Burkheart Witch Saga Book 1 and 2
Author: Christine Sutton; Research Associate Department Of Physics Christine Sutton
Date: 2014-11-14 00:00:00+00:00
Description: Red Snow: When Kayla embarks on a drive from Washington to Texas, she is just doing her job. When the black 1967 Impala starts showing up at every turn, she starts to think it might be more than coincidence. When the mysterious driver leaves her a note, she is engulfed in a race for her life. Kayla is tasked with defeating vampires, werewolves and evil witches that threaten to destroy her happiness and her very life! Will she get her happily ever after, or will she fall victim to the evil that courses through her veins? Red Snow is an urban retelling of a classic fairy tale. Let Me In: Kayla h
Publisher: CreateSpace Publishing
Rights: Copyright 2015 Christine Sutton. All rights reserved.

Burkheart Witch Saga Book 2: Let Me In

Christine Sutton

Devildog Press LLC

Burkheart Witch Saga Book 2: Let Me In

©2014 Devil Dog Press LLC

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living, dead, or otherwise, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of the author or Devil Dog Press, LLC.

Printed in the U.S.A.

Created with Vellum

I would like to thank a few great women that made this saga possible with their support, honest critique, and hounding to write more! Thank you Vix, Jaime, Leslie for all of your support and for helping me to be a better writer. Thank you to Vix and Kimberly for reading the first drafts and for giving me your honest feedback. Without that, I would be lost.

1

Settling in at the Marriott Hotel, Kayla was transported from her troubled world for a few wonderful, carefree moments. She felt like either a socialite or a high-end call girl. Unable to decide, she simply flopped down on the plush bed and enjoyed the luxury. Two hundred dollars per night was what this little getaway was costing her, and she did not care.

Kayla dialed the front desk.

"Concierge," a very capable sounding man answered.

"I need to know where I can go to print some documents nearby."

"No need to go, ma'am. We can have a printer brought to your room. Three sixty-two, correct?"

"Yes," Kayla replied, dumbfounded by her sudden power to materialize her every desire.

"I will have that sent up right away. PC or Mac?"

"PC, thank you."

"Anything else, Ms. Burkheart?"

"Can I get room service?"

"I'll connect you to the kitchen. Have a wonderful evening."

"Thank you."

Still amazed at her own superpowers, she ordered an early dinner of shrimp cocktail, flat iron steak with garlic-mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus followed by a vanilla crème brûlée, and washed down with Pepsi.

When the food arrived on its little silver cart, Kayla felt like a queen. She ate with reckless abandon. If anyone had dared put their hand near her steak, they probably would have pulled back a bloody stump. At the end of the best meal Kayla had ever had, she leaned back and patted her now very full stomach. She felt like passing out in bed and sleeping the rest of the night away. That was not going to happen, she thought, looking at the small, wireless printer that had accompanied her meal.

She hooked her phone to her laptop and downloaded the documents. As they printed, Kayla looked at each one. They told the story of a man who had gotten away from a snarling shrew and tried to have a life of his own. One of the documents was a letter her father had written to Carolyn, telling her that he planned on pursuing custody of his daughter. Kayla read that letter over and over, crying because she finally knew the truth. Her father had wanted her. All those years of that wicked witch telling her that he hated her; it was all a lie.

She wiped the tears from her eyes and continued looking through the papers. The knock on the hotel room door made her jump like she had just received an electric shock. She walked across the room to the door and called out to her visitor.

"Who is it?"

"Room service. Just coming to get your tray."

"Okay, I'm coming."

She opened the door, surprised to see a man no more than four feet tall standing there, waiting to be allowed in. Trying to cover her surprise, she stepped aside to allow the tiny waiter to collect her dishes. He entered and went straight for the cart that was almost taller than he was. Kayla thought that he looked a little nervous, but dismissed it. Maybe he had a problem with tall people, she thought.

She went to get her purse and pulled out a ten-dollar bill to give the waiter as a tip. When she turned around, she dropped the bill on the ground and gasped in surprise. The dwarf was standing about five feet away, holding a knife in his right hand, pointed straight at her. Kayla noticed that it was an athame. As she studied the miniature threat, she noticed a few other things about him. He wore a necklace that looked like a full moon in the center with a crescent moon on each side. When he raised the knife, the tattoo on his right wrist was revealed. A pentagram inside a circle.

"You're a witch!"

"A Wiccan, as a matter of fact. There is a difference."

"She sent you, didn't she?"

"I owe her. I have to do this. I don't want to, but I have to," he tried to explain.

"You don't have to do anything. You have a choice. What's your name?"

"Doc."

Kayla fought with every ounce of her being not to laugh.

"I'm Kayla," she said, hoping he would not notice the little giggle in her speech.

"I'm sorry, but I have to," Doc took a step toward her.

"I thought Wiccans did no harm. How can you do this?" she asked, trying her best to keep him engaged. He looked so pained and conflicted. Kayla actually felt sympathy for the little man. Doc looked into her eyes for what seemed like forever, and then dropped the knife, hunched over, and began to cry.

"I'm so sorry, Kayla. I can't do this. I don't even know why she wants you dead, but now she is going to want me dead, too."

"It's all right, Doc. I have an idea why Carolyn needs me out of the way. Just sit down and we can talk about it. Why do you owe her?" They sat down on the small sofa in the sitting area.

"She did something for me once. When I first became a Wiccan, I didn't know a lot. I was sort of lost and wandering. Carolyn took me under her wing, showed me spells and taught me magic. I was thrilled to be learning from such an experienced practitioner.

"She taught me all about herbs and stones. Then she started teaching me all about black magic... animal sacrifices, hexes and curses. When I objected and told her I thought it was wrong, she asked me how I thought I had been so successful in my magic, and my life. I had met and married a beautiful girl, I had finished medical school with honors, and had opened my own psychiatry practice, all while being mentored by Carolyn."

"She did it all for you through magic?"

"Yes. She told me that it would all disappear if I crossed her. If I didn't kill you, she would take it all away from me. She said I would lose my wife." Doc began crying again.

"How do you know it was all her doing?"

Doc just looked at her, eyes soaked with tears, unable to give a concrete answer.

"Maybe you did all of that on your own, without magic, or Carolyn."

"I don't know. Maybe I did do it all. I never thought of it that way. I never believed it was possible."

Kayla put a hand on Doc's small arm. She felt a kinship with him. They had both been shot down by Carolyn.

"Shit!" Doc sat bolt upright. "We have to get you out of here. She knows where you are, and when she finds out that I failed, someone else will come and do the job. Get your stuff. I have a place I can hide you."

"If she found me here, won't she find me there, too?" Doc's panic was proving contagious.

"The place I'm taking you is shielded by white magic. She won't be able to see you there. My coven will protect you."

"Your coven?"

"I'll explain it all, just get your stuff. We have to go, now!"

Kayla decided that trusting Doc was the right thing to do, and the only alternative, apparently. She had no desire to die, and it seemed like Doc had the same idea. She quickly packed all of her stuff, and they headed down to the lobby and out of the hotel. Kayla was surprised to see Doc get into a brand new Mustang. It was modified so that he could drive it with controls on the steering wheel, but it was still a freaking brand new Mustang!

Kayla got into the passenger seat with a little maneuvering.

"Your wife is a, uh, little person, too?"

"Yeah, she is, and so are the other members of my coven. You'll like them, and they'll take care of you. I promise."

As they sped away from the Marriott Hotel, Kayla hoped like hell Doc was right.

2

The house outside of town looked like a little cottage, nestled in on an acre of land. A large iron gate surrounded the property. It seemed like a perfect getaway.

Doc muttered a few words under his breath, and the gate swung open on its own. He turned to look at Kayla's expression of awe.

"I told you, magic." He continued down the driveway to the house. Kayla felt a moment of unease. Was she allowing herself to be led into a trap? She reasoned that if Doc had wanted to hurt her, he would have done it at the hotel. Besides, for some reason she trusted him, even kind of liked him.

They got out of the car and were greeted by a small woman with the biggest smile that Kayla had ever seen.

"Kayla, this is my wife, Joy." He walked over and kissed Joy, placing his hand on her shoulder. The two women nodded to each other. "Honey, is everyone here?"

"Yes, everyone is here."

"We all need to talk." He looked at Joy with a serious expression, but her smile never faded.

They all walked into the house. Kayla was amazed at how nice the place was. The house was decorated in muted earth tones with splashes of color from paintings and lamps. It had beautiful plush couches and chairs, gorgeous rugs, and a huge television in the far corner. Everything was just a little bit shorter than normal, perfect for the four other people sitting in the living area. Doc was obviously the leader of this group. Everyone turned to listen as he began to speak.

"Everyone, this is Kayla. She needs our help. Carolyn is after her, and we have to hide her here."

"Carolyn?" Joy asked with obvious fear in her voice.

"She sent me to a hotel where Kayla was hiding so that I could kill her," he said, embarrassed.

"Doc? You agreed to this? How could you?" Joy scolded.

"She told me that she would ruin my life. She told me that I would lose you, Joy."

Joy took Doc's face in her small hands and forced him to look her in the eyes.

"I love you. You will never lose me. Do you hear? Not by magic or any other means. Never." She kissed him on the lips and rested her forehead against his. They stood like that for a second, and then Doc turned to address the group.

"We need to hide Kayla. The magic here should keep her safe, but when Carolyn finds out that she's not dead, she will send others to find her. We need to figure out what to do to stop her. First, I think that we should have introductions all around. Kayla is going to be staying here for a while, so we should all get to know each other."

"I'm Gus." A tough looking guy of maybe thirty-five and about four feet tall started the introductions. "This one over here with her nose in the book is my girlfriend, Violet."

A very pretty young girl, the same height as Gus, lifted her head and made a little waving gesture.

"Hi," she said as though she was embarrassed.

"I'm Jess, good to meetcha!" A handsome little man grinned from the corner of the couch. Everyone jumped when a sneeze came from the other side of the room. A middle-aged woman of about three and a half feet with dark hair that had begun to gray at the temples stood in the doorway of the living area.

"Sorry, allergies," she said as she wiped her nose with a tissue. "I heard the whole deal. We're happy to help, Kayla. My name is Daisy; I'm Violet's sister. Pleased to meet you."

