Arielle Immortal Journey (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 5)

by Lilian Roberts

  Once Brandon was at a safe distance, Arielle swirled to face Eva. “Good Lord! Sebastian’s brothers want to see us again tomorrow!” Arielle said, completely out of breath. “I told Anton that we’ll be doing some shopping, and it might be a little difficult to return tomorrow.”

  Eva had a wonderful smile on her face. “Don’t worry Arielle, we have ample time,” she said. “I am having a great time, aren’t you?”

  “Yes! It’s amazing,” Gabrielle chimed in. “I wouldn’t trade this experience for all the money in the world.” She laughed. Gabrielle’s attention shifted from Eva to Arielle. “Marcus asked for us to do some horseback riding with his family tomorrow.” Gabrielle’s gaze roamed over Arielle’s face. “What do you say, Arielle?”

  Eva chuckled, and Arielle gazed at Gabby totally stunned. “Well, when will we ever get the chance again to ride in the sixteenth century?” She sounded so excited that Arielle tried not to say anything to spoil her pleasure, so she just smiled tightly.

  “I’m going to move around and look for Sebastian,” Arielle said eagerly. “I know that you’ll have no problem in getting some of these gorgeous guys to dance with you and…oops! Here they come now, so I am leaving.” Arielle started to walk away as she saw a couple of guys approaching Eva and Gabby with wide smiles spread across their handsome faces. Gabrielle reached over and grabbed Arielle’s wrist, turning her back around.

  “What do you think about horseback riding tomorrow? You ride well, Arielle, Please do this for me.” Her voice was full of eagerness, and Arielle couldn’t help but give in.

  “Don’t worry, Gabby. Riding will be fine with me. I’m still a little afraid of horses, but I can hold my own thanks to Sebastian. I’m not going to ruin your pleasure.”

  She saw a grateful look in Gabby’s eyes as she released her wrist. Arielle laughed thinking about Gabby’s obsession with horses. It was but a short moment and then both Gabrielle and Eva were on the dance floor.

  Arielle scanned the room filled with women in fabulous silk gowns and handsome men dressed in their attractive attire. An outlandish feeling that she had been pulled through the telly screen while watching a period film overtook her. She trembled at the thought. What an extraordinary sensation! The huge band was creating the most incredible music. Despite the soothing music and beautiful costumes, Arielle could not control her deep longing to see that one special face. She searched the crowd desperately, but she couldn’t find Sebastian.

  Chapter 25

  “BEAUTIFUL GIRLS LIKE YOU should be on the dance floor, not standing alone.” The soft musical voice caressing her ear was extremely familiar. Her body shivered with desire and a smile spread across her face. She spun around ready to get lost into Sebastian’s emerald eyes and froze in place. Her smile slowly faded away when her eyes locked with the striking blue eyes and the flawless face belonging to Gaston. He moved closer and everything about his immortality poured over her. He was determined to compel her, using every bit of his immortal power. His gaze was intent, and his eyes pierced right through to her core. Hot waves washed over every pore of her skin, touching every nerve. She couldn’t understand the undeniable attraction to him. Their eyes were still locked, and she shivered. His eyes pulled at her like a forceful magnet, gravitating her into his arms. He pulled her close and she moved into him with pleasure. Their eyes were still engaged and he had a triumphant look on his face.

  “I asked you to save a couple more dances for me, and I’m going to make sure that you keep your promise.” He watched her carefully with a self-satisfied smile on his face. She breathed in his splendid immortal scent and momentarily forgot about Sebastian.

  Arielle mesmerized Gaston, and he was determined to use every power he possessed to keep her interested in him and him alone. He sensed a special passion in Arielle’s incredible sapphire eyes, and he craved to direct some of that passion toward himself. He moved her away from the dance floor, and out the balcony door to the terrace. He leaned down and brushed his lips against her ear. “I missed you while you were touring the house with the Gaulle brothers.”

