To Arielle’s surprise, Sebastian and Olivia lapsed into a thoughtful silence. Arielle’s head was now swirling with wild thoughts. What kind of complicated circumstances was she talking about? Why did she never discuss this with her children? She remained silent, but she couldn’t hide her unease. She gazed up at Sebastian once again, and he looked intent. She diverted her gaze to Olivia, and she had the same kind of look on her face. Arielle’s mind seemed to be struggling to understand yet another serving of dreadful information. Finally, Arielle broke the silence.
“Olivia, I couldn’t help overhearing some of what was said between you and Sebastian. I couldn’t understand most of it, but it’s obvious that you’re both upset.” Arielle’s expression was edgy. Sebastian had fallen silent, and Olivia was trying to find the right words to reply.
“Well?” Arielle pressed on, darting a quizzical look between Olivia and Sebastian.
Olivia looked up and held Sebastian’s gaze for a short moment. His jaw was set, and his expression was indecipherable.
Arielle waited patiently, trying to understand what was creating so much intensity between the two of them. They had come to Olivia’s home to discuss Colt Allworth, but their visit was turning out to be something completely different. Looking at Olivia, she noticed a flash of pain cross her eyes. Arielle went still. What in bloody hell is going on?
The faraway look in Olivia’s eyes concerned Arielle, suggesting that the internal battle she fought was a fierce one. Sebastian sat back down, and the armchair sagged beneath his weight. Finally, Olivia shook her head and peered into Arielle’s eyes. When she spoke, her voice was barely audible. “Arielle, dear, this is about a painful time in my life that I have sworn to keep secret. I never shared it with my children, because I truly believed that they didn’t need to know. However, today, due to the issue at hand, I divulged it to Sebastian, and he is quite upset with me. Sebastian doesn’t like secrets, especially between family members.”
“Yes, I know,” Arielle murmured, thinking to herself that this visit was becoming even more complicated. What issue at hand?
Arielle was watching Olivia intently as she continued.
“A very long time ago,” she whispered, “I was a viable young woman in my early 30s, crazy in love with the most amazing immortal man. His name was Christian.” Arielle raised her eyebrows quizzically. Olivia noticed and understood her unspoken question. “Yes, I was human in those days. Christian and I fell in love in Germany and decided to get married. We went to Paris for our honeymoon and fell in love with its cultural and architectural beauty. And its wonderful nightlife. So we built a beautiful home in the borough of Auteuil-Neuilly-Passy and establish residency there for the next several years. Christian was a remarkable husband, and we were deeply in love. He had acquired several businesses in London, and he had to leave me for two to three weeks a couple of times a year to handle his company’s needs. We drew a large circle of friends, so I was never alone. My parents lived in Germany, and we visited as often as possible. During one of those times that Christian was in London, I had to attend the engagement party of my best friend without him. Going to parties alone wasn’t so unusual in those days, however, that particular day was a turning point in my life.” Olivia paused. She drew in a deep breath and gazed at Sebastian, who was listening without saying a word.
“I left the party long after midnight. Halfway to our home, highwaymen confronted my carriage. They shot my driver and dragged me out of the carriage. They robbed me, raped me, and beat me savagely, leaving me on the side of the road to die.” She paused again and took a deep breath.
Arielle gasped at the word rape. Matt flashed before her eyes, and she looked horrified. She looked at Sebastian, and he was watching her nervously. He thought he understood Arielle’s reaction to his mother’s statement about rape. Arielle pressed her lips together and turned her attention once again to Olivia, just as she had started to speak again.
“I was 34 years old,” she continued in a barely audible voice. “I was sure that I was going to die, and I cried bitterly thinking that I would never see Christian and my family again. I’d been drifting in and out of consciousness when I heard someone speaking to me. Unable to tell if it was a woman or man, I actually thought I was hallucinating. I felt someone lifting me up into his or her arms, and that was the last thing I remembered until much later when I opened my eyes to see a young man sitting next to my bed, watching me carefully. I didn’t recognize him, and I had no idea where I was. Nothing in the room was familiar. To make a long story shorter, he had taken me into his home and took care of me. I had been there for three days, and he assured me that I was fine and ready to go home. How could I be fine only three days later? How could that be possible? How could I be fine after a savage, nearly fatal beating? I remember sitting up on the bed utterly confused and in shock. He was absolutely correct. My body revealed no sign of a brutal attack. I was completely healed, and I couldn’t explain any of it.”
“Oh…my…God!” Arielle mumbled, and her eyebrows flew upward. “I think I know what you are going to say.” Olivia nodded.
“He told me that he couldn’t have let me die.” She pursed her lips and raked her fingers through her hair. “Even though I was familiar with immortality, I went through all the emotions, all the fright, all the agony, that a person would go through, when they find out that they are not human any longer. I wanted to cry, but I couldn’t. I wanted to run away, but I didn’t have the strength. There was a man in my life who I loved deeply. Christian was coming home in a couple of weeks, and I was alive. It was hard to accept the transformation, but I was very thankful to the man for saving my life. I went home and sulked for the next few days. The young man visited several times helping me go through the changes. It was only two days before Christian arrived home, and I was as ready to face the world with my new identity as I could be.”
