Whirl (Ondine Quartet Book 1) by Emma Raveling Read Free Book Online Page A

human education. I'd never
been academically brilliant, but my first day at Lumiére made me
realize how little I really knew about the elemental world.
    It didn't help that my Virtue didn't work. In
human schools, I relied on it to sense what other students felt
toward me. But since my magic didn't work on elementals, I'd had to
suffer through stares and whispers like any normal person.
    I arrived at Ondine Magical History a little
early and joined Chloe and Aubrey at the back of the room.
    "Thank God this is the last class," I
muttered. "Now I just have to get through that stupid dinner
tonight."
    A meal with the uptight governor was not on
my list of fun things to do.
    "Guess we'll be suffering through it with
you, then." Chloe laughed.
    "You're going?"
    "Chloe's parents got invited and my aunt and
uncle somehow managed to weasel an invite." Aubrey rolled her eyes.
"So we'll both be there."
    Suddenly, the dinner didn't seem so
horrible.
    "It won't be fun. But it's all about playing
the game right. All you have to do is smile a lot and not say
anything. You should get through it just fine," Chloe reassured
me.
    I groaned. "That's impossible."
    Aubrey smirked. "Listen, speaking of real fun
—" She glanced around the room, making sure we wouldn't be
overheard.
    "Thought it'd be nice to have a girls' night
out in Lyondale tomorrow. Kind of like welcoming you to town."
    Now we were talking. "What'd you have in
mind?"
    "We were thinking of hitting Axis, a new club
that just opened. Good drinks, hot human guys, sexy music, some
dancing." She closed her eyes in bliss.
    Chloe nodded. "We'll meet up in my room after
dinner tomorrow. Aubrey has all the details worked out."
    The good-looking Redavi demillir I saw in the
cafeteria yesterday walked in with two buddies and settled in seats
near the front.
    "Who's the hottie?" I murmured.
    "Dylan Rosamund." I was surprised to hear the
anger in Chloe's voice.
    Aubrey snorted. "That asshole is a walking
nympho. Tries to nail anything that moves."
    The hungry way Dylan watched the ondines in
the class reminded me of a predator. His arrogant eyes swept over
chests and butts as he laughed with his friends. Irritation spiked
inside me when I overheard a few of their derogatory comments.
    Amber and her group of doll robots entered
and immediately latched on to Dylan's group. Disgusted, I wondered
if she had any self-respect.
    Ms. Broussard came in and clapped her hands.
With dull, black hair pulled back into a tight bun, a long,
hook-like nose and beady eyes, she gave off the appearance of a
vulture.
    "Today we'll be discussing the development of
Virtues and elemental magic among ondines," she said in an austere
voice.
    "When dessondines first created the ondine
race, they selected eight families to rule. These families became
the first Redavi. The dessondines gifted the Redavi with eight
magical traits to help them with the new challenges of living above
water. These Virtues continue to pass through the bloodlines of
Redavi."
    Broussard's eyes swept the classroom. "Who
can name the eight Virtues? Ms. Rossay?"
    "Clairvoyance, Kinesis, Projection, Healing,
Cloaking, Empath, Teleportation, and Transmutation."
    A few rows ahead, Amber whispered to an
ondine seated in front of her.
    "Ms. Blanchard," Broussard barked and Amber
jumped. "Please explain the difference between Virtues and ondine
elemental magic."
    Amber straightened in her seat. "Because
Virtues are such powerful talents, the dessondines decided that
ondines born with them would not be gifted with elemental
magic."
    "And why not?"
    "Because the Redavi would become too
powerful," Amber answered, a tone of resentment in her saccharine
voice. "Ondines without Virtues were born with elemental magic. It
provides the ability to produce, control, and harness water in its
different forms."
    Broussard gave a curt nod. "Correct.
Elemental magic is significantly weaker than the power of Virtue
and is primarily used to maintain the water balance