Page 75 of Midnight Enchantment

Lily’s eyes grew wide when she saw the Knight. “He’s alive,” she murmured, her voice filled with wonder.

“So it would seem,” Ava said.

“I don’t believe it.” Lily stared at the Knight. He looked dazed and she realized he was under one of Ava’s spells. “He didn’t kill him.” A slow smile spread over her lips. “I was so sure he’d … do you know what this means?”

“That he wasn’t hungry?” Ava said dryly.

“No. Don’t you see? It means Raedan was in control of the blood-demon.” Humming softly, she floated back up the stairs to her room.

Ava stared after her granddaughter. Maybe there was hope for the vampire, after all.

Everyone in the house slept late the next morning. After a leisurely breakfast, Ava transported the former Elder Knight back to the Stronghold and left him there. It was almost noon when she returned.

“Well, that’s done! I had to make a little change to the memories of all the other Knights to make them forget Jeremy 26 had once been the Elder Knight.” Clapping her hands, she said, “Come on, we have work to do.”

Lily and Mason followed Ava up to her work room. Mason conjured some padded stools and the three of them sat at her work table.

Ava summoned her magic, casting every spell of undoing she knew but to no avail. The red book refused to open. “Mason?”

“I can try,” he said with a shrug.

His magic was different than Ava’s, Lily thought. Not stronger. Not more powerful. Just different. Was it because he was a warlock? Or because he came from another country?

Mason shook his head. “I don’t feel anything.”

“Let me try,” Lily said.

Ava and Mason exchanged glances, then Ava shrugged. “What have we got to lose?”

Closing her eyes, Lily placed her left hand on the cover, felt it grow warm beneath her palm. She jerked her arm back when there was a blinding flash of light and the cover flipped open. The first page was blank. The second page was filled with words in some foreign language hand-written by a delicate hand.

“I can’t make heads or tails of it,” Ava said. “Can either of you read it?”

“Not me,” Mason said. “I’ve never seen anything like that.”

“Nor I.” Ava glanced at Lily, one brow raised.

Lily shook her head and then she focused her thoughts on Raedan. A moment later, she felt his presence in her mind.I need your help.

Are you in trouble?

No. We’re trying to decipher the red book. It’s written in a language we’ve never seen before. I was hoping maybe you could help us.Picking up the book, she was aware that he was seeing it through her eyes. It was the strangest sensation she had ever known.Can you read it?

Yes.

She heard him gasp with pain.What’s wrong?

The demon …He was panting now, his voice tight.The demon … he knows what we’re trying to do. He wants me to stop.

Lily felt Raedan’s agony as the blood-demon clawed at his insides in an obvious effort to distract him.

It is in … the dragonian language.

Dragonian? she queried. I’ve never heard of it.

It is an ancient language, long forgotten. Raedan took several deep breaths. If I am reading it correctly, it says you need to sprinkle the blood of a virgin on the pages.A low groan erupted from his throat.Once that is done, the words will be revealed.

The blood of a virgin?

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