"Pleased to meet you all,” Kayla said, indicating everyone in the room.

"You'll meet Mooney in a little while. He works nights, so he'll be awake in an hour or so. When I got out of bed, I tried to get him up, too, but that is a lost cause. Just so you won't be surprised, he's a little person,” Jess said, in a confidential whisper, then began laughing at his own joke.

"Have a seat, Kayla. Don't be shy!" Daisy directed her to the armchair in the corner of the room. Kayla sat down in the cozy blue chair. Her knees were even with her chest when she finally settled in. Daisy let out a hearty laugh.

"Hmm. I guess maybe we need to get a giant-sized chair."

"I'm fine, it's comfy," Kayla said, trying to be polite.

"Let's get down to business," Doc said, regaining control of the makeshift council. Everyone immediately came to attention and turned to face him.

"Kayla is definitely in danger. As you all know, Carolyn is no one to screw around with. She has a lot of power and no conscience to keep it in check. The second she finds out that I didn't kill Kayla, she will send someone or something else to kill her."

"What do you mean something?" Kayla interrupted.

"I understand that you recently had a run-in with a werewolf?" Doc replied, raising an eyebrow as if indicating Kayla should already know this.

Kayla was shocked, but this answered a lot of the questions that she had about that experience. How had the wolf known where she was going to be? How did he know her cell number and her name? This was starting to make sense.

"She has tried twice now to kill our house guest," Doc continued, "and I don't imagine she will just give up."

"What can we do to fight her?" Violet asked, seeming reticent even to speak out loud.

"We use what the Goddess gave us first. Magic. We have something over Carolyn in that respect. White magic is so much stronger than black. We all know that." Everyone nodded in agreement.

Doc continued. "Daisy, Violet, we need to fortify the protection spell on this place. We need to be completely invisible to Carolyn."

"Got it," the two women replied in unison.

"Jess, you need to alter her appearance. I will leave it up to you two to figure it out. If anyone sees you, they could report back to Carolyn," Doc directed.

"I will make you even more beautiful," Jess said theatrically as he winked at Kayla. It seemed like she would be in good hands.

"I will work on trying to find out if Carolyn has spies on the lookout for you, or possibly what she has in the works," Joy chimed in.

"I'll check with my contacts at the bike shop to see if she has any other contracts with wolves or anything else," Gus said gruffly, and Kayla couldn't quite decide if Gus didn't like her or if he was just normally grouchy.

"Mooney can put some feelers out with the other covens and with the vamps," Doc informed them.

"Whoa, what? Fucking vampires?" Kayla gasped.

"Yeah, vampires," Jess said. "They only come out at night, and they definitely do not sparkle. Oh, and they are not all super crazy strong like in the movies. They’re actually kind of wussy. Maybe they do sparkle."

Kayla could tell that Jess was the goofball in the group.

"I'm sorry. I am just trying to get a grip on all of this. I was shocked that werewolves existed. Now my mother is a fucking evil witch, and you guys are going out to talk with vampires and god knows what else. I just want to go back to not knowing. I knew about Wiccans, but I thought that it was just Goddess-worshipping nature lovers. Real magic?" Kayla looked around the room at their little faces, hoping for some kind of reassurance. She found it when Joy walked over and took her hand.

"Kayla, you and I will sit down, and I can explain some things to you. I will do my best to answer all of your questions, but one important thing is for you not to lose your composure."

Kayla nodded her head, grateful for Joy's comforting touch.

"We need to get to work on this right away,” Doc said, once again bringing them all back to reality.

"What do I do?" Kayla asked, wanting to do her part in her own defense.

"Relax for now. You will have plenty to do soon enough," Doc told her in what Kayla thought was an ominous tone.

Kayla sat on the edge of the bathtub, waiting the twenty minutes required for the dye to finish ruining her pretty blond hair. She heard the ding of the timer and jumped up to get the hot, itchy dye off her scalp.

Stepping out of the shower, she looked at the long, midnight black locks that fell over her snow-white shoulders. She felt like crying for the loss of her golden color. She had always loved her hair, and now that was another bullet on the list of things her mother had stolen from her. She took a deep sniffle and put on her robe. She walked out of the bathroom to see Jess setting up a workstation of sorts. He was obviously in his element.

"What are you doing, Jess?" she asked, not really wanting an answer.

"Time to work some magic, My Lady." He took a deep bow and swept his arms grandly as he snipped the air with the small scissors in his right hand.

"Oh, no. Not my hair," Kayla said as she tried to fight back real tears.

"Aw, honey, don't cry," Jess said sympathetically. "I promise that you will look great, just a little different. I am gay and a professional hairstylist, you know. I have double the credentials."

"I trust you, Jess. I don't know why, but I do." Kayla couldn't hold back the flood of tears any longer; crying she sat down on the tiny little bed.

"It's just… this horrible bitch has taken away everything. My boyfriend thought that I cheated on him, I got fired from my job, and I almost got murdered and eaten in the middle of the damn desert. Now, my hair." Her crying turned into sobbing as she draped herself across the bed.

"Sweetie, get up and stop feeling sorry for yourself," Jess commanded.

"What?" She asked through sheets of tears.

"You can do one of two things. You can sit here crying like you just lost your puppy, or you can get the hell up, let me give you a fabulous cut and style, and then help us beat this bitch at her own game."

Jess's bluntness knocked her back. She looked at him and burst out laughing.

"Shit, you're right. I am not going to break down like a big baby when there are things that need to be done." She sat down in the little chair and gave Jess complete freedom to do as he would.

"Cut away, good sir."

"You are going to love it!" he sang excitedly and began to snip her long locks.

Daisy and Violet worked on setting up the altar in the living room. They had found a stronger protection spell for the home and were about to start casting. They called for everyone to come into the living area so they could get started.

"We're ready!" Daisy shouted. Everyone filed into the room, including the person Kayla assumed was named Mooney. He was a fairly thin young guy, taller than Jess by maybe five inches, with a do-rag and baggy pants. Very stylish, but a little bit sloppy looking. His eyes were still half closed from sleepiness as he struggled to find the energy to join the group and participate without falling back to sleep.

"Hey. Wassup?" Mooney lifted his chin to Kayla in greeting. She lifted hers back as a sign that she acknowledged and accepted his greeting. Apparently, one of the others had filled him in on the situation, because he seemed to grasp what they were doing with no questions.

"Oh! You look great, honey!" Joy exclaimed when she walked into the room and noticed Kayla's new black bob haircut.

"Thanks," Kayla replied, touching her hair, still trying to get used to it brushing her chin.

"Thank you, Joy," Jess said, taking his place in the circle next to Mooney. Everyone chuckled as they in turn took their places to begin the spell. Kayla sat back and waited while her little protectors began chanting. She felt a little bit better already.

3

Mooney entered the bar after his shift ended at 1:00 a.m. He walked across the main room as all manner of people and things stared at him. He was fully aware of the clientele that frequented The After Dark Saloon.

A group of werewolves sat in a booth in the corner. The full moon had passed, so they looked like regular guys drinking a pitcher of draught beer. Six vampires sat at different spots at the bar, drinking Bloody Marys. This was the only place in town that made them with real blood.

Mooney walked up to a stool far away from the vampires and hoisted himself up. It took quite a bit of effort, and he noted that it was quite a ways down.

"Hey Mooney!" Susie, the bartender, called from where she was washing glasses at the other end of the bar. "The usual?"

"Yeah, the usual. How you been?" he asked as she set his beer down on the bar.

"Good. These guys have been keeping me busy with Bloody Marys all night." She indicated the vamps sitting at the bar. Susie hated vampires and hated making Bloody Marys even more. She was a novice witch who'd gotten this job in order to be exposed to the magical community. Mooney thought she might be feeling a little overexposed.

"I got something that I need your help with," he said in a whisper. She leaned in close, supporting the feel of secrecy.

"With what?"

"Somebody ordered a hit on a mortal. I need to find out who is picking up the contract."

"Who ordered the hit?" she asked.

"Carolyn."

"Whoa. This is me not wanting to get involved with that," she said, putting up her hands and taking a step back.

"I really need your help with this, Susie," he asked pleadingly, but with a flirty smirk.

She leaned back in to talk with him more privately.

"That bitch is bad news, and very powerful. We all know the kind of shit she can do. I don't feel like getting turned into a frog today."

"Just a name of anybody that might have taken up the contract."

"Orlando," she sighed, resigned to Mooney's charms. "He'll do just about anything for the right amount of cash."

"Where can I find him?"

"He's sitting right next to you," she whispered.

Mooney turned his head and looked at the vampire sitting at the closest stool. He definitely did not look like the vamps in those books or the ones on TV. This guy looked like he had spent the better part of a year buried in an underground crypt. He was pale, even for a vampire, and he was as skinny as a rail. Mooney wondered where a scrub like this guy had gotten the money to throw back six drinks at twelve dollars a pop. The After Dark Saloon was not known for its low prices.

Mooney hated vamps and wolves, too. They smelled bad, they were generally nasty, and they didn't like witches much, either. Just as he finally worked up the gumption to approach Orlando, Carolyn opened the door to the bar and strode confidently in. She walked straight up to Orlando and sat down between him and Mooney.

"So, this is what you do with my money? Drink it all away?" She snapped at Orlando's back.

"Hello Carolyn," he replied calmly.

"Why haven't you done the job that I paid you for?"

"I can't find her. If I don't know where she is, how can I k…, uh, deliver the package?"

"Well, sitting on your dead ass in a dive bar doesn't help, does it?" Carolyn looked around, daring Susie or anyone else to contradict her.

"Un-dead ass, actually,” Orlando corrected. There was an audible gasp throughout the bar. Everyone in there was afraid of Carolyn. She had a reputation for not putting up with anyone's shit. Not even vampires and werewolves. She was obviously not happy with Orlando's flippant attitude.

She got very close to him and said in a low, angry whisper that Mooney almost couldn't hear, "Get the fuck up and go find that little bitch now. From this moment on, you will spend every waking moment searching for her. As soon as you crawl out of that shithole graveyard you call home, you will start searching. No more spending money that you haven't earned, you stupid bloodsucker."

