“Well, I wish I could help you,” she said.
“My intuition tells me that I will figure this out soon, or I’ll just simply go out of my mind,” he said, and shrugging his shoulders, he turned around ready to leave the bedroom.
“I hope I don’t have to marry a crazy man,” she joked.
He spun around once again and gazed deeply into her eyes one more time. Arielle sat up on the bed and was watching him carefully. After his long moment of silence, she pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, resting her chin on her knees. Her smile was warm and enticing.
His lips curved and his eyes roamed over her. “I’m just trying to get used to the feeling that engulfs my whole existence when I gaze into your sensational blue eyes,” he whispered. He smiled once again and walking out of the bedroom he said, “Don’t forget that I love you.”
“I won’t.” She couldn’t believe that a man like him thought all that about her. Was she missing something?
“Don’t forget about dinner with your parents,” he called out again.
“I won’t.”
Chapter 12
EVA PICKED UP the phone and selected Gabrielle’s number. Gabby picked up on the first ring.
“Hello.”
“Hey, Gabby.”
“Hi, Eva, what’s up?”
“Can we meet sometime today and talk?”
“Oh, is there something wrong?”
“No, no, Arielle’s birthday is coming up and I wanted to share my thoughts with you.”
“Well, I just got out of bed, and I’m getting ready to take a shower. But I can meet with you this morning sometime.”
“Excellent!”
“Troy is playing golf this morning, so I’m free.”
“Yes, I know, Ian just left the house,” Eva said. “He’s is coming to your house to pick Troy up.”
“Well, he’s ready. He’s been ready since early this morning,” she snorted. “I will never understand the fascination in chasing after a small white ball all over the bloody place, but that’s me, what do I know?”
“I know Ian feels the same way,” Eva said with a chuckle. “I heard that they are playing a foursome with Sebastian and Nathan, one of Sebastian’s best friends. Have you met him?” Eva asked.
“No, I have not, but Troy knows him. They work together. He says he is an amazing guy. I’m sure we’ll meet him soon enough,” she said. “What kind of thoughts do you have about Arielle’s b-day?”
“Well, there’s a very special gift I’d like to give her, and I want you to be part of it. Would you like to do that?”
“Oh, yes, you know that I would,” Gabrielle exclaimed.
“Can we meet sometime then and talk about it?”
“You just name the time,” Gabrielle said eagerly.
“How about if I pick you up, and we can go out to lunch.”
“Eva, I know that you aren’t interested in eating human food anymore, so why don’t we just meet at your place?”
“I don’t need to eat, but I like going out with you. I don’t want my new identity to change a single thing between us. I expect to keep on doing and keep enjoying the same things we did before my transformation. So, how about lunch?” Eva’s voice was a little sad, but unyielding.
“All right, then I’ll be ready, what about Arielle? Have you talked to her?”
“Yes, I called her before I called you. I wanted to make sure that the coast was clear for us to discuss her birthday. She’s going over to her parents for lunch and later in the afternoon she is meeting with Loren.”
“Huh? I wonder why she’s meeting with Loren. Did she say?”
“No, she didn’t say why. She said she'll talk to us tomorrow. In any case, it worked out great since we need to talk about her birthday.”
“Okay then, I’ll see you soon.” Gabrielle said, and ended the call. She had a strong feeling that Loren wanted to talk to Arielle about revealing her immortality to Paul. Her curiosity had peaked to its highest point. Arielle was right, the human population was shrinking, and the immortals were taking over. She laughed aloud as she picked up her phone again, and pressed the number two on speed dial.
Arielle picked up on the fourth ring completely out of breath. “Hey, Gabby, what’s up?”
“Did I get you at a bad time?” Gabrielle asked.
“I just got out of the shower, and I was trying to wrap a towel around my hair,” she said laughing. “I almost tripped trying to get to the phone.”
“Sorry, I just wanted to find out if we could get together this afternoon.”
“Oh, I’d love to, but Loren and Paul are coming over.”
“Oh, does it have something to do with what I am thinking? Like immortality?”
