy to another level of delight.

  “How old are you? And how did you become immortal?” Eva asked.

  “I lost my entire family, and most of my close friends and neighbors, to the plague in the sixteenth century when I was seven years old. I was one of the lucky few that made it through alive. I was given the gift of immortality at the age of twenty-nine, following an accident. I’ve tried to make friends since that day but have ended up burying everyone I loved. For that reason, I promised that I would never allow myself to feel the same emotional pain again. The last time I felt even a flicker of distress was back in the seventeenth century. From then on my life became routine. This is the first time in my very long life that I have felt true love, and it happens to be with Gabrielle. And you have become my true friends.” There was a sincere sadness in his voice as he spoke. Arielle saw a warm understanding beginning to show in Ian’s eyes and a soft smile on Eva’s face.

  “What about you, Sebastian?” Ian asked, this time looking directly at him.

  “I think Arielle has done some very detailed research about my family,” Sebastian replied. “But basically, we are from here, in the South of France. The girls know the details about us meeting on the beach and my weakness in not being able to stay away from Arielle. I did try, knowing the difficulties we would face due to our differences, but I lost that personal war,” he said, smiling. “I lost my family pretty much the same way Troy did, and I was given the gift of immortality at the age of twenty-seven.”

  “So, what you’re saying is that you haven’t aged at all since the day you became immortals?” Eva said.

  “That’s correct.”

  “Well, that’s just bloody amazing!”

  “So, Ian, are we good?” Sebastian asked. “Can we now talk freely without worrying about you guys freaking out on us?”

  “Yes, of course,” Ian said. “Nothing has changed between us. And your secret is safe with us.”

  Eva looked like she was miles away. Arielle got up and went to sit next to her and Gabrielle joined the two of them. They put their arms around each other and held Eva without saying a word. Eva smiled softly, but soon her smile faltered, and she began to cry softly.

  “What’s going on in there?” Arielle said, pointing to Eva’s head, which was cloudy to her at that moment. Eva looked at her friends and they could feel her body shiver.

  “What’s bothering you?” Arielle insisted.

  “I’m sorry, but it’s hard for me to believe what I have heard. They seem so normal,” she said.

  “But they are normal, Eva,” Arielle said and pressed her arm reassuringly.

  “But you have to admit that this is huge,” Eva murmured, her eyes dry once again.

&
nbsp; “Well, she’s having about the same reaction we had,” Arielle said to Gabrielle, and they both laughed out loud, making Eva laugh with them.

  “Boy, I don’t think there is a group of friends more screwed up than we are,” Eva snorted, and they all burst out laughing.

  “You’ve got that right,” Arielle said, hugging her friend again.

  “Sebastian, what about the woman who is after Arielle?” Ian asked. “The one who tried to kill Eva and Arielle in the basement? She said she wasn’t going to let Arielle have you. Who is she?”

  “I think this is a perfect time to talk about that,” Sebastian said. He told them who Annabel was, and that he had been married to her for two years, centuries ago. “She is an immortal and most likely she is the person you saw up on the hill while we were horseback riding. She is evil, and I believe that she’s the one who gave me immortality in order to torture me for as long as she could. She has zeroed in on Arielle’s human qualities—her warmth, her love of life, her independence, and her ability to grow and be happy. And she is attempting to kill these various characteristics, hoping that by doing so she will kill her, body and soul.”

  He paused for a short moment. “I’m sure that she has manipulated others to help her succeed in her terrible quest. Eva and Arielle found evidence that someone is actually occupying a room in the abandoned wing of our house. Troy and I are having some of our friends fly in here tomorrow to try to confront whoever is living here without my approval.”

  “Wow,” Ian murmured. He looked shocked all over again.

  “Ian, are we still good? Or is there going to be an issue between us?” Troy asked. “This is the best time to make sure we clear the air about any questions you may have about Sebastian and myself.”

