Whirl (Ondine Quartet Book 1) (35 page)

Finally, I crawled out of bed and made my way
to the bathroom. After scrubbing my face clean, I studied my
reflection in the mirror. Eyes, ringed with dark shadows, were
puffy from lack of sleep. Cheeks hollowed and the angles of my face
sharpened from recent weight loss.

I hated what I saw.

Weakness. Vulnerability. Pain.

It was unacceptable.

I don't know how long I stood there. But by
the time I pulled my hair back into a ponytail, put on clean
clothes, and walked purposefully out of the dorm, I no longer
looked like a pale zombie.

Something inside me had hardened, the ache
settling like a heavy concrete slab beneath my chest. It was better
than that empty vacuum I'd felt last night. Now it was just a clean
emotion that came from undeniable, rational understanding.

Never again
.

My mother. Ryder. Tristan. I was alone for a
reason.

I was the
sondaleur
. And I had a job
to do.

Tilting my chin up, I strode into the mat
room.

Julian was already waiting, his eyes
gleaming.

Time to work.

Terminology

Aquidae
: Demons formed from the black
blood of the Shadow. Supernaturally fast and strong, they have no
soul. Their mission is to destroy the balance of the Elemental
world, turning everything into darkness, violence, and chaos.

Chevalier
: The knights of the water
elemental world. Comprised of demillirs, the chevalier corps
patrols for Aquidae, taking out any cells they may find. Besides
protection and patrol, their duties center around the justice
system, thus making their function similar to human police
officers. Chevaliers also act as a back-up and support group to the
work of the gardinels.

Demillirs
: Half-human, half-ondine
males. Although they don't have Virtue or elemental magic, most
non-Redavi demillirs serve as chevaliers because they possess
extra-human speed and strength. Demillirs can either be born (a
male born of an ondine and demillir) or can be created. When a
fully human male mates with an ondine, the bonding process infuses
him with ondine magic, turning him into a demillir.

Dessondine
: Ancestors of the ondines
and one of the oldest and powerful water elemental races (like the
selkies). They live immortally underwater, and Jourdain, their High
Priestess, is credited as being the God-like magical creature who
first created the ondine race.

Elemental Magic
: All ondines, who are
not Redavi first borns, possess this type of water magic. It gives
them control over the creation, movement, and transformation of
water in all its forms.

Essence
: A particularly pure brand of
energy and magic resulting from the combination of ondine,
dessondine, demillir, and selkie blood.

Four Elementals:
The Four Elements
that magically work together to protect and maintain the balance of
the Earth: Fire, Earth, Water, Air. Each elemental world has many
races and complex societies that support it.

Gardinel
: A selkie warrior, trained to
protect dessondines and ondines both on land and in water. They
work protective and military duty, much like the military and
secret service.

Kouperet
: Silver blade infused with
Essence. The only weapon effective in killing Aquidae.

Marquis
: Official title of a Redavi
demillir

Marquisa
: Official title of a Redavi
ondine

Origin scar
: Distinguishing mark of
the Aquidae. It is the one vulnerable spot through which they can
be killed with a
kouperet
. It is the location where they are
first turned, when their mortal blood is replaced with the black
demonic ichor of the Shadow.

Pedaillon
: The pendant selkies wear
that allow them to shape-shift. It contains their selkie skin while
they are in human form.

Redavi
: Equivilent to ondine nobility.
Descendants of the first eight families of the ondine race, the
Redavi were gifted with the magic of Virtue. Their magical
bloodlines are the strongest within the ondine race.

Rogue
: Ondines or demillirs who have
left water elemental communities to live among humans in the
regular world. Once Rogue, they do not have to abide by the laws
and customs of elementals, and they are also without protection
from gardinels or chevaliers.

Selkies
: Shape-shifting warrior race
that makes up one-fourth of the quadrangle of power that governs
the water elemental world. Their physical strength and speed,
combined with their ability to shape-shift between human and seal
forms, allow them to protect and fight both on land and in
water.

The
Shadow
: The legendary
leader and creator of the Aquidae. Many don't believe he is real
and no one knows what he looks like. He is assumed to take mortal
form in order to manage the structure and day to day dealings of
running the Aquidae. He's of unknowable strength and power, with a
dark magic that rivals all of the elemental world.

Sondaleur
: The chosen one, prophesized
for many years as the ondine who would finally defeat the Shadow
and end the war with the Aquidae.

Virtue
: A particularly strong gift of
magic that the first born Redavi ondines are born with. There are
eight Virtues: Clairvoyance, Kinesis, Projection, Healing,
Cloaking, Empath, Teleportation, and Transmutation.

Warden Pairs
: A strong ondine and
demillir couple who enforce the magical wards that surround an
ondine community. There are always four Warden Pairs for each
community, one for each point on the compass. The magic wards are
tied to the bond between the couple, as well as the life force of
the ondine.

Acknowledgements

First and foremost, I'd like to thank my
husband for his never-ending support, and his wonderful
cheerleading as I marched through this process. Love and hugs to my
dog for being sweet and patient when my writing cut into our walks
and play time together. Thanks to my mother who provided daily
support over the phone and a big thank you to my brother for never
questioning my ability to see this through.

Special thanks also goes to my editor, Lisa
Hazard, for helping to improve this story.

And lastly, I'd like to thank you, the
Reader, for taking the time to be a participant in the world I
created. Written words do not come to life until they are read, and
you have made this dream come alive for me.

About the Author

Emma Raveling is a fantasy author who leads a
slightly eccentric life traveling throughout the world with her
accommodating husband and charming, neurotic dog. She is currently
busy at work writing Billow, the second book of the Ondine Quartet
series.

Whirl is her debut book.

You can connect with Emma online at:

- Her website:
http://emmaraveling.com

- Her blog:
http://writingventures.com

- Twitter:
http://twitter.com/emmaraveling

- Facebook:
http://facebook.com/emmaraveling

Ondine Quartet Series

If you enjoyed Whirl, you'll love

Billow

the second book in the Ondine Quartet
series.

Sign up here to join Emma's mailing list and
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Be sure to also check out the official site
of the Ondine world:

http://www.ondinequartet.com