Stephanie Julian - Shades of Moonlight

Arus: magical power inherent in the Fata and Enu, races of Etruscan descent

Boschetta: Etruscan coven, traditionally comprised of thirteen streghe

Candela: Etruscan sprite, tiny magical beings with wings and a certain glow about them

Decurio: legion rank of commander

Eteri (pl. eteri): Etruscan for foreigner, used to describe regular humans without magic

Enu: humans of magical Etruscan descent

Fata: elemental beings of magical Etruscan descent

Fauni: Etruscan elemental spirit of the earth

Folletta (pl. folletti): Etruscan female fairy

Linchetto (pl. linchetti): Etruscan night elf

Malandante: descended from the Etruscans but born with a bent toward evil, with a taste for power and wealth

Praenuntio: Goddess Gift of foresight

Praepositus: an officer rank in the lucani army

Praetorian: elite guard of the lucani king

Pugio: a Roman dagger

Quercioli: the offspring of a folletta and a linchetto, always female

Salbinelli: Etruscan satyr

Sicari (pl: sicarii): assassin

Silvani: one of the three original Etruscan Fata; always female, protectors of fields and forests

Speculator: spy

Strega (pl. streghe): Etruscan witch

Versipellis (pl. versipelli): literally skin shiftershapeshifters including Etruscan Lucani (wolves), Norse Berkserkir (bears) and French loup garou (wolves)

There he was again, the huge gray wolf prowling around the shadows outside Mara Maruccinis tiny home.

Well, it wasnt actually her home.

Cole Luporeale, the lucani king, graciously allowed her to stay here, close to the very little family she had left. The five-room building sat on the outskirts of this small community of versipelli. Skin shifters. In this case, Etruscan wolves, members of the magical race of Etruscans who continued to survive in the modern world.

And she knew that wolf better than any of the others.

Race.

Just the fact that he was out there made her feel safer than at any other time in her life. Which wasnt really hard to do, considering

A tap on her shoulder drew her attention from the window to the woman standing behind her.

Her aunt, Grace. Well, her aunt only if you considered that Maras fathers brothershe refused to call that bastard Uncle Ettorewas the father of Graces son and daughter.

A tenuous connection, at best, but Grace considered Mara family and what Grace believed came true.

Grace smiled now, though Mara saw the strain in it and, reluctantly, turned her back on the window to focus on what Grace wanted to tell her.

Mara hadnt been able to understand all of it by reading Graces lips, a necessity because Mara was still under a nasty spell that had taken away her hearing and speech.

That bastard Ettore. So glad he was dead.

She shook her head and held up her hands, letting Grace know she hadnt been able to understand her.

So Grace lifted her hands and signed slowly. The streghe want to be certain you understand. They may not be able to break the spell and you could be permanently deaf and mute.

Her aunts sign language skills had improved greatly in the last six months since Mara had given birth to Arin, her beautiful baby boy. Shed do anything for him, even attempt this risky spell-breaking. She needed to protect him and she couldnt if she were deaf and mute. Not completely.

Mara nodded and signed back, Yes. Im positive.

Grace sighed and forced another smile, though she wasnt able to make it the least bit encouraging. Grace had become the closest thing to a mother Mara had ever had, even considering that Mara had two living parentswhod given her up to Ettore when she was fifteen to be a breeder for the Malandante.

No, trust didnt come easy for her. She trusted only one person implicitly. Her cousin Amalia. Only sixteen but already wise beyond her years, Lia, as everyone had begun to call her here, had never lied to her.

She looked to Lia now, sitting in a corner of the room, away from everyone. Lias gaze locked on to hers and she nodded, just once.

Lia believed this would work. Theyd discussed it last night as Mara rocked Arin to sleep and Lia avoided her mother. They both still felt like outcasts in this little community, even though none of the lucani had outright shunned them. In fact, most had accepted them and that stunned her. Grace and her mate Kaisies unconditional love made her want to weep.

And then there was Race

Pushing thoughts of the man out of her head, she looked back at Grace, who couldnt hide her fear. For her. Mara still had a tough time figuring out how to react. Shed never had anyone fuss and fawn over her like Grace had in the past few months. As if she were trying to make up for the previous twenty years of neglect by Maras parents.

Mara soaked up Graces kindness like a sponge. On the other hand, Lia was having a hard time trusting anyone.

Mara had to trust that this would work. She had to. Im ready, she signed. Lets get this over with.

When Grace nodded and turned to speak to the Etruscan witches who were going to attempt to break the spell, Mara looked out the window again.

Was he still

Yes, there he was, sitting beneath a low-hanging willow. Staring at the house.

If I ask, will he come in and hold my hand?

She wanted that so badly her chest ached.

Race was the one person, in addition to her small family, shed become used to seeing, who she expected to see every day.

And the one person she knew she shouldnt come to rely on.

Ettore had been right. She was weak.

Another tap on her shoulder and she turned but this time it wasnt Grace.

Catene Rossini Ferrante was only a year younger than Mara but that was where the similarities ended. Cat had long, copper hair and bright-blue eyes, the polar opposite of Maras short dark hair and dark-brown eyes.

Would you like me to ask him to come in? Cat asked.

Maras eyes widened in shock as she had no trouble reading Cats lips. How had

Im sorry. Cats smile held a hint of regret. I didnt mean to pry. Its just that since I Well, I know he wants to be in here with you and I thought maybe the feeling was mutual.

Mara knew the rest of Cats unfinished sentence was since I took the power of the former Etruscan Goddess of the Moon. That act had knocked the lucani off their feet. Some of them were still trying to find their bearings.

Cat appeared to be adjusting to her new life. At least on the outside. But Mara knew how you could be a seething mass of fury on the inside and present a calm front.

Obviously she hadnt been hiding her emotions well enough.

Mara glanced over Cats shoulder to the five women, including Grace and Cats mom Margie huddled around the dining table. They all appeared to be talking at the same time.

Lia continued to sit in the corner, her mouth set in a perpetual scowl.

Making sure no one could see her hands, Mara signed, Do you think hell come?

Cats smile naturalized, became softer. Yes. I think he will.

Wouldnt that be nice to believe? A man who would do something for her just because she asked.