  “As I said before, nothing has changed for me,” Ian said. “We’re still friends and will remain friends. And I’ll keep your secret for as long as I live.” He chuckled, but there was a hint of sadness in his voice.

  “Don’t be sad that you are a human. I would give everything I have to be human and grow old with Gabrielle. And I know Sebastian feels the same way. Most immortals do.”

  They stood up, shaking the sand off their clothes.

  “Eternity is not what you think it is,” Sebastian interjected. “We exist outside time frames. Eternity is not affected by time or its absence. It’s more like feeling the unimportance of time. We live without ever changing our existence, while everything around us changes.”

  Arielle could hear a clear sadness in his voice and instantly moved to put her arms around him, looking at him with eyes full of love and passion.

  Sebastian looked down into her eyes and, bending down, pressed a sweet kiss on her luscious lips. “I love you too, baby,” he whispered.

  Gabrielle moved closer to Troy and wrapped her arms around his neck. She tipped her head up and pulled his face down to hers. Troy gathered her in his arms and gently he pulled her into his chest. They gazed into each other’s eyes and he took her mouth eagerly, appreciatively. He inched away from the kiss and she smiled wide. The look in her eyes vibrated through his bones, and he dove back into the kiss as if they were the only two people left on that beach.

  Eva coughed. “Get a room,” she called out jokingly. Gabrielle dropped her arms and backed away from Troy chuckling. Eva finished brushing the sand away from her legs and walked over toward Troy and Sebastian. Then, she gave each of them a hug and a kiss. “I love the two of you for who you are. You’ll be my friends for as long as I live,” she said. They both hugged her back with deep appreciation.

  Ian had followed Eva, and he shook hands with Troy and Sebastian. “What can I do to help?”

  “Don’t worry, Ian, you’ll be included in the plan when our friends arrive,” Sebastian said. “I guess we won’t be leaving tomorrow after all,” he laughed.

  Everyone laughed and nodded.

  “Do you want to go now or watch the sunset?” Gabrielle asked. They all agreed that staying would be the perfect end to a wonderful day. They all sat back down. The beach was empty by then and a beautiful silence surrounded them. They sat close to each other, smelling the scent of the ocean. The sun was a hot, sparkling yellow color as it dipped towards the water, turning the sky to a fiery orange with a deep blood-red shade. It was a magnificent view that suggested true heaven. They could hear the waves brush the edge of the shore and the breeze blew across their faces, giving them goose bumps. It was especially beautiful watching the sun set as the moon rose. What a magnificent miracle! Arielle thought. They were in awe of the sight. Arielle could see a soft smile on everyone’s face. She reached again for Sebastian’s lips and he kissed her softly as she closed her eyes, feeling content.

  “Now that we are telling all our secrets I need to share another one about me,” Arielle said. “And Eva has one to share too. Then there will be no secrets left between the six of us.”

  “What is your secret?” Ian asked Eva, looking at her with concern. She looked straight back at him and said calmly, “I have visions of the future. And a few other powers that make me a little more special than the average human.” She looked out toward the ocean and chuckled before turning back to him.

  “Wow,” Ian said. He held her at arm’s length and stared at her in amazement. “Are you serious?”

  “Dead serious.”

  “She has prevented some bad things from happening to us,” Arielle said.

  “Amazing!” he said again, putting his arms around Eva and pulling her close. “Eva, how come you never told me any of this?”

  “Well, it never came up,” she said. She started to laugh and they all joined in.

  “So, what is your secret?” Ian asked, turning to Arielle.

  “I can read many peoples minds,” she said and watched his jaw twitch as everyone else smiled.

  “Can you read my mind?”

  “No, unfortunately you, Sebastian, and Troy do not belong to that special group of people whose minds I can read. However, Gabrielle and Eva do.” Arielle stopped talking. She felt suddenly so happy, knowing that there were no more secrets hidden away from her closest friends.