Orlando turned on his stool to face her. He had an air of defiance that immediately made the whole bar hold their breath in anticipation.

"Why don't you calm down, witch. I said I would find her, and I'll find her. You just have to wai…"

That was all that Orlando was able to get out before Carolyn sunk the wooden stake deep into his chest. As the cloud of dust settled, she looked smugly around the bar to see if anyone was planning to comment on, or challenge, her actions. The other five vamps just sat at their stools nursing their drinks. The wolves in the corner went back to their beers. Susie was cleaning the bar, and Mooney was studying the bottom of his glass as though it contained the secret to eternal happiness.

Carolyn simply glared around the bar one more time and then walked out the door as if she had just come in to use the restroom.

"Fucking useless vampires," she mumbled on her way out.

Everyone in the bar had gone completely silent. Susie looked at Mooney as if to say, I told you so.

Mooney gulped the last of his beer and hopped off the stool. He placed a ten-dollar bill on the bar and nodded a goodbye to Susie. Some of the activity had resumed in the bar, and in a few minutes, it would be as if nothing had happened. Susie was getting the dustpan from behind the bar as Mooney walked out the front door and headed home.

4

Kayla sat alone in the house, unable to get comfortable. She was about a foot too tall for any of the furniture, and the bed she had slept in every night for the last two months was about a foot too short. She was going completely stir crazy. The coven was great. In the time that she had been a guest at their home, they had become her family. Joy and Doc were like the parents she never had, and Daisy and Violet were just like long lost sisters. Jess had become her best friend, and Gus and Mooney were great brother figures, but it just wasn't enough. She needed to get out for a while. She looked totally different, and she knew no one would recognize her, so one little trip outside wouldn't hurt. She needed to get some new clothes and other things, anyway. She realized she was trying to convince herself, and it was working. She left a note for the group, telling them she was going out shopping and would be back soon. When her cab arrived, she raced out the front door and off to enjoy a little alone time.

When she arrived at the mall, she felt free. It was like coming to the end of a long crusade or pilgrimage. She walked in, and the scents from the food court overwhelmed her senses. She went to the nearest burger restaurant and ordered a bacon cheeseburger with fries and a large Coke. After getting her order, she sat down in one of the booths and people-watched while enjoying her meal. She felt like a pig after she scarfed down the delicious greasy food, but she figured she could walk it off shopping.

She hit several department stores and bought new jeans, underwear, shirts, and a good pair of sneakers. As she wandered around, holding her bulging shopping bags, she noticed a bookstore nestled in between the sunglasses store and a beauty supply shop. She walked in, hoping to stock up on a few titles that would help to pass the hours.

She selected three books, each over eight hundred pages, and a little metal bookmark that had hearts and skulls on it. This should keep me busy, she thought while she paid the cashier and collected her bag. She walked out of the bookstore and thought that she might have some ice cream and then head home.

Home, she thought, and snickered. She had never once called Carolyn's house "home," but staying with these seven little people, that is exactly what it felt like to her. Home. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes; she quickly collected herself. She wondered when she had become such a crier.

She called the cab back from the payphone in the food court and sat down at a community table to wait. Groups of teenagers walked by using headphones, smartphones, PDAs, Kindles, and every other electronic device imaginable, not paying any attention to the world around them. Adults wandered aimlessly, looking lost and confused. A young couple passed her by, holding hands, completely oblivious to anyone but each other. They reminded Kayla of David and herself. She would call him tonight, tell him how much she missed him and let him know everything was okay, she decided, smiling at the thought of hearing his voice.

Out of nowhere, a gruff-looking young man sat at the table next to her. He looked to be about twenty-five years old, wearing dark jeans and a hooded sweatshirt. It appeared that he had not bothered to shave or brush his hair for the better part of a week. He had a patch on his sweatshirt that read Ray. Kayla smiled politely as he took his seat a foot away from her. She went back to eating the scoop of white chocolate ice cream she'd bought. As she started to take the last bite, the young man leaned over to her and took a deep whiff of the air. He just looked at her for a second, and then sat back with a chuckle. She got a creepy feeling from this guy and moved to get up from the table when he reached out and grabbed her arm.

"Where ya going in such a hurry, Red?"

Kayla's blood ran cold. She had only been called that one time before. In the desert.

"Let go of me."

"So, you're the one that put down Lou, huh? Don't look so surprised, I can smell him on you." He sniffed at the air and then latched his strong hand on her thigh, reopening the wound Lou had given her. Even though it had been a few weeks, the cut had still not healed completely.

"He didn't bite you, though. Just a scratch, but sometimes that's enough." He leaned in close as she tried to squirm out of his painful grip on her leg and sniffed her hair, nuzzling her cheek with his rough beard. She felt dirty after such an intimate gesture.

"Let go of me, now," she said again through gritted teeth, trying to sound more forceful.

"I expected you to look a little tougher." He was still right next to her ear. "I told Lou not to play with his food. But he liked his games."

"He was nothing but a rabid dog that deserved to be put down." Kayla spat the words at him.

"That's my brother you're talking about, bitch. You gunned him down in the desert like a wild coyote. Now, I'm gonna kill you for it." He squeezed her leg tighter, sending a shooting pain all the way up to her hip. She fought the urge to cry out.

"Now, get up slowly and take a walk with me. Don't forget your bags; we don't want to arouse any suspicion."

Kayla slowly rose from her seat and collected her bags. She picked up the bag containing her new books last. Ray grabbed her by the upper arm, and she allowed him to lead her to the automatic doors that opened to the parking lot.

As the doors opened to the outside, Kayla swung the bag containing the three huge hardcovers at the wolf's head. She felt the reverberation as the corner of one book connected with his temple. When his grip loosened, she twisted free and ran out into the parking lot. The cab pulled up while she got to the other side of the crosswalk. Fumbling with the door, she tried to get in, but Ray caught up to her and grabbed the back of her shirt. She had already tossed her bags into the back seat, so she grabbed the doorframe of the cab to stop herself from being pulled completely out.

"What the fuck is going on?" the cabbie asked, obviously scared and horrified by the scene unfolding before him.

Kayla kicked with her now throbbing right leg and connected with the wolf's groin. He let out a howl that surely caught the attention of everyone at the mall, and maybe even a few blocks away. He was transforming right in front of her. Kayla took the opportunity to get herself fully into the cab. She fumbled with her bags and pulled out the metal bookmark she'd purchased.

The wolf had recovered from the throbbing pain in his scrotum and laughed as he popped his head into the cab. He looked at the stunned cabbie and growled a deep guttural snarl. The cab driver just looked on the scene, petrified. Kayla scrambled further into the cab as Ray turned his attention back to her. He snarled again and snapped his elongated teeth at her.

She flung her right hand at his throat and felt the pointed end of the metal bookmark sink into his flesh. A rush of hot blood covered her hand while he stumbled backward from the cab, howling again, but this time even louder than before. She bolted forward as soon as he was out of the way and shut the cab door.

"Drive!" she instructed the cabbie who stared back at her, looking confused and frightened.

"Drive, now!" she repeated with more forcefulness, snapping the cab driver out of his trance. He hit the gas with all of his force and the tires squealed and let out clouds of smoke as he peeled away from the scene. Kayla looked back and saw Ray get up from the ground and pull the bookmark out of his neck. People had gathered around him to see if he was all right. One woman took his arm to try to help him get inside, and he pushed her to the ground with no effort at all. The last thing Kayla saw was Ray sprinting away from the scene as a police car pulled up to assess the situation. Great, she thought as the cab continued toward the cottage, now what am I going to do?

5

When Kayla arrived back at the cottage, Doc and Gus were outside. They were apparently about to go out on a search and rescue mission.

Kayla stepped out of the cab and fell to the ground.

"Shit!" Gus exclaimed. "What the hell happened?"

"A wolf," she said weakly.

"Did the driver see it?" Doc asked her.

She nodded her head.

"Holy shit!" Gus said again and walked over to the driver's window. The driver was still scared to death, and apparently, the thought of just speeding away had not occurred to him. Gus looked in at the driver and said a few words. Then he took a handful of dust from his pocket and threw it in the cabbie's face. Kayla was surprised when the cabbie got out of the car and retrieved her bags from the back. He placed them on the ground next to her.

"Have a great day, miss," he said to her cheerfully, not acknowledging that she was on the ground and her arm was covered in blood. He got back into his cab and drove away as if nothing had happened.

"What did you do to him?" she asked Gus.

"Memory dust. I got it from a fairy. Works every time."

"Let's get you back in the house, and you can tell us all about your adventure," Doc said with more than a little irritation in his voice.

After Kayla had washed up and slipped into a pair of shorts so she could bandage her bleeding thigh, she walked out to the living room, where seven sets of eyes were boring into her, waiting for an explanation.

"I'll start," Gus said. "What the fuck were you thinking?" Violet put her hand on his arm, trying to get him to calm down.

"What he means is why did you go out in the first place? We could have gotten you anything you needed," Joy said with a smile that indicated concern and genuine curiosity.

Kayla sat down on the couch and told the coven the entire tale of why she had left and what had happened at the mall. They all sat in silence, listening intently. When she finished, Doc had a few questions of his own.

"Are you sure that the wolf in the desert didn't bite you?"

"Yes, he only scratched me. Am I going to turn into a wolf?" she asked fearfully.

"No dear. You may have some extra abilities for a few full moons, but it takes an actual bite to turn you completely," Joy said reassuringly.

"Well, that's good to know, at least," Kayla sighed with relief.

"Although it may be a little different for you, I’m concerned that it’s taking so long to heal."

Doc impatiently jumped in to get answers to the rest of his questions before Joy continued.

"Did he tell you that Carolyn sent him?"

"No, but I have to assume she did after what Mooney heard in the bar," she replied.

"Why does she want you dead, Kayla?"

She went back to her room and retrieved the printed documents that she had found in Carolyn’s altar room and handed them to Doc.

"Well, I guess a million dollars is as good a motive as any."

"I guess,” Kayla said with a sense of defeat.

Doc walked up to Kayla and, to the best of his ability, stared her directly in the eyes.

"Kayla, you cannot leave this house again. No matter what happens, no matter what you need, you have to stay inside this house at all times. Do you understand?"

