Arielle Immortal Journey (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 5)

by Lilian Roberts

  “Good morning, baby” he said, his eyes filled with mirth. He was keenly aware that she was flustered, and he laughed delightfully at his effect on her. He poured a glass of salve, picked up the morning paper, and sank into his favorite leather chair in the study. It gave him a full view of Arielle. She lowered her eyes and tried to finish her breakfast. Olivia was picking her up at 9:30 and she had only about twenty minutes left. She got up, took a mug out of the cabinet, and poured some tea for herself. She took a long sip and moaned blissfully.

  Sebastian looked up from the paper and smiled. “Is it good?”

  She nodded, eyes sparkling. “I made it,” she called out, “of course it’s good.”

  He snorted and turned his gaze back to the paper. Arielle humphed but didn’t say a word. When she had finished her breakfast, she rushed back into the bedroom and retrieved the little black book she needed for the assembly. She slipped on a lightweight jacket and walked back into the kitchen. She decided to clean the table before she took her teacup and joined Sebastian in the study.

  He tilted his head up as she walked into the study. Their eyes locked. His face beamed with exuberance and his lips curved into that beautiful smile that she loved. He took another sip of salve and leaned forward. He purred. “Are you ready, baby?”

  “Yes,” was all she could say. Her eyes fixed on his face. His light sandy hair fell over his forehead giving him a sexy look. She blinked and looked away, turning her thoughts away from Sebastian. She was anxious about the assembly. She wanted to learn everything she could about the mystical powers of the amulet and the group’s activities. The amulet had convinced her that she could protect herself from the immortal threats that plagued her life. Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t hear the car pull up, but she did hear the doorbell.

  “I’ll get that,” Sebastian said, rising to his feet. Arielle drained her teacup and picked up her little black book, but waited a moment to give Sebastian some privacy with his mother.

  Sebastian held the door open and smiled wide at the beautiful woman that stood at his door. His mother wore an expression of pleasure on her face.

  “Good morning, Mother,” he said joyfully, and moved aside to let her in.

  “Good morning, darling,” Olivia said, and walking in she embraced Sebastian warmly. He returned her embrace and planted a soft kiss on her cheek.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?” Olivia said, holding his gaze. “After all you are Arielle’s protector now. Your past has become her present nightmare. It might do you some good to learn a few things about the powers she holds in that small piece of jewelry hanging from her neck.”

  Sliding his hands into his pocket, he chuckled. “No, thank you, Mother.”

  “But why not?” she persisted.

  “Mother, I’m Arielle’s protector, and that is a job I love. She is extremely precious to me and someone I couldn’t live without, but Arielle can handle this meeting on her own.”

  “Darling,” she said, cupping his face affectionately, “this meeting is not the regular monthly meeting I attend. This meeting has been especially scheduled to introduce new members that have inherited the special amulets and black books to the head of the assembly. He is going to schedule followup meetings with them to give each one a chance to learn all about the powers held in these books and amulets.”

  Sebastian pretended to consider her words for a moment, but quickly shook his head and said, “The truth is that I wanted to go with her, but she said no. She wants to do this on her own.”

  “Well, do you want to know what I think?”

  “What?”

  “I think she didn’t want to put you in a difficult position of having to say no,” she said meaningfully.

  “Well, that might be true, but I still say no. Thank you, Mother. Arielle is incredibly smart and very capable of handling this on her own.” He laughed quietly. “However, she did mention a few days back that she would love to have Eva there.”

  “Eva? Her best friend?”

  “Yes, Eva is extremely gifted. They have been reading the little black book together,” he said quietly. “They would love to unlock the secrets of the hieroglyphics in those pages. They were mesmerized by the ancient symbols. It has become a passion for both of them.”

  “Well, that’s very noteworthy. I’ll make sure she is welcome to accompany Arielle at her followup meetings.”

