Page 66 of Enchant the Dawn

Hands clenched, Dominic stared into the darkness that surrounded him as her voice faded away.

One way or another, he’d find a way out of this mess and rescue Maddy before it was too late. And Claret would pay dearly for her treachery.

* * *

Ava swore softly as one location spell after another failed to reveal Dominic’s whereabouts. Frustration rose within her. Never before had her magic failed her so completely. She could only assume that Dominic did not wish to be found, that he was employing some kind of vampire magic to thwart her efforts. The question was, why?

Next, she tried to locate Maddy, but she saw only darkness. Confused, she picked up her phone and tried calling Dominic again. But there was no answer.

It was as if he had disappeared off the face of the earth.

* * *

Dominic stretched out on the floor of the cage. Leaning back against the silver bars was out of the question. His interior clock told him it was after midnight. The pain clawing at his vitals told him he needed to feed to replace the blood Claret had taken the night before.

And even as the thought crossed his mind, the door opened and she glided into the room, her long, white gown glowing in the dim light from beyond the doorway. Another room, perhaps?

“How are you this evening?” She dropped a leather satchel on the floor, then pulled on the gloves she had worn the night before to protect her flesh from the thin layer of silver that coated the bars.

“How do you think?”

She laughed softly. “Aren’t you going to ask me how I am?”

Dominic snorted. “I really don’t give a damn.”

“I’d think a man in your position might be a little nicer.”

“I’ll treat you like Cleopatra or the Queen of Sheba, whichever you like, if you let me out of here.”

“If only I could believe that.” She looked wistful for a moment, then said, “Come to me.”

Dominic longed to refuse, but there was no point in it. Not when Maddy’s life was in the vampire’s hands. Feeling like a whipped cur, he obediently closed the distance between them and thrust his arm through the bars.

Claret smiled triumphantly as she latched onto his wrist and drank. And drank.

Until he thought she would never stop. This wasn’t a taste, or a sip, but a meal, he thought morbidly, and wondered what would happen if she drained him dry. Would it destroy him? Or leave him an empty husk, aware of his surroundings but unable to move or speak?

She purred like a contented cat when she lifted her head. “I can feel your power running through me like lightning,” she murmured, a dreamy look in her dark eyes. “And because you’ve been so good to me, I’ve brought you something to drink.” Reaching into the satchel, she withdrew a plastic bag and handed it to him. “Bon appétit,” she said cheerfully and vanished from the room.

Dominic stared at the bag in his hand. Old, cold blood. But beggars couldn’t be choosers; he desperately needed to replace what he’d lost before his body reacted and the pain went from a dull ache to excruciating. Eyes closed, he bit into the bag and pretended it was Maddy’s blood spreading through him, easing his agony.

* * *

The Elder Knight stood in the middle of his chambers, his rage growing with every breath as he listened to Jasper make one poor excuse after another for his failure to produce Quill’s son.

Reaching the edge of his patience, the Elder Knight muttered an incantation.

Jasper immediately stopped talking. Frozen in place, he could only stand there while the Elder Knight probed his mind. It felt like a knife slicing into him, uncovering every secret, exposing every lie.

“So,” the Elder Knight drawled. “You delivered Quill’s son to a female vampire by the name of Claret. I hope you have made your peace with whatever god you worship.”

Terror congealed in the pit of Jasper’s belly. He tried frantically to speak, but to no avail.

“If you have any last words, now is the time to say them.”

Jasper swallowed hard. “My lord, I know I failed you, but I had no choice,” he said, one word tripping over another in his haste. “She was there, threatening my life. I knew I would never be able to bring you the vampire if I was dead. But I know where she is holding him. I can take you to him.”

The Elder Knight’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. If Jasper was telling the truth, if Quill’s son was truly imprisoned in New Orleans, it would be wiser to go to where the vampire was being held rather than trust Jasper to bring the vampire back to the stronghold.

---