Page 3 of Enchant the Dawn

He ordered a glass of red wine and carried it to an empty booth in the back. His first night in New Orleans had been interesting, to say the least. He thought of the two women he had met—an incredibly beautiful and dangerous vampire and the loveliest mortal woman he had ever seen. Like sunlight and moonlight, he thought with a grin, and wondered what his chances were of getting to know the pretty blond female better.

Thinking over what had happened, he was surprised he’d been able to enter her house. His kind usually required an invitation to cross a mortal threshold. And then he shrugged. Perhaps her desperate cry for help had been invitation enough.

Dominic tensed when he felt a shift in the atmosphere. The next thing he knew, his great-grandmother, Ava, was sitting in the booth beside him. He grinned at her. She looked nothing like a great-grandmother. She was another beautiful woman, with golden-blond hair and bright blue eyes. He knew she was over a hundred years old, but she appeared to be in her early thirties, an easy spell for a witch. Why look your age when you didn’t have to?

“What brings you here at this time of night?” he asked.

“What do you think? You were sent here to learn what’s happening with the Knights, not to provide nourishment for a Transylvanian vampire, or rescue a mortal woman from danger.”

“Would you rather I’d let her be raped? Perhaps killed?”

“Of course not!”

“What have you found out about the new Elder Knight?”

“Not a thing. All I know is that the Brotherhood has moved to a new location. They left nothing behind, not so much as a footprint. Every spell I tried failed, which can only mean one thing—they’ve found a new witch.”

“So, what do we do now?”

“Wait for them to find you.”

“And then?”

“We’ll track them to their new headquarters and speak to the Elder Knight. Perhaps we can reason with this one, although I doubt it.”

“And if he refuses?”

“One thing at a time. Three of our people have been killed in this city in the last few months, which leads me to believe that the odds of making peace with the Knights are slim at best.”

“Those deaths are the real reason we’re here, isn’t it?”

Ava nodded, her expression grim.

“Wouldn’t it be easier for my great-grandfather to call all of our people home?” His great-grandfather, Andras, was the undisputed leader of the Hungarian vampires. His word was law.

“It would, indeed. But those who live here have homes and businesses. Some were born here. Some have never been to the Homeland. Andras feels it would be unfair to demand that they leave behind everything they have worked for.”

Dominic grunted softly.

“Sooner or later, a member of the Brotherhood will make a mistake. Until that time, you be careful. I promised your mother I’d keep you safe. She’ll never forgive me if anything happens to you.”

“I’m always careful.”

Ava laughed at that. “I’ll see you at home.”

Dominic grinned. He had rented a house when he’d first arrived, and she had decided he needed a roommate. “A chaperone, you mean,” he had said with a scowl. But she’d just laughed and moved into one of the bedrooms.

Dominic blew out a sigh as she sashayed out the door. He was about to call it a night when the vampire he had met earlier slid into the booth across from him.

Eyes narrowed, she asked, “Who are you?”

“Who are you?”

“I’m Claret, mistress of the New Orleans coven. No one stays in my territory without my permission. What are you doing here?”

Dominic shrugged. “Sightseeing.” He tensed as her power rolled over him. She was strong, but he was stronger. He knew a moment of triumph as he easily blocked her efforts to probe his mind.

“You’re Quill’s son, aren’t you?”

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