  He was getting ready to reply when soft footsteps made them both turn and watch Arielle approach. Sebastian’s alluring gaze locked with hers and seized her breath for a pregnant moment. The memories of last night’s encounter made her cheeks blush. Recovering quickly she turned her gaze to Olivia. “Good morning, Olivia,” she said gleefully.

  “Good morning, dear,” Olivia replied, and they embraced warmly.

  “Are you ready to go?”

  “Yes, I’m quite excited about this,” she said earnestly.

  Sebastian closed his arms about her, and set his lips on hers. She pulled away softly. He could see that she was trying not to become excited. He loved that he had that effect on her.

  “I’ll see you later,” he said, lips brushing her ear. His hands released her reluctantly.

  She smiled at him and followed Olivia to the car. They both turned and smiled at Sebastian as he waved goodbye.

  They fell into in an easy conversation during the ride. “So, how is school?” Olivia asked, casting a quick glance at Arielle.

  “Well, um, it’s going fine, but I want the semester to end,” she said evasively.

  “Why is that? Don’t you enjoy school?”

  “I like school, but…” her voice trailed.

  “But, let me guess,” Olivia chuckled. “You want to spend more time with Sebastian?”

  She seemed to read Arielle’s silence as a positive reply, and reached over to pat her arm affectionately. “I’m sure he feels the same way, dear. I have never seen Sebastian happier in all the years I’ve known him, and that is a very long time.”

  Arielle’s immediate thought was to correct Olivia’s assumption, but she stopped the words before they were out of her mouth. “Um, that’s one of the more important reasons, but I’m also dying to graduate and move on with my plans for the future.”

  “Plans?”

  “Yes,” Arielle replied. There was a hint of surprise in her voice that Olivia did not seem to remember that they had discussed this topic the night they first met.

  Olivia glanced at her inquisitively. Arielle reconsidered her reaction to Olivia’s question. She cleared her throat and went on to explain. “I’m planning to get a job once I’m out of school. I’ve already applied for an internship in a couple of engineering firms. I’d like to gain experience that will help me find a great job.”

  Olivia listened intently and smiled affectionately. “Have you talked to Sebastian about this?” she asked curiously.

  “Yes, of course I have.” She gazed out the window for a short moment before turning back she looked at Olivia. “I’m expecting replies soon, but it could be a few weeks.”

  Olivia’s smile deepened, but didn’t say anything else on that subject. Silence followed and Arielle returned to gazing out of the window. They were leaving the city and driving out toward the country.

  Olivia appeared to not understand Arielle's desire to find work, so she changed the subject. “How far is this place?” Arielle asked.

  “It’s about an hour's drive, and worth every moment of it,” Olivia replied softly. “We’re pretty close now.”

  Arielle smiled and looked back out of the window. She thought about their earlier conversation. I thought I would have heard back from one of the firms by now, she thought, feeling a pang of disappointment.

  “Sebastian said your birthday is coming up. Are you doing anything special?” Olivia suddenly asked, breaking her train of thought.

  Arielle attempted to reel her thoughts back. “I’m not sure yet,” she replied. She turned the conversation to other triv
ial subjects, which occupied them for the remainder of the drive.

  The car finally turned into a beautiful, two-lane Parisian-style street with street lamps and a stunning canopy of trees on either side. At the very end of the street sat an impressive iron gate. Olivia pulled up to the gate and stopped. Lowering the window, she reached toward the small monitor on the wall. She set her palm flat on the screen and waited. Arielle observed an electrical current flashing across the flat screen.

  Waiting for the gate to open, Arielle turned to her right and focused on the stone plaque on the entrance column. It read, “Burgejion Estate.” The words were beautifully etched in Gothic script on the gray stone. A sudden surge of alertness raced through her brain like a lightning bolt, and then faded away as fast as it came. She pressed her lips together and paused, permitting the name Burgejion to sink back into her brain, searching to recall the familiarity of the name to no avail. She finally gave up and shrugged the thought away.

