Arielle Immortal Passion (14 page)

“What?” she said, surprised. Undoubtedly… undoubtedly she had heard him wrong. How could he ask her to stay out of something that was directly affecting her? Surely he didn’t mean to say that.

Sebastian was peering down at her intently.

“Please, Arielle” Troy said, pleadingly once again.

“Oh, okay,” Arielle grumbled, reluctantly, making Sebastian and Troy laugh out loud. She knew that she couldn’t change their minds. They were agitated and determined to resolve whatever the issue was without her being in the middle. She decided it was best to let them.

She left them in the hallway and knocked on Gabrielle’s door. When the door opened she leaned in. “Psst, Gabrielle. Let me in,” she whispered. She put her index finger on her lips to show her friend that she should be quiet. She left the door ajar. From the hallway they could hear Ian’s voice, calling to Troy and Sebastian.

“What’s up?”

“Hey, Ian, Sebastian is going to show me where to find a book in that huge library of his,” Troy replied.

“Eva wanted me to find out if we were going to the beach later today…”

“Yes, I think we should go, we all seem to enjoy the beach,” Sebastian replied.

“Okay, see you guys!” Ian shouted, and went back into his room.

Arielle shut the door and turned toward Gabrielle, who was standing as still as a statue, wondering what the hell was going on. Arielle explained to her in a few words what had taken place downstairs, as her friend looked at her with eyes wide open, stunned.

“So, what’s going on now?”

“They are getting their resources together, to try and find out why she is here and what is going on between her and Annabel. I’m scared, Gabrielle. Whatever their plan is, it’ll affect me directly.”

She shivered with fear. Gabrielle put her arms around her friend and comforted her in a low voice. “Don’t worry, Arielle, I know that Troy and Sebastian will find the answer. You’re not alone. We’re all here with you. I think today will be the perfect time to talk to Ian and Eva about the four of us. I’m not sure we can keep this kind of secret any longer. Our friendship will be in jeopardy if we can’t talk openly.”

Arielle nodded in agreement. “But first we have to clear it with Troy and Sebastian,” she said. She was quiet for a few minutes. Then suddenly, she felt a strong wave of irritation. She was getting tired of having Annabel control every aspect of her life.

“Gabrielle, I’m exhausted from thinking about Annabel and all her dirty schemes. I don’t care what she’s planning next. I’m ready to deal with her and get this over with. I can’t live my life worrying about her day in and day out.”

“Good for you, Arielle! You’re right, you can’t let this stupid woman keep creating relentless trouble and aggravation for you.”

“I know that Sebastian is puzzled by this other woman’s presence.” Arielle said. “I think they want to get to the bottom of this before we leave on Monday. Whatever is going on, they want it worked out permanently.”

She looked out the window, a jumble of crazy thoughts tumbling through her mind. She wasn’t going to mention to Gabrielle about Troy having an affair with the woman centuries ago. That would be up to Troy to tell her if he chose to do so.

About an hour later, Sebastian and Troy emerged from the library. As they entered the room where Gabrielle and Arielle were waiting, the girls looked at them expectantly, but they didn’t ask a single question. Sebastian went over to Arielle, wrapped his arms around her and pulled her toward him. Troy did the same thing with Gabrielle. Apparently neither one was ready to talk, for there was a heavy silence in the room. Finally, Arielle couldn’t hold back any longer. “Well? What in bloody hell is going on? Will you guys please tell us what is happening?”

Sebastian and Troy burst into hearty laughter. Arielle and Gabrielle stared at them in shock.

“What?” Gabrielle said petulantly. Sebastian squeezed Arielle tighter and said, “I bet Troy that you wouldn’t be able to hold back your curiosity for more than five minutes, and I won the bet.”

“I don’t think either one of you is very funny,” Arielle said, trying to keep from laughing herself, but not totally succeeding.

“A few of our friends are coming up tomorrow, and we’ll handle the issue before we go home. We don’t want either one of you to worry about it at all. Troy and I have it figured out, and, no, you can’t ask about the details. I know that would have been your next question.”

“But…”

Sebastian tipped her head up and pressed his lips on Arielle’s, preventing her from saying another word.

“Troy?” said Gabrielle.

“Yes, baby?”

“I think we need to tell Ian and Eva the truth about you and Sebastian. They are our very best friends. I am sure you don’t have to worry about either one of them divulging your secret. I think the worst part of the whole thing will be when they find out. I’m afraid that keeping something like this a secret from them will destroy our friendship.”

Troy and Sebastian exchanged a look, and Arielle could see their lips moving, as if they were talking to each other, but she couldn’t hear a sound. She looked at Gabrielle and shrugged her shoulders.