“It sure does, and like I told Sebastian, I am the right person to shock the hell out of every friend I have with the unbelievable news.” They both laughed out loud.
“I thought so,” Gabrielle said excitedly. “But I wanted to find out for sure. Gosh, just think about this, Arielle, what in bloody hell is going on in Brighton?”
“I’ve no idea, but the place seems to be crawling with immortals. It seems to attract everyone from the undying world like a magnet. I’m sure happy it brought Sebastian to me, and I know you are happy it gave you Troy, so we shouldn’t protest too much. But I’m wondering about the same thing you are.” She laughed again.
“I guess technically we brought Sebastian and Troy here, not the city itself, but still it seems odd that so many immortals are running around. Anyway, we’ll talk tomorrow.” The phone went dead.
Arielle chuckled as she walked back to the bathroom to dry her hair. She was sure this wasn’t going to be easy for Paul, but then it hadn’t been easy for anyone else. She wondered what would be the next thing that would shock them to their very core. She was darn sure something was lurking around the corner, but she was getting used to that by now. She had a bit of a break from Annabel or anyone else trying to kill her in the last few weeks. She let out a long sigh of relief. She finished getting ready and picked up her purse as she headed for her parent's house.
Gabrielle was ready and waiting for Eva, eager to find out her plans for Arielle’s birthday. She had sounded so excited on the phone that Gabrielle couldn't wait to hear what she had planned. Eva arrived around 10:30 and entered wearing a huge smile on her face, eyes glittering with excitement.
“Hi, Eva,” Gabrielle said, giving her a big hug. Pulling back, she couldn’t help staring at her best friend. “It’ll take a long time for me to get used to your amazing looks. I think you are one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen.”
Eva chuckled and gave her best another gentle hug, making sure that her strength didn’t hurt her friend. “I think you are just as beautiful,” Eva said. “And you don’t have the immortal touch. How about that?” They both laughed with pleasure.
“Do you want to go right now for lunch, or do you want to talk first?” Gabby asked.
“Let’s just talk,” Eva replied.
Gabby led the way into the study, and they both sank into the big comfortable armchairs.
“Do you want something to drink?”
Eva shook her head. “No, I’m good.”
“So…what’s your big plan? I could hardly wait to hear it. You sounded so excited, so it has to be something big.”
Eva took a little time, and then resting her eyes on Gabrielle, she let loose a striking smile.
“You do know that I can manifest things as I wish now, right?” Eva said, and her lips curved mysteriously.
“Yes, I do. Troy kind of freaks me out when he does that. Are you going to manifest something for her birthday?”
“It’s something like that, but not quite.” Gabrielle stared at her inquisitively.
“Besides the ability to manifest anything that I want, I have other powers that I didn’t know I had. I seem to be finding out something new almost every day. This particular power is really amazing, even t
o an immortal. So, I was very excited when I found out that I have it. I made up my mind that this is what I want to give Arielle from both of us for her birthday.”
“Well, now I’m dying to find out what you have in mind.”
Eva hesitated for a short moment, but she had heard the impatience in Gabby’s voice, so she took a deep breath and went for it. “Gabby, are you ready for this? And please don’t freak out on me.” She emphasized the last four words.
“Yeah…yeah…yeah… Come on, you are killing me with the suspense.”
Eva cleared her throat significantly, took a few long breaths, and with glimmer in her eyes she uttered the most amazing words. “I can travel through time.” she said, and stopped talking. She watched Gabrielle’s face closely. She knew this was an intense moment that she was sharing with her best friend.
Gabrielle’s jaw dropped and her eyes became huge. She blinked several times and shook her head trying to free the entrancing effect Eva’s words had created. She fixed Eva with a wide, quizzical look and for a moment she was frozen. But then the words finally registered in her brain loud and clear. “Did you say that you could travel through time?” Her voice came out with a high-pitched shriek.
They stared at each other for a long moment, and finally Eva nodded. She smiled softly and, leaning back at her chair, she replied calmly, “Yes, that’s exactly what I said.”