  She tapped her fingertips on the top of her little black book and glanced around. The gate opened and Olivia pressed on the gas. Arielle turned toward Olivia. “Who is Burgejion?” she asked as the gates closed behind them.

  “He is the owner of the estate, and the head of the secret society along with Colt.”

  Arielle’s mouth dropped open. “Colt Allworth? My professor?”

  “Yes, I thought Sebastian told you. Didn’t he?”

  She remained quiet for a long moment, and then she shook her head. “Wow! No, he never said anything about that.” She pondered Olivia’s words. “Please tell me about Burgejion.”

  “His family’s name goes back to the fifth century, maybe way before that.”

  Arielle stared at Olivia’s profile in shock. “The fifth century!” she exclaimed.

  “Yes,” Olivia said, “and maybe before that.”

  Arielle's instincts were telling her that she was entering a spellbinding new arena. It was hard enough for her to grasp the fact that Sebastian had been roaming this earth for six hundred years; she was definitely unable to grasp the incredible amount of time that had passed between the fifth century and today. She fell back into deep thoughts as they drove deeper into the estate. When they finally reached the clearing, Arielle’s jaw dropped and she let out a cry of wonder. She drew a deep breath as her eyes fell on an enormous structure that stretched in front of them. It was surrounded by smaller structures expanding significantly out into the distance. She could barely believe that a place like this existed so close to home.

  “It’s magnificent!” she cried, eyes glued to the main structure.

  Olivia turned to look at her with a smile on her face that seemed to say “I know.”

  “It’s a seventeenth-century country mansion, two stories high with two high towers in the front that you can see, and two in the back that can’t be seen from where we are. However, this manor structure was restored a couple of centuries ago. There have been a lot of changes inside to make it more comfortable and compatible with contemporary standards.”

  Huge stone planters were placed along the driveway, creating an amazing picture. Trees and flowers covered the land as far as the eye could see. The front door was beyond words. Large panels were carved with graceful patterns and surrounded by a charming acanthus border adorned with hieroglyphics. The stone door frame was covered with vibrant blue, orange, yellow, and green painted scenes that accentuated its massiveness. Someone had carved hieroglyphic texts and symbols right into the stone. Arielle was awestruck. Olivia smiled at Arielle's expression of amazement before glancing at her watch.

  “Come, dear, it's ten thirty-five and the meeting will start precisely at eleven. Let’s go inside.” She patted Arielle’s hand indulgently. Stepping out of the car, Olivia climbed the front steps and crossed the threshold into the foyer with Arielle by her side. Arielle halted, her eyes growing wide. The foyer was high-domed with walls covered in dark walnut panels complete with stunning gilded calligraphy and florid woodcarvings. Blue-gray marble covered the floor. Large porphyry pillars adorned each corner like faithful knights committed to protecting this space. An enormous chandelier hung from the center of a beautifully painted ceiling depicting allegorical symbols in a cloudless blue sky. She turned to see Olivia watching her inquisitively, waiting. She finally reached over and took Arielle’s hand, pulling her toward a side door that read “Women’s Lockers.” She pushed the door open, and they entered a large room lined with closets on either side.

  Olivia didn’t stop until she reached the locker with her name on it. Pulling a key from her pocket she set it in the lock and turned. The door opened revealing several garments hanging in an orderly fashion. On the top were two shelves full of books. Olivia took out two burgundy cloaks. She handed one to Arielle and put the other one on. “Go ahead, put it on,” she said, gazing at Arielle with a soft smile. “It’s a requirement.”

  Arielle nodded and took the cloak from Olivia’s hands. She draped it over her shoulders and slipped her arms through the loose sleeves. She then pulled the two halves around and buttoned up the front.

  “Let me see,” Olivia said, placing her hands on Arielle’s shoulders and turning her around to get a good look at her. “You look wonderful! It fits you perfectly,” she said, smiling with approval.

  Arielle looked down at herself and then smiled sweetly at Olivia. “Thank you.”

