Page 1 of Enchant the Dawn

Chapter 1

Claret prowled the back streets of New Orleans, her thoughts not on prey but on the Hungarian vampire who had destroyed her companions and thwarted her at every turn. The vampire whose blood she had tasted and longed to taste again with every nerve and fiber of her being.

Quill Falconer. Even after more than a quarter of a century, she hungered for his blood. She had searched from east to west and north to south looking for him, but to no avail. He had taken his woman and his children and left the country. Twenty-five years and still she could not forget him—the taste of his blood on her tongue, the texture of it, the smell. The power.

Quill was incredibly powerful, as was his witch-wife, Callie, damn her to hell.

Claret lifted a hand to her throat, remembering the last time she had seen the vampire. He had been her prisoner then, hers to savor at leisure, until a powerful witch came to save him.

Once freed, Quill had destroyed the members of her coven and very nearly destroyed her as well. She had been at rest when he came for her. They had struggled, fangs and claws rending preternatural flesh, until he wrapped his hands around her throat, but his own blood, blood she had consumed, had given her the strength she needed to break his hold and vanish from the room. She had not seen him since.

But she had never forgotten him, and she never would. Someday, she thought, someday she would taste his blood again.

She paused at the sound of footsteps coming her way, thoughts of Quill momentarily forgotten as a young man rounded the corner ahead.

Anticipation stirred deep within her.

Dinner was about to be served.

* * *

Dominic Falconer strolled through the streets of New Orleans. He had always wanted to visit the Big Easy, and his great-grandmother, Ava, had finally given him the opportunity, much to his parents’ disapproval. His mother, especially, had been against his leaving Savaria, but Ava had insisted she would go along and keep an eye on him. His task was to find out all he could about the new leader of the Knights of the Dark Wood and what the Brotherhood’s intentions were, without revealing his parentage.

Dominic couldn’t help wondering why the sudden interest in the Knights. His parents had left the States soon after he and his sister, Ava Liliana, were born twenty-five years ago. His great-grandmother had followed them to the homeland a year later. It was only in the last month that he’d learned that his parents had left the States because they feared for his safety, and that of his sister.

Dominic frowned. Perhaps his parents’ interest was due to the fact that there was still a small number of Hungarian vampires residing in the States who might be at risk from the appointment of a new, more radical Elder Knight.

Whatever the reason, being here on his own gave him a sense of freedom he’d never known before. Not that he didn’t love his parents. They were two of the finest people he had ever known. His twin sister was his best friend. But ever since his vampire nature had kicked in, he had yearned to go out on his own, to test his powers and his abilities.

And Great-Grandma Ava had given him the chance. He wondered now if she had somehow divined his longing to be on his own all along, perhaps even fabricated her need to know about the new Elder Knight to give him a chance to get out of the country.

He had a hell of a family, he mused with a wry grin. His father was a powerful vampire, his mother and great-grandmother were witches, as was his twin sister.

Dominic came to an abrupt stop as he caught the scent of vampire. Not one of his kind, but the bloodthirsty, Transylvanian breed, as different from his people as night from day.

He felt a rush of excitement at the thought of finally meeting one of the others. And then he paused. Transylvanian vampires were notorious for taking his people prisoner in order to feed on their blood. Once they tasted it, they became addicted. Occasionally, one of them drank too much and went completely mad, but that risk didn’t deter the rest.

But all such thoughts fled his mind when he saw her. She was incredibly beautiful, with clear, tawny skin and eyes so dark they were almost black. A riot of red hair fell over her shoulders like a silken waterfall.

She slowed, then stopped when they came face-to-face. Nostrils flared, she ran her gaze over him. “Vampire,” she hissed. “What are you doing in my territory?”

“Just visiting,” he drawled. “Do you mind?”

The words were barely out of his mouth when, in a blur of movement, she was on him, her fangs sinking deep into his throat. One taste and she reared back, her eyes wide with disbelief. “Who are you?”

Dominic covered the bite with his hand. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“I asked you a question.”

Eyes narrowed, he grabbed a handful of her hair, pulled her body against his, and buried his fangs in her neck. He took a good, long drink before he pushed her away. Damn. His father had warned him about Transylvanian vampires. Why hadn’t he listened? Muttering, “Now we’re even,” he vanished from her sight.

Claret licked her lips, reveling in the taste of the last drops of blood lingering on her tongue. Could it be? She inhaled sharply, drawing in his scent. And then she smiled. It had to be, she thought. Quill Falconer’s son had come to Louisiana. She had known many men—human and vampire alike. But she had never forgotten Quill, or the exquisite taste of his blood.

And now his son was here, like the long-awaited answer to a prayer.

* * *

Dominic materialized in a residential neighborhood several miles away from New Orleans. Damn! He had never been bitten by a vampire before and he wasn’t sure how he felt about it. Not that it had been unpleasant. Quite the opposite. Under ordinary circumstances, the vampire would have been able to find him again, but he had powerful witches in his family. His mother had woven a protection spell around him, one that thwarted Transylvanian vampires from tracking him. He wondered suddenly if his mother had had this particular vampire in mind at the time. He grinned inwardly. Although the vampire who had bitten him couldn’t track him, he could track her, if need be.

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