Page 78 of Enchant the Dawn

“Twice. My first husband was a Knight of the Dark Wood.”

“A knight? Like swords and castles?”

“Not quite. Has Dominic never mentioned the Knights?”

“No. But you did. I remember now. You said their sole purpose in life was to destroy vampires like Dominic. But you never said why.”

“Unlike Transylvanian vampires, Dominic’s people are able to procreate with human females. The Brotherhood considers that an abomination. They also have no fondness for Transylvanian vampires, or witches, but their main focus is the destruction of Dominic and those like him.”

Maddy stared at Ava. It sounded like some kind of ancient cult.

“Dominic and I came here hoping to find information on the new leader of the Knights and the location of their stronghold. So far, we haven’t had much luck. I know you love Dom,” Ava said. “But are you brave enough to share your life with him?”

“I don’t know. Tell me about his parents.”

“I met his father, Quill, many years ago. I might have loved him, but when we met, I knew he was destined to belong to my granddaughter, Callie. I’d seen them quite clearly in a vision. When Callie grew up, I kept an eye on her. The two of them faced many challenges when they met. The Knights were determined to destroy Quill. I was working for the Knights at the time. Of course, I couldn’t let them destroy Quill. Soon after Dominic and Lily were born, the family went home to Savaria.

“We lived there quite peacefully. And then Quill and his father, Andras, learned of the deaths of some of our people in New Orleans and decided to send Dominic to the States to look into it. His task was to find out all he could about the new leader of the Knights of the Dark Wood, and what the Brotherhood’s intentions were, without revealing his parentage. As I said, we haven’t had much luck. And then Dominic met you, and I’m afraid he got sidetracked.”

Maddy shook her head. Knights and witches and a mysterious Brotherhood. What had she gotten herself into? It wasn’t just a few men trying to kill Dominic. It was a war that had been going on for decades, perhaps centuries. If Dominic killed the Elder Knight or, heaven forbid, the Elder Knight killed Dominic, it would just add fuel to the fire.

And then there was that sexy female vampire, Claret. She didn’t want Dominic dead. She just wanted his blood.

When would it all end? Would it ever end? Would any of them even survive?

* * *

Dominic sensed Maddy’s distress when he rose that evening. What could have caused it? Last night, she had agreed to marry him. Now she was beset by doubts. Why?

He found the women of the house in the kitchen, Ava’s grimoire open between them. They turned in unison to look at him. Ava smiled. Maddy’s gaze slid away from his.

Dominic propped his shoulder against the doorjamb. “All right, one of you had better tell me what’s going on. Ava?”

“I told Maddy about the Brotherhood and the Dark Knights.”

A muscle twitched in his jaw. “I see.”

“She has a right to know everything, Dom. It’s not fair to keep her in the dark.”

Well, that explained Maddy’s state of mind.

Ava was right, of course, but he would have liked to have told Maddy in his own time, in his own way.

Ava glanced from Dominic to Maddy and back again. Without a word, Ava removed her apron and marched out the back door.

The silence in the kitchen was deafening.

Maddy stared after Ava, wondering at the sudden tension between Dominic and his great-grandmother.

Jaw clenched, Dominic turned on his heel and left the house, afraid his anger at Ava might spill over onto Maddy. Stalking the dark streets, he cursed Ava, cursed himself for what he was, cursed his parents for giving him life. Cursed everyone but the woman he loved. Thanks to Ava, Maddy was having doubts again. Not that he could blame her. Violence and death were a part of his life and always would be. Maybe it was too much to expect Maddy to accept it the way his mother had.

He was so angry, it took him a moment to realize he was being followed. With a growl, he spun around. For a moment, the two Knights following him froze. And then, as if pulled by the same string, they lunged toward him.

Ordinarily, he would have vanished from their sight. But not tonight. Tonight, he was looking for a fight. He wrested the dagger from the first Knight, slammed the man’s back against the side of a building, and drove the blade into his heart. Spinning on his heel, he ducked to the side, barely avoiding the second hunter’s weapon.

With a low growl, Dominic feinted left, darted right, and grabbed the man around the neck. The Knight struggled valiantly, his heart beating a wild tattoo as he realized death was imminent.

Dominic paused. Took a deep breath. And ripped the medallion from around the Knight’s neck and tossed it aside. Forcing the man to face him, Dominic mesmerized him with a look, then transported the two of them to the third floor of Ava’s house. Next to the room where she practiced her magic, there was a small closet. He shoved the man inside.

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