Moon Bound Read Online Free PDF Page A

wasn’t stregone , although he was of Etruscan descent. He admitted to that much. No one bothered to ask him any other questions, because he wouldn’t answer.
    Harry didn’t seem surprised to see him, even though Steven had broken his ties with his old life years ago. Still, he shook his head and waved Steven through. “In the back.”
    Steven followed Harry into an office not much bigger than a walk-in closet. Steven didn’t bother to sit on one of the two wood chairs. He wouldn’t be here that long. Harry sat on the edge of the battered wooden desk and looked him straight in the eyes.
    “Sorry to hear about your father. He was a good man.”
    Grief sideswiped Steven, the pain so unexpected and sharp, he had to breathe through it. Damn Harry for going directly for the jugular.
    He managed to nod in acknowledgement but he’d been knocked sideways by the true respect in the other man’s voice.
    “So,” Harry continued, “what’dya want?”
    Steven took a breath, pushing the pain aside. “I’m looking for Arabella.”
    Harry nodded. “Heard you’re down in Florida now. Working for a firm called Case and Jones.”
    Why the hell would Harry know that? Or care? “Arabella. Is she here?”
    Harry just stared. “Yeah, she is, Castiglione. Or should I call you Carter?”
    His blood pressure started to rise. “Either is fine. She sent for me.”
    Harry sat silently for several seconds before jerking his head at the wall behind him. “It’s full. Just a warning.” Then he turned and pushed on the back wall until it slid away. “Try not to get yourself killed, stregone .”
    A long hall appeared, the floor dirt, the walls stone. The throb emanating from the end of the hall reminded Steven of large machinery. The engines of hell.
    Idiot. You know what’s down there .
    Yeah, he did. Bella.
    His feet started moving, carrying him down the long hall even as his brain kept trying to talk him out this.
    By the time he reached the door at the other end, the increasing noise level had inflamed his formerly receding headache. His eyes narrowed against the pain.
    Christ . Emo-pop. And it sounded like the band had a few extra players tonight.
    Forcing his eyes open, he pushed through the door into the gloom of DownBelow.
    Carved into the bedrock beneath Harry’s club and several other buildings on the block, the amphitheater had been here for centuries. And had remained secret just as long.
    Dim light illuminated the space from above, though there were no visible light fixtures in the entire space. Hell, there were no visible means of electricity at all.
    Any eteri who got into DownBelow wouldn’t think twice about that fact. Then again, no eteri were allowed into DownBelow. You had to have Etruscan blood to gain entrance. Which meant the Mal could get in, as well, though violence was forbidden. Harry’s domain was a sanctuary. No fighting. No weapons. No use of magic for violent purposes.
    Wards covered every centimeter of the place, blocking any sound from leaking beyond the perimeter.
    Free of cigarette smoke, the air instead was glazed with magical power that fueled the wards. Gemma, the band’s strega , had already woven the basis of what would be one hell of a powerful euphoria spell.
    Christ, this was going to be pure torture.
    His arus rose again, dark and seductive, followed by the almost overpowering urge to let it consume him. To burn him into infinity and forever rip him from the world in which he’d been raised.
    Then sanity returned.
    He glanced at Harry, who’d followed behind. The other man stared back, sympathy in his dark eyes.
    Steven’s back stiffened. He didn’t want sympathy. Didn’t need it. And fuck Harry for thinking he did.
    He walked into the steamy mix of the crowded club, a prayer to the Great Mother Goddess for the strength to continue on his lips.
    * * *
    Bella sensed a door opening, felt the fine hair on her nape rise.
    Steven . He was here.
    Her heart kicked into a painful rhythm.