  Compelled and unaware of her actions, she welcomed his touch. They continued to walk toward the end of the terrace where they were alone in the dark. He pulled her closer into his arms, and she looked up toward the sky. Gaston didn’t want her to look away. He knew that if enough time passed she would be free of his compulsion, so he cupped her chin with his hand and lowered her face until their gaze locked once again. He sent another large dose of persuasiveness into her. He could see her react to him as desire spread across her body. She appeared ready for him. He bent down and pressed his lips hungrily on hers.

  “You taste delicious,” he murmured, and squeezed her tighter. His kiss didn’t appear to arouse her, but his compulsion made sure that she would be reception to him kissing her again.

  “Did you like the house?” he asked.

  “It’s quite beautiful,” she replied as if in a haze.

  Gaston was unable to explain Arielle’s appeal, but he knew that by using his immortal power he could have this gorgeous girl to himself. There was something about Arielle that made him feel complete. He had never experienced this kind of feeling with another girl, and Lord knows there had been many.

  “Yes, it is quite beautiful. I spend a lot of time here. Anton and Marcus’s younger brother, Sebastian, is my best friend.”

  “Is he now?” she asked mechanically, unable to think straight because of the effects of his compulsion.

  “Yes, we are great competitors in just about everything we do,” he said, and laughed joyfully. Lost in his own thoughts, he didn’t notice that Arielle had turned her gaze away and was coming out of her fog slowly until she asked, “What do you mean?”

  He quickly found her eyes again. “It’s a silly game that Sebastian and I play all the time. We started when we were very young, and it has now grown to bigger and better things.”

  “What kind of game?” she asked.

  “The game is very interesting, and sometimes there are large wagers at stake. I place a bet that I can take something that he has, and he bets that he can take away from me something that I have.” He took a couple deep breaths, and brushed the back of his hand softly against her cheek. Arielle remained still. He chuckled between the words of his next statement. “Girls are the best game of all,” he said, smiling sinfully.

  A tense silence hung in the air as she regarded him in disbelief. She appeared to be coming out of her haze and refused to meet his eyes.

  “I think that’s appalling! Betting on human beings doesn’t say much about your character or Sebastian’s,” she said with a choked voice. She turned on her heels and tried to pull away, but he held her to him, and tried to catch her eyes.

  “I’m only joking, Arielle,” he said, amused. “I only wanted to see your reaction,” he added, but she remained silent.

  Arielle shuddered from the awareness that she had been compelled. Sebastian was the only man who was allowed to kiss her the way Gaston had just kissed her.

  “There is one thing I’m very sure of,” he said. The smile dropped from his face, and his voice was no longer velvety soft. Her resolve faltered knowing the powers of an immortal. A strong dose of panic rushed in like bile, and she wavered.

  “Sebastian will never have a shot with you. I found you first, and I’m going to keep you. There’ll be no bargains and no negotiations when it comes to you.” Gaston cupped her chin again and forced her eyes to meet his gaze. She tried to pull away, but his grip was firm and soon she was under his immortal power. He looked excited, eager, and pulling her closer he bent down and covered her lips with intensity. She did respond to his kiss, but only because he was compelling her to participate. She shut her eyes, and remained silent. Slowly, she began to regain her faculties again. She let her mind whirl frantically trying to find a way to escape this immortal’s command. God, what is happening to me? She was looking for someone to help her out of this incredible situation, and the
answer to her prayer came in Eva’s warm voice.

  “Arielle, can I see you for a moment?” She spun around still in Gaston’s arms, and faced Eva with a wild look in her eyes. Relief surged through her veins, and she swallowed hard. Eva had walked outside looking for her.

  Arielle saw Eva dismiss her wild look and smile at Gaston. “Please excuse my sister for a moment, I need to talk with her.”

  Gaston bit back a reply and smiled politely, letting her go. She walked away without looking back. Eva pulled her through the doors and together they crossed the dance floor to the other side of the room. Arielle let out a loud sigh as tears welled up.

  “What is it? I felt your anxiety,” Eva said, voice full of concern.

