Page 36 of Midnight Enchantment

Varden swore under his breath as he followed his thrall’s scent trail from the witch’s house. It led to a sidewalk, continued across a stretch of green grass, and then disappeared under a hedge.

Summoning his power, he leaped effortlessly over the hedge, only to come to an abrupt halt when he saw the chewed up remains of a large, brown rat. A rat that carried the same scent as the human who had been under his power. And mingled with that scent was the lingering signature of magic.

Witch magic.

Hell and damnation! It had taken him weeks to find a vampire willing to point him in the right direction—weeks and a good deal of persuasion. Mesmerizing a human to spy on the woman for him had been far easier.

But at least he now knew where the girl lived.

Varden chuckled softly. So, capturing that little Hungarian witch wasn’t going to be as easy as he’d thought. But what the hell. He had always loved a challenge.

Raedan arrived in Savaria with the setting of the sun. He had been to Hungary several times in the last few centuries. There was something about the place that appealed to him, though he wasn’t sure what it was, or why. Perhaps it was the presence of so many vampires who lived together in peace. He had seen the walled compound where the Master Vampire resided though he had never met the man. Stories of his family were legendary, as was his power.

But he wasn’t interested in the Master Vampire now. Only Liliana. And even though he had never tasted her blood, the demon had no trouble following her scent across the wooded hills.

Raedan drew up short when it led him to the walled city where the leader of the Hungarian vampires made his home. He swore under his breath. Liliana had told him she came from a long line of vampires, but Falconer was a common name. What were the odds that she was related to the Master Vampire himself?

He grinned into the darkness. Andras Falconer was rumored to be a powerful creature. What would it be like to face one almost as ancient as himself? He had contended against numerous Master Vampires in his time and defeated them all. And then he swore softly. If Liliana were related to Andras, defeating the vampire would not endear him to her.

Ghosting forward, he placed his hand on the high stone wall that surrounded the compound, only to yank it away as preternatural power scorched his palm and radiated up his arm.

Opening his senses, he searched the compound. There were many vampires within the walls. One was extremely powerful.

But the Master Vampire was not in residence.

Chapter Seventeen

Callie sighed as Liliana poured out her feelings for the vampire-demon, Raedan, and then burst into tears.

“I love him,” Lily sobbed. “And nothing any of you can say or do will change that.”

Slipping her arm around her daughter’s shoulders, Callie held her while she wept. Was there anything more painful, more heartbreaking, than the loss of your first real love? Quill had talked to Lily but Lily had refused to heed his advice, just as Lily had turned a deaf ear to everything Callie had said. And who could blame her? Callie thought glumly. She and Quill had married in spite of the odds against them. They had been through hell and back, but their love had only grown stronger. Lily was a grown woman. She had every right to make her own decisions, or she would have, if she were a mere mortal. But her decisions didn’t affect just her but the entire Falconer clan.

Callie blew out a sigh. Andras was away from the compound, and they had not yet informed him of Lily’s return or of her liaison with the vampire-demon Raedan.

Easing out of her mother’s arms, Lily stood and wiped her eyes. “I’m going for a walk. Is that okay?”

“Of course it is.”

“Just thought I’d check, now that you and Dad are making my decisions for me,” she said bitterly, and stalked out of the room. The slamming of the back door followed her departure.

“Didn’t go so well, huh?” Quill said, peering around the door frame.

“You could say that.”

Crossing the room, he sat on the sofa beside her. “What are we gonna do now?”

“Wait for her to get over it, I guess.”

“What if she doesn’t?”

Callie shrugged. “Pray?”

“Maybe we shouldn’t have brought her home without talking to her first.”

“Maybe,” Callie agreed.

“I guess I just panicked when I heard Raedan’s name,” Quill admitted gruffly. “He’s a monster, even if Lily refuses to see it.”

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