Gabrielle fell quiet again and stared down at her clenched hands in her lap for a long time. No words, no sounds, not so much as an eye twitch toward Eva’s direction. She looked as if her brain had plunged into an unspecified place. Eva knew this was going to be difficult for Gabrielle to absorb, so she remained silent. A long minute passed and suddenly Gabrielle jerked back and shook her head.
“Wow, Eva, you almost had me there,” she snorted.
“I don’t know what you mean,” Eva said, watching her intently.
“Oh, come on, Eva, stop teasing me,” Gabby said and chuckled. “Time travel… You’ve got to be bloody kidding me.”
“Gabby, stop it!” Eva shouted.
Gabrielle stopped laughing immediately. She stared at Eva warily. “You are serious, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I’m bloody serious, and you need to come to grips with this.”
“But, Eva, time travel? How can that be even possible?”
“Well, it is possible, and I can do it,” she said emphatically.
Gabrielle’s face was creased in wonderment. She could barely keep her speeding heart from leaping out from her chest. “How do you do that?” she asked cautiously.
Eva coughed to clear her throat. “Gabby, I understand that this is going to be hard to grasp because our brains do not allow us to comprehend the mysteries of time and space. Time is relative to the speed I use to travel along the shortest bend in a curved space-time.”
“I have no idea what you are talking about,” Gabrielle said. Confusion was evident in her frustrated expression.
Eva chuckled softly. “Gabby, it is like you move to another universe that is parallel to ours but at different time and place.”
“I just can’t believe that’s possible.”
“Well, the laws of physics tell us what is possible, not what is practical for humans at any point in time.”
Gabrielle swallowed hard, and as she spoke her voice took a higher pitch. “I can’t even comprehend anything like time travel, but even if I did, what does this have to do with Arielle’s birthday?”
Gabrielle arched her brows and looked directly at Eva who continued in her soft immortal voice. “I want us to take Arielle back to the sixteenth century, before Sebastian became an immortal.”
Gabrielle bolted upright and gasped in shock before lapsing into thoughtful silence.
Eva’s voice sounded like a far away whisper. “I’ve been reading about the Gaulle family, and I’ve found out a few things that might make this travel through time an exhilarating moment for all of us.”
Gabrielle’s expressionless eyes widened in even greater astonishment. She appeared frozen until she pressed her lips together, obviously reluctant to say a single word. Eva heard her forcing herself to take long, deep breath as she ran her fingers through her hair trying to understand the full meaning of Eva’s words.
Eva rose to her feet and moved to the middle of the room still watching Gabrielle intently. She folded her arms across her chest and continued in a firm but sweet voice. “You will not believe what I found out! I read that Sebastian’s grandfather, Marcus Gaulle, moved to Calais in the early fifteen hundreds with his two sons, Anton and Gustave. Calais is located on the northern part of France and it’s a small town that overlooks the Strait of Dover, the narrowest point in the English Channel. It was said that this town was a major port accessible to ocean liners, making it the center of indigenous industries. Marcus was in the business of import and export, until he made his fortune on land. He became so wealthy that the King of France, Louis the VII, gave him the title of Marquis in a written act, letter patent, which gave him power and privileges. One of the rights he gained was that everything he owned would remain under his title for centuries to come and his heirs, Anton and Gustave, would inherit the title as well as all the fortune signed by the courts 'pas de seigneur sans terre, pas de terre sans seigneur.'”
“What does that mean?” Gabrielle whispered, totally engrossed in Eva’s story.
“It means, 'no lord without land and no land without lord', so, Marcus' fortune was passed on to his two sons along with the marquis title, which was then passed down to their sons.”
“Are you saying that Sebastian is a marquis… a noble…and he has inherited all that fortune since he is the only survivor?”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying.” Her eyes sparkled from excitement.
Gabrielle was still trying to breathe normally. This was huge. “So, you're saying that he is a noble and even wealthier than rich?” She was completely stunned.
