Free Arielle Immortal Quickening by Lilian Roberts Page A

a deep breath. “Yes. Well, by tomorrow you’ll be just like Sebastian and me.”
    Ian was now completely alert, and he was starting to understand that he was in fact going to be an immortal, and there were no mismatches between perception and reality.
    Forty-five minutes passed before Ian quieted down, but he had not lifted his head up to look at either one of his immortal friends.
    “Ian, how are you feeling, buddy?” Troy asked in a soft voice, filled with despondency. Ian finally raised his head and stared directly into Troy’s eyes, clearly sad.
    “Ian, you have to understand that I couldn’t let you or Eva die. I’m fond of you, and you both mean a lot to the rest of us. I’m tired of losing people I care about,” Troy’s voice was clearly stressed.
    “Now what do I do?” Ian’s shaky voice sounded desperate.
    “You don’t have to do anything,” Sebastian said. “There will be some changes that will become quite evident to you and Eva by tomorrow evening. Troy and I think that you and Eva need to go somewhere for a little while, like a vacation, to avoid questions from people around you.”
    “What kind of changes? What kind of questions?” Ian asked clearly shocked.
    “Ian,” Sebastian began calmly, “your bruises, the scratches, and the cuts will disappear overnight. Your arm and Eva’s leg will heal, and you will have no need for the casts. You can keep the cast on, and nobody will know you’ve been healed. However, you can’t disguise the fact that your bruises will disappear. And those are some bad bruises. It’ll become utterly obvious to everyone around you that something is going on.”
    Ian remained silent, pondering Sebastian’s words in his mind. “What else?”
    “Your appetite will change. You can eat anything you want to keep the human façade. However, regular food will not be enough to sustain your body’s required energy,” Troy added.
    “I don’t understand. What are you implying?” Ian asked totally surprised.
    “Salve is what immortals drink to sustain their energy. Using salve will give you what you need to function just like the humans around you. They will never know that you are different from them.”
    “I know you guys drink salve. Does it taste awful? How often do I have to drink it?”
    “It does have an inimitable taste but it is quite tasty. You will need salve when you feel tired. Human food will not satisfy your hunger, and water will not satisfy your thirst. Salve will be what your body will desire, and what will sustain your strength.”
    Ian kept taking deep breathes, eyes wide-open, full of tension and incredulity.
    “I’m scared to ask, but I need to know details.”
    “Your looks might change a little, but not by much. Fear will have no part in your mind. You’ll be stronger than any human around you. You’ll possess extreme speed and will have the ability to heal yourself from any type of injury. You’ll never get sick, and you’ll never die. By tomorrow evening, your transformation will be complete, and you’ll be an immortal. Your powers will be incredible. You’ll be healthy in body and mind and will belong to the immortal world. We all belong to a secret immortal society that demands the highest moral and ethical standards among us.” Sebastian stated in a matter of fact voice.
    “Remember, Ian,” Troy whispered, “the woman that you love and are going to marry will be exactly like you by tomorrow evening. You’ll never have to see her get sick, get older, or die. You’ll now have the chance to love each other for eternity.”
    “Oh…my… God… Eva! I forgot all about Eva… What is she going to say? She’ll be horrified,” Ian shrieked, totally distressed.
    “Well, Ian, we thought that the best thing to do would be to tell Arielle first. She’ll help and support Eva when we talked to her. They are best friends, and they have shared a lot together,” Sebastian said.
    “Ian, this has to be done by tomorrow’s