Arielle Immortal Journey (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 5)

by Lilian Roberts

  “Bon soir,” he said softly. “And thank you for coming,” he added in English, smiling at the three of them. “How is Hampshire this time of year?” he asked politely.

  “It’s warm and soggy,” Eva stated with a soft laugh. He smiled back, and as they walked away they heard him call out to them, “Enjoy yourselves while in France.” They smiled but kept walking toward the other side of the room and away from the welcoming line.

  Arielle had noticed that both parents were dressed in fine clothing that didn’t just speak, but screamed, sixteenth-century elegance.

  As they moved further into the ballroom, Arielle felt heated at the thought of meeting Sebastian as a mortal. The ladies made their way through the crowd and stopped by a sculpture of an astonishing male figure. They let their gaze race over the crowd in the ballroom. Arielle’s lips were dry. Her hands were shaking. What would I do? What would I say? Her thoughts twirled wildly in her head.

  “Arielle, are you all right?” Eva whispered.

  “Yes, just a bit nervous, that’s all,” she whispered back. She looked at both her best friends with a mild frown. As they resumed walking, it was hard not to notice that the women were dressed in expensive gowns made out of silk and muslin. The men looked elegant and surprisingly sexy in their sixteenth-century outfits.

  “There is something about tight pants on firm thighs and high boots on beautiful male bodies,” Gabrielle said quietly, barely muffling a chuckle. Arielle’s gaze slid sideways to Gabby. She couldn't keep surprise from showing on her face.

  “What?” she asked.

  Gabrielle inhaled sharply and paused for a short moment. “Well, look at all those remarkable male bodies,” she said, waving her hand aimlessly toward the crowd.

  “Gabby,” Arielle whispered, feigning admonishment, but she couldn’t hold back a soft laugh.

  “What’s so funny?” Eva asked, her gaze sweeping over Gabby and Arielle, a sparkle of interest in her beautiful eyes.

  “Nothing is funny,” Arielle said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

  “Then wipe that silly look off of your face,” Eva said, feigning caution.

  “I can’t… I’m boy stricken just like Gabby,” Arielle said.

  “Why ever for?” Eva asked.

  “There seems to be a huge amount of gorgeous men in this room,” Arielle emphasized, trying to suppress a snort.

  “Oh, brother,” Eva muffled a groan. “If anyone is eavesdropping they might say that you ladies have never laid an eye on a beautiful male,” Eva continued, throwing up her hands.

  There was a long moment of silence and suddenly they burst out into quiet laughter. Taking a look at the crowd, they decided to walk around the massive room and admire the architecture. The sculptures set in each corner of the ballroom, clearly French renaissance period, captivated the women. Stunning sixteenth-century Flemish tapestries covered the walls, telling the story of the Gaulle family.

  It wasn’t long before a handsome man approached them. He greeted each one of them graciously and reaching out he took their hands in turn. He brought each hand up to his lips while gazing into their eyes. How elegant, Arielle thought. Eva was the last one he greeted. He held her hand a lot longer as he became lost in her eyes. His eyes lowered in a slow inspection of her body, and the corners of his lips kicked up. He then let his gaze slowly and seductively follow the same path back up to her face. Gabby elbowed Arielle on her side softly, trying hard to stifle a giggle. It was obvious that the guy was stunned by Eva’s immortal beauty.

  Soon, they heard his attractive voice, a bit shaky, ask, “Vous aiment danser?” he asked. Eva looked at him, and then averted her gaze to Arielle, her brow furrowed. Arielle was the only French speaking person in their little threesome.

  Arielle leaned close and whispered, “He’s asking you to dance.”

  Eva turned and smiled wide. “Yes, I’d love to dance.”

  “Oh, you are English!” he exclaimed. He spoke English beautifully. “How exciting!” He took Eva’s hand and led her slowly toward the center of the dance floor. He kept his eyes fixed on Eva’s beautiful face. Eva gave a quick look back at her friends and winked mischievously, making them laughed aloud.