  “You’re perfectly welcome,” Olivia said, and turned to walk toward the door. Arielle followed her back into the foyer. This time they ran right into Professor Allworth who was coming in hurriedly.

  “Hello, Colt,” Olivia called out with a soft wave of her hand.

  “Olivia, Arielle,” Allworth replied, inclining his head softly. “I’m happy to see you here, Arielle,” he added as he walked quickly to the right toward the men’s locker room. “I’ll see you both inside,” he called out, disappearing behind the door.

  Arielle followed Olivia down a long, poorly lit corridor, observing a numinous atmosphere. A shiver ran down her spine as she noticed how mysterious she and Olivia looked in those long cloaks. She took a deep breath and examined the wooden mahogany panels that lined the walls. They were covered with mysterious, exquisite paintings, and a lot of incredible tapestries that displayed strange symbols just like the ones she saw in the black book Olivia had given her.

  There was a sweet smell of lavender in the air. The sanctuary was in the rear of the building with side rooms along the long corridor. As they walked slowly, she could see courts through open doors on either side of the hallway.

  When they reached the door at the end of the long corridor Olivia lifted her hands, pulled the hood of her cloak over her head, and turning toward Arielle, she whispered, “Put your hood on, it’s obligatory.” She chuckled softly and waved her hand as if to say, “One of the rules.”

  Arielle nodded and quickly complied. They crossed the stone threshold, and as they entered the room Arielle quivered. People draped in hooded cloaks filled the room. They appeared deeply engaged in quiet conversations. Their murmurs bounced off the walls and filled her ears, creating a mystical sensation.

  Olivia moved deeper into the room toward the two seats in the front row. Arielle noticed a name etched in the back of Olivia’s chair, “Ma’at.” Arielle stared at the word, and arched her eyebrows inquisitively but didn’t ask. Olivia noticed her expression but for reasons Arielle could only guess at she chose to remain silent.

  Chapter 17

  LIFTING HER GAZE from the word etched in the back of Olivia’s seat, Arielle walked around and took the seat next to her. She looked about the room carefully. A series of wide pillars supported the structure all the way around. The walls were white with golden-hued blocks of limestone and sandstone. They were inscribed and painted with intriguing text and symbols.

  At the back section of the room there was an elevated stone platform with a podium draped in a long burgundy cover. Two large windows with dark, beveled glass kept the inside of the room shadowy. The
room had a transcendent quality that made Arielle feel like she was somewhere sacred. A movement to her right interrupted her reflections. Professor Allworth and a young woman took the seats next to her.

  “Good to see you again, Arielle,” he whispered.

  She turned toward them and smiled. “You too, Professor,” she said quietly.

  Suddenly, the murmurs subsided and complete silence fell upon the room. Arielle instinctively turned toward the entrance and saw a tall man covered in a purple cloak filling the doorway. His presence projected an air of strength. Under his arm, he clenched a black leather book. He stopped for a short moment and took a look around to assess the turnout. He started to walk slowly toward the platform in the front of the room. Arielle suspected this was Burgejion, the head of this secret society. The hood hid his hair, but his face was clearly visible. Arielle took a quick glimpse and was surprised to see the face of a young man in his mid-twenties.

  As he drew nearer, his bright hazel eyes fell on Arielle’s face, and an extraordinary sensation of remembrance rushed through her brain, making her quiver. She looked away for a quick second before turning back and locking eyes one more time. She was startled when surprise coursed across his face. It was as if he recognized her. Her breath seized for a long moment.

  Why do I feel that we’ve met? But when? That’s just impossible, she thought. Yet that was precisely what had just occurred. She knew him from somewhere, but she couldn’t recall. She turned toward him one more time gaze narrowed, but he was staring straight ahead. She kept her eyes on his back as he ascended the steps, walking gracefully. He took his place behind the podium. He set the book down and began thumbing through the pages. When he found what he was searching for, he set his hand flat on the page and lifted his head as he looked around the room, a warm smile on his face.