Free Shades of Moonlight by Stephanie Julian

straightened and smiled at Mara again. “Well now, who’d like some hot chocolate? Sal makes a mean cocoa. I’m going to have mine with a shot of peppermint schnapps. Then we have some things to discuss.”
    Mara began to sign but Selvans held up one hand with a wry smile. “I’m sorry I don’t understand sign language. But one of the things on the agenda today is breaking the rest of that spell. As a matter of fact, let’s see if we can get that taken care of right away. Mara, I’d like you to meet Scarlata.”
    A woman Race hadn’t noticed came forward from the other side of the room, where Race realized another man stood as well. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t seen them, especially the gorgeous redhead. Then again, meeting a god and worrying about Mara consumed most of his concentration.
    He’d have to watch that. Couldn’t afford to get sloppy.
    “Nice to meet you, Mara.” The woman’s voice held a trace of an Italian accent, husky and deep. “I understand the streghe weren’t able to break the spell on your vocal cords. I believe I can do something about that, if you’ll let me.”
    Race watched as Mara took a moment before nodding then turned to Race and lifted her hands.
    “Oh crap,” he interrupted as he set the baby on the floor. “I forgot I had this.”
    Reaching for the baby bag, he pulled out the whiteboard Dorian had left on the porch this morning. He swore Dorian could read minds.
    As Mara gave him that smile that made his blood heat, she took it from him then began to write.
     
    What makes you think you can break this spell?
     
    Scarlata grinned. “Because I’ve got a few secrets up my sleeves that even the streghe don’t. And with Selvans and a few of my other friends, I think we have just a little more magic than even the streghe .”
     
    What are you?
     
    The redhead threw her head back and laughed and, from behind her, Race heard another baby gurgle.
    “Well, there are some people who call me a b—”
    “Scary, honey, no one calls you anything other than beautiful. Not if they want to continue breathing. Hi, I’m Justin.” The other man in the room walked forward, now holding a tiny, pink-blanket-wrapped bundle. “And this is our daughter, the eighth wonder of the universe.”
    Scarlata snorted and rolled her eyes at Justin but the look she gave the baby said she totally believed his boast. “Also known as Celestina. And I’m folletta . And fata magic works differently than enu magic.”
    Folletta. Holy shit.
    Race felt his mouth drop open as he tried to wrap his head around the fact that Scarlata was an actual folletta . He’d thought they were extinct. Obviously not.
    As he shook his head, Mara turned to him with a puzzled look.
    “ Enu are the human branch of the Etruscan magical race. Fata are the—”
    He’d been about to say creature-based but that wasn’t right. Some of the fata resembled humans almost completely, except for their pointed ears. Or wings.
    “We’re the non-human branch,” Scarlata finished for him. And then turned to show them her back. Just as pink wings fluttered through slits in her shirt.
    Race tried to hold back his gasp but didn’t quite manage. Holy shit.
    “Now,” Scarlata turned, her wings disappearing once again, “let’s see if we can fix you.”
     
    Mara took the folletta ’s outstretched hand automatically, still trying to process the fact that this woman had wings.
    Amazingly beautiful pink wings that made Mara want to smile. She vaguely remembered reading stories as a child about the enu and the fata .
    “Have a seat, Mara. Sal and I are going to do a little preliminary examination and then we’ll see if we can break that spell.”
    “Nothing to worry about.” The little half-goat man jumped onto the seat next to hers. “Those damn Mal won’t get the best of us.”
    Realizing she still held the whiteboard, she looked behind her for Race, who was undoing Arin from his carrier while Selvans watched. The god had a