Darkness Rises(100)

Krysta frowned. “I’ve really come to hate that word.”
Seth shrugged. “Did it help you reach your decision more quickly?”
“Yes,” she grumbled, “but I still don’t like it.”
He smiled. “Ahhhh. She already sounds like an immortal.”
Étienne laughed. “We’re all a pain in your ass, aren’t we?”
“Just so. Now, if you will forgive me, I need to return to the battle before Friedrich is overrun.” He bowed. “Welcome to the family, Krysta. If you have any questions about the transformation, what will happen or how long it will take, I’m sure Dr. Lipton would be happy to answer them for you.”
“Thank you,” she said.
Étienne offered Seth his hand. “Yes. Thank you.”
Seth shook his hand and clapped him on the back, then vanished.
Étienne met Krysta’s gaze. “Looks like we have the go-ahead.”
She nodded. “I expected there to be more to it, too. I thought we’d have to plead our case or something.”
“Seth is an enigma.”
She tilted her head to one side. “Are you sure he’s an immortal?”
“Yes. Why?”
“His aura is different.”
“How so?”
Her gaze roved him. “Your aura is a combination of purple and white that swirls and mingles, but never blends.”
“Really? Is that different from vampires’ auras?”
She nodded. “Vampires’ auras are orange. Human auras vary according to health and mood. Auras of immortals and vampires don’t.”
“So how is Seth’s different?”
“There’s no purple. It’s just pure white. Almost blindingly white. It’s actually quite beautiful.”
Étienne frowned. “All immortals have purple in their auras except for Seth?”
“Yes.”
He pondered that a moment. He had never questioned it before. Seth had gifts like all of them. His eyes glowed when he was gripped by strong emotion like theirs did. He had fangs . . . didn’t he?
Now that he thought about it, Étienne couldn’t recall ever having seen any on the eldest immortal. “Does David’s aura contain purple?”
“Yes, but only a sliver. I thought he was like Seth at first, then saw the purple.”
“Perhaps it’s just an age thing.”
“I suppose so,” she conceded. “Roland has more white in his aura than you and Richart do.”
He relaxed. “That’s it, then. And, speaking of Roland, would you like me to go ahead and give him a call?”
“Yes, please.” She crossed to him and leaned into his side. “I still wish it could be you.”
He kissed her tempting lips. “Me, too.”
His call went straight to voice mail. “Roland, it’s Étienne. Give me a call when you receive this.” He started to put his phone away, then paused. “Let me try Sarah. Those two are rarely apart. Maybe Roland is just being his usual antisocial self and not answering because he doesn’t want to talk to anyone.” He dialed Sarah’s number.
“Hello?”
“Sarah?”
“Yes?”
“Hi. It’s Étienne.”
“Hi,” she said, with what sounded like false enthusiasm. “How’s it going?”
“Good. I’m trying to reach Roland. Is he there?”
“Um . . . no. He’s . . .” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “He’s avoiding you.”
“I can hear you,” Roland said in the background.
“Damn it!”
Étienne frowned. “Why is he avoiding me?”
“He’s thinks you’re going to ask him to transform Krysta.”
“I am going to ask him to transform Krysta.”
Roland’s voice came over the phone. “Not going to happen.”
The line went dead.
Swearing, Étienne dialed her number again.
“Hello?” Sarah answered innocently, as though she didn’t know who was calling.
“Put him on,” Étienne said.
Roland let loose a stream of epithets in the background.
“I’m . . . not going to repeat that,” Sarah said.
“You don’t have to,” Étienne told her. “Look, I know he’s antisocial, but—”
“It isn’t just that,” she said, lowering her voice.
“Then what?”
“He found out that . . .”
“What?” he prodded.
She sighed. “The guys on theimmortalguardians.com website are calling him The Transformer. Like the robots.”
More foul epithets from Roland. “I will not be disrespected!”
“I’m sure they don’t mean it as an insult,” Étienne lied. Roland wasn’t a favorite amongst immortals because of his . . . personality and his tendency to terrorize any Seconds sent to serve him, so any gossip that concerned him on the website tended to be unflattering.