Arielle Immortal Struggle (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 7)

by Lilian Roberts

  “Well? Think…Arielle, it’s very important,” Troy pressed on. Arielle paused. Her heart hammered her chest so hard that she thought she was going to have a heart attack.

  “Think, Arielle.” Troy’s voice was steady and strong. She stared up at him, and her face twisted in agony, trying to take a deep breath.

  “I know that you’ll think that I’m crazy, but I am almost sure that it was Gaston Bertaud. Sebastian grew up with him; he was his best friend.”

  “Gaston Bertaud!” Gabrielle gasped, and her jaw dropped. Troy’s body stiffened, watching Gabrielle’s expression. He pressed his lips together in astonishment.

  “Gabrielle, how do you know him?” Troy was stunned. Gabrielle didn’t seem to hear Troy’s question because she was focused on Arielle’s face.

  “Are you saying that the guy we met in Calais on your birthday was here tonight with Annabel?”

  “Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. I told Eva and I thought I told you that he was an immortal. I recognized his scent, his appearance, his voice, and everything about him told me he was an immortal.”

  “Did Sebastian know then? And does he know now?” Gabrielle asked while Troy was speechlessly trying to understand their conversation.

  “I told Sebastian about Gaston when we came back. He was utterly surprised, as he had absolutely no idea that he was an immortal. They were together almost every day for sixteen years, but Gaston never acted any different. He had no reason to suspect something so incredible, especially back in the fifteen hundreds.”

  “I wonder if Sebastian saw Gaston with Annabel,” Gabrielle said, as if she was talking to herself.

  “When we turned toward that direction, Annabel was alone,” Troy interrupted. “But, Gabrielle, you never told me about this guy when you came back.”

  “Well, it was of no importance at the time. We met a lot of people at that ball and he was not someone that I would remember,” Gabrielle said in a low voice.

  “He had dark hair and striking blue eyes,” Arielle started to say and she stopped mid-sentence in disbelief.

  “You said you didn’t have a good look at him, but you saw the color of his eyes?” she heard Troy’s surprised voice. She was completely perplexed about that statement.

  “Of course not,” she replied. “I’ve no idea why I said that, but for the fact that there was an extraordinary familiarity about his presence.” Arielle was now staring down at her toes, a bit confused. She was unable to comprehend how and why she was sure that the guy was Gaston. There was no way from that distance to be able to see a person’s face clearly, especially the color of their eyes.

  “I think I’m going out of my mind,” she mumbled.

  “It’ll be all right, Arielle. Sebastian should be back shortly.” Troy’s voice was soothing, but she couldn’t shake the icy feeling away.

  “Thanks,” she said, and Troy embraced both Gabrielle and her.

  “Annabel should know that Sebastian is very fast, much faster and much stronger,” Troy murmured, clearly talking to himself as he picked up his mobile and pressed a number. “Hey, Antonius, it’s Troy.”

  The next few minutes were a fast conversation in Italian. Arielle didn’t understand a single word that was said, but she did hear Annabel’s name, so she was sure that he was discussing tonight’s events. Gabrielle was fluent in Italian, so Arielle moved closer to ask details about the conversation, but Troy was then off the phone and looking totally perplexed.

  “What is it?” Arielle asked anxiously.

  “Antonius was surprised that Annabel showed up here, knowing that Sebastian is determined to kill her. He and his friends have been visiting every possible place that Annabel and her friends frequent, but she has been a no show for a couple of months. Antonius was angry that they didn’t know that she left Italy and he was wondering what she was up to.” Troy was stumped.

  “Oh, I can answer that,” Arielle said in distress. “I’m pretty sure that she is plotting to destroy our wedding plans. She is plotting to kill me in some unexpected and extraordinary way. She wants Sebastian to suffer in the worst way, and she isn’t going to stop until she succeeds.” Arielle was so overwhelmed that she didn’t realize that tears were dripping down her face. She finally broke down and cried uncontrollably. Troy moved close and held her in his arms.

  “Don’t worry, Arielle, you have a lot of immortal friends and family that are here to protect you. I’m here, and if I remember well, I’ve a pretty good record in saving your life.” He chuckled, and putting his finger under her chin, he lifted her face to his and gave her a soft squeeze, trying to make her smile. Arielle blinked blankly up at him.