“Yes, but we also know that he’s just an awesome guy, totally unselfish and our good friend,” Eva said.
Gabrielle threw her hands up in the air. “I’m completely dumbfounded,” she said. “I’m not sure I can process all this amazing information. Eva, you’re blowing my mind.” Gabrielle shook her head as she blew out a flabbergasted breath. “I would have never known that he is a marquis, he is so unpretentious, so considerate. I’m floored. But all that aside, what does that have to do with your gift?” Gabrielle asked again.
“I’m getting to that. Sebastian’s family lived in the luxurious estate, Chateau Risban, where they held social gatherings and celebrations a couple of times a year. These celebrations were exceptionally elaborate, and I want for the two of us to take Arielle to one of those dances. What do you think?”
Gabrielle’s eyes went wide and she stopped breathing. The pressure in her lungs intensified and she struggled for air. She was sure that she hadn't heard Eva right. She managed to pull herself together and her voice came out high pitched. “What in bloody hell are you talking about?”
Eva waited patiently for Gabrielle to catch her breath. She knew that she was in shock, but she also knew Gabby’s inquisitive mind loved learning about the unknown. She was giving her time to come around.
Reluctantly, Gabrielle moved and took her seat. Placing her hand over her mouth, she stared at Eva’s eyes as she whispered, “Oh, my gosh, are you saying what I think you are saying?” Her voice quivered.
Eva didn’t reply immediately. She was giving her friend a moment to comprehend the full meaning of the plan. It didn’t take long before Eva heard Gabrielle shriek.
“You want us to go to one of the Gaulle balls back in the fifteen hundreds?” she cried in panic.
“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying,” Eva said softly. “Calm down. I think it would be the gift of the century, literally.” She laughed out loud, and Gabrielle couldn’t hold back her own laugh.
“You are freaking me out, but I’m game,” said Gabrielle, show
ing her adventurous spirit. “I don’t have any sixteenth century clothing hanging in my closet.” Gabrielle’s voice was breaking with amusement. “I’m wondering what they would think of us, crashing their ball wearing blue jeans and tank tops.” Gabrielle laughed so hard at the mental image that she doubled over. Tears ran down her face. Eva snorted with laughter.
“Okay, okay, Gabby, that’s funny, but we need to talk about this. I’ll manifest our attires to represent a true sixteenth century look. I’ll pick up some magazines with accurate costumes, so you and Arielle can decide on what you would like to wear, and I’ll do the same for myself. What do you say?”
Gabrielle humphed and exhaled through her teeth. “I think that will be mind blowing. I’m not sure how you’ll do this, but I trust in you. Will you tell Arielle before? Or leave it as a surprise?”
“I want to surprise her, so we’re just going to tell her that Delta Zeta sorority is having a sixteenth century costume contest, and that we were invited. The guys can’t attend the contest, but they are welcome to join us later. Do you think she will buy that?” Eva asked anxiously.
“Oh, yes, I think she’ll love the idea,” Gabrielle reassured her.
“There is one more thing I need to bring up.” Eva’s tone turned serious.
“What’s that?”
“There are five portals to time travel that correspond with the five elements: spirit, water, earth, air, and fire. Those times are eight, twelve, five, ten, and three in the morning. We can travel only on the top of each one of those hours. Each time belongs to the ring with the five segments of time. It’s very important that we keep that in mind,” Eva emphasized.
“What will happen if you miss that exact moment?” Gabrielle frowned and studied Eva’s face.
“If we miss the ports we will not be able to get back.”
Gabrielle shot to her feet. Her heart thumped wildly. Fear crawled down her spine.
“We can be trapped in the sixteenth century?” she shrieked with a look of terror on her face. Inwardly, she shook herself.
“What I’m saying is that if we miss one of those times, then we have to wait for the next portal. So, we need to be aware of the times and how important they are when we get there. There will be plenty of time to give Arielle all the details as to where we are, and what her gift is all about. Are you still willing to do this?” Eva asked calmly.
Arielle Immortal Journey (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 5) Page 11