  “Eva, I couldn’t resist Gaston,” she said. She felt frightened. “He compelled me to feel unbelievable desire for him. I wanted him to kiss me, and I was longing for him to hold me, and tell me that I was the only girl he wanted to be with.” She gasped for air as she was realizing that his strong hold on her had turned her emotions upside down. “But the most disturbing part of it all is that I almost forgot completely about Sebastian until Gaston brought his name up, and even then the sound of his name didn’t stir any passion at all.” Her heart raced and she felt horrified realizing that Gaston could make her forget the man that she was hopelessly in love with, the man she was planning to marry next year. She held Eva’s hand and looked at her with deep appreciation for breaking Gaston’s concentration in willing her to his desires.

  “What am I going to do if he comes back for me?” She was having a hard time breathing knowing that she was dealing with an immortal. Eva put her arms around her.

  “Arielle, Gaston is not going to do anything that will reveal his true identity,” she whispered in her ear. “Remember that in this century the immortals are being hunted down and killed. He would never take a chance by creating problems for you. Don’t be afraid just be careful, and don’t—look—straight—into—his eyes. An immortal’s willpower can’t affect anyone unless their eyes are engaged for a reasonable amount of time.” Eva gave Arielle a reassuring smile. Arielle pressed her hand one more time in appreciation. They talked for a little while longer. Arielle was coming back to her old happy self as she remembered her reason for attending this gala. Her quest was to see Sebastian as a mortal.

  Eva and Arielle scanned the dance floor once again and saw Gabrielle dancing. Brandon was back with a drink and they were engaged in a joyful conversation together. Arielle was looking around desperately to catch a glimpse of Sebastian. They were standing next to a group of young girls who appeared to be in their late teens. They were totally animated, giggling, and whispering to each other. Eva leaned close to Arielle and said, “They seem to act exactly like we behaved during our own parties.” Arielle laughed and nodded in agreement.

  “I guess it makes no difference what century you live in, young girls will always act the same way,” Arielle whispered.

  They were still discussing their activities when suddenly the whispering and giggling stopped. Silence fell among the young group followed by soft murmurs. Eva, Arielle, and Brandon averted their gaze to the group wondering what drew the chattering to a stony silence. They noticed that their eyes were focused toward one of the balcony doors, and soon enough the whispering and the low giggling started again. Eva and Arielle followed their gaze and Arielle fell speechless. A roaring wave of passion and desire hit her. All she wanted was the man that stood in front of that balcony door. Sebastian wasn’t alone, two young beautiful women were standing on either side of him, and his arms were wrapped around their waists, holding them tightly against his amazing body. He was stunningly beautiful. His white shirt was of crisp silk that was gathered in the front and pinned with a spectacular broach. His black, narrow jacket hugged his muscular body like a glove. His cuffs and the neck opening were edged with a single row of silk stitch and silk buttonholes. His pants molded to his muscled thighs and disappeared into knee high, black buckskins. He was faultless, and for Arielle time stood still.

  Her thoughts seized and sensation coursed through her skin like fire. After a long, painful moment she realized that she had stopped breathing all together. She dragged a huge breath and used every piece of strength she possessed to stop herself from running and falling into his arms.

  Sebastian seemed to only have eyes for the girls that were hanging off of his arms. He remained still for a few seconds more as he took inventory of the huge ballroom. He bent down and kissed one of the two girls, and then he whispered something in her ear that made her blush. He then let her go, and pulled the other to the dance floor. He encircled her with his arms, and pulled her as close to him as her gown would allow. She was a very beautiful girl with long blond hair. Sebastian stood much taller than she, but she kept looking up into his eyes and Arielle could see her lips moving. Sebastian held that amazing smile on his face and somewhere in the middle of the dance they locked lips. Arielle stiffened. She was consumed by jealousy and a stormy sensation of rage. Her heart started to hammer in her chest. She bit her lower lip so hard that she felt excruciating pain, and she let out a low cry making Brandon turn and look at her. She avoided his gaze, terrified that her eyes would reveal her emotions.

  “Are you all right?” he asked.

