Arielle Immortal Quickening (17 page)

“Mmm…” She heard him moan without leaving the kiss, and she just melted with anticipation.

Eight days were left before classes would start, and she couldn’t get herself motivated to get ready. Ian and Eva were coming back this Saturday, and they had asked for Sebastian and Arielle to pick up them up at the airport. She was panicking as she wasn’t sure what to expect following their transformation. She was wondering if their looks had substantially changed and if she would be getting her best friend back with no significant differences at all.

Arielle and Sebastian made their way to the airport and waited where Eva and Ian would be coming out once they had gone through customs. There wasn’t a single soul that didn’t turn to stare at the magnificent looking man that was walking right next to her. She smiled, as she knew the effect of his stunning looks to human eyes. The plane landed on time, and Sebastian was completely aware of her anxiety. He held her close, trying to reassure her that everything was going to be all right. It wasn’t long before they were in plain view, and she knew he heard her muffled gasp. Her jaw dropped from clear astonishment, and she swallowed hard.

Two strikingly beautiful people walked towards them with familiar gaits and wide smiles spread across their faces. She could hear the soft murmurs their presence created from the bystanders. She was taken aback by Ian and Eva’s looks, but it took only a few seconds and she reminded herself that they were her best friends. She ran to Eva, and they held each other in a warm embrace. She could feel the strength in her arms and the warmth of her body as tears filled her eyes and she sobbed with excessive passion. She knew that Eva couldn’t cry any longer, and she thought she was sobbing for the both of them. They had now joined the amazing immortal world, and they looked like they had just stepped out of another era. Eva’s beautiful blue eyes were sparkling like jewels.

“I love you, Eva. You look absolutely gorgeous,” Arielle whispered.

Eva gave her a shy smile. “I love you, too, Arielle. I don’t feel any different, but I know better than that,” she whispered back and chuckled softly. Arielle let go of Eva and fell into Ian’s arms, happy to see him. She yelped blissfully as Ian lifted her of the floor and twirled her around, planting a kiss on her cheek.

She was not surprised that he picked her up effortlessly, but she wanted to tease him about his immortal powers. When he set her feet on the ground, she tilted her head and looked at Ian up and down. Ian’s eyebrow furrowed.

“What?” he asked curiously.

Arielle knew that was a ridiculous question, but she went with it. “Am I weightless for you now?” Arielle asked suppressing laughter.

“Pretty much!” Ian replied simply.

There was laughter that followed Ian’s reply, and Sebastian moved closer to hug Eva and shake hands with Ian.

Ian’s looks were magnificent. He was astonishingly beautiful, just like all the other immortals she had met, and God knows, there were plenty. She snickered out loud at the thought, and lifting her head, she noticed that all three of them were watching her.

“What’s so funny?” Eva asked.

Arielle shook her head in pure wonder. “You are both stunning,” Arielle said. “I’ll never get used to the striking immortal looks.” Sebastian snaked his arm around Arielle’s waist and pulled her tightly against his side, nuzzling her hair.

Arielle snuggled closer and looked up into his eyes. “Do average looking immortals exist somewhere out there?” He lifted an inquisitive brow, and she sighed, shaking her head in utter wonder. Sebastian pulled her around to face him, and peered through her eyes. Arielle gasped at his smoldering gaze and grinned quietly.

“You are stunningly beautiful, and you are not an immortal. How do you explain that?” Sebastian asked, his voice seriously indulgent. She didn’t reply to his remark; she just stared, locked into his gaze. He suddenly bent down, and with a quiet groan, he covered her mouth with his, and she lost sense of time.

He finally lifted his head reluctantly and grinned, still keeping their gaze locked. Arielle shivered and tried to regain her self-control. She heard Eva and Ian chuckle, and she averted her gaze to them. She smiled wide, and taking Sebastian’s hand, she laced their fingers together and pulled him closer to Eva and Ian.

“I missed you both so very much. How did you like Tuscany?” she asked wanting to know all about their trip.