  They watched them until they disappeared into the crowd, and then decided to move away from the dance floor.

  “I wonder what Ian would say,” Arielle said giggling.

  “I don’t think he would be able to stand the way this guy is gawking at Eva,” Gabby replied.

  “I don’t think Sebastian or Troy would like this at all. But we are here and we’re going to have fun!” They strolled across the ballroom discussing the excitement of their time travel, keeping their voices low.

  Suddenly, Arielle had this strange feeling that she was being watched. She looked over Gabrielle’s shoulder and noticed a young man standing on the other side of the room watching them intently. Shrugging her shoulders lightly, she averted her gaze back to Gabrielle without saying anything and continued their conversation as they moved around the room.

  “I just can’t wait to see Sebastian,” Arielle said eagerly.

  “I can imagine,” said Gabrielle, who wondered what it would be like to meet Troy as a human. She looked for a short moment as though she was going to say something more, but she changed her mind and remained quiet.

  Arielle was mesmerized. “This is the most mind-blowing thing that has ever happened to me.”

  “Me too!” Gabby cried out softly. She reached over and pressed Arielle’s hand elatedly. “I’d be dying right now if I were in your shoes. I can’t even comprehend the thought of seeing Troy as a mortal.”

  Gabby looked around carefully, and leaning closer to Arielle, she whispered, “This whole thing is off the chart, don’t you think?”

  Arielle bit the inside of her lip trying to suppress her exhilaration. “Yeah, yeah, that’s my exact thought,” Arielle said, clasping her hands together, trying to stop their quivering. “Gabby, I’m totally freaked out. I feel my heart pounding just at the mere thought of looking into Sebastian’s mortal eyes. Eva asked me to act as if I never met him before. How can I act nonchalant? How can I block out all the sizzling encounters I have shared with him? How can I erase the love that makes me feel alive?” Arielle had a bewildered look on her face. “I might just simply die…” Her voice trailed. She lapsed into a quiet moment again. Gabby’s voice gave Arielle a jolt.

  “Someone is watching us,” she said, and pressed Arielle’s hand. Arielle turned and followed Gabby’s gaze. Her focus landed on the same young man still standing on the opposite side of the room, leaning against the wall, arms crossed in front of his chest, watching them. They turned and stared at each other.

  “I wonder what he wants?” asked Gabby.

  Arielle rolled her eyes. “Who cares?” They both chuckled and turned their attention to the dance floor.

  “He is very handsome,” Gabby whispered.

  “I think most of these guys are simply beautiful,” Arielle replied. Their eyes stopped at Eva and their jaws dropped.

  “Where in bloody hell did she learn to waltz?” Arielle asked, voice filled with wonder. “And what if we are asked to dance?”

  “As part of the gift, Eva has made everything authentic, and that includes us being able to dance all the dances of this era. She has compelled both of us to be part of this century. So go for it,” Gabby said, giggling.

  “I don’t think I want to do that,” she chuckled, “but again, look at Eva, she looks like she belongs in this century. She dances with an amazing elegance.”

  “She’s an immortal, she can do whatever she wants,” Gabby said. Her voice was barely audible.

  “A far cry from the girl that darted bottomless into the ocean looking for her lost bikini bottom.” It took but a second and laughter coursed across Arielle’s body. Her eyes filled with tears from the pressure of trying to suppress the urge to burst out into body-bending laughter. She coughed several times. Gabrielle refused to look at A
rielle, struggling to contain her laughter as well and avoid embarrassing herself at this proper gathering. Their attempts were somewhat successful, but their breath came out in desperate gasps.

  “Bon soir.” The sound of a velvety voice right behind them brought them to an abrupt stillness. They instantly panicked, and their heads whipped around to come face to face with the handsome guy that had been watching them from across the room. Their eyes widened at his nearness. He towered over them with an unwavering charm. Arielle wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and coughed discreetly. She heard the soft gasps coming from Gabby and suppressed another wave of laughter. She didn’t dare look at Gabby. Arielle’s gaze raked over the man's face. Their eyes locked. He was stunningly beautiful, his eyes a deep striking blue. He was truly breathtaking. A strange feeling that Arielle couldn’t explain swept across her body.