  “Yes, sorry,” she said nervously. Eva noticed and drew Brandon into a conversation to cover for Arielle. Sebastian was unaware of her existence, and she couldn’t possibly expect him to do anything to make her anxiety go away. He moved to the music, and whatever he was whispering into the girl’s ear kept her giggling. Arielle stood alone watching the silly girl move into him with obvious pleasure. She dragged a long, anxious breath and her lips twitched. Oh, my God, Arielle thought. I never realized how much this was going to hurt. The pressure under her skin was building up, and she kept swallowing hard while fighting the heaving sensation that choked her. Her heartbeat picked up and she could hear the roaring of the blood rushing through her veins. I’m not going to make it, she thought. She closed her eyes and felt the sting behind her eyelids. Oh no! Oh no! God, please don’t let me fall apart, don’t let me cry.

  “Arielle, what’s wrong?”

  Arielle’s eyes flew open and she came face to face with Gabrielle. “What is it? You look absolutely horrible.”

  Arielle pointed toward the dance floor where Sebastian and the blond hair girl seemed to have eyes only for each other. Gabby’s eyes went wide, and then turning back she pulled Arielle closer. She took her hands and pressed them softly. Arielle heard her think that she could only imagine how her friend felt. It would rip her heart out if Troy were the guy on the dance floor.

  “Arielle, this is not the Sebastian you know. Can you try and separate the two different men in your head?”

  “I’m trying,” she groaned, pursing her lips together.

  “Well, you’re doing a bloody lousy job,” Gabby whispered.

  Arielle blinked because her statement was absolutely true. She opened her mouth to say something, but she closed it because Gabby was on a roll.

  “You don’t exist in this century, Arielle. He hasn’t met you. He doesn’t know you. And he’s a man, a gorgeous man at that. So, what do you bloody expect from him? Do you expect him to move through the next five hundred years without a woman until he meets you?”

  Arielle winced at Gabby’s words. “Are you trying to comfort me? Or make fun of me?” she asked, a bit shocked.

  “I love you, Arielle, I am trying to tell you that you are the only person here that can change the direction of your thoughts and enjoy your time.”

  Arielle nodded again and forced a smile. Gabrielle draped her arm around Arielle’s shoulders. Leaning even closer, she whispered, “It is the bloody sixteenth century, Arielle, that’s pretty incredible you must admit.”

  Arielle nodded in agreement. She needed to rein in her thoughts and enjoy her birthday gift with her best friends. Looking up at Gabby she smiled softly. “I’m okay now, Gabby. I will
try.”

  They walked back to where Eva and Brandon were still talking and joined in the conversation. Arielle’s gaze drifted over to the dance floor once again, and her mind wandered aimlessly. She couldn’t see much difference between the man she was looking at right now and the man that was waiting for her back home. He was beautiful, tall, and had an amazing body. His facial features were flawless, and his sandy hair was attractively ruffled. He had a boyish kind of look she thought as she watched him try to brush his hair out of his eyes unsuccessfully. She wasn’t close enough to see his eyes, but she was sure they were the most beautiful emerald color in the whole world. He was absolutely perfect.

  Oh, my God, she thought. I loved him deeply, and that’s the reason this is such an excruciatingly painful experience. It was hard to avert her gaze from him. Her jealousy increased, and she swallowed back the bitter taste in her mouth. She was startled as strong fingers wrapped around her wrist.

  “Are you looking for me?” she heard Gaston’s voice again. She looked back at him but avoided meeting his gaze. There was a strong sexual undertone in his voice. He pulled her into his arms and she recoiled. Arielle thought that Gaston was stunning, and if Sebastian weren’t the only man in her life, she would be thrilled to be in his arms. Her concern was the fact that he was an immortal and she knew the powers he possessed. It was apparent to her that Gaston was after something but what? She looked away from his gaze, refusing to make direct contact. He pulled her to the dance floor and she followed. She wanted to be close to where Sebastian was dancing. Soon enough, Gaston’s cheek was brushing against hers. The amazing smell of his immortal scent made her miss Sebastian even more. The thought made her bite her lower lip hard enough that she got a faint taste of blood.