Black Orchid (22 page)

Key Concepts

Svatura
– Any person
with extraordinary powers. The term was coined by Ellie and Griffin’s
great-grandfather who lived with a group of gypsies. It is a Roma term.

Powers
– Primarily
powers are genetic, passed down through generations. But each new generation
has a slightly different take on the power(s) they inherit. Most Svatura marry
humans (there’s not a ton of Svatura out there) and so most offspring only
inherit one power. Multiple powers are unusual. Powers also kick in around
puberty and gaining perfect control over them takes time (centuries sometimes).
In addition, if a baby may inherit more than about three powers, usually that
results in twins, who split up the powers.

Aging
– Svatura age
at a slower pace. It kicks in around puberty and slows down exponentially for
the first thousand years and then slowly speeds back up. They can live as long
as two-thousand years.

Vyusher,
Timening, etc.
– Some tribes of Svatura people give themselves a more regional name. Vyusher
means wolf. Timening means jaguar.

Te’sorthene
– another Roma
term. In this series, it means fated souls bonded by heart and spirit.

Core Svatura
Family

Adelaide Jenner
–
Relationships: Hugh’s and Lucy’s daughter, Lila’s sister, Nate’s
te’sorthene
,
Alex’s adoptive sister. Powers: inherited - sees relationships between people;
received – telepathy, falcon morph, dragon morph, possible dream control and
power control.

Nate Pierce
–
Relationships: Charlotte’s and Dexter’s adoptive son, Adelaide’s
te’sorthene
,
Ramsey’s adoptive brother. Powers: super strength and speed. Feels a link to
Adelaide.

Lila Jenner
–
Relationships: Hugh’s and Lucy’s daughter, Adelaide’s sister, Ramsey’s
te’sorthene
,
Alex’s adoptive sister. Powers: inherited – sees when people are telling the
truth, senses and heals emotions; received – falcon morph, telepathy, dream
control, dragon morph.

Ramsey Pierce
–
Relationships: Charlotte’s and Dexter’s adoptive son, Lila’s
te’sorthene
,
Nate’s adoptive brother. Powers: firestarter. Feels a link to Lila.

Ellie Aubrey
Jenner
– Relationships: Descendent of the original Svatura/gypsy line and Svatura
Princess, Alex’s
te’sorthene
and wife, Griffin’s twin sister. Powers:
Metamorph forms include dragon, jaguar, wolf, and falcon (she gets more forms
when she touches other metamorphs), controls others’ powers if she’s touching
them, linked to her twin’s power of telepathy.

Alex Jenner
–
Relationships: Ellie’s
te’sorthene
and husband, Hugh’s and Lucy’s
adoptive son, Lila’s and Adelaide’s adoptive brother. Powers: freezes objects
(not into ice, but stopping motion).

Selene
–
Relationships: Queen of the Vyusher, Griffin’s
te’sorthene
, Gideon’s
twin sister. Powers: inherited - wolf metamorph, dream visitor, turns off
others’ powers (including hiding Svatura from trackers in small numbers),
enhances others’ powers around her; received – falcon morph, dragon morph,
telepathy.

Griffin Aubrey
–
Relationships: Descendent of the original Svatura/gypsy line and Svatura
Prince, Selene’s
te’sorthene
, Ellie’s twin brother. Powers: telepathy,
invisible shield (can be used both physically or to make himself invisible), linked
to his twin’s falcon morph, wolf morph. Feels a link to Selene.

Hugh and Lucy
Jenner
– Relationships: each other’s te’sorthene and spouse, Lila’s and Adelaide’s
parents, Alex’s adoptive parents. Powers: Lucy – senses the essence of a person
(good/bad) and tells if they’re Svatura, premonitions; Hugh – physical healing.

Charlotte and
Dexter Pierce
- Relationships: each other’s te’sorthene and spouse, Ramsey’s and Nate’s
adoptive parents. Powers: Charlotte – teleporter; Dexter – turns things to
metal (including gold).

Vyusher

Gideon
(deceased)
– Relationships: previous King of the Vyusher, Selene’s twin brother, Maddox’s
protégé. Powers: inherited – forces people to his will and makes them think it
was their idea; received – wolf metamorph.

Oren (deceased)
–
Relationships: Vyusher High Council member, Selene’s second father. Powers:
astral-projection.

Desmond
–
Relationships: Xavier’s son, Selene’s good friend. Maggie’s boyfriend? Powers:
invisibility.

Xavier
–
Relationships: Vyusher High Council member, Desmond’s father. Powers: moves the
castle to any location.

Maggie
– Relationships:
Sheila’s friend. Desmond’s girlfriend? Powers: projects sound and the wolf
pack’s thoughts.

Sheila
– Powers:
tracker, wolf morph.

Others
– Jason –
telekinetic who can crush, Darius – controls earth (dirt, rocks, etc.), Megan –
creates a vacuum, Angelica – soothing presence, Samuel – prophesy, Selene’s
parents - none.

Maddox’s Forces

Maddox
–
Relationships: The big bad. Gideon’s mentor and lieutenant. Powers: inherited -
dragon metamorph, dream control. Received – wolf metamorph.

Zara
–
Relationships: supposedly Maddox’s te’sorthene. Powers: unknown.

Corin
– Powers:
teleporter.

Talia
– Relationships:
Nate’s false te’sorthene. Powers: feels others’ emotions, emotional vampire and
brainwasher.

Melanie
– Powers: puts
people in stasis/coma with a touch.

Greasy Dave
– Power:
unknown

Others
(Unnamed):
lasso guy, strong guy.

Louisiana
Svatura

Marcus
(deceased)
– Relationships: Leader of his tribe, Lila’s friend. Powers: toxic gas.

Stephen
–
Relationships: Marcus’s lieutenant, Ariel’s love?. Powers: Creates steel bands.

Dane
– Powers:
inherited – bear metamorph; received – wolf metamorph.

Seamus
– Powers: inherited
– lava bombs; received – wolf metamorph.

Ariel
–
Relationships: Stephen’s love? Powers: inherited - nerve control (removed by
Selene); received – wolf metamorph.

Others Named
– James –
telepath, Beau – alligator metamorph, Sylvie – creates tornadoes.

Others Unnamed
– pink
bubble-gum blog maker, 2 tiger metamorphs.

Other Characters

Unnamed Timening
(Brazilian Svatura)
– the leader of the tribe, a woman, unnamed.

Gustavo
– Timening
(Brazilian Svatura) who buries people alive.

Unnamed Timening
(Brazilian Svatura)
– anaconda shifter.

Unnamed African
Svatura
– lioness shifter.

Unnamed Russian
Svatura
– freezes (ice) with a touch.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Dear Reader,

I
can’t believe that I’ve completed my first series! Thank you so much for trying
out a self-published author for four straight books. My readers are incredible
and very important to me. My readers’ encouragement and interest inspired me to
keep writing the Svatura series. I would also not be able to do this without my
editor - Wendy Schirmer, my cover artist - Jason Vines, and a host of helpers.
A huge THANK YOU and I LOVE YOU to my amazing husband and children who not only
support but encourage this obsession of mine.

I
loved every second of writing and publishing this book. I hope you enjoyed
exploring this little world I created that has been floating around in my head
for years. If you enjoyed this book, please look for future books in new series
coming soon.

If
you would like to contact me, feel free to go to any of my author sites. I love
to hear from my readers. Thanks again!

Sincerely,

Abigail Owen,
Author

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