  “I am committed to keeping a perfect record, so there’s no way I’m going to let anyone hurt you,” he said and winked. “Sebastian will be back shortly, and we’ll be on our way home and can forget about this incident.”

  Gabrielle started to say something when Troy’s mobile went off. He flipped it open, and before he had a chance to say hello, it seemed that the person on the line was already talking. Troy listened intently for a short minute and his face lost its softness. He pinched the tip of his nose in frustration and shut the phone.

  “Go home and stay there,” he said, glancing between Arielle and Gabrielle. His voice was firm, sharp, but Arielle could hear a hint of panic in his tone. He pulled Gabrielle into his arms and kissed her passionately before he let go and darted toward the same direction where Sebastian had disappeared into the dark. The ladies stood frozen in place, completely dumbfounded. Gabrielle was the first to move. She took Arielle’s hand and pulled her toward the car.

  “Let’s go, Arielle. We need to leave this place. We are all alone in this parking lot.” Arielle shivered at the thought and they both ran to the car. Gabrielle slumped down behind the steering wheel and Arielle jumped in next to her on the passenger side, pressing down on the locks. Gabby sped out of the parking lot, heading toward the highway. The ride home was a quiet one as they both stared out the window, drowning in their own thoughts. Arielle had tons of questions, but no answers. Fear crept up, making her tremble at the thought of something happening to Sebastian. Where was he? What if Annabel had a lot of friends with her and she was waiting to ambush him? The moments were slipping away and there was nothing Gabrielle or Arielle could do. Gabrielle pulled into the garage. She ran out of the car and into the house. Arielle followed right on her heels. Gabby picked up her phone that was sitting on the counter and, thumbing through the pages of a small brown book, she found what she was searching for and pressed the number on the keyboard.

  “Who are you calling?” Arielle asked. Gabrielle turned, and putting her finger on her lips, she made a motion to keep quiet.

  “Hello!” Arielle heard her voice shaken with anxiety. “Antonius, this is Gabrielle; I need your help desperately. Please help….” She emphasized her last words. “Sebastian and Troy have gone after Annabel, and we think they are in trouble.” She was now sobbing and Arielle moved closer because Gabrielle was unable to continue.

  Arielle picked up the phone and put it to her ear. She hear Antonius saying, “We’ll be right there.” The phone went dead.

  Arielle pulled Gabrielle to the study, and they both sank down on the sofa, holding each other, not knowing what else to do. She wasn’t sure how long they remained there, but suddenly a sturdy banging on the door startled them. They ran to the door, shocked to see Troy’s best friends Antonius, Girard, and Giani with an unknown fourth man. Antonius embraced them and introduced the fourth guy as Arturo, Giani’s younger brother.

  “Don’t worry. We’ll find them. I’m sure nothing will happen, but I’m glad you called. You need for you to take us to the location where you saw them leaving so we can follow their scent.” Arielle and Gabrielle drove them to the club parking lot. The four immortals stepped out of the car and ran toward the corner of the building, disappearing in the dark.

  “Go home and stay there,” Antonius’s voice came loud, clear, and
commanding from somewhere in the dark. Immediately, the girls headed home.

  “I am so worried,” Arielle said, without realizing that her voice dropped to a soft murmur.

  “I hope nothing happens,” Gabrielle said, as if she didn’t hear a word Arielle had spoken. The anxiety was contagious. Both remained silent for the rest of the drive. At the house, they made sure that the doors were locked and moved into the study. They sank onto the sofa, holding each other, too frightened by the night’s events to be alone. There was nothing to do but wait for someone to come or call. Both wished that Eva and Ian were home.

  A Sneak Peek at the eighth book

  in the Immortal Rapture Series,

  ARIELLE IMMORTAL RESOLVE

  Chapter 1

  SEBASTIAN PULLED ARIELLE in his arms, gave her a soft peck on the lips, and whispered softly in her ear, “I’ll be right back baby, miss me…” Following Annabel’s scent, he darted toward the corner of the country club.