“I’m sure you are right,” Troy said, a bit later as he took Gabrielle into his arms again. “They
are
our best friends, and it’s hard to discuss Sebastian and Arielle’s situation with Annabel without them knowing the truth. Besides, I know that you and Arielle trust them with your lives, and even if we know how dangerous it would be for other people to know, in this case Sebastian and I have to agree.”

He looked at Sebastian as if for confirmation, and Sebastian nodded slowly, in agreement. “Let’s go freshen up and get down to the beach early enough to get some lunch,” Gabby said.

Troy and Sebastian exchanged a warm handshake. Then, Sebastian and Arielle retreated to their room. When the door closed behind them, she turned to face Sebastian and gaze into his beautiful eyes.

“What is it, my love?”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and, closing her eyes, she stood on her toes, searching for his mouth. He pulled her close and brought his mouth down on hers with passion. His mouth was hot and sweet. She could taste his immortal scent. Her warmth enveloped him and desire surged into his bloodstream. She was startled to find herself picked up as if she were weightless and thrown gently onto the bed. She felt his warm body next to hers and she pulled herself as closer, as he cradled her into his arms and found his way back into the softness of her mouth.

“How can you move so fast?”

He laughed as his arms pulled her to him, giving her the deep sense of security she needed. Once again, she felt wrapped in a climate of comfort by the man of her dreams.

“I’m a little scared,” she whispered softly. She felt his hands nearly crushing her as he sighed out loud.

“Please trust in me, Arielle,” he said firmly, knowing that he had committed himself irrevocably to protecting her and keeping her safe. “Tell me that you trust me.”

“I do.”

His lips pressed the pulse at the base of her throat, and he moaned ecstatically. It felt like infinite sensuality that was seeping into his skin and making it blissfully painful. He was mesmerized, and utterly speechless at the effect she commanded over him every time she was in his arms. They closed their eyes and stayed perfectly still in the utopia they were creating for each other. His lips curved into an extraordinary smile and he nuzzled and kissed her hair. “I love you so much,” he said, and she grinned, drawing in a shuddering breath.

Chapter 11

I
t was early in the afternoon when they drove down to the beach. They decided to walk away from the crowds and sit on the soft warm sand, knowing that they would be discussing an important and very delicate issue with Ian and Eva.

Arielle knew that it had been okay to keep the secret of Troy and Sebastian’s immortality until now, but she felt that it wasn’t any longer. This was the day that they would have to reveal the truth if they wanted their friendship to stay strong. She had no idea how this revelation would impact Ian and Eva, or how they would be able to handle the typhoon she was about to unleash on them. She knew that the secret would impact their lives too, but both Arielle and Gabrielle believed strongly this was the right moment to do it. Here they would be able to discuss any questions Ian and Eva might have instead of just dropping a bombshell in the middle of their everyday lives and expecting them to instantly understand.

Sebastian and Troy were ready to handle the backlash, but they valued Ian and Eva’s friendship just as much as Gabrielle and Arielle did, and so they too were a bit concerned about how it would go.

When they were all settled on the beach, Sebastian and Arielle looked at each other, not sure how to bring the subject up. Eva began to look worried, as if she knew something unpleasant was coming. She looked straight at Arielle as she began to speak.

“Ian, Eva, there is something very serious that we need to share with you,” she began. She paused for a moment, noticing the nervous look in her friend’s eyes. Ian reached over and clasped Eva’s hand. Suspense covered their faces, as Arielle continued. “It’ll be an enormous shock to you, and that’s not an understatement. I am speaking from personal experience. But it’s very important that you hear me carefully and try to understand what I’m about to tell you.”

The silence became so loud it felt earsplitting. A quick smile touched Arielle’s lips. She fell quiet for a long moment before continuing, allowing her friends to brace themselves for the revelation they were about to hear.

“Oh, my God, Arielle, what is it?” Eva spit out loudly, overcome by curiosity.

The smile vanished from Arielle’s face. “The six of us have been very close and we’re all committed to our true, forever friendship,” she said. “But Sebastian, Gabrielle, Troy, and I must clear the air and share a secret with you that has been bothering the four of us for a while now.”

Eva and Ian exchanged a quick look. “Might as well get it over with,” Eva said anxiously. Perhaps their anxiety and concern was the primary reason they were short on patience.

Sebastian pressed Arielle’s hand, encouraging her to continue, making sure that she eased into the details of immortality slowly. She wanted Ian and Eva to keep their minds free of preconceptions and prejudices so that their hearts would be able to see Sebastian and Troy’s true nature underneath the surface, and they would be able to discover the treasures that she and Gabrielle had found them.

“Seriously, Arielle, what is it? It sounds serious,” Eva persisted.