“Oh Arielle… what a fabulous place! I remember you describing the view from the house over the phone, but I could never imagine the true beauty of such a place,” Eva said, and turned to look at Sebastian with a grateful grin on her face.

“Ian and I want to thank you for that amazing piece of heaven you provided for us. Geneva helped us through some shaky moments with extreme care and remarkable understanding. She’s a real treasure with immeasurable tolerance and an unfathomable commitment to you,” she said.

Sebastian’s lips curved to a wonderful smile of contentment. Arielle let go of Sebastian’s hand and moved between Eva and Ian. They all left the airport with their arms wrapped around each other in total delight. She had her friends back, and Sebastian could sense her enthusiasm.

“Do you guys feel any different?” Arielle asked, glancing between them, trying to catch a true reaction to her question.

“No, not at all…” Eva said. “To tell you the truth, I’m amazed that I feel this great!” She looked happy and relaxed, completely secure with her new identity.

“And you, Ian?” Arielle turned her attention to Ian and gazed into his beautiful eyes.

“No change at all. Apart from all the extraordinary abilities that we now possess, I don’t feel any different. I actually feel great, strong, healthy and utterly in love with Eva.” Ian and Eva’s eyes met and Arielle could almost feel the warmth, and the deep commitment to each other.

“I missed you, Arielle,” Eva’s voice was velvety soft, just as Arielle expected it would be.

“I did tell you that Gabby is now at home, didn’t I?” Arielle asked in a soft voice.

“Yes, you did tell me over the phone, but I also called her the day before yesterday. She told me that for the first two weeks she is going to attend classes from home. Then she’ll be back in class with us. She also told me that Troy is not taking this short separation very well. What’s going on with that?”

“Oh… he’s just being a little selfish,” Arielle said and waved her hand dismissively. “But that’s only because he’s crazy in love with her. Whoever heard of an immortal throwing fits like a 4 year old?” she snorted and took a deep breath.

She grazed her finger over her dry lips. “I feel like there is an immortal invasion in Brighton, don’t you agree?” she said, and glanced between the three of them. She did notice amusement spreading across their beautiful faces, and she flashed them a grin. “Pretty soon there will be just a few of us left,” she added, and threw her hands up in the air in defeat. She kept a straight face as the three of them broke out into a hearty laugh, making people around them turn and gawp.

The ride back to their house was a cheerful one. Eva and Arielle took the back seat and never stopped talking. They were totally animated and completely engrossed in their conversation. Sebastian and Ian laughed at some of their wild statements and declarations. It was a heartwarming sight to watch Eva and Arielle lost in the warm of their friendship, that special bond that held them together since they were little girls. They were happy, serene, sitting joyfully together in the back seat.

“I have to tell you, Eva, the first few days were absolutely horrible. I missed you so much, and I was too scared to think about your transformation. I wanted you back with no changes, the same friend I had since fourth grade. I’m tickled to death to find out that you are the same Eva that left here a couple months ago.” They were holding each other happily.

“I don’t feel any different, and I love you exactly as I did before. You and Gabby are my very best friends. We understand each other’s needs, anxieties, and difficulties.” Arielle laughed, knowing that nothing had changed. It was just like old times; they were completely aware of each other. They were comfortable just sitting and talking together.

They were halfway home when Eva edged close and whispered in her ear.

“Do you want to hear something?” she murmured.

“What?” she whispered back eagerly.

“As an immortal, I discovered that the sexual desires are highly elevated.”

“How so?”

“On a scale of one to ten, I would say it is ranking at about one thousand.” Arielle’s eyes widened, and she tried to keep herself quiet by placing her hand over her mouth. They both grinned at each other, and finally broke out into a hilarious laughter, making the guys look back and stare at them.

“What’s so funny?” Sebastian asked, but the girls didn’t reply. They just kept giggling. Arielle leaned even closer and whispered in Eva’s ear.

