Read Online Edge of Moonlight by Stephanie Julian - Free Book Online Page A

gaze snapped to Kaine and her guilt was so easy to read. “Why?”
    “Tinia’s teat, the girl’s pulling some serious power,” the boy said. “We’ve got to shut her down or she’s going to blow the roof off this place.”
    “I know.” Kaine’s voice was barely a whisper. “I don’t know what I did.”
    “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here.” The boy walked over to him, his smile easygoing. “Hey, John. Everything’s gonna be okay.”
    Evie burrowed closer to him as the pain in his head threatened to crack his skull open.
    Then everything went dark.
    * * * * *
    John and Evie went out like someone had pulled their plugs.
    As John’s arms loosened around his sister, Sal caught her before she fell off John’s lap and hit the floor.
    Evie already had a bruise on her chin from where Kaine had knocked her out.
    John would hate her for that. Hell, he’d hate her for a lot more than that.
    He’d slept with a monster. And if the streghe had to lift the spell masking his memories of everything that had happened, he’d know that.
    And he’d despise her.
    “Kaine, we don’t have time for you to fall apart right now.” Sal’s sharp tone snapped her to attention as he set Evie on the couch next to John.
    He’d released his glamour and the cap, the clothes, were all gone now. His hooves made little indentations in the carpet as he moved to stand in front of her.
    “The girl needs help right away,” Sal said. “I’m afraid she’s going to have permanent physical damage if we don’t do something.”
    And that was Kaine’s fault. She’d been so selfish. “Then do it. John will be devastated if something happens to her.”
    Sal nodded as his gaze sharpened on hers. “Before we go back to the streghe with them, I’m going to hit up Amity for help.” Sal stepped away from the couch to an open spot on the floor. “I put them out pretty hard. They shouldn’t wake before I return.” Kaine nodded, shameful grief and guilt making her stomach roll. If John woke, she’d take whatever he dished out.
    “Kaine!” Sal’s sharp tone bit at her and she felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes.
    “I know what you’re thinking. Just don’t. At least not yet. You need to suck it up and deal until I get back, sicari . Understood?”
    Her back straightened at Sal’s deliberate use of her rank. Yes, she understood. It didn’t matter that she couldn’t shift, or that she was something other than she’d always understood herself to be. She was still sicari and that would get her through.
    “Go,” she said. “Get Amity. I’ll be fine.”
    After another hard look into her eyes, Sal nodded. Then he closed his eyes and disappeared.
    For several seconds, she just stood there, staring at the spot Sal had been standing in only seconds ago.
    Then with a deep breath she turned to look at John. Her breath left her in a rush when she found him unconscious still.
    Thank the Blessed Mother Goddess for small favors.
    The man had the will of a bear. He’d broken through her sleeping spell earlier.
    Granted, she hadn’t made the simple spell too powerful. She’d only wanted enough time to slip out of bed and out of the house. It should have kept him out for several hours at least.
    But he’d fought through it somehow.
    Maybe the spell had failed because she was different now. Maybe none of her magic would work the same as it had before.
    Maybe…she just wasn’t ever going to be the same.
    Tears threatened again and, even though she knew John couldn’t see, she couldn’t cry in front of him. She refused to cry in front of him.
    She forced her feet to move, to carry her to the opposite side of the room and the window that overlooked the street in front of their building.
    From this height, she could see down into the small garden in front of the house on the opposite side of the street. The rose hedge separating the garden from the sidewalk and the street sported fresh green growth. The thickness of the hedge