Page 67 of Enchant the Dawn

“Do not fail me again,” the Elder Knight warned. “Or what Ava did to you years ago will be as nothing compared to what I have in mind.”

Hands clenched at his sides to still their trembling, Jasper whispered, “I understand, my lord.”

“We will leave in the morning,” the Elder Knight said curtly.

The vampires would be at rest then, which would greatly reduce the risk of discovery and confrontation.

Chapter 27

Maddy felt as if she was being cocooned in cotton wool. She seemed to experience the world through a thick, white haze. Her arms and legs felt like lead and it was almost impossible to move. The room was dark, but she sensed it was daylight outside. She also sensed a presence in the room.

Gathering all the strength she could muster, she turned her head to the side, felt a chill run through her when she saw two men standing across the room, one on each side of the door. Unmoving. Unblinking. At first, she thought they were vampires, but that didn’t seem right. If they were creatures of the night, wouldn’t they be trapped in the dark sleep? They looked like . . . like zombies.

Dominic had said she was under some kind of spell. Could she break it? How did one break a spell anyway? She had never even cast one. So far, her abilities had been limited to summoning apples and hot chocolate, though she still didn’t understand how one born without magic could suddenly possess it.

She had watched Ava cast a spell, Maddy thought darkly. But she had no cauldron, no herbs or magical words. No magic wand.

Nothing but her will to be free.

Concentrate, Maddy.

She focused on one of the zombies.

Concentrate.

She stared into his eyes. Look at me, she commanded. Look at me!

Nothing.

She tried again, and when that failed, she took a deep, calming breath before focusing on the other zombie. Look at me.

Ever so slowly, he turned his head toward her, although she wasn’t sure if he actually saw her. Open the door. Nothing. You will open the door. Now!

He blinked at her. Once. Twice.

Moving like a tin soldier, he did as bidden. Then stood beside the bed. Unmoving. Unblinking.

Now for the hard part, Maddy thought. She had to get up.

It seemed to take forever to sit up, to swing her legs over the side of the bed. Feeling as though she had just fought her way through an invisible wall, she sat there for several minutes. And then she glanced at the door. It seemed to be a million miles away. After what seemed like an eternity, she gathered the strength to stand.

It was an effort to put one foot in front of the other. As she neared the door, she glanced back at the zombie standing beside the bed, but he just stood there. Unblinking. Unmoving.

Her heart pounded as she reached for the doorknob. Would they let her leave?

But they simply stood there, as though waiting for someone to command them.

Her whole body was trembling by the time she made it out of the room and discovered she was in a dilapidated house that should have been dismantled decades ago. The door creaked like a soul in torment when she opened it.

She blinked against the sun and for a moment, she forgot why she had wanted to go outside.

A gust of wind made her shiver. It rattled the window frame and sent a handful of dead leaves scudding across the street.

Home, she thought. I want to go home.

With no idea where she was, and no idea how to find her way home, Maddy stumbled out of the ramshackle building. She shivered as she made her way through a yard thick with weeds and broken bottles, paused when she reached what was left of the sidewalk. Which way to go? Deciding it didn’t matter, she turned left and staggered down the street.

* * *

---