Page 17 of Enchant the Dawn

The Elder Knight lifted a brow. “Indeed? Have your powers deserted you, along with your courage?”

Jasper swallowed hard. “I was coming to let you know that the witch, Ava, is here, and . . . and I didn’t want her to know where I was going. I didn’t think she’d be able to follow me if I left by plane.”

“I see. And have you found the vampire?”

“Not yet, but her warning assured me that he’s nearby.” Jasper blurted out the words, his gaze darting from side to side as if he might find an unsuspected ally lurking nearby.

“And what do you intend to do now?”

Jasper forced the words through a throat as dry as the Sahara. “Find the vampire and bring him to you, as per your instructions.”

“See that you do. Because there’s no place on earth where you can hide if you fail me. And no one who can protect you.”

Too frightened to speak, Jasper nodded.

A wave of his hand and the Elder Knight was gone as if he had never been there.

Jasper uttered every epithet he’d ever heard. Talk about being caught between a rock and a hard place, he thought bitterly, because he was in deep shit no matter what he did.

Chapter 8

Maddy spent Saturday morning cleaning house, not that there was a lot to do because she lived alone, but her mother had drilled it into her at an early age that Saturday mornings were for dusting and vacuuming and changing the sheets on the bed. And, like it or not, it was a hard habit to break.

She had just dumped the sheets into the washer when the doorbell rang. Blowing her bangs away from her forehead, she opened the door a crack and peered outside.

“Madison?”

“Yes.”

“These are for you.”

She opened the door wider as the deliveryman thrust a long gold box toward her. Flowers, she thought. Who would be sending her flowers? It wasn’t her birthday. She thanked the man and locked the door—something she had been a lot more vigilant about since being attacked—and carried the box into the kitchen. Lifting the lid, she blinked in amazement when she found two dozen of the most beautiful long-stemmed red roses she had ever seen.

She plucked the envelope from the box and removed the card. It read, “To Maddy. Just because. Dominic.”

That sweet man, she thought as she searched for a suitable vase. That sweet, sweet man. No one had ever sent her flowers, let alone two dozen roses with petals that felt like velvet.

She found a crystal vase, filled it with water, and spent the next twenty minutes arranging the flowers. She placed the roses on the mantel in the living room, then picked up her phone, intending to text her thanks. And then she paused and punched his number, thinking she would rather hear his voice. Only he didn’t answer.

Wondering where he was, she sent the text. Blew out a sigh. And went back to cleaning the house, thinking her mother would be proud of her.

* * *

Dominic woke with the setting of the sun. Sitting up, he checked his phone, and smiled when he saw Maddy’s text. Thank you so much for the roses. They’re beautiful. Hope to thank you soon in person.

Count on it, he thought as he called her.

She answered on the second ring. “Hi.”

“Hi.”

“I love the flowers. Thank you so much. No one’s ever sent me roses before.”

“I’ll make it a habit.”

“Are you coming over?”

“Of course. I have an in-person thank-you coming my way. What time’s good for you?”

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