  “Good evening,” she replied in English. A wide smile spread across his face. Without any pause, he reverted to English. “Would you like to dance?” he asked, without taking his eyes off of her.

  Her answer was instantaneous. “No, thank you. Maybe a little later.” There was a long, palpable moment of silence, and then smiling softly, he took a step back and excused himself.

  “Why didn’t you dance with him?” Gabby asked.

  Arielle shrugged. “I don’t know, Gabby, people that stare always give me an eerie feeling.”

  Gabrielle let out a long sigh. “Have you noticed how most men of this era tower over us? What is it? The water? Or the food?” Arielle shot her a surprised look, and snorted.

  “Did you ever think that we maybe are too short?” Gabby’s eyes widened.

  “No, I don’t think that’s the case. I think 1.75 meters is a great height for a girl.” She lapsed into silence for a short moment, and then she shook her head with conviction. “No…no…I just think these guys are way too tall.”

  They stopped talking as Eva and the young man she was dancing with came back and joined them. He introduced himself this time as Jonathan Blackstone. They carried on a long conversation, and laughed at Jonathan’s jokes. He seemed to be enamored with Eva, and before long they were back on the dance floor.

  Arielle barely concealed a giggle. “Oh boy,” she mumbled.

  Gabrielle raised an eyebrow. “Care to elaborate?”

  She heaved a sigh. “Look at Jonathan.”

  “What about him?”

  “Gabby, look.” Gabrielle turned her gaze to the dance floor. Jonathan had his hand at Eva’s waist, holding her closer that he really should. He was staring down at her with an intense grin on his face.

  “What in bloody hell is he doing?” Gabby scoffed.

  “I think he’s in love.”

  “Rubbish.”

  “Perhaps so, but Eva seems to be flirting shamelessly.”

  “Oh, she’s just having a good time. I think we should do the same,” Gabby stated with amusement.

  Before long a couple young men approached Gabrielle and Arielle, and with an elegant bow they asked them to dance. Gabrielle smiled sweetly and extended her hand to one of the young men who pulled her eagerly to the dance floor. Arielle politely declined the invitation, giving the young man a lame excuse. All she wanted to do was to find Sebastian.

  The young man looked disappointed, but he moved away holding a polite smile. Arielle walked slowly around the room, looking at the abundance of art. She loved art ever since she was a young girl, but she found out early enough that she didn’t have artistic talent. She chuckled softly wondering how the people around her would feel if they knew she was an engineering major. She looked at the younger women in the ballroom, and wondered what their aspirations were in this century. The realization of the whole thing of time travel was wild. She moved between people praying to find Sebastian. She was approached a couple more times by young men that asked her to dance, but she politely declined.

  Chapter 22

  SHE WAS TOTALLY ABSORBED in her thoughts as she stood in front of an amazing sculpture of Barthelemy Prieur. What would Barthelemy say if he knew how famous and important his work would become in the coming centuries? And how his work would inspire other great sculptors along the way? She knew that Prieur would inspire numerous famous sculptors.

  As she weaved through the crowd, she turned her gaze to the dance floor. Eva and Gabrielle seemed to be having an incredible time. Maybe I should have joined them, she thought, but she dismissed the idea almost immediately. Sebastian was her mission, and it was too important for her to get distracted. Lost in thought, she wondered aimlessly around the room. Suddenly a man’s voice and two strong arms brought her to an abrupt halt. She jerked her head up and found herself staring at a pair of stunning hazel eyes.

  “Êtes-vous bien?” the young man standing in front of her asked, studying her briefly.

  “Excusez-moi,” she stammered horrified, realizing that she nearly trampled over the man in her path.

  “C’est assez bien,” he replied.

  Arielle drew in a steadying breath and stared.

  “Etes-vous seule?” he asked politely, his mouth turning up slightly. He held her gaze like a magnet for a long moment.