  “Astonishing!” Ian said as they all stood up, shook the sand off their clothes once again, and started to walk towards the car.

  “We are a regular group of freaks, aren’t we?” Arielle giggled, and they all laughed out loud with her.

  Chapter 12

  THE RIDE HOME WAS A HAPPY ONE. There were no more secrets, no more speculations, just complete trust among them. They were relaxed and happy. Gabrielle was up to her old tricks, stimulating everyone with challenging questions about horses, everyone except Arielle and Eva. They were hardly capable of answering perplexing questions about riding. The guys, however, were ready and willing to raise the bar and shake things up. Arielle and Eva sat back and enjoyed the cheerful emotions that were bursting forth in the happy atmosphere. Arielle and Eva broke up laughing when they heard Gabrielle exclaim, “For the love of God. That is the daftest question I have ever heard!” The guys burst into hearty laughter as well.

  Eventually, Arielle and Eva turned their attention to their iPods. They plugged their earplugs in, turned up the music, and got lost in their own little worlds.

  It was late in the evening when they got home. Dinner was waiting for them. The mortals were famished. Sebastian and Troy didn’t care about the food, but they sat with the rest and enjoyed the meal with them. When everyone was done eating, they sat around the table telling stories and laughing, just enjoying being together until it was time to retire.

  Arielle was getting ready to get up from the table when she heard Ian ask a question that made her freeze to her seat.

  “Arielle, whatever happened with Matt and that court case?” An awkward silence fell in the room. Everyone turned and stared at Arielle with concern. Ian hadn’t been at the apartment at the time the announcement was made about Matt’s death, and the subject had never come up again. Arielle paled when she saw Sebastian’s puzzled l
ook. She was at a loss for words. She thought she had asked all of her friends to not bring up Matt in front of Sebastian. But now she remembered that Ian wasn’t there when she had made that request. In confusion, she looked down at her lap, ignoring Ian’s question.

  “Who is Matt? And what court case?” Sebastian asked quietly but firmly.

  “Matt was murdered by someone following the rape of another girl in Brighton,” Gabrielle said, replying to Ian’s question.

  “I didn’t hear that. Was it in the news?” Ian asked.

  “Yes, it was. Last month.”

  “I’m glad to hear that,” Ian said. “He was a pig.”

  Everyone seemed to have forgotten about Sebastian’s question, except Sebastian. “Who is Matt?” Sebastian asked again, this time a little more insistent.

  “I would rather not talk about this right now if you don’t mind,” Arielle said.

  Sebastian looked taken aback by her response, but he didn’t move. He just kept staring at her, waiting for her to say something. She looked at Ian, who seemed upset, sensing that he had created a problem for Arielle.

  “I’m sorry, Arielle. I thought you had told Sebastian,” he said, obviously distraught.

  “It’s okay, Ian. It’s not your fault, it’s mine.” She smiled at him and got up from the table, ready to walk away. That is when she heard Sebastian’s voice, not so soft now, but hard and firm.

  “I think we all need to sit down until I know who the hell Matt is,” he said. “And what was that about a court date? I thought we had all cleared the air today and made a point of no secrets between us. I seem to be the one left out of this secret. I need someone to start talking.” His voice was hard, insistent, with a hint of agitation.

  Troy’s was the next voice Arielle heard as she kept looking between the two of them with bewilderment on her face. Sebastian appeared next to her, holding onto the back of her chair, waiting. She sat back down as Troy spoke.

  “This whole thing took place when you were in New Zealand, Sebastian. We had a new German student at school and he became infatuated with Arielle. He pursued her for a few weeks even though she told him about you and said she was not available. He tried to approach her many times alone but thank God, Paul was always around and nothing ever happened. We thought that he had finally gotten the message and was going to leave her alone, but what he really had done was to follow her without her knowing about it. One night, he showed up at the flat when we all went to the cinema and she had stayed home waiting for your call. He tried to rape her.”