Page 82 of Enchant the Dawn

“I haven’t decided.” Bending down, she conjured a cage around the toad. “For now, we’ll keep him here, where he can’t cause any trouble.”

Maddy stared at the helpless creature. What would it be like, to be transformed into an animal? Or, in this case, a toad? Was he aware of his human life? Did he understand what was being said? He had been turned into a vulture before. Though she wouldn’t wish to be either, of the two, she thought being a bird of prey would be less odious. After all, most people dreamed of being able to fly. She didn’t know anyone who wanted to be an ugly, brown toad.

* * *

Dominic stared at the cage sitting on the coffee table, frowned when he saw a large, brown toad inside. He glanced at his great-grandmother, one brow raised. “Practicing a new spell that requires frog legs?”

With a sigh of exasperation, Ava said, “It’s Jasper.”

“The wizard? No shit.”

“Language, Dominic, we have a guest.”

“Sorry, love.”

Maddy pressed a hand to her mouth to keep from laughing at Dominic’s expression, which hovered between embarrassment and annoyance.

“So, what are you going to do with him?” Dominic asked.

“I’m not sure,” Ava said. “My instinct tells me to destroy him.”

“But?” Dominic sat on the sofa next to Maddy and took her hand in his.

“I keep thinking he might come in handy, although I can’t imagine any scenario in which he would.”

“Me either.”

“You can’t just kill him,” Maddy exclaimed. “I mean, it’s none of my business but . . . it’s murder. Isn’t it?”

Maddy felt a chill when Dominic and Ava exchanged glances.

“She’s right,” Dominic agreed reluctantly. “Toad or man, you can’t just kill him in cold blood.”

Ava blew out an exaggerated sigh. And then she looked at Dominic, and they both burst out laughing. “I’m sorry, Maddy,” she said. “We were just pulling your chain. I’d never kill him or anyone else without a damn good reason.”

“Language, Ava,” Dominic said with a grin.

This time, Maddy joined in the laughter. But deep down, something told her that doing away with Jasper wouldn’t have bothered Ava at all.

* * *

The three of them were sitting down to dinner later that evening when Dominic went suddenly still. A wave of preternatural power raised the hair on Maddy’s arms. A moment later, the candles in the center of the table flickered and went out.

“She’s here.” Dominic’s voice was ice cold.

Maddy knew without asking he meant the vampire, Claret. “What does she want?”

“Me. Or, to be more exact, my blood.”

Of course. She remembered how he’d told her that the Transylvanian vampires craved the blood of his kind. Fear skittered down her spine. The vampire had trapped both of them once before. It was an experience that still gave her nightmares, one she didn’t want to endure again.

Some of her fear left her when Dominic took her hand. “Don’t worry, love. She can’t come inside.”

Maddy let out a startled cry when she saw the vampire’s face at the window.

A wave of Ava’s hand closed the drapes. A moment later, Maddy heard the vampire let out a screech as the sprinklers came on.

“If only she was the Wicked Witch of the West,” Ava remarked with a broad grin. “We’d be rid of her for good.”

---