"Yes," she said as she bowed her head and fell into the sofa like a child being scolded for not following directions. Doc seemed to feel bad for chastising her, and he put his finger under her chin to lift her tear streaked face.

"Don't cry, honey. This is all for your own good."

"I know, Doc. It just seems like I'm trapped in some fucked up fairy tale. Now, I managed to get myself locked in a tower," she chuckled in spite of her despair.

"It won't be forever, I promise. Just until we find a way to defeat Carolyn."

"How is that going?" she asked the room of little witches.

"We are making some progress, but haven't found anything quite strong enough to bind her powers," Daisy reported.

"Is that what we're trying to do, bind her powers? She won't stop even if she has no powers. She'll still try to kill me. She won't ever give up. If that crazy bitch is anything, she's persistent. I've seen what she'll do for the last piece of cake; I can only imagine what she'll do for a million dollars."

Daisy snorted and then charged ahead into a violent sneezing fit. Everyone waited for her to stop so they could continue.

"Sorry, guys. Damn allergies. I'm afraid one day I'm going to sneeze my brains out," she apologized as she wiped her nose.

"I think you just gave me an idea, Daisy!" Jess suddenly exclaimed. "Kayla, is there anything that she is afraid of? Like really afraid of?"

"Getting old. She buys every anti-aging cream and potion that she can find. She always makes comments about how her skin used to be nicer than mine, and how we could be sisters. Blah, blah, blah." Kayla made a talking gesture with her hand and rolled her eyes.

"Why don't we try to use that against her?" Jess looked at the blank faces of the group and decided they needed a visual aid. He grabbed the old spell book off the coffee table and began flipping pages. He found what he was looking for and laid the book out on the table. Everyone huddled in to look at the spell.

"Like instant karma?" Kayla asked.

"Every time she thinks of doing something bad to you, something bad will happen to her. We should be able to tailor the spell to fit her fear,” Jess explained with a little gleam in his eye.

"That could work." Doc was turning the possibilities over in his head. "We do it tonight."

Kayla sat down at the table, removed from the coven.

"What are you doing way over there?" Joy smiled at her.

"Just watching.” Kayla smiled back.

"Oh, no. This one involves you, too,” Gus said as he took her hand and led her to the chair Violet had set in the middle of the room.

Mooney was awake and busy sprinkling herbs into a large bowl. He seemed to be in some kind of meditative trance. He shot a look to Gus, and Gus nodded back. He walked behind Kayla, and she felt a sharp pain in the back of her head. She jumped and grabbed her sore scalp, turning to Gus.

"Did you just pull my hair out?" she yelled, stunned and a little pissed.

Gus just shrugged and dangled the little clump of dyed black hair before he took it to Mooney, who added it to the bowl.

She rubbed her head and glared at the two men. As Mooney dropped the last of her locks into the bowl, a puff of smoke erupted like a miniature volcano.

"Ready!" he shouted to the rest of the dwarves, who filed into the room with serious looks on their faces. They gathered around Kayla, forming a circle and joining hands.

Doc began reciting what Kayla assumed was a spell.

"Dea petimus benedictionibus vestris. Proin est nobis in tempore necessitatis,” Doc chanted.

"Blessed be," the group responded in unison.

"Cum anima innocens mittit mala, tum adversus malos male operans."

"Blessed be."

"Aequalis ei malum, ita et tempus accurrere."

"So mote it be."

Daisy brought the bowl to Kayla and sat it in front of her chair. Kayla looked at her questioningly. Daisy silently indicated for her to be still and quiet.

As Kayla sat motionless, a small light began shining from inside the bowl. It steadily grew in volume and brightness until she was forced to cover her eyes. Even with her eyes shielded, she could tell that the light was continuing to consume everything in the room.

"What's happening?" she asked anyone who might answer her. No one did. The witches continued chanting something Kayla couldn't understand. As strange as it seemed, she could actually feel the light pushing on her, and it felt great and awful at the same time, like she was being crushed and cradled simultaneously. She tried catching her breath, but found that she was unable to breathe at all. Just as she was skirting a serious case of panic, the pressure on her lungs released. She took a long, deep, heaving breath and was surprised at how cold that air felt to her lungs.

She opened her eyes and looked around. She was no longer in the comfortable living room of the little people; she was apparently in the middle of a snow-covered forest. A blanket of white powder extended for miles in every direction. She could see a few trees covered in ice, their dormant branches straining under the weight of the pure white snow.

Shaking, she rose from the ground and took a tentative step forward. The snow was dense and thick, easily supporting her weight. She took a few more steps before calling out.

"Hello? Is there anyone here?" She looked all around, trying to spot any signs of life. She got her wish after a few more steps.

The low growl came from closer behind than she would have liked. Kayla slowly pivoted in a half circle, and the wolves bared their teeth and growled even more loudly. Their yellow eyes locked on hers, and she frantically tried to plan a getaway. The lupine trio was no more than five feet away from her. She knew running from them was not a viable option, but they looked like they were getting anxious. Every time she took a small step back, the lead wolf took a step forward. The leader of the pack growled again and then snapped its powerful jaws in a loud snarl. Just as Kayla was about to risk running away, a figure dressed in a long, hooded robe stepped out from behind a tree and walked toward the wolves. He was tall and muscular. Kayla could see a hint of long blond hair peeking out from under the draped hood that hid his face. He seemed familiar to her, but she could not place where she might have seen him before.

To her amazement, the wolves immediately lay down in the snow. Even though they kept their watchful eyes on her, they seemed afraid of the hooded man. Kayla knew the feeling. She was about to bolt off in the opposite direction when the huntsman put his hand out to her. She could hear someone shouting off in the distance, but couldn't make out what they were saying.

The huntsman took the hand he had held out to Kayla and placed it on the coat of the lead wolf. He slowly stroked the grayish brown fur and whispered something to the wolf that Kayla could not hear.

She knew this had to be some kind of hallucination or dream, but she was frustrated at her inability to discern what anyone was saying, or to make heads or tails of whom this man was. She watched him carefully, wondering what fate that whisper might bring to her. She didn't have to wait long.

Without warning, the lead wolf lunged at her, knocking her to the ground. She felt the air leave her lungs and a rock on the ground connect with her temple. As the world swam out of focus, the cloaked figure crouched beside her. He pulled the hood away from his face and looked at her with sharp blue eyes the color of the clearest waters. She still had that feeling of familiarity that nagged at her failing consciousness. As the blackness moved in from the corners of her fading vision, she had a realization that sent her reeling into darkness. The huntsman scooped her up into his strong arms and lifted her body from the cold snow, and a final word passed her lips before she fainted completely away.

"Daddy?"

6

Kayla woke, expecting to be sitting in the living room with the seven witches. Instead, she saw the inside of a small cottage, the walls lined with animal skins and old pots. The room felt cozy and rustic, if not a little bit cloying. In the corner, a stone fireplace burned brightly. A filigree crane held a Dutch oven over the fireplace. The smell of fresh bread and spice filled the small room. As Kayla propped herself up on her elbows, she felt a wave of dizziness and nausea. She allowed herself to fall back onto the bed.

The door opened abruptly, and she bolted up just as fast, multiplying the sense of nausea. Her father entered the cottage with an armload of wood to keep the fire burning.

Through the wooziness, Kayla tried to focus.

"Where am I? What's going on?"

"Kayla, it's me, your dad. Do you remember me?" He looked at her hopefully. That look broke her heart.

Even though she had spent the last twenty years fine-tuning all of the things that she would say if she was ever face to face with him, all she was able to get out was, "Daddy, is it really you?"

"Yes, honey, it's really me."

She pulled herself up and wrapped her arms around his neck. It felt so good to have the man she had hated for so long here with her. She never imagined that this day would actually come, and she wasn't even sure that it was here now.

She could still hear the faint shouting in the distance, and it made her feel uneasy. She released her father and looked into his eyes, now wet with tears. Seeing him so emotional made her feel emotional as well. She was unable to hold the tears in, and they erupted in a flood. Her whole body heaved with each powerful sob. After a few minutes, she was able to calm down enough to talk to her dad.

"Is it true that you're going to die?"

"Yes, Munchkin, I am going to die soon. That's why I'm here. We don't have time to waste. I have to tell you a few things, and we need to decide what to do about your mother." The mention of her childhood nickname sent a fresh roll of tears streaming down her cheeks, but she was determined not to allow herself to lose control like before.

"What can we do? She is so powerful that everyone is afraid of her. One of the witches saw her kill a vampire in a bar and not even blink."

"That sounds like something she would do," he laughed.

"I'm scared."

"Don't be scared, Munchkin. I'm here now, and we can get through this together." He placed a consoling hand on her shoulder, and she felt the warmth and love that she had been craving since the age of twelve. She was a little girl again who needed and loved her daddy.

She couldn't shake the sound of the shouts in the distance, but she tried to ignore them. There was nothing in the world that could disrupt the euphoria she felt being here with her father.

"We should get you something to eat. You are going to need your strength." He rose from the bed to get a plate of bread from the fireplace. Out of the Dutch oven, he ladled a mug full of what looked like a hearty apple cider. He placed the plate and mug on the small wooden table, and Kayla got up from the bed and took a seat. The sweet cinnamon apple smell from the mug mixed with the decadence of the warm bread and butter made her feel even more like a little girl again.

She took a small bite of the fresh bread as her father gazed at her from across the table. She was amazed at how good she felt to be here with him, despite the situation. She was losing all the disbelief she had in this environment. She had started out believing that it was an illusion, but now she was not so sure.

The shouting from the distance was getting louder and louder. She strained to hear what the distant voices were saying, even though she found them to be little more than disruptive of her special time with her long-lost father.

"Kayla, don't…" is what she thought she was hearing from the distance.

"Munchkin, why does she want to hurt you?"

"Money. Your insurance policy, to be exact." She held the warm apple cider in her hand, the spicy, homey scent filling her with nostalgia for an imagined childhood.

“Don't…” that voice from the woods yelled again.

"I never meant for her to know about that. I tried to keep it a secret, but Carolyn is so powerful, she found out. My abilities are nothing compared to hers."

"You're a witch, too?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes, I am. I am not half the witch that Carolyn is, though."