  “Non, j’attends quelqu’un,” she said, finding her voice, letting him know that she was not alone.

  They carried on a polite conversation. After declining his invitation to dance, she made her way through the crowd again and came to a halt in front of a large painting. It was a magnificent piece by Pieter Bruegel, the elder. Pieter was one of her favorite Renaissance painters, known to be the greatest Flemish master of the sixteenth century. His paintings depicted remarkable landscapes and scenes from peasant life. She was staring at the magnificent painting, “Hunters in the Snow.” Very impressive, she thought.

  “Are you interested in fine art?” She heard a male voice right behind her. She spun around and came face to face with the same young man that had approached Gabrielle and herself earlier. He was standing mere inches away from her, watching her intently. His striking blue eyes held her gaze and she noticed the corners of his mouth kicking up. He looked astonishing in his sixteenth-century attire. His face was absolutely flawless. His body had a masculine beauty. His presence was familiar, but at the moment she couldn’t put her finger on the reason. She watched him with intense interest.

  “Are you interested in Bruegel’s work?” he asked, motioning toward the huge painting on the wall. His voice jolted her senses. It was so familiar, but the man standing in front of her was not.

  “Yes,” she replied. He smiled with pleasure. His eyes told her that he liked her appearance at least as much as the painting.

  “Are you ready to dance with me now?” he whispered, gently taking her hand in his.

  She was again taken aback by the sound of his voice. Her eyes searched his face carefully, and her mind reeled from the zillion thoughts in her head. She hesitated for several moments as she attempted to reach deep in her mind and discover the meaning of the man's familiarity but nothing came through. He searched her face inquisitively.

  “Do you feel all right?”

  She lowered her gaze and coughed lightly to clear her throat. There was something appealing about him. She momentarily forgot Sebastian, her new mission was to discover what was so bothersome about this man. “I’m fine, I was just startled.”

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. My name is Gaston Bertaud. May I have the next dance?” he asked again.

  “Yes, thank you,” she replied. He brought her hand to his mouth and pressed it softly with his lips. She shivered. He pulled her to the dance floor never taking his eyes off of her face.

  “So, you’re English,” he said softly.

  “Yes,” she replied.

  The lovely notes of a song filled the room as they reached the dance floor. He turned to face her. He was truly beautiful. She felt mildly uncomfortable when he put his right hand around her waist and pulled her closer. And there it was, the familiar voice, the utter beauty
, and now that memorable immortal scent. Icy fingers penetrated her skin reaching the core of her soul. Her mind whirled wildly, and a cold chill traveled down her spine making her recoil slightly. She was sure that he noticed.

  What in the world is going on? How can this be possible? We are in the sixteenth century, she thought. She felt him pressing her softly, making her look up at him.

  “Is there something wrong?”

  She took a deep breath and tried to steady her voice as she forced a smile.

  “I think I’m getting a cold,” she said with a trembling voice.

  “It does get quite cold in these large rooms.” He pulled her even closer, and leaning in, he whispered, “I will try to keep you warm.”

  Arielle was lost for words unable to understand what was happening to her.

  “What’s your name?”

  “Arielle,” she stammered, “Arielle Young.”

  “I don’t believe that we have ever met.”

  “No, we have not,” she replied firmly.

  “Where are you from Arielle Young?” he asked in a seductive voice.

  “Hampshire,” she replied as her thoughts ran wild. He had to belong to the secret society of immortals that Sebastian had talked about. He and Annabel had to belong to the same society. She remembered Sebastian telling her that the government was trying to seek out immortals and destroy them. How wild is this? How incredibly wild is this? She couldn’t wait to tell Eva and Gabrielle.

  “Are you here on a holiday?” His voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

  “We are here on a short holiday. My sister, Eva, received an invitation for the dance through a friend, and here we are,” she said, and laughed nervously, thinking that her story sounded fairly believable.

  “How long are you staying?”

  “Not long at all. We have been here for almost two weeks, and we are going home the day after tomorrow,” she said, trying to make her story sound convincing.