  Sebastian tracked Annabel carefully, trying to remain calm while anger and loathing filled his lungs. Tonight he was determined to kill Annabel; he was committed to ending this part of his life and ridding Arielle of Annabel’s relentless terror. He was willing to die if that’s what it took to make sure Arielle was safe. He was responsible for pulling Arielle into this frightening world of immortality. He was responsible for making her live in constant fear of a crazy immortal woman’s unwavering desire to kill her for vengeance. Sebastian was now ready to end it all one way or another.

  The skies were clear and the moon illuminated the night. Sebastian made his way through several miles of the club grounds at an inconceivable speed and when he reached the end of the property line, his sharp immortal eyes caught a glimpse of two people way in the distance. One of them was Annabel. The other was a man, but he couldn’t see his face. His sense of smell became stronger as he grew closer to them and his nostrils were filled with their thick immortal scent. They were running next to each other and seemed to pause for a short second, taking a look back and scanning the darkness carefully. Sebastian crouched behind the wall that surrounded the property line and watched them intently. They seemed to be satisfied that they weren’t being followed as they turned their heads and started to run in a slower pace.

  They ran for quite a long time through the dark streets of Brighton and Sebastian followed at a safe distance, guzzling down fresh air to help his thoughts remain on the right path. He wanted desperately to end this tonight; he didn’t want her to slip away like she did back at the cemetery in St Jean De Luz. Suddenly they stopped running and remained totally still. They had reached the edge of a park that stretched for a couple of miles ahead and ended in a large square surrounded but beautiful homes. They scanned around them carefully one more time and, finally, they began to cross the manicured lawns of the park toward the square in slow strides. When they arrived at the other side of the park, they stopped again, and they seemed to carry a short dialogue. Then the man turned and darted toward the opposite direction. Sebastian never had a chance to take a good look at him, but he wasn’t interested in the guy right now. Annabel was ready to step into the square when suddenly she paused at the curb and looked back, piercing through the dark.

  Sebastian held his breath, consumed by an uneasy feeling that Annabel realized she was being followed. He hid behind a large tree trunk on the other side of the park with teeth gritted, filled with resentment and loathing for this woman who had created total chaos in his life.

  He waited patiently in high hopes that tonight this part of Arielle’s nightmare would be over. He wasn’t going to let his anger guide his actions this time around. He needed to find out who she was working with and what they were plotting.

  Annabel stood completely still for a short time, as if she was contemplating whether to move forward or to abort reaching her destination. Sebastian took a long breath of relief when he finally saw her crossing the square and taking a little side street for a couple of blocks and stopping in front of a small house.

  She again scanned the area around her carefully before she reached up and pressed the button at the gate twice. The lights came on and Sebastian’s immortal hearing picked up a young female voice on the intercom asking the person’s name. Annabel gave her name and immediately, a tall, young girl came running out the door and across the garden, taking the padlock off the gate. Sebastian could unmistakably hear their conversation while they were still outside.

  “Are they here yet?” Annabel asked.

  “No, not just yet, but I’m sure they’ll be here shortly. They wouldn’t break an agreement with you; they know better than that,” the young girl chuckled.

  “Jane, I do have to run out for a short moment. If I’m not back in time, I want you to tell them to wait for me.” Together they walked up the few steps and crossed the threshold, shutting the door behind them. Sebastian moved swiftly and soundlessly across the cobblestone square and reached the corner of the dark street in a few strides. The street sign displayed the name York Street.

  The house that Annabel entered looked a bit run down and he noticed tall hedges surrounding the walls, preventing access view from the outside. Sebastian looked at the large metal chain and padlock that held the iron gate secure and chuckled under his breath. His immortal strength could crush the deadbolt to soft powder, but he chose to hurdle over the tall fence and move quietly. He pushed carefully through the hedges and stood behind them, avoiding any unnecessary racket.

  The night sky was dark and thick shadows surrounded the house. He stood in that darkness, right by a huge window that would give him a perfect view of the front room. The room was dark, so he waited patiently. Suddenly the light came on and his breath rushed through his lungs so fast that it made him a bit lightheaded.