"You mean she's a conniving, evil bitch."

Her father seemed to take offense to the criticism.

"Carolyn is a very powerful and beautiful sorceress. You would do well to remember that," he snapped at her.

"She is a hateful, demonic shrew that is trying to kill me," she pushed.

Her father was obviously getting irritated with her opinions of Carolyn, and Kayla had to wonder why he felt so strongly about a woman he had walked away from twenty years earlier. She swirled the cider in her mug and again enjoyed the strong scent. She lifted the mug to her lips, but then moved it away, wanting to press the issue of Carolyn.

"Why are you glorifying her? She's an awful person who’s treated me like nothing but trash since the day you left. She is actively trying to kill me! How can you defend her?" She noticed that as she spoke, her father's eyes darted back and forth in time to the motions of her cider mug.

"I, uh, I'm just stating facts. She is very powerful." He seemed to be nervous. "Drink your cider before it gets too cold."

She brought the mug to her lips again, but brought it down as she saw the expectancy in her father's face.

"Drink up, Munchkin."

"Why did you leave her, Dad?"

The not so far away voice still yelled, “Kayla, no…"

"Drink it, now Kayla. We're running out of time."

"Why?" She raised her voice, now being fully assaulted by the reality that this was just a dream.

Suddenly, her father lurched out of his seat and grabbed the mug from her hand. He took hold of her throat, and she struggled with all of her strength, scratching at his hands. He was so strong! She tried to get up out of the chair as he lifted the mug over her head. He moved his hand up to her cheeks and pried her jaw open. While the hot liquid poured over her cheeks and ran into her mouth, she opened her eyes to try and visually plead with him to stop.

Kayla was shocked to see Carolyn standing above her, forcing her to drink the liquid.

"Swallow, you little bitch! You're not going to ruin me. I am the strongest, the most beautiful, and the most powerful. I will have that fucking money, and all of your power!" Carolyn yelled at her, plugging Kayla's nose.

Kayla drank the hot liquid to avoid choking to death, her throat feeling like she had swallowed lava. Her cheeks and neck burned like they had been touched with fire. Carolyn let go of her face and stepped back, allowing Kayla to jump out of her seat.

Kayla felt like she had been on one of her weeklong benders. She was unstable and nauseous, and the intense burning had traveled down from her throat into her chest. She was finding it hard to breathe. It was even harder to focus on Carolyn. Kayla swung her weak fists at the Carolyn closest to her. That was apparently not the right one, because her fists found nothing but air.

Kayla attempted another swing as the door of the little cottage swung open with a bang. Carolyn jumped in surprise as Jess burst into the room. All of the strength drained from Kayla's legs, and she fell to the floor. She watched Jess jump at Carolyn as the taller witch raised her hands in protection.

"Mortem et dolorem tibi!" Carolyn shouted as a streak of light shot from the palm of her hand and struck Jess right in the middle of the chest. He crumpled to the ground next to where Kayla lay losing consciousness. Her friend Jess stared directly in her eyes while the life drained from his. She reached out and grabbed his hand.

"I'm so sorry, Jess. I'm so sorry," she said to his now lifeless body. She began to cry softly as her world went completely black to the sound of Carolyn's satisfied laughter.

7

"Kayla? Kayla?"

She could hear Doc calling her, and she could feel him gently trying to shake her awake, but she was unable to respond. As hard as she tried, her eyes would not open. She couldn't lift her arms, or to even respond to his prodding.

"She won't wake up!" Doc yelled to the rest of the room.

Kayla could also hear sobbing coming from what she believed to be the couch area. The crying sounded like it was coming from Daisy and maybe Violet.

"He's dead,” Gus's voice had a slight tremor.

Oh my God! Kayla thought inside of her head. The head that right now seemed to be a prison of sorts.

There was a clatter to her left that sounded like furniture being thrown.

"Fucking bitch! How did she do this? How could she do this inside of a spell?" Gus's anguished voice would have made Kayla cry, if she was able to cry, that was.

"Gus, we need to find out those answers, but right now, Kayla needs our help," Joy, the voice of reason, chimed in. She was obviously grieving, but there was also a sense of urgency in her tone.

"We need to put her under our protection. Obviously better protection than we provided before." A look of shame washed over Daisy's face.

Violet walked over to Daisy and took hold of her hand, consoling her as only a sister could do.

Mooney came running into the room. He had been trying to gather material to interrupt Carolyn's intrusion into Kayla's dream state. He entered, spotting Jess lying on the couch. He dropped the armload of herbs and jars with a loud clatter and ran to Jess's side.

"Jess?" he wailed. "Jess, wake up, baby. Please wake up." He grabbed Jess's face in his hands and gently kissed his forehead. He shook the dead man's shoulders.

"Please, honey. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up!" Mooney lay across Jess’s lifeless body and held him as only a lover could, his sobs becoming uncontrollable. With each heave of his body, the rest of the coven's hearts broke. His tears and pleas to his dead lover were so wrenching and full of anguish that Joy couldn't stand it any longer. She walked over to where Mooney sat mourning the loss of his true love, and placed her hand on his head. He turned his tear-streaked, pain stricken face to Joy.

"Please Joy, bring him back," he pleaded in such a way that forced her to turn her head away to try to choke back her tears.

"I can't do that, Mooney. He was killed by magic. I can't bring him back. Even if I could, you know I wouldn't. It's not right."

"Is it right that he's dead? I can't lose him, Joy. I can't lose him."

He began to sob again, and buried his head in Jess's neck.

Joy gently pulled him up off the floor and away from his lost love. She held him in her arms until the sobs subsided.

"I want her to die," he muttered, half under his breath.

"What, Mooney?"

"I want her to die," he said louder than before.

"Mooney, I know you're upset right now," Daisy said.

"Upset? Jess is dead!" he yelled, no longer able to control his anger.

"Mooney," Joy looked like she was going to try to reason with him, but he cut her off.

"No, Joy. That fucking bitch has gone unchecked for too damn long. She tried to kill Kayla, she almost turned Doc into a killer, what the hell else does she have to do before you can see what has to be done?" Mooney was beginning to sound manic and desperate.

He collapsed onto the floor, and his friends gathered around. They silently decided that just being there for him was enough. Soon, though, they would have to make a few difficult decisions. For now, all of their attention was focused on the grieving man sobbing in the middle of the floor.

8

Joy sat at the head of the bed where Kayla was laid out, unconscious. With a lot of effort, the six dwarves had gotten her into the bed. Joy was brushing her hair and lightly humming a sweet tune.

The witches had done some homework and believed they had figured out what Carolyn had done to Kayla.

The wicked witch had set up a supernatural alarm system. She had been notified magically when the coven was working any kind of spell. The alarm system had been strong enough to override the protection spell, so Carolyn had known exactly when to attack. The coven had been able to witness the whole scene in the woods and in the dream cabin. They had all yelled, trying to warn her, but she had been so wrapped up in the scene that she was unable to focus in and hear them. When they had figured out how to actually get one of them into the scene to help her, Jess had jumped on the opportunity. They had no idea that it would cost him his life.

Carolyn had given Kayla a potion that put her into a deep coma. Joy believed Kayla was aware of her surroundings, but unable to respond to anyone.

Mooney had maniacally focused all of his efforts on helping wake Kayla since Jess had been killed three days before. He searched frantically on the Internet and every spell book he could get his hands on for a cure, and for a way to defeat Carolyn while exacting his revenge. He had checked everything from Druid magik to True love curse-breaking to find the exact spell that would help.

As Joy softly hummed, Daisy burst into the bedroom.

"Joy, someone is here. A man," she said with a twinge of fear in her voice. As Joy stood up to respond to Daisy's exclamation, there was a knock at the door. Joy choked down a lump of fear and headed out of the room.

She opened the front door to what obviously used to be a man. Standing in front of her was a sick, old person that looked defeated before the battle had begun.

"Can I help you?" She smiled as pleasantly as she possibly could without knowing the stranger's intentions.

He took a deep breath as though it was an effort to speak. His thin, bony frame appeared to lurch with every word he wrestled from his withered mouth.

"Kayla Burkheart here?" he managed to get out with much difficulty. He appeared to be tired just from that one sentence.

"Who are you?" Joy asked defensively.

"I'm her father." He was having difficulty standing up, and he rested on the doorframe for support.

"Who told you Kayla Burkheart was here?" Joy was still suspicious after viewing Carolyn's shape-shifting tricks.

"I did," Mooney came into the foyer with a purpose. He led the frail man into the house and directed him to a seat at the table.

"Mr. Burkheart, I'm glad to see you. I hope that the trip wasn't too difficult for you," Mooney said sincerely.

"After I talked to you on the phone yesterday, I would have traveled anywhere to help my little girl. Please, call me Richard."

"I'm Mooney, this is Joy and Daisy," he said, indicating the two women. "I want to get right to the point, Richard."

Richard leaned in attentively.

"Carolyn has put a spell on Kayla, and we don't know how much time we actually have to help her. We need your help."

"What can I do?" he asked with all the regret and sorrow of twenty missed years wrapped up in that one sentence.

"You can talk to her. Tell her that you love her, and that you missed her. Try to bring her out of herself. You can also tell us a few things about Carolyn."

"I haven't seen either of them in more than twenty years. I tried, though. I tried to see Kayla, I really did. Year after year, it got harder and harder to try, and I eventually just gave up." It was Richard's turn to wipe the tears from his eyes. "I love my girl, though. I never stopped loving her. I thought that the insurance money would be something I could do to make her life easier, but look what it did. I almost got her killed." He broke down and started crying, which triggered a coughing fit that Joy wasn't sure he was going to recover from. Daisy handed him a tissue and his coughing eventually abated.

"What do you know about Carolyn? Was she born a witch?" Mooney asked.

"Yes. I honestly think that's how she got me to marry her." He laughed a little, and Daisy had a tissue at the ready. This time, it wasn't needed. He continued on, "I was obsessed with her. I couldn't be away from her for more than an hour without wanting to die. I didn't understand until after we were married and I learned that she was a witch. What Carolyn didn't know was that I am a witch as well. Maybe that’s what brought us together in the first place. I finally was able to loosen her grip enough to reverse her magic. I broke her spell and we got divorced. I was disgusted that I could have given fifteen years of my life to this horrible woman. The only good thing that came out of it was Kayla. I love her so much." The tears were quietly streaming now, and Daisy offered up the second tissue. He received it with a grateful smile.