“What happened when Mr. Dillon came home?” Arielle asked.
“When I finally found the strength to divulge the details of my horrible experience and my new identity, Christian was fuming with rage. He wanted to find them and kill them, but I couldn’t remember what they looked like or who they were. It had been dark, and I hadn’t clearly seen their faces. He was sad about the loss of Jack, our carriage driver, who had been with us for six years, but thrilled that I was alive.”
“What did he say about your immortality?”
“He was elated! He had told me over and over again that he was never going to let me die. He was never going to move through eternity without me by his side.” She drew in a breath and smiled wide.
Arielle turned her gaze to Sebastian. The sight of him sent a sudden rush of emotions surging through her body. Christian’s words were Sebastian’s words to Arielle each and every time she worried about dying and leaving him behind to move on through eternity without her.
“I have never regretted one day spent with my amazing husband.” Olivia’s words snapped her back to the here and now.
“Oh! God! What about the man that saved your life?”
“Christian invited him to our home, and he became one of our best friends,” she said. Arielle was amazed with Olivia’s story, and reaching out, she took the immortal woman’s hands and smiled warmly.
“I’m so sorry about the ordeal you had to go through, but I’m extremely happy that you’re alive,” she said genuinely. Olivia hugged her and gave her a quick peck on the cheek.
“So that was my whole conversation with Sebastian. He is upset, because I hadn’t told him. However, that’s not a story I like to recall.”
“I understand,” Arielle whispered, thinking about her own ordeal with Matt and how much she wished that she could make the incident vanish from her life. There was a long silence. Sebastian’s gaze was fixed on Arielle. Arielle cleared her throat and looked at Olivia.
“So how do you know Professor Allworth?” she asked, returning to her original question. Olivia squeezed her hand reassuringly.
&n
bsp; “Colt was the young man that saved my life.”
Arielle blinked in astonishment. “Professor Allworth is an immortal?” She now turned to Sebastian once again. “But…you thought he wasn’t. How can you make a mistake like that?” she asked, curiously.
“Arielle, he’s wearing an amulet, and it prevents me from seeing anything about him. That is why I couldn’t read his thoughts.”
“Oh…” Sebastian rose to his feet and approached the sofa; he pulled Arielle up and held her tightly in his embrace.
“Are you all right?” he murmured.
“Perfectly,” she said. “I’m now quite intrigued by Professor Allworth, I never realized he was an immortal either,” she added, thoughtfully.
“No more worries?” he persisted.
“No, not at all. Professor Allworth is a wonderful man. Another big plus is the fact that he is an immortal. How much better can it get?” she chuckled blissfully. “All I have to do now is clear up the issue about my amulet with him.”
“I’ll do that for you,” Olivia chimed in.
“Sebastian, do you think that the other two professors are immortals?”
“I would put a wager on that.”
Pulling away from Sebastian’s embrace, she sat back down next to Olivia while he walked toward the window and stared out into the open.
“Thank you, Olivia,” Arielle whispered. “Can you tell me more about the secret society? I want to learn everything about it.”
“I love to,” she replied. “I’m a member of the Veneti Society, which was established in September of the year 63 BC. Royals have passed the secret code for membership to their successors. Families of higher status did the same thing with their heirs. There are countless mortals and immortals throughout the world who are members and have been members since the very beginning.
“Our society has been built on firm ground that can sustain the wrath of evil. We are sworn to annihilate those who try to harm innocent people. We’re sworn to a life of obedience and insistence on secrecy. As a member of this society, I have the right to protect my family by using the amulet as a shield. You are part of my family now, and I’ve made you the rightful owner of the amulet.” A smile tagged Olivia’s lips as she continued.
“The amulets are sacred, and they keep the owners safe from any type of harm. Colt and his family belong to the society. We are all very devoted, and we have created very strong bonds between us through the centuries.” She paused for a short moment. “The book that came along with the amulet is an amazing book. It holds powers of which the human mind could not even conceive.” Olivia kissed Arielle’s cheek.
“I never had to give this to my children, because--as you are well aware-- they have their own powers; therefore, they are in no need of the amulet protection.” She gave Sebastian a speaking glance. “Our functions and secret rituals were concealed from the non-members and thus solidified our society. There are monthly meetings, and the rules and codes are read and sworn by all the members. If you wish to attend with me, you’ll learn all about the contents of the little black book. You’ll understand the meaning of the society, and you’ll learn how you can benefit from those powers.”
Arielle nodded as Olivia continued. “All the members have a list revealing the family names that belong to the society. This is how Colt knew that your family was not on the list. I never knew that he took the job at the university or, more importantly, that he would be your professor,” she said. Arielle was so fascinated that she was sure she hadn’t blinked for the past twenty minutes. Olivia reached up and ran her finger across her cheek with tenderness. “Arielle, I don’t want you to worry. I’ll talk to Colt this evening. There should be no more problems between you and your professor.”
One thing confused Arielle. “Why does he have to wear an amulet if he is an immortal?”
