Page 79 of Enchant the Dawn

“Where do the Knights make their stronghold?”

The man stared at him, eyes blazing with defiance.

“You will tell me what I want to know.”

The Knight shuddered as Dominic’s power washed over him. “I can’t. The Elder Knight will kill me.”

Dominic grinned at the man, displaying his fangs. “I’ve not yet fed.”

The Knight’s face paled. Wide-eyed, he stared at Dominic, whose eyes had gone red.

“Don’t. Please.”

Dominic licked his lips. “This is your last chance.”

“Connecticut,” the man gasped. “The stronghold is in the Dark Entry Forest in Cornwall, Connecticut.”

Dominic’s gaze bored into his. “You will stay here until I release you,” he said. “Do you understand?”

When the man nodded, Dominic closed the door.

* * *

Ava looked up when he entered the room. Seeing the expression on his face, she glanced at Maddy. “Would you mind making me a cup of tea the old-fashioned way?”

They wanted her out of the room, Maddy thought, when all she wanted to do was talk to Dominic, ask why he’d left so abruptly. Instead, her voice laced with sarcasm, she said, “Of course not. I wouldn’t want to forget how to brew a cup of tea the old-fashioned way.”

“And perhaps some toast with jelly?” Ava waited until Maddy was out of the room before asking, “What’s wrong?”

“Two of the Knights attacked me tonight,” he said, his voice pitched for her ears alone. “I killed one. The other is upstairs. He told me the Knights’ stronghold is in the Dark Entry Forest in Cornwall, Connecticut.”

Ava stared at him in disbelief. “Are you sure that’s what he said?”

“Yeah? What’s the big deal? A forest is a forest.”

“You’ve never heard of this one?”

“No, why?”

“Well, for one thing, it’s rumored to be haunted.”

“Haunted?”

“Indeed. It started out as a small settlement around 1740. In the eighteenth century, it was known as Owlsbury. It was a popular place until folks started reporting odd sightings and strange happenings. Animals started disappearing and people began to believe the forest was haunted. By the twentieth century, all the inhabitants had died or moved away. The forest sits in the dark shadows of three mountains, hence the name.”

“Sounds like the perfect place for the Knights of the Dark Wood,” Dominic muttered.

“I suppose so, although I’m not sure I want to go there.”

“You afraid?”

“Not afraid, exactly. Wary, perhaps. There are stories of people being possessed by demons, something I try to avoid. So, what’s our next move? Do we go there, just the two of us?”

He shrugged. “All right by me.”

“What are you going to do with the Knight you brought home?”

“I’ll take him back where I found him later tonight.”

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