Page 48 of Enchant the Dawn

“So, what do you expect me to do? I’m not a witch or a doctor.”

“I found a description of an ancient potion. The ingredients are very rare, but I’ve managed to find all but one.”

A shiver of foreboding ran down Maddy’s spine. “I’m afraid to ask—what is it?”

“The blood of the one he loves.”

Maddy shook her head. “He doesn’t love me. We hardly know each other.”

“Time has nothing to do with love, my dear.”

Maddy glanced nervously around the room, her mind whirling. This couldn’t be happening. Maybe she was home in bed, caught up in some wild nightmare. “He loves you. Wouldn’t your blood work better than mine? You’re family, after all.”

“In this case, witch blood will not help.”

“How . . . how much do you need?”

“A cup of blood, freely given.”

“A . . . a cup?” Maddy swallowed hard. “So much?”

“A cup of blood. And a lock of your hair. Is it too much to ask if it will save his life?”

“How do you know it will work?”

“Alas, I don’t. But it’s my last hope. Believe me, I would take what I need by force if I could.” Unfortunately, doing so would render the blood powerless.

“That won’t be necessary.”

“Come along,” Ava said, reaching for her hand. “The sooner we do this, the better.”

* * *

Maddy followed the witch down a wide hall lined with pictures of Louisiana and into a room paneled in dark wood. Heavy drapes covered the windows. There was nothing in the room save an easy chair covered in a dark print, a long, narrow, oak table covered with strange implements, and a large black cauldron. A horrible smell rose from a thick, ebony-hued liquid simmering in a beaker over a low flame. Three large wooden trunks lined one wall.

“Have a seat,” Ava said.

On shaky legs, Maddy crossed the room and sat down heavily.

Ava rummaged around in one of the trunks for a moment, then muttered, “Ah, here it is,” and came out with a syringe, a narrow piece of rubber, and a length of clear tubing. She plucked a heavy brass cup inscribed with runes from the table before kneeling beside Maddy.

Maddy squeezed her eyes shut as Ava probed the inside of her arm for a vein, then tied the strip of rubber in place. She winced as the needle struck home. She had never liked the sight of blood. Especially her own.

After what seemed like forever, Ava withdrew the needle and slapped a bandage over her arm to stop the bleeding. Reaching forward, the witch plucked a strand of Maddy’s hair.

“Let us pray this works,” Ava said as she walked to the table and held the cup over the beaker.

Rising, Maddy followed her to the table. “How will we know?”

“You’ll see. If the liquid stays black, we’ve failed.”

Maddy held her breath as Ava dropped the hair into the beaker. A moment later, she slowly added the blood. It hissed and bubbled up, threatening to spill over the edge. A long, thin spiral of black smoke rose from the container.

Maddy clenched her hands to still their trembling. Was that a good sign? She watched, unblinking, as the liquid continued to bubble and then, ever so slowly, the bubbling stopped and the liquid turned white. Pressing a hand to her heart, Maddy blew out a sigh of relief. It had worked!

Ava poured the liquid in a large, clear glass. “Now, for the final test.”

“What do you mean?”

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