Page 30 of Enchant the Dawn

With the speed of a striking snake, she plunged her hand into his chest and ripped out his heart before he finished his sentence. “Anyone else have a problem?”

Shaking their heads, the other three backed away and vanished into the darkness.

Gathering what little strength he had left, Dominic sent Ava an urgent cry for help.

“Get him on his feet,” Claret said to the human male. “I’m taking him home.”

“You aren’t taking him anywhere.”

Claret whirled around as Ava appeared behind her. “Who the hell are you?”

Ava smiled. “I believe the usual answer is, your worst nightmare.”

Claret snorted. “Somehow, I doubt that.”

When the vampire reached for her, Ava began to chant. Only a few words, but it stopped the vampire in her tracks and held her frozen in place.

“Witch!” Claret hissed.

“Indeed.” A wave of Ava’s hand and the manacles that shackled Dominic to the other man turned to dust.

The man glanced from woman to woman and took off running down the street.

“Do not mess with me or my kin again,” Ava warned as she helped Dominic to his feet. “You won’t like the consequences.”

* * *

At home, Ava offered Dominic one of the bags of blood she kept on hand for just such an emergency. He grimaced as he took it. Old blood. It was disgusting, but it was better than nothing, and he drank it all. “Thanks.”

“You’re getting careless,” she scolded as he sank down on the sofa. “What were you thinking, roaming around the city with your guard down?” Seeing the sheepish expression on his face, she muttered, “Don’t answer. I think I know.”

“I can’t think of anything else,” he admitted.

“She’s going to get you killed if you keep wandering around with your head in the clouds.”

“I know.” He rubbed his fingers over the bite marks on his neck, which hadn’t healed. The last time Claret had bitten him, it had been pleasurable. But not this time. It had hurt like hell, and it still did.

“I think we should leave New Orleans,” Ava said.

“Leave? We haven’t found the Knight who destroyed St. James.”

She lifted one brow. “I wonder why.”

“Okay, so I’ve been a little distracted.”

“A little?” she scoffed.

“All right, a lot. Can you blame me?”

“I guess not.” Going to the desk in the corner, Ava picked up a small white envelope and handed it to him. “Mrs. St. James sent you a note of thanks for your help.”

“I didn’t do anything. Andras and my father took care of all the details.” Dominic opened the envelope and quickly read the note. “It says they took the body home to Georgia for the funeral, which is tomorrow. Dammit! That’s too many of our people the Knights have killed here. Can’t you figure out a spell that will lead me to the Knight or Knights responsible?”

Ava sat at the other end of the sofa. “It won’t be easy. Jasper’s soul may be as black as ten feet down, but he’s a powerful warlock, although he tends to be a coward at heart.” She tapped her fingers on the arm of the couch, her brow furrowed in concentration as she summoned her grimoire to her hand. “Go get some rest, Dom. I have work to do.”

Chapter 13

The Knights of the Dark Wood assembled beneath a full moon, each trying not to show his unease. But it was the Knight from New Orleans who had the most to fear. He was the reason they had been called home. He knelt in the center of the circle, his head bowed.

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