"I think that Kayla knows basically what happened. We just need you to talk to her."

"I'll do whatever I can to help."

"So, Richard, were you born a witch as well?"

"Yes, I was."

"So, that means that Kayla is a witch also," Mooney said with realization. "She doesn't know, though."

"Carolyn never told her?" Richard asked incredulously.

"I guess not."

"When Kayla was a baby and her bottle was late, or if she was mad about something, the house would shake or things would fall off of shelves. Once, when Kayla was three years old, Carolyn wouldn't let her have a toy that she wanted. Kayla stared at her, and Carolyn fell to the ground unconscious. The doctor said that he believed Carolyn's heart might have stopped for a minute."

"Wow."

"Yeah," Richard agreed with Mooney's assessment of the situation. "I believe that Carolyn bound Kayla's powers after that. After that day, Kayla and I were no longer able to communicate telepathically, as we had done before."

"So, I think that we need to unbind her powers, first and foremost,” Daisy said, already heading off to get the supplies needed for the spell. "I'll get started."

"Let's take you in to see your daughter," Mooney said to the weak, old man with the thinning blond hair and deep blue eyes. The two men rose and headed into the bedroom where Kayla lay unconscious as Joy followed.

As Richard walked in to the bedroom and saw her lying on the bed, he stumbled and almost lost his balance.

"Oh my God, she's beautiful."

"Yes, she is," Joy agreed.

"Her hair?"

"Dyed. It’s naturally blond like yours, and gorgeous blue eyes."

"She looks so peaceful. She's not dead, is she?" Richard asked, with obvious fear in his voice.

"No. Just sleeping."

"Carolyn did this to our baby girl?" His fear had turned to anger. "How could she?"

"We are going to unbind her magic, and hopefully wake her up. We'll leave you alone to talk to her," Mooney said then started out of the room.

"Wait. I don't know what to say to her." Richard looked like someone weighted with an unbearable loneliness and regret that was eating him from the inside out.

"You have twenty years of catching up to do." Joy smiled and left the room with Mooney, leaving two strangers alone to get reacquainted.

The old man stood in the bedroom doorway, completely lost as to his next move. He eventually summoned the courage to limp his way over to the sleeping woman. He pulled a small chair over to the bedside and sat down with a groan and a grimace of pain. He knew in his heart that he was not long for this world, and he was slowly convincing his head of the same fact.

Richard tentatively reached a hand out to touch Kayla, but pulled it back, afraid of how her skin might feel. If her hand felt cold and clammy, he didn't think he could bear it.

"Kayla, honey?" He paused as if awaiting an answer he knew would not come.

"It's me, your father. I know it has been a long time since we talked, but I want you to know that I never gave up on you. I always wanted you to come live with me, but your mother…" Richard allowed his sentence to hang in the air unfinished as he fought back tears. They both knew what Carolyn had done and he knew that there was no reason or benefit to rehashing it.

"I just need you to know that I love you, Munchkin. You are strong, and you will get through this." He couldn't hold back the tears any longer, and they flowed as freely as water from a tap. This time when he reached out to touch Kayla's hand, there was no hint of hesitation. He needed to touch her. He needed to feel a connection with his little girl that he had missed and wished for these last twenty years.

When he slipped his hand into hers, an immediate spark surged through his weakened body. His pallid face flushed with color, and his atrophied muscles began to twitch to life. He felt virile and strong for the first time in a very long while. He quickly drew his hand away from hers. This feeling was frightening as well as exhilarating, but he didn't understand what was happening. He knew there was a connection of magic between them, just not how strong it actually was. He felt some of his newfound vigor draining from his body, replaced with the familiar pain and weakness of his long-term illness.

"Munchkin… I guess you're not such a munchkin anymore," he chuckled. "I need you to fight this magic. Carolyn only has power over you if you let her. Her magic is dark, and your magic is light." Richard couldn't hold back the flood of emotions. He laid his head down on the bed and begged his unconscious daughter, "Please come back to me, baby. Please."

Mooney stood in the doorway and watched the old man beseeching the beautiful girl for her return.

"Richard, it's time to begin."

Her grief-stricken father raised his head and looked at Mooney with red-rimmed eyes.

"Let's get her back," he told Mooney matter-of-factly. When he rose from the chair, it took a little less effort than before for him to get to his feet.

The two men walked out of the room, each praying silently that this was going to work.

The little witches had gathered all the materials needed to begin the unbinding spell. Daisy and Joy lit candles they had placed on the makeshift altar in Kayla's room. They exchanged glances, each knowing what the other was thinking. The remaining six coven members were thinking about how much they wanted and needed this spell to work. Over the last few months, each of them had grown to love Kayla like family. They had all grieved over her predicament, and they wanted so badly to bring her back.

Gus and Violet were lighting the incense, which flooded the room with the sweet, woody scents of patchouli and sandalwood.

Doc and Mooney were sitting in the corner of the room with Richard, getting stones and herbs needed for the unbinding spell. As soon as the sun set and the full moon rose in the sky, they would begin.

Mooney walked over to where Kayla lay perfectly still. Joy and Daisy had dressed her in white linen and placed sweet peonies and other flowers and leaves around her body. A crown of beautiful tea roses adorned her head. He leaned in and kissed her forehead.

"We will get you back. This is for Jess. He loved you like a sister," Mooney said as a fresh, quiet tear trailed down his cheek.

"The sun is setting. We should get started soon," Doc said, gathering the stones he had blessed and placing them on the altar and around Kayla.

Daisy pulled back the curtain that covered the window facing the front of the property and peered out into the growing dusk.

"Guys?" she called back to the others, but received no answer. "Guys?" she said again as she looked out at the approaching mob. Everyone went about their tasks, not listening.

"Guys!" she shouted, commanding their attention.

"What is it, Daisy?" Gus responded somewhat irritably.

"We have company," she stated, pulling the curtain back so everyone could see what was coming.

"Shit!" Gus exclaimed, no longer irritated. The coven of witches, along with the dying man, looked out the window at the imminent threat.

The team of monsters marching toward the house numbered about twenty. There were vampires dressed in jeans and heavy boots marching in the front of the troupe. Their pale skin gleamed as the moonlight took over for the retiring sun. Their teeth were all protracted, ready for battle. Each one wore a different expression of bloodlust and hate. The lead vampire's fingers curled like talons, and Mooney could see that she had long nails, filed to sharp points.

The rest of the gang consisted of werewolves that still appeared to be in some type of human form, but they had begun to change with the full moon's debut. Most of them were men, but there were a few women among their ranks. Each one of them was shirtless, ready for the impending change. One by one, they dropped to the ground and began the transformation from human to werewolf. They were too far away for the witches to hear the crunching and grinding as their bones shifted and disconnected to form lupine bodies, but they could see the writhing and gyrations that were all too familiar to anyone in the supernatural community.

As the infantry came within yards of the entrance to the property, the first vampire charged forward, but was thrown backward as she ran head on into the magical force field that Daisy had installed. She flew back through the air, colliding with some of the other vamps, who took on the appearance of bowling pins as they bounced off one another and landed on the ground. A wolf from the other side of the group charged at the force field, hurling his furry muscular body at the unseen blockade. He suffered the same fate as the previous attacker, thrown backward with a loud yelp of pain and a thud as he hit the ground. The other wolves were smart enough to move out of the way, avoiding a painful collision.

The group of monsters snarled and gnashed their teeth in frustration. The wolves began to howl and yip, and the vampires yelled for them to shut up. Some of the vamps and wolves began to tangle with each other in clouds of fur and teeth. A voice echoed through the ranks, and all were still in reply. The scuffles that had broken out stopped immediately, and all attention was focused on someone coming forward from the back of the group. The wolves and vampires parted as if imaginary velvet ropes had been placed at the boundaries of an unseen red carpet.

Carolyn sauntered from the tail of the army toward the front, standing at the boundary of the invisible force field.

"Send her out to me, witches!" she commanded, looking directly into the bedroom window at the dumbfounded dwarves.

"If you send her out, we will leave you all unharmed," she offered in negotiation, a smug grin on her face. She stood as the leader of this motley crew of demon misfits, dressed in a melodramatic black robe with a skintight jumpsuit and black, knee-high boots. Her long, dark hair trailed behind her in the slight breeze. She looked every bit the vain, evil witch that she was.

"You should get started on the unbinding. Now!" Daisy said over her shoulder as she continued to look out the window at the growing threat.

"Have it your way," Carolyn yelled and raised her hands to begin trying to break down the magic that kept her and her henchmen out of the house. She started chanting something unintelligible, and Daisy could see flecks of electricity seemingly floating in the air as the force field began to break down. Behind Daisy, the other witches had begun the unbinding spell with the help of Richard and, unbeknownst to them, Kayla herself.

9

Kayla had never felt so frustrated in her entire life. She had found out that she was also a witch, that her father had really loved and wanted her all of these years, and that she was responsible for Jess's death.

She had lain on this bed like a granite statue while her father cried. She had never wanted anything as badly as she had wanted to hug her dad and tell him she understood why he left her. She wanted to let him know she forgave him. She had wanted to hold Mooney and tell him how sorry she was that the love of his life had died trying to save her. Inside, she had cried every day, but outwardly, she was dead to the world.

As the coven started chanting the unbinding spell, she had listened to the words they were saying and silently chanted along with them, hoping she might give the spell a power boost.

"Unbind, undo, unleash," they chanted while the incense and candles burned.

Unbind, undo, unleash. Kayla said in unison from inside her trapped body.

Suddenly something stirred deep in the pit of her stomach. There was a surge of what felt like electricity coursing through her limbs. Something was happening! It was exhilarating and powerful. She could feel her catatonic body twitching and shaking. That was when the pain hit her like a ton of bricks.

"Shit!" Carolyn yelled to no one in particular. She dropped her arms and turned to the group of monsters standing behind her.

"This isn't working! Those tiny little witches put a power boost on the shield." Carolyn's fury poured out of her in waves, causing the wolves to hunker down and whimper in fear. They looked more like whipped pets than ferocious, mythological beasts of the full moon.

