Free Arielle Immortal Quickening by Lilian Roberts

short period of time. Finally, he looked straight in Ian’s eyes and asked. “If you were presented by the choice of becoming an immortal like Sebastian and me or dying a human, which one would you choose?” Troy asked with a quivery voice. The straightforwardness of the question took all of them by surprise, but Ian was completely clueless as to where Troy was going with that question.
    “Well, that’s pretty easy to answer. I’d rather be alive than dead. I can’t imagine anyone would choose to die.” He stifled something like a snigger.
    Ian threw a glance between Troy and Sebastian and blinked. They were not laughing any longer, and their look had turned grave. Ian’s face fell, and his smile faded. “Why are we talking about immortality?”
    A stony silence fell between them. Then, Troy rose to his feet, straightening up to his full height, and held Ian’s gaze with his.
    “Ian, something happened during the accident, and it can’t be reversed now,” Troy said. His eyes were searching Ian’s contemplative face with agitation.
    “What? What happened?” Ian asked.
    Troy was obviously distressed as he pinched the tip of his nose again, something immortals did when they felt stress. He looked at Sebastian for encouragement. Sebastian smiled and motioned to go on. Ian was gazing between the two of them, not understanding what Troy was trying to tell him.
    This time, Troy’s voice came out soft but firm.
    “Ian, there is no easy way to say this.” He drew a sharp breath and continued, “The night of the accident, you and Eva — knocked on Death’s door.” Troy uttered the words with a clenched jaw.
    Ian looked at him, trying to grasp the meaning of the words. Suddenly, his body went rigid, and his mouth fell open. He gasped, unable to breath. Sebastian moved over and sat next to him, putting his hand on the younger man’s shoulder, trying to ease his stress. Fear and terror had spread across Ian’s face as his body started to quiver. His eyes blinked in quick succession before he hauled in a huge breath. He looked as if he had just watched the fall of the atomic bomb. He was reacting to the unknown like a trapped animal.
    He raked a hand through his blond hair and let out a low, throaty sound that evoked dread. Leaping to his feet he walked away from the table, keeping his eyes toward the ocean. His face had tightened with grief and terror at the same time. He remained absolutely unmoved for several long moments. Finally, he turned and held both Sebastian and Troy with a flat stare, then shook his head and coughed several times trying to find his voice. His eyes welled up with tears, something that made Sebastian and Troy quite sad. They knew that after tomorrow, when Ian’s transformation was complete, he would never be able to tear up again.
    “Oh, God! Oh, God!” Ian whispered. Troy propped his chin on his hand and glanced at Sebastian cautiously. They both remained silent, giving him time to grasp the fact that he and Eva had died. Ian walked back to the table. Dropping down on the bench, he covered his face with both hands and sobbed like a little boy, unable to stop. Sebastian and Troy remembered going through the exact same emotions and the exact same fear when they had discovered their new identities, centuries ago. They each pressed softly on Ian’s shoulders letting him know that they were both there. They were his friends and ready to support him with any questions he would now have. Ian was still sobbing quietly, trying to absorb what he had just been told.
    Finally looking up, he opened his mouth to say something, but he closed it again. He couldn’t get his voice passed the lump that was wedged in his throat, and he couldn’t get any air into his lungs. He remained silent, as fear clouded his eyes. His guts were reeling, and his heart sank into despair. Troy and Sebastian were startled by Ian’s high-pitched voice.
    “I’m an immortal?” He was still gasping for air.
    Troy drew