Free Arielle Immortal Resolve (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 8) by Lilian Roberts Page B

home.
    ***
    Eva and Ian called on Sunday to let them know they were home.
    “How about coming over, we’d love to see you.” Ian’s voice was happy and relaxed.
    Sebastian and Arielle went over around 2:00 in the afternoon; Troy and Gabrielle were already there. Arielle was so pleased to see them back; she’d truly missed their friends.
    Eva and Ian’s happiness illuminated their beautiful faces. Arielle gazed at them and marveled at their presence. She was sure she would never get over their flawless immortal splendor. She was sure that beauty was the empire in which all immortals dwelled. She smiled with wonder.
    They’d brought wonderful gifts and the story behind them was even more incredible. Two wonderful, large, wooden bowls were called tanoa .
    “They’re hand-carved from a single piece of Vesi (hardwood) called Yaqona,” Eva explained. “Yaqona comes from the root of a pepper tree. In times long gone, the Yaqona was prepared by the young girls (virgins) of a village, who chewed pieces of the root into a pulpy mass before adding water. After water was added the gritty pieces were strained through a bundle of vegetable fiber, usually the shredded bark of the Vau tree.” Eva finished her story, her eyes glimmering.
    Gabrielle and Arielle were filled with wonder listening to the story behind these beautiful pieces of art. The three girls beamed with excitement. They were together again, and decided to take a walk out in the garden, talking nonstop. Gabrielle and Arielle wanted to know all about Eva’s honeymoon and look at the amazing photos of their trip. Eva went on and on about the wonderful time they spent in the amazing beach house they’d manifested in Nadi, a small island in Fiji, with serenity and the most beautiful beaches she’d ever seen.
    “How was the honeymoon?” Arielle asked, chuckling.
    “Unbelievable…” Eva replied with a long sigh, a sparkle in her eyes.
    “What do you mean?” Gabrielle grinned.
    “I mean that Ian and I will never have enough of each other. I could never explain to you in simple words how amazing is to be an immortal, how it’s changed our lives.”
    Gabrielle and Arielle knew that immortality would have to remain a mystery for them.
    “What else did you manifest?” Arielle asked, curious.
    “A yacht,” Eva replied in a very calm voice.
    “You manifested a yacht?” Arielle exclaimed.
    “Sure, why not?”
    “I guess no reason at all; I’m just so amazed how you do that.”
    “Well Sebastian and Troy can do the same thing so it’s nothing unusual for immortals. We were determined to visit some of the islands of Fiji and enjoy everything we could as long as we were there.”
    “Any encounters on the yacht?” Gabrielle asked in amusement looking at her intently. Her eyes glittered, lips quivered, as a wide smile made her face glow.
    “I never had encounters like that with Ian. It was almost like they were out-of-body experiences. The intensity, the desire, the wonder of it all was nothing I ever dreamed growing up.” She was smiling and gazing away, looking mesmerized. Arielle closed her eyes as the memories of her encounters with Sebastian rushed in. She felt a sting behind her eyes while intense sadness spread across every fiber of her body.
    “We’re really happy for you, Eva; the wedding was incredible and it sounds like your honeymoon was even more so.” Gabrielle’s voice made Arielle open her eyes and she saw Eva studying her intently. She knew her distraction didn’t escape Eva’s notice. She touched Arielle’s shoulder.
    “What’s up Arielle?” her gaze puzzled.
    “Bloody hell,” she muttered, grinding her teeth. She didn’t want to ruin the moment with her personal issues.
    “What’s going on?” Eva repeated and Arielle wished she had a bit more control over her emotions.
    “There’ve been a few snags in my relationship with Sebastian,” she said through clinched teeth.
    “Are you going to explain or do you plan to make