Page 77 of Midnight Enchantment

There were rumors of a dragon in the Southern Carpathian Mountains of Transylvania over three centuries ago. Whether it was truth or fiction at the time is anyone’s guess. But if the rumors were based on truth, there is no one left to ask if the beast is still alive.

Discouraged, Lily repeated what Raedan had said.

“I guess we’ll have to go to Romania and see for ourselves,” Ava said cheerfully. “I haven’t been there in years. We’ll leave in the morning.”

“What about Raedan?” Lily asked.

“I guess you’ll want him to come along.”

“I guess you’re right.”

“Ask him if he’ll transport us,” Ava said. “He can get us there a lot faster than I can.”

Raedan had slipped out of Liliana’s mind after agreeing to transport them to Romania. He closed his eyes as the blood-demon’s insidious power gradually subsided. How many times had he thought of taking his own life to escape the demon’s influence? To escape the agony of feeling as though his veins were on fire, as if his internal organs were slowly being ripped to shreds?

Thrusting the painful memories away, he turned his thoughts toward home. He had been born in a small town outside Brasov over nine centuries ago. Had spent his whole mortal life in Romania, and the first two hundred and fifty years after he had been turned.

The Carpathian Mountains were divided into three ranges, the Western Carpathians, the Eastern, and the Southern, sometimes known as the Transylvanian Alps. There had always been rumors of dragons in the Southern Carpathian Mountains, he thought, staring into the darkness of his lair, but he had never seen one, or known anyone who had. But that didn’t mean one didn’t exist, or that the existence of dragons was beyond the realm of possibility. Vlad Dracul had belonged to the Order of the Dragon. Some believed his son, named Dracula, which meant son of Dracul or son of the dragon, was the first vampire, although there were no historical facts to support that theory.

Romania. He had not been there in centuries. Had no desire to return. There were too many painful memories there, parts of his life after he had been turned that he preferred be left buried and forgotten.

But he could not, would not, let Liliana go without him.

Chapter Thirty-Two

They had agreed to meet just before sundown the following night, which would put them in Transylvania at four in the afternoon. Raedan arrived at Ava’s wearing a long, black cloak with the hood up, gloves, and a pair of dark sunglasses. He found Ava, Mason, and Liliana in the living room.

“Are you ready?” he asked, glancing from one to the other.

“I think so,” Ava said.

Lily smiled at Raedan. “Aren’t you going to kiss me hello?”

He glanced briefly at Ava, then put his arms around Liliana and kissed her lightly.

“Is that the best you can do?” Lily teased.

“For now,” he said, conscious of Ava’s disapproval and Mason’s amusement. Although Ava had stopped objecting to his courting Liliana, he knew she wasn’t happy about it, and likely never would be. “Where are we going?”

Ava handed him a slip of paper with an address and a map drawn on it. “I rented a house in Transylvania.”

Raedan nodded as he studied the crude map. The house was in the country outside the city itself. “Ready?”

His three companions each picked up a small suitcase.

“Now what?” Lily asked.

“Ava and Mason, come stand on my left and hold onto each other. Liliana, stand on my other side and put your arm around my waist.” When they had done as instructed, Raedan put one arm around Ava’s waist and the other around Liliana’s. “This is going to take a minute or two. It will probably make you feel nauseous, maybe disoriented. Just close your eyes and hang on. Here we go.”

Lily closed her eyes, her heart pounding with fear and anticipation. Raedan had transported her short distances before, but never so far. What if something went wrong? Would they be forever lost in some never-never land? She held Raedan tighter as her stomach dropped to her toes and the world went black.

When reality returned, they were standing outside a small, two-story farmhouse located on a swath of green grass. It was a darling place, Lily thought, built of white brick with a blue, peaked roof and matching shutters on the windows. The front door was white with blue flowers painted on it, the chimney was red brick. A white stone path led to the door.

“Everyone all right?” Raedan asked, his arm still around Liliana. She nodded, though she looked a little pale.

Ava clung to Mason. “I’d forgotten what that’s like,” she said, grinning.

The warlock looked a little green.

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