“I’ve been utterly fascinated with Sebastian’s appetite,” she giggled. She reached to the front seat and ran her finger across the side of his beautiful face. She heard him inhale a deep breath, and placing his hand over hers, he stroked the skin with his thumb, making her shiver. Silence fell between them for the next several minutes.

Eva’s next statement startled her. “While in Italy, I thought about the time Annabel locked us in that room in St. Jean and left us there to die,” Eva groaned.

Arielle shivered, and her smile faded at the sound of Annabel’s name. She hadn’t thought about her in a while. The fact that Troy, Sebastian, and their friends were looking for her fervently around the world had kept Annabel out of Arielle’s mind. She was sure that Annabel would surface sooner or later, but she hoped that it would be much later. Eva paused, and her eyes searched Arielle’s face.

“I can assure you that the result would be much different today, don’t you think?” Eva added, and made a smooth slicing motion with her hand across her neck, let out a hearty laugh. Eva’s facial expression and clenched fists told Arielle that Eva’s next meeting with Annabel was going to be brutal. Images of Eva and herself locked in that small stifling room flashed through her mind and made her shiver. Eva sensed Arielle’s fear, and reaching over, she clasped her hand protectively.

“Don’t worry, Arielle. I’m here, and I’ll protect you,” she said firmly, and smiled softly. More silence followed, and all Arielle could think of was Annabel. She pursed her lips and gazed at Eva quietly.

“I’d like to cross paths with that bitch now,” Eva pressed on. She frowned inwardly, but she managed to keep a smile on her face. Arielle pushed her hair away from her face anxiously and got lost in thought.

“We’re here.” Ian’s voice broke her out of her reverie. They were in fact parked right outside Ian and Eva’s home. They climbed out of the car and exchanged hugs, promising that they would be getting together and have a couple of nights out before classes begin. Ian and Eva thanked Sebastian once again for the great trip, and standing at the threshold, they waved goodbye as Sebastian and Arielle walked back to the car.

Chapter 14

S
ebastian held the door open for her, watching her perch herself in the passenger seat. He shut the door and walked around slowly, keeping his gaze on her as a soft smile outlined his lips. He slipped into the driver’s seat, and before he even pulled away from the curb, he started his relentless inquiries about her conversation with Eva.

“What was all that whispering about?” Sebastian pressed on.

She held up a staying hand. “Sebastian, I know you heard every word of it, so why are you asking?”

“I heard the words, but I want to hear them from your lips, and as you very well know, as long as you wear that necklace, I can’t read your thoughts.”

She grinned, recalling Eva’s comment. She clammed up, though, refusing to talk about it. He paused for a short period of time; his gaze flicked to her several times. She was a little more than shocked to feel his hands behind her neck, ready to unclip her necklace.
God…how does he do that?
She never saw him move. Instantly, she brought both hands up, clutching her necklace tightly, pressing it against her body. She exhaled forcefully. She pushed him softly away and shook her head frustrated.

“Sebastian, please keep your hands on the wheel. You are going to run off the road. Do you want to get me hurt?” She let out a deep sigh. “Sebastian, you don’t need to do this; you don’t need to know every little thing I am thinking about,” she said defiantly. She turned away from him and gazed out the window.

“Oh…” She heard his velvety voice, feeling the weight of his gaze encircling her. “I thought there weren’t going to be any secrets between us.” She pressed her eyes shut, and she knew that he was right; there were no secrets between them. That was a commitment they made to each other a long time ago. She turned, and their eyes met. He held an easy smile on his face as he leaned in and pressed his lips softly on hers. The heat of his gaze enfolded her, and the touch of his lips spread passion across her veins. He was the only man in her life that could provide this splendid desire.

“All right, I’ll tell you.” Their eyes met, and she wanted him to see that she was regretting the fact that she had to tell him every little detail of her conversation with Eva, and her thoughts on the subject. “Well you heard what Eva said about the infinite sexual desires that immortals have.” She lowered her gaze, and she heard him laugh quietly.