“He is a member of the society, and everyone that attends the meetings has to wear the amulet.”
“Am I allowed—to—” Arielle began, then stopped, apparently lost for words.
“Allowed to do what, dear?” Olivia asked.
Arielle ran her hand over her hair and hauling in a deep breath she said, “Am I allowed to have the amulet on if I’m not a member of that society?” she asked incredulously.
“Yes, dear,” Olivia replied. “You are part of this family now and a human in need of protection.”
“I would love to come with you to one of those meetings,” she said, and she saw a stunned look on Sebastian’s face. Olivia was taken aback, but she recovered immediately.
“All right then, I’ll arrange for that. Attending the ceremonies will teach you a lot and help you use your little black book wisely,” she said. Her voice was serious. Arielle remained silent for a short time.
“That will be unbelievable! I would love to come with you,” Arielle finally exclaimed.
Olivia looked extremely pleased. Sebastian was excited to witness an awesome relationship developing before his eyes between his mother and the girl that captured his very soul.
Arielle felt a wonderful sensation of ease taking over her. Allworth was no longer a mystery. His intense interest regarding the amulet was clearly understood. She felt her spirit lift a few notches higher, and a smiled lifted the corners of her mouth.
“So…what do you think?” Olivia asked Arielle.
“About what?”
“About Colt.”
Arielle drew breath as she started to speak. “I… understand Allworth’s concerns about the amulet.”
“It’s a lot to absorb but—you know, it answered all my concerns about Allworth.”
Olivia smiled, pleased with the outcome.
“I think we should be going,” Sebastian said, glancing at his mother.
Just before Olivia had a chance to reply, Arielle’s phone rang. She pulled it out of her purse smiled as she glanced at the screen.
“Excuse me,” she said glancing between Sebastian and Olivia. “It’s my mum, and I need to take this.” She flipped the phone open. Placing it against her ear, she walked away and stood in front of the large window. The conversation was short and ended with Arielle telling her mum that she was going shopping with Gabby, Eva, and Loren tomorrow, but she would be stopping by the house the day after that. She slipped the phone into her pocket and returned to Sebastian.
“Thank you for everything,” she said, hugging Olivia affectionately. She noticed the pleased expression on Sebastian’s face as they parted.
“Thank you, Mother,” he said lovingly. “I’m sorry about the misunderstanding earlier.” Olivia made a dismissive gesture with her hand. Sebastian linked his fingers with Arielle’s and pulled her toward the door.
“It was lovely seeing you again, Arielle. Please come back soon,” Olivia called out.
“I promise, I will,” she called, glancing back. “I’m going to those meetings with you, remember?”
They had spent over two hours visiting Olivia, and they were ready to go home. The sun was disappearing below the horizon, and twilight was enveloping the earth. A gentle breeze brushed their faces as they stepped outside, causing Arielle to lift her face to the wind. She was feeling exuberant following the meeting with Olivia. She looked up at Sebastian, and he bent down and brushed his lips against hers softly. She knew she was being silly, but she couldn’t help the extraordinary feelings she was holding for this immortal man. She literally ached for him. She felt overwhelmed with pleasure.
In the car, she was extremely quiet.
“What’s on your mind?” Sebastian asked.
“I was just thinking about your mother’s horrible experience.”
“I know. It was hard for me to hear. I also understand why she would want to keep it a secret.”
“Oh, you do?”
“Of course I do.”
“How come you didn’t understand about me keeping Matt’s attack a secret?”
Sebastian inwardly cursed. “You are a different story. I have to know everything about y
ou since the day we first met, and even before that,” he said firmly.
“Oh?”
“Do you have a problem with that?” he asked anxiously.
“No, not at all. I was just curious.”
He pulled her close for a quick kiss.
The remaining ride home was quiet. He held her hand as he always did, making her feel safe, happy to be alive, and in love with a perfect man.
At home, Sebastian poured himself a glass of salve and sat at the kitchen counter. He picked up the newspaper and flipped though it while sipping slowly. Arielle walked into the bedroom and pulled her dresser drawer open. She took out the little black leather book and walked back, clenching it tightly in her hand. She set it on the top of the counter and ran her fingers over the leather cover several times.
Sebastian lifted his head and watched her carefully but kept quiet. She finally sat down and flicked through the pages slowly, stopping every so often to trace over the strange symbols and signs with her fingers. She stared bleakly at the pages, unable to decipher the meaning behind all the ancient symbols. They belonged to so many secret societies, written in various dialects such as Etruscan, Shinto, and Roman. She shook her head and let out a discouraging sigh.
“What are you doing?” Sebastian asked softly. The question pulled Arielle from her fascination. She lifted her head and met his eyes. She let out a soft chuckle and resisted the impulse to tell him not to worry about it.
“I wanted to see if I could translate some of these symbols on my own. Eva seems to know and understand all about these books; not me, however.”
“You sound angry, are you?”
She looked up at him and a smile spread across her face.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sound aggravated,” she replied. “How surprised were you to find out about your mother and Colt Allworth?”
Arielle Immortal Quickening (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 4) Page 23