Page 22 of Midnight Enchantment

He shrugged as he returned the letter to the envelope. “Do you think she went with him of her own accord? Or is she under some kind of vampire-demon compulsion?” All vampires possessed the innate ability to appeal to the opposite sex. It was a preternatural gift that made it easier for them to attract their prey.

“It’s possible, I suppose.”

Dominic muttered an oath as he paced the floor. “If so, what’s his motive?”

“I have no idea. Certainly not money. I’ve yet to meet an ancient vampire of any sort who wasn’t already rich enough to buy a small country.”

“Blackmail?”

Ava shook her head. “To what end?”

“I don’t know! Dammit, my sister’s in danger and I can’t do a damn thing about it!”

“We don’t know that she’s in danger,” Ava said, hoping to calm him, and reassure herself at the same time.

“I’ve tried a hundred times to locate her. This has to be his doing. She might be able to block the rest of the family, but we’re twins. She’s never been able to block me before.”

“It may not be him, although I’m certain it must be. Still, she might have found a book on Black Magic somewhere. Maybe in one of the shops in New Orleans.”

“And maybe in your collection,” Dominic said, his voice thick with accusation. “I haven’t forgotten that you used Dark Magic not so long ago.”

“This is no time to rehash the past,” Ava snapped. “Give me the letter.”

“Why?”

“It usually takes Black Magic to break Black Magic. The letter, please.”

Dominic hesitated a moment and then thrust the envelope into her hand. “Let me know if you find out where she is.”

“Of course. Give Maddy my love.”

With a nod, he left the house.

Ava spent the next two hours working every spell she knew on Lily’s letter in an effort to determine her location, but to no avail. Frustrated by her failure, she slammed her fist against her work table. There was no way Lily should have been able to conjure such a powerful spell, Ava thought, her irritation growing stronger with every passing moment. She didn’t have the knowledge or the skill.

But the vampire-demon possessed both.

Ava muttered an ancient, very unladylike oath. As she had feared, it wasn’t Liliana who was blocking the family from finding her.

It was Raedan.

Chapter Eleven

“This is getting to be a habit,” Lily murmured as Raedan slipped his arm around her shoulders. They had decided not to go out tonight. Earlier, she had ordered room service and a bottle of red wine. Now, with a fire burning low in the hearth and soft music coming over the sound system, she sighed with contentment.

His knuckles brushed her cheek. “Are you getting tired of me?”

“Of course not! I’ve never been happier.”

“Nor have I.” He drew her closer, thanking whatever Fate had brought her into his life.

“Tell me about your past. I know so little about you. What was your life like before you were turned?”

“I am not sure you want to hear it, my sweet. It is filled with ugliness.”

“Tell me.”

Gazing into the fire, he said, “I was just an ordinary man, the oldest of six brothers. We grew up on a small farm in a town outside Brasov that no longer exists. My father raised horses. My mother died in childbirth delivering her seventh child. A girl that didn’t survive. Eventually, my brothers married and moved away. I married Cristobel, a girl from the neighboring farm.”

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