Whirl (Ondine Quartet Book 1) by Emma Raveling Page B

turned
in a very different direction this time. Did he see what Jake and
the other guys here at the club tonight saw? Did he think I was
attractive? Did he want to touch me, kiss me?
    Suddenly I noticed that Tristan, standing
there with all that intense energy, was actually turning me on more
than Jake's rubbing and kissing action. A hot flush spread over
me…
    Holy shit! What was wrong with me?
    Embarrassed, I stopped. Whatever I thought I
saw earlier had winked out and Tristan's eyes were now filled with
anger and something else. Disappointment? Disapproval? His mouth
hardened and I almost flinched at the fierceness carved into his
face. He took a few steps, closing the distance between us.
    "What do you think you're doing?"
    I realized that Tristan's badass side I'd
admired so much when fighting against Aquidae was not quite so
pleasant when it was directed at me.
    "Having fun. Why? Do you want to join me?" I
tilted my head back. I was still a bit embarrassed, so I thought
I'd try blowing my way through his anger with attitude.
    "Do you have any idea how stupid your
behavior is?"
    "So I broke a few Lumiére rules. It's not
that big a deal."
    "It is a big deal! You're the sondaleur and you're behaving like a child!"
    "Please. Enough with that already." Anger
swiftly rose up and I welcomed it. It made me forget about my
strange reaction earlier.
    Besides, I was sick and tired of people
defining me by that word. And I really didn't like being called a
child.
    "How did you know I was here, anyway? Do you
have spies following me or something?"
    "We found you in Lyondale the same way any
Aquidae would. By following your magical energy." He shook his head
and took a step closer. His chest almost, but not quite, pressed up
to me. "Did you really think you could leave campus and we wouldn't
know about it? You're mocking everyone's efforts to help you!"
    "Oh, so that's what this is about. You
saved me from Aquidae, made some promise to my mother and
grandmother, and suddenly your macho male pride thinks everything I
do is your responsibility." My voice turned taunting. "Sorry,
gardinel. All of you may try to force me to be the kind of ondine
you want. But in my personal life, I'm free to choose what I want
to do."
    "Stop calling me gardinel."
    "Stop calling me sondaleur , Your
Highness."
    He shot me an exasperated look.
    "This has nothing to do with me or my
responsibilities. It has to do with yours. Do you have any idea how
much danger you're in out here like this? How much danger you've
put your friends in?"
    I hadn't thought of that. If Aquidae had
found us tonight, did I really think I could protect the three of
us? Not likely, considering how I fared against them in San
Aurelio. I would've given it everything I had, but it wouldn't have
been enough.
    I'd forgotten that once I turned seventeen, I
became a walking target. My magical energy glowed around me like
some bizarre beacon and according to the Aquidae who tried to
kidnap me, it was brighter than most ondines.
    My thoughts turned to Aubrey and Chloe and I
faltered. Not only because Tristan was right about endangering
them, but because I suddenly felt…ashamed. It was one thing to be
reckless with my own safety, but to gamble with theirs was wrong.
They had no idea what Aquidae were capable of. But I did.
    Tristan's words made me feel small and
stupid, and I didn't like seeing the disappointment on his face.
Something deflated inside me. The full effects of the alcohol I'd
consumed and the weight of the risk I'd taken tonight gushed over
my body in a dizzying wave.
    "It's easy for you. You're a prince and Chief
Gardinel. You know what to do. You deal with that kind of stuff all
the time." I blinked, trying to ignore the broken feeling inside
me. "But I'm not like you. I can't always do what's right or
what…what everyone expects from me. I want to live my life the way
I want to."
    Tristan's eyes softened slightly, though his
voice didn't. "Nothing is ever easy, Kendra.