“Okay, does either one of you know, or have you ever heard of immortals?”

“You mean eternal life?” Ian asked.

“Yes, that’s exactly what I mean.”

“Well, yes, I have. And I’m sure Eva has too,” Ian said, and gazed at Eva, waiting for her reply. She gave a hurried, positive nod.

“Of course I have. What is all this about?” Eva asked.

“Eva,” Arielle continued, looking directly at her friend. Eva looked back at her with a half stunned, half perplexed look on her face.

“Eva, do you remember asking me and Gabrielle about Troy and Sebastian? Do you remember asking what was so different about them? Remember how you said they looked and sounded different that anyone we had ever met before?”

“Yes…” The word came out slowly as Eva tried to remember the exact content of their prior conversation. “What are you saying, exactly?”

“I guess there is no other way to say it,” Arielle said. She hesitated for a short moment. Then, taking a deep breath she ran her fingers through her hair. Eva’s eyebrows rose questioningly, waiting for her next statement. “Troy and Sebastian are immortals,” Arielle stated quietly but firmly.

A lengthy silence followed. Ian and Eva’s faces had frozen in place, in a shocked, conflicted look. The others remained quiet, giving them time to absorb Arielle’s words. The thick silence extended.

Ian gave his head a shake, and was the first to say something, and when he spoke his words came out slow and shaky.

“Are you vampires?” he asked, focusing on Sebastian and Troy’s faces, his voice cracking in disbelief.

Sebastian and Troy smiled softly. They were not surprised by the question.

“No, Ian, we are not vampires,” Troy replied calmly. Arielle and Sebastian could read Ian and Eva’s minds, and they saw fear developing.

“I’ve read about vampires and immortality,” Ian said nervously. Troy looked at Sebastian and when Sebastian nodded approval, Troy proceeded to explain.

“Ian, vampires are a pure myth. They do not exist,” he said, glancing between Eva and Ian.

“But… but if you are
immortals
then you must be something
like
vampires. Aren’t you?” Ian mumbled nervously.

Troy paused for a moment, and then he took a deep breath. “Let me explain,” he said, carefully considering each word that left his lips. “We are actually nothing like vampires… we are not vampires… vampires are a
myth
,” he repeated, clearly enunciating the last word. “We are immortals, and we have special gifts that are superior to those of the average human, but we carry on with our everyday lives just like you and Eva do. We can eat normal food, but we prefer not to do that.” He paused, then added, “But the main thing is, we don’t need to harm humans in order to survive.”

He stopped talking now, and watched as Eva and Ian exchanged fearful looks. Then, he continued, “If the stories about vampires weren’t a myth, if they were a true fact, then you wouldn’t be here to discuss this issue,” he said, and chuckled.

“I don’t understand,” Ian said, perplexed.

“Well, just think about it,” Troy said, his voice trailing off, as if he were trying to find the right words to address this particular moment. “If we follow the stories about vampires, they say that they appeared on this earth as early as the 1400 AD. They also say that vampires require the blood of the living to survive. If that were true, vampires would have wiped out humanity from this planet a long time ago. Don’t you find that to be a bit outlandish?” Troy said, and chuckled again. “On top of all that, let me say that Sebastian and I have roamed this earth for many—
many
—centuries, and we have never met a vampire. Have you?”

“Of course not,” Ian said hurriedly.

Troy stopped for a short moment, and then he continued, “Eva, Ian, the only reason Sebastian and I got to know you is that we fell in love with Arielle and Gabrielle. If it weren’t for them, we would never have known you.”

“We care about you all so much,” Sebastian interjected. “And Troy and I are committed to protecting all of you, not just Arielle and Gabrielle. But it’s
very important
for you who knows to keep our secret a secret,” he added, in a very serious voice. “The repercussions of anyone finding out would destroy our way of living. We would have to go away, and that would create major issues for us, for you, and for Arielle’s and Gabrielle’s families.”

“How so?” Eva said curiously.

“Sebastian and I would have to move away,” Troy reiterated. “Arielle and Gabrielle would have to make a choice of either coming with us and leaving their families, their friends, and their way of life in Brighton behind, or stay there and destroy our chance to be happy together.”

Eva was breathing anxiously. She had pulled her knees up against her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs, resting her chin on her knees. “I’m trying to understand,” she whispered, “but it’s hard.” She stared at her toes and remained quiet for a long time. Then, finally she looked up, tilted her head to the side, and focused on Arielle and Gabrielle. “How long have you known about this?” she asked, watching them carefully.

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

“And I found out after 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 was watching 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 were frantically looking 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 locked 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 rigidity about 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 was saying. “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, then added, “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 from keeping it a secret from you.”