Carolyn turned to one of the vampires standing in front of the group looking like he was waiting to be hit.

"Get him from the van."

The vampire obeyed without question, scurrying away toward the van to obtain the prize Carolyn was referring to. She turned back to the house and addressed the coven one more time.

"This is your last chance! Send her out, and no one gets hurt,” Carolyn turned to look for the vampire that she had sent on the errand. There was a scuffle in the back of the crowd, and she tapped her foot impatiently. The dark-haired vampire in skintight jeans brought the blindfolded human to Carolyn's side.

David struggled against his abductor, who was unnaturally strong. The man's grip felt like a vice clamping down on David's upper arm as he led him through a crowd of things that snarled and growled.

"Excellent." He heard Carolyn's voice, further confusing him as to what was going on.

Carolyn reached up and pulled the gag from his mouth.

"What the fuck is going on, you crazy bitch?" he yelled in the direction he thought Carolyn's voice had come from.

"Watch your mouth!" A powerful hand smacked David on the back of the head. It felt like he had been hit by a frying pan, and stars flashed through his closed eyes.

"Uh, manners," Carolyn said. She reached up and removed his blindfold, but left his hands tied in front of him.

"Why are you doing this?" David whimpered, looking around at the monsters surrounding him. His blood ran cold when he saw the pale men and women with the long, white fangs and the wolf-things with hairy bodies and nightmarishly sharp claws staring at him like he was the best item on the menu.

The freakishly strong hand that he now saw belonged to a man about six foot two, wearing tight black jeans and an even tighter black muscle shirt, grabbed him by the back of the neck and pushed him forward toward the cottage in front of them. The man had arms like tree trunks and a neck that was barely thinner than the circumference of his head. His white skin and long fangs gleamed in the full moonlight.

David felt as though he might lose control of his bladder, and tears tried to make their way from the corners of his eyes, but he fought and won the battle for control. He listened and waited for the right time to try and make an escape.

"Send her out, or he dies! You have two minutes!" Carolyn shouted as the vampire held David on display for the coven to see.

"Hey, isn't that Kayla's fiancé?" Daisy asked the rest of the group. When no one answered, she turned to see if they had heard her. She was unable to choke back the gasp that stuck in her throat when she caught sight of Kayla's body lying on the bed. The rest of the coven had stopped chanting and stared at what was happening.

The short, dark hair that had just moments before been draped around Kayla's head, adorned with herbs and flowers, had now spread to her face, covering the majority of her upper body. Her brow line now protruded from its normal position, and her nose and mouth had begun to form a long snout with large, white teeth. Her whole body shook and vibrated.

"Oh, my God," Richard said, flustered by this latest development. "What's happening to her?" he yelled, helplessly.

Outside, every one of the wolves began to howl in a snarling cacophony. Daisy covered her ears to block out the blood curdling yelps. She shouted over the clamor.

"Carolyn has Kayla's fiancé, and she's going to kill him."

"We can't let that happen," Doc shouted back.

"I have an idea," Mooney stated, and motioned the group to come in close to hear it.

"Are you crazy?" Gus barked at him, after hearing his plan.

"Maybe a little," Mooney replied with no humor in his voice.

Joy pursed her lips and looked at Richard and the rest of the coven.

"I think we should do it. Hopefully, David will understand. Does everyone agree?" She surveyed the group again as each one nodded in agreement.

"Richard?" Joy looked at him questioningly. He nodded.

On the bed, Kayla continued her transformation. Joy hoped that the unbinding had worked. All of their lives depended on it.

While Carolyn waited for the deadline to expire, she continued working on breaking down the force field, to no avail.

Movement in the doorway of the little house caught her eye. One of the dwarves stepped out onto the porch and waved her hand.

"Ha! One of the mini witches wants to surrender! I knew it!" Carolyn laughed raucously and looked around at the vampires and wolves. They all began to chuckle in response to her dark, commanding look. She put her hand up to silence their sycophantic laughter. The crowd fell silent immediately.

"Bring her out!" Carolyn yelled.

"We can't, she's too heavy for us to move," the female, bookish-looking witch yelled back, with obvious fear in her voice. "You have to come in and get her. Just you, alone."

"Now you are making demands?" Carolyn laughed, raising her eyebrow.

"We will lift the force field for you and the human only."

"Fine," Carolyn said begrudgingly.

"No, it's a trick," the large vampire holding David warned her.

"I'm not afraid of a bunch of pint-sized, wannabe witches," she snapped back at the vampire, who looked down sheepishly like a chastised employee.

"Let us in, then. We'll make an even trade," Carolyn commanded.

"Open." The small witch waved her hand and a portal opened directly in front of Carolyn. The female vampire that had been watching the whole scenario unfold charged in front of Carolyn and pushed her way into the magical doorway. As she stepped into the opening, a scream of agony and surprise caused the group to jump back, holding their ears to block out the painful screech.

The female vamp seemed suspended in midair as her body sizzled and smoked. Her screams continued as her appendages turned to black ash and fell to the ground. The smell of burning flesh assaulted Carolyn's senses and sent the wolves into another howling frenzy.

The vampire had been reduced to a pile of smoldering embers. The other vamps in the group took a step away from the opening.

"I told you, only you and the human," the witch in the doorway said with a smirk.

Carolyn lifted her hand and clenched her fist. David rose from the ground as if suspended by wires. He floated toward the portal, closing his eyes, waiting to be reduced to ash like the vampire before him. Carolyn moved his body through the portal, testing to see if he was going to die. When he passed through the hole involuntarily, nothing happened. Carolyn was satisfied that the goody two-shoes witches would keep their word. She followed his floating body through the opening, kicking up a cloud of vampire dust without a second thought, and it immediately sealed behind her.

She guided David up the walkway to the front door, following close behind, using his airborne body as a shield against attack.

The small witch at the doorway shrank back as Carolyn approached the door. She walked through, into the living area, and the small witch led her to the bedroom where Kayla lay unconscious. As she entered the room, she saw the coven standing around a body covered by a large white sheet. It seemed too big to be Kayla.

"Uncover her," she commanded them.

Mooney stepped up and grabbed the corner of the sheet. When he began to pull the linen down to reveal Kayla, Carolyn shuddered with anticipation. He ripped the sheet away, revealing the female werewolf that lay unconscious on the bed. Carolyn gasped in horror and took a step back. As she backed up, Richard stepped out from behind the closet door and jabbed the kitchen knife into Carolyn's back. When he pulled the blade out and the blood began to flow, David fell to the ground in a heap. Carolyn turned to face her attacker head on.

"You!" she exclaimed savagely as she saw her ex-husband at the end of the knife. "I'll kill you!"

"Too late, dear," Richard said with no emotion as he thrust the knife deep into her belly, releasing a new flow of blood. She raised her hands to grab at him, but weakness from the blood loss had taken over. She dropped to her knees and looked at all of them as though they had perpetrated the ultimate betrayal. Even knowing she had planned to kill them all, she still seemed to feel jilted. The coven of witches turned their heads as Carolyn faded away.

David looked around, confused. He pulled himself up to a sitting position with his hands still bound in front of him. Mooney came forward and cut the tape, freeing him.

"What the hell is going on?" David pleaded with Mooney for some kind of explanation.

"I'll explain it all to you, but we need your help first. Kayla needs your help."

"Is that her?" David pointed at the unconscious wolf on the bed.

"Yes, and I think we need you to kiss her."

"Fuck that!" David replied with disgust.

"If you don't kiss her, she will die. If you love Kayla, you will do this. That is still her laying on that bed. The woman that helped you through rehab. The one person that believed in you, when no one else did. If you turn your back on her now, you are killing her,” Mooney said, looking directly into David's eyes.

David nodded and rose to his feet. He walked over to the bed and looked down at the wolf wearing a crown of tea roses.

"On the lips?" he asked Mooney.

"On the lips."

David leaned down, puckered up and kissed the beast on what would be lips if it were not actually a snout.

"No," Carolyn weakly protested, but no one paid attention. They were all rapt, waiting for Kayla to come magically back to life. Violet held her breath and then let it out after a few seconds when nothing happened.

Everyone in the room dropped their heads in disappointment. Joy let out an exasperated sigh, followed by a steady stream of quiet tears.

"Wait!" David exclaimed. "She moved."

Everyone in the room gathered closer to the bed, watching intently.

Kayla lay there on the bed, and her body began to vibrate. The hair covering her body receded and her frame shrunk to its normal, petite size. After watching incredulously, David sighed.

"It really is her!"

"Did you think we were lying to you?" Gus asked, and Violet shoved her elbow into his ribcage to shut him up.

As they watched the transformation back to human complete, Kayla's eyes opened gingerly. She looked around at the group staring at her. When her eyes met David's, she sat up.

"David?" She asked tentatively, not sure what his response would be.

"Kayla." He reached down and took her hand. She gripped his hand back and he leaned in to hold her.

"I love you, baby. I've missed you so much!" David cried as he held her tight.

"I love you, too, David. Where's my dad?" She looked around.

"I'm right here, Munchkin,” Richard called from the doorway of the room. As he stepped forward to speak to his daughter for the first time in twenty years, Carolyn rose weakly from the floor and pulled the bloody knife from her stomach. She plunged the tip of the knife into Richard's abdomen, causing him to fall to his knees.

"No, Daddy," Kayla cried out and instinctively put her hand out in front of her. Carolyn's face twisted in a mask of surprise when her body lifted off the ground. She began to sail through the air with incredible force, slamming against the far wall of the bedroom and then falling into a lifeless heap of black lycra and blood.

Kayla looked out the window at the horde of monsters standing outside the gate. She lifted her arms and a wail of misery bellowed forth from deep inside her. The dwarves watched in amazement as a seemingly nuclear wind shot across the property and rolled over the mob, instantly turning all of them into nothing more than piles of dust.

Kayla scrambled off the bed and rushed to where her father lay dying.

"Daddy, no. You can't go now," she pleaded as tears ran down her face and landed on Richard's shirt, making little dark blue circles on his light blue polo.

"It's okay, Munchkin. You're all right. That's all that matters. I'm dying anyway; this is just a little faster." He took her hand in his and kissed it weakly.

