Page 69 of Enchant the Dawn

“No.”

“Come here,” she demanded.

“If you want it, come and get it.”

Turning on her heel, she stalked toward the door. “Jonathan, Pierre, Tomás, I need you.”

Dominic swore as three burly vampires sauntered into the room. Two of them carried sharp wooden stakes; the third held a silver-bladed dagger in one gloved hand and a pair of shackles in the other.

“Chain him to the bars.” A wave of Claret’s hand unlocked the door.

Smiling faintly, the vampires entered the cage, a challenge in their eyes as they dared him to resist.

Shit. In his weakened condition, denied fresh blood for a couple of days, he couldn’t take on all three of them. Especially with Claret waiting in the wings. “Call them off,” he muttered. “You win.”

She motioned the vampires out of the cage and locked the door. “Your arm. Now.”

He shuffled forward and held out his arm. “I could use a drink, too,” he said with a faint smile.

She grasped his arm, her gaze on his face, her expression pensive.

“Come on,” he coaxed. “If you’re going to keep feeding on me, I’m going to need more nourishment than a bag of cold blood.”

“I’ll think about it,” she growled, and sank her fangs into his wrist. She took a long drink, looked up at him, and smiled before sinking her fangs into him again.

* * *

Dominic lay stretched out on his back, his hands folded behind his head. Apparently the taste of his blood was no longer vile. What the hell did that mean?

Maddy had escaped. He had no idea how she’d managed it. He had to believe she’d made it safely home. Any other outcome was unthinkable.

Closing his eyes, he opened the link between them. Maddy? Maddy, are you there? When there was no answer, he feared the worst, and then realized she was asleep. Deeply asleep. Needing to make sure she was unhurt, he opened the link between himself and his great-grandmother. Ava?

Dominic! Thank the Lord, you’re alive. Where are you?

In a cage somewhere.

A cage? she questioned. And then she cursed. Claret.

Right the first time. Is Maddy with you?

Yes. She’s fine, just recovering from some sort of vampire spell. She’s remarkably strong, Dom. I don’t know how, but she managed to escape the vampire’s magic.

But she’s all right?

She will be in a day or so. I gave her something to help her sleep. Why have you been blocking me?

I promised Claret I wouldn’t have any contact with you or try to escape if she wouldn’t hurt Maddy.

Ava grunted. Keep our link open. I’m going to cast a location spell.

Wait until morning, he said, when Claret and her coven are at rest.

Dominic closed his eyes, opened them again when he heard footsteps. A moment later the door opened and two of Claret’s vampires entered the room. One held a wooden stake. The other a sword.

Dominic sat up when they unlocked the cage door.

“All we want is a taste,” one of the vampires said.

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