  He took a few deep breaths and inched closer. Peeking carefully through the sheer curtains that were pulled shut, he saw Annabel and the girl that she called Jane engaged in an animated conversation. Annabel was giving her directions about the people who were arriving to meet with her. Then she turned, walked toward the stairs that led to the upper floor, and started to scale the steps two at a time. She was almost at the top landing when Sebastian heard Jane’s voice one more time.

  “We did install the secret pass you requested. Do you want to see it?” Jane inquired. Annabel paused and, looking down at Jane, she followed her finger that was pointing at the opposite wall. Sebastian saw Annabel’s eyebrows narrow as a short smile crept up her ghastly face. She leaped down the stairs and dashed swiftly toward that wall. Sebastian saw Jane blink with a shocked look on her face, unable to follow Annabel’s immortal speed. Jane crossed the floor in fast strides trying to keep up. Annabel had already reached the wall at the far end of the room and waited impatiently for Jane to catch up. Jane lifted her hand, and with her palm, she pushed against an invisible spot on the wall. Sebastian watched in utter astonishment as the wall parted, revealing a secret entrance.

  It wasn’t so much the secret entrance that surprised Sebastian, but its location. This was a rundown, dilapidated house, not quite where anyone would expect to find secret passages. Annabel seemed to hesitate for a short moment and then moved quickly through the gap in the wall with Jane by her side. They both disappeared behind it, leaving no signs that would disclose what Sebastian had just witnessed. The opening had closed instantaneously, leaving what now seemed to be a normal wall.

  Sebastian’s mind was whirling with wild thoughts, trying to make sound decisions in a matter of milliseconds. His loath for Annabel was increasing by the minute, but he decided to do the right thing. He pulled his mobile phone out of his pant pocket and pressed Troy’s number. He picked up on the first ring.

  “Troy,” Sebastian said, his voice dropping to a mere whisper. “Where are you?”

  “I’m on my way,” Troy said. “Give me the exact location.”

  Sebastian gave Troy the address and added, “Listen, Troy, I’m going in. I want to go ahead and deal with Annab
el in a swift and conclusive way. Come and find me in case I need help. There’s something very peculiar about this run-down house. I saw Annabel and a human friend of hers go through a secret passage. The house is very small, so I’m thinking that this opening leads to some kind of secret cellar. The location of the switch is on the wall. It’s located approximately one-point-five meters from the northeast corner and two-point-one meters high.”

  “Sebastian, I’ll be right there.”

  “Thanks, Troy,” he said and didn’t wait for his friend’s reply. He ended the conversation and slipped his mobile back into his pocket.

  The door was locked, but that wasn’t an issue for Sebastian. He soon found himself standing in the middle of the front room, which was poorly furnished and completely quiet. Quickly he moved and scaled the staircase to the upper floor. He was going to clear any obstacles rapidly and leave Annabel as his last and most revolting elimination. This was the best and most shrewd way to approach this attempt on Annabel’s miserable life.

  Four fully furnished bedrooms graced the upper floor and they all looked lived in. He was now sure that more people were in this house besides Annabel and Jane. Sebastian was standing in the last bedroom, one filled with Annabel’s scent. He was getting ready to walk out when he heard footsteps and froze in place. It was but a few minutes before Jane walked in with a laundry basket in her hands. Sebastian was standing behind the open door; he didn’t want to hurt her, but he would have to do what it took to carry out his mission.

  Jane set the basket on the bed, started to take clothes out, and put them carefully in the dresser drawers. She was nearly done when Sebastian’s phone went off and she spun around to face a very angry immortal. Her jaw dropped and her eyes reflected an intense frightened look.

  Sebastian was stunned for a short second as silence stretched and he forgot about the phone when she suddenly darted toward the door. Finding her voice, she was preparing to scream. Sebastian moved with unfathomable speed and his next move was unavoidable. He grabbed Jane by the throat, muting her scream forever. His strength broke her neck, and when he let her go, she dropped lifeless to the floor. Sebastian pulled her body in the small closet and shut the door. He felt dreadful killing a human, but this was the choice he made. She was getting ready to alert the house occupants that something was wrong and he couldn’t allow that.