Enchant the Night. Amanda Ashley
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ISBN: 978-1-4201-5159-6
ISBN-13: 978-1-4201-5160-2 (eBook)
ISBN-10: 1-4201-5160-6 (eBook)
To my children,
grandchildren,
and
great-grandchildren.
I know you love me
But I love you more!
Prologue
Chanting softly, twelve bearded men sat around a small fire in the middle of the Dark Wood. All had taken a solemn oath to destroy the last of the Hungarian vampires. These vampires, born rather than made, were capable of breeding with human females and reproducing more of their kind, and they were considered an affront to all that was holy.
The twelve rose when the Elder Knight appeared. On this night, they had gathered under the light of a full moon to initiate the newest member of their Order. Shrouded in long, black hooded cloaks and masks, they formed a circle around the initiate and the Elder Knight.
“This is a solemn occasion,” the Elder Knight intoned, and though he did not shout, his voice rang in the darkness. “Do you understand the gravity of the Oath of Allegiance you are about to make?”
The initiate bowed his head and said, “Yes.”
“From this night forward, you will be known as Ricardo 42. Our laws are simple. You will never reveal the names of those gathered here, nor will you ever reveal the location of our temple in the Dark Wood. From this night forward, your sole purpose in life will be to protect humanity from any and all supernatural creatures, even at the cost of your own life. To betray these laws is punishable by death. Will you now swear on your life to obey these laws?”
“I so swear.”
The Elder Knight reached into his long, black robe and withdrew a jeweled dagger. After piercing his own palm with the dagger, he did the same to each of the Knights, and to Ricardo 42 last of all. Then, one by one, each Knight pressed his bleeding palm to that of the initiate. When it was done, the cuts in their hands vanished.
“You are now one of us, Ricardo 42.”
A Knight bearing a robe came forward and presented it to the initiate, then stood back as Ricardo put it on.
A rush of wind stirred the trees and a woman in a long, gray cloak appeared, the hood pulled down low to hide her face. She placed an intricately-carved, ivory medallion around his neck. “This will alert you to the presence of Hungarian vampires.” Reaching into the pocket of her robe, she withdrew a small package. “This cloak of invisibility will hide you from their sight. Use it wisely.” And with that bit of advice, she vanished.
One by the one, the Knights welcomed Ricardo 42 into their midst.
And then, one by one, they disbanded, each to their own territory to seek out and destroy the last of the Hungarian vampires.
Chapter 1
Quill strolled through the shifting shadows of the night, a tall, dark-haired man shrouded in a long, black coat, unnoticed by passersby. Mortals, he thought, so oblivious to the world around them. Not only its incredible beauty, but the danger that dwelled in their midst like a hungry lion among lambs.
Times changed. Centuries rolled on. The old myths and legends lost their power. He had seen the rise and fall of nations and kings. But he remained forever the same, a solitary creature with little hope of forgiveness either in this life or the next. He had traveled the world from one end to the other. Made love to many women—but loved none of them. They had provided fleeting moments of passion in a long line of conquests that satisfied his lust as their blood fed his hunger.
He had long ago accepted that he was forever damned. With that acceptance came a measure of peace. He had not chosen this life, but bemoaning what he was, what he had to do to survive, accomplished nothing.
His needs were few and easily met. Still, after the first few hundred years, there had been times when he had grown weary of his solitary existence. It didn’t happen often, but when it did, he went to ground, seeking rest and relief.
The last time he had done so, he had risen to a new generation filled with inventions and technology he had never imagined. Computers and cell phones, jet planes and drones and satellites, and a hundred other amazing devices, some that would have been viewed as witchcraft or the works of the devil in the century when he’d been born.
It was a new age, and he reveled in it. Humanity no longer believed in his kind anymore. Hiding from the world was, in some ways, easier than ever. There were so many other monsters roaming the planet—remorseless gangs that preyed upon the weak, drug dealers who sold death in pretty pills to innocent children, politicians who betrayed their country for cash and power.
All thought of the past faded as his gaze settled on a young woman emerging from the shop in front of him. She was petite and comely. A cloud of golden wheat-colored hair fell over her shoulders and down her back in a riot of waves. She radiated youth and vitality as she hurried down the street, her stiletto heels clicking on the sidewalk.
Increasing his stride, he moved up beside her and caught her arm. A few quiet words calmed her fears as he led her into a shadowy alley between two large buildings. She stared at him blankly, eyes unblinking, lips slightly parted as he caressed her cheek.
He had intended to drink deeply, but something in the depths of her midnight-blue eyes changed his mind. Muttering an oath, he drew her into his embrace, bent his head to her neck, and satisfied his most basic need.
Chapter 2
Feeling as if she was wandering in a fog, Callie Hathaway walked to her car and drove home. Plagued by an overwhelming thirst, she hurried into the kitchen and filled a glass with water. When that didn’t satisfy her, she gulped down a can of root beer. It helped but only a little. Tossing the empty container into the trash, she wondered why she was so thirsty. And why the side of her neck tingled. And why she couldn’t remember what had happened between the time she’d left Sally’s Boutique and the moment she’d slid behind the wheel of her hot-pink VW.
Brow furrowed, she padded into the living room and sank down on the sofa, a throw pillow clutched to her chest as she tried to remember that missing half hour. Was she losing her mind? Developing Alzheimer’s? Had she suffered a stroke? Been kidnapped by aliens? She had never experienced any memory loss before. At least she didn’t think she had. But how was she to know? Feeling suddenly tense, she went into the bathroom and filled the tub, thinking a warm bath might help her relax.
Later, submerged to her shoulders in lavender-scented bubbles, she closed her eyes.
A tall man dressed all in black. Deep, dark eyes that captured hers. Strong arms holding her close. A faint prick in the side of her neck. A sudden sense of warmth that permeated her whole being . . .
Callie bolted upright with a start, water sloshing over the sides of the tub as she glanced around the room, her heart pounding as the memory of what had happened that night flooded her mind.
The man had bitten her!
* * *
In his lair on the other side of the city, Quill’s head snapped up as the woman he had preyed upon earlier woke to the realization of what had happened to her in the alley. How was that even possible? He had wiped the memory from her mind. He frowned into the darkness. No one had ever resisted