Celestra Forever After Read Online Free PDF Page A

as if kissing were illegal in all fifty states. And I have a feeling it would be if my mother had anything to say about it. “Did you need something?” Her eyes round out. “I thought Gage was picking you up? We were in the middle of breakfast.”
    “Oh, I’m so sorry.” Skyla brings her fingers to her lips. “That was rude of me to just invite myself over like that. I didn’t mean to—”
    “Stop,” I say just above a whisper. “You never need an invitation.” I press a quick kiss over her lips to assure her of just that. “Come in. I’ll share my pancakes with you.”
    Skyla and I head to the table while Mom lands another plate in front of us with a notable clatter.
    “Hi, Dr. O.” Skyla smiles sweetly over at him. “So where’s, Giselle?” She looks around as if my sister might be in the kitchen somewhere.
    “She sleeps until noon.” Mom gives a disapproving look to Dad. “She’s out until all hours of the night with that Harrison boy.” She says Harrison like it’s a dirty word. And, knowing Ellis, it probably is. He and my sister have had a “thing” for the last few months. I’m watching that douche. One wrong move and I’ll rip his balls off. Ellis is a pretty cool guy, but, in truth, I liked him a little more when he was just some stoner who lives across the street and wasn’t interested in my sister.
    Dad straightens his paper. “She has another week until school starts. No use in cracking down during her final week of summer.”
    It’s weird knowing that Giselle, who was technically dead up until this year, will be attending West Paragon, and here Skyla and I just graduated. I miss those high school days already. I miss a lot of things— people . Of course, the world thinks my sister is Emerson Kragger because that’s the body Skyla was able to gift her, but, between family and friends, she’s still Giselle. She’s been splitting her time between here and the Kraggers. At first it was to keep up the act with Arson Kragger, Emerson’s father, but, in truth, I’m thinking Giselle likes the freedom she has there. Mom can be a bit overbearing at times.
    “So tell me, Skyla”—Mom starts while plating my father a stack three high—“Gage says you’re commuting to Host. Are you comfortable with that?”
    “Oh, yes.” Skyla nods. “Mom and Tad could never afford to get me a dorm, and I don’t mind taking the ferry one bit.”
    Mom is a little miffed because I decided to forgo the dorm for the first couple weeks to help Skyla get into the swing of things.
    Mom leans in. “Please assure my son that you are a grown woman, and you don’t need him holding your hand on the way to school each day. It’s the twenty-first century for God’s sake, and a strong girl such as yourself is fully capable of taking the ferry each way without getting lost in the process.”
    “I don’t mind.” I cut a hard look to Mom that says this conversation ends right here. Crap. She’s going to make Skyla feel bad, and it’s the last thing I want.
    “You’re right,” Skyla nods over to Mom while reaching for my hand under the table. “It is the twenty-first century. But, in all honesty, I sort of like Gage holding my hand.” She gives my fingers a squeeze. “And if that’s wrong”—she tilts into me—“I don’t want to be right.”
    Dad smiles peaceably over at the two of us while Mom’s eyes widen like saucers.
    Good job . I rub my thumb over her palm. It’s kind of nice knowing that Skyla can hear my thoughts when we touch, or, more to the point, when I take down the wall and let her in—I almost always do. As for me, I’ve got the wrong bloodlines to pull off anything short of telepathy, not one trace of Celestra. My Levatio standing affords me speed, strength, teleportation, levitation, and, my favorite—the gift of knowing. Although at times that last one has been more of a curse than a blessing.
    “I think it’s chivalrous of you to be with her during this time of