"I just got you back. You can't leave me now. Please," she sobbed, holding him in her arms.

"I will always love you, Kayla." Richard smiled at her and reached his hand up to touch her face. She nuzzled her cheek against his palm as it dropped to his side, lifeless.

"No!" she cried, and buried her head in his chest as she sobbed for the father she had missed for so long.

10

The coven of witches had called the police and reported that Carolyn had tried to kill Kayla and stabbed Richard, who had then wrestled the knife away from her and stabbed her in self-defense. The detective had seemed a little suspicious, but after a small dose of Gus's fairy dust, he agreed with the sequence of events and left them alone.

Kayla sat at the table, drinking a mug of very strong coffee while David held her hand and tried to comfort her.

Once all the police technicians left the house, all with a little fairy dust on their cheeks, the coven of witches came and sat at the table offering their condolences to Kayla.

"We need to talk about what you did, Kayla," Doc said, trying to get down to business.

"What did I do?" Kayla asked, bewildered.

"Your magic, dear," Joy answered in a motherly tone.

"Oh, that." She turned to David and grinned half-heartedly.

"Can you be married to a bona-fide witch?" she asked, secretly afraid of his answer.

"I think I can manage it, with a little help from our friends." He smiled reassuringly and kissed her cheek.

She rested her forehead on his shoulder and wept quietly.

"I love you, David." She sat up and wiped her eyes, trying to get serious.

"All right, Doc. What do I need to know?"

"Nothing, right now," Doc said, softening.

"Does this mean that we get to plan a wedding?" Daisy asked excitedly.

"Yes, it does," Kayla replied, infected with Daisy's excitement.

"Oh, goody!" she said, clapping her hands together.

Kayla rested her head on David's shoulder again, but this time, she smiled at the new family she had acquired from these tragic events.

Over the last few months, Kayla had become quite adept at using her magic. She found Joy was right, she was a natural witch, her powers boosted greatly by having two magical parents. She had no real need for potions or ceremonies, other than those thanking the God and Goddess; her magic was strong in her mind and flowed through her body.

After she had buried her father, she found she was still able to communicate with him sometimes in her dreams. He was happy, and that was all she needed to know.

David was supportive of her while she learned how to control her new powers, even though she had broken more than one lamp trying to get a handle on them. She was actually getting pretty good at it now, she thought proudly.

She had sat locked in a kennel in the backyard during the last full moon, waiting to change. When nothing happened, everyone breathed a sigh of relief that the effects of Lou's scratch had worn off.

Carolyn's house had been cleansed of evil by the coven and then sold for well below market value to a nice non-magical couple named the Colliers. Kayla had collected the proceeds from her father's insurance policy and purchased a new home for her and David to live in. She had also splurged on a new Corvette Stingray for herself.

She was looking out the bedroom window of Doc's home when Joy, Daisy, and Violet burst into the room in their matching bridesmaids dresses.

"Get your dress on! It's almost time!" Daisy said frantically.

Kayla got up and unzipped the bag containing her beautiful wedding dress. She turned around and looked at the bridesmaids as tears of happiness threatened to ruin her make-up.

"Don't you say anything. You'll ruin all of our mascara!" Joy said in a mock stern voice with her trademark smile betraying her seriousness. "Just get ready."

The three ladies helped Kayla step into her dress. She turned to look in the mirror and make sure everything was in place. Inside the glass, the reflection of her father stared back at her.

"Daddy?" she asked, trying to hold back her tears without much success.

"I just wanted to see you and tell you how proud I am, and how much I love you. Blessed be, Munchkin." With that, Richard's visage faded away.

Kayla turned to see the three women crying. She looked at Joy, who nodded her head, silently saying she had seen him, too. Kayla dried her eyes carefully and headed out the door to the courtyard. As the bluebirds she had enchanted brought her bouquet and dropped flower petals on the guests waiting for her arrival, she smiled and stepped out into her new happily ever after.

11

"David!" Kayla screamed from her perch on the couch. After a second of no answer from him, she yelled again.

"David! Help me!"

"Yeah baby, I'm coming!" he shouted, making his way downstairs, running.

"What the hell is taking you so long?"

"I'm coming as fast as I can, my love,” David sang, entering the living room.

Kayla looked up at David from her seat with a look of shame, mixed with impatience and a hint of relief.

"What can I do for you?" David asked with a smile.

"I have to pee and I can't get up."

"Oh honey, that's because you're so big!"

"You are an asshole."

"No, you're eight months pregnant."

"You're still an asshole." This time, she was smiling and accepting the heave-ho he gave her from the couch. Kayla waddled her way down the hall, toward the bathroom. Eight months and big as a house, she thought.

"You need any more help?" David called out sarcastically.

"Maybe. I'll let you know."

As Kayla relieved her extremely abused bladder, she reflected on everything that had happened in the last year. After they were finally married, with Joy as her maid of honor and Doc as David's best man, they had stood together at the end of an extremely strange and dangerous journey.

Her dad, Goddess rest his soul, was dead. Her mother, may she burn in hell, was dead, too. Kayla had battled werewolves and vampires, had even turned into a werewolf herself. She had gotten a new family in the form of seven dwarf witches, one of which had sacrificed his life to save hers.

She couldn't help but think to herself that even after all of that, her happily ever after had finally come true. David was the love of her life, and now they were having a baby. They had not asked the doctor what the sex of the baby was, because they wanted it to be a surprise. Hundreds of strangers and friends alike had speculated on the sex based on the way that she was carrying the baby, or how many times she had to pee in a day, which was a lot! The proud parents had told everyone they did not want to know. Joy and Daisy had even hinted that they could find out magically, but Kayla put a nix on that idea, too. It was a fifty-fifty chance that this baby would be naturally magical, and she didn't want any kind of exposure until they found out for sure. The two dwarves had reluctantly agreed not to cast any spells of their own. Kayla even refused to use her own magic after finding out that she was pregnant.

It had been difficult, knowing she could ease her own discomfort with a flick of her wrist or levitate her own fat ass off the couch without David's help. She viewed using her magic during pregnancy in much the same way she viewed her former addictions. Willpower was necessary to just say no. She just wanted the best for her little boy or girl.

Getting up off the toilet proved less difficult than she had thought it was going to be. She was grateful that David hadn't needed to come in and help her. One thing she had learned was that pregnancy had a way of stripping you of some of your dignity. After the morning sickness had finally subsided in the third month and she no longer needed David to hold her hair while she puked up everything she ate, the cravings had started. Late night tacos, morning ice cream, and spicy Chinese food at all hours, David had made uncomplaining runs for each of these. In the sixth month, she gained thirty pounds, all in her now protruding stomach. Kayla had insisted to the doctor that she was carrying triplets, but at her last appointment, there had only been one perfect little heartbeat.

Coming out of the bathroom, she felt as though she had just finished running a marathon. Hauling around a spare tire was a big deal for her medium frame. In reality, she was not that big, and she knew it. Most days had been filled with prenatal yoga and walking as much as possible, but today her energy level was bouncing at zero. It was around 9:00 p.m., and she just wanted to lie down and go to sleep more than anything in the world.

When she reached the top of the stairs, there was a knock at the front door.

"What the hell?" She huffed, turning to go back down to the front door.

"I got it, I got it!" David stopped her mid huff and hurried down the stairs himself. She smiled at him as he passed, thankful for all his help.

The knock came again as he reached the door.

"I'm coming!" he said irritably, and opened the heavy oak door. Kayla couldn't hear or see exactly what was happening, and she started to feel a little nervous. David said a quick thank you to the person at the door then closed and locked it. He headed back upstairs with a small package in his hand.

"What's that?" Kayla asked, wondering who normally delivered packages at nine at night.

"The delivery guy said he missed the delivery earlier, so he dropped it by on his way back to the yard," David explained, shaking the little package.

"Who's it from?" For some reason, that little package made her feel uneasy.

"Doesn't say." He studied the label and then began opening the special delivery. As the outside tape was removed, and the inside packaging taken out, the knot in Kayla's throat grew. When David pulled the contents out of the box, she relaxed with an audible sigh.

The silver baby rattle gleamed in the artificial light. David held it up for her to see as he turned it in his hands. It was one of the old-fashioned style rattles with a round bubble on one end and a baby-sized handle on the other. On the silver stalk, a red ribbon was tied in a little bow.

"Cute." David handed the rattle over to Kayla. She took it and smiled.

"Wait, there's a card." David pulled it out and unfolded the little paper. As he read silently, his face turned a sickly shade of pale.

"David, are you ok?"

He looked up at her and seemed unable to speak. He finally mustered the strength to read the card aloud.

"Congratulations. Signed, Uncle Lou."

12

"Breathe deeply," Joy instructed, trying her best to comfort Kayla over the phone. "Are you sure that you don't know another Lou?"

"I am totally sure."

"Maybe it's just a sick joke."

"Who would do something like that?" Kayla asked, pleading for reassurance.

"I have no idea, but we'll try to find out. Are you going to be ok?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Like you said, it was probably just a bad joke. Thanks, Joy."

"Call if you need anything at all," Joy said again in her motherly tone that made Kayla feel safe and cared for.

Kayla hung up the phone, feeling a little bit better. She snuggled in close so David could put his arm around her.

"What did Joy say about it?"

"That it was probably a joke. A bad one."

"She's probably right," he reassured, spooning in closer. Kayla drifted into a troubled sleep that included dreams of full moons, Arizona highways, and a black Impala driven by a monster.

"Any day now, Kayla!" Dr. Leslie Whitaker told her patient excitedly as she removed her purple nitrile gloves.

"Ugh! I feel like I am going to explode," Kayla replied, pulling down her t-shirt and sitting up on the table.

"Are you having any discomfort at all?"

"Not really. I just have to pee all the time, and some days I feel like I'm hauling around a linebacker, but other than that, I feel good."

Dr. Whitaker scribbled something in Kayla's chart, and she looked up almost absent-mindedly.

"That's all pretty normal for your eighth month. That little baby of yours is getting ready to make an appearance in the world!" Dr. W., as Kayla called her, was a sweet woman in her thirties, who looked to be in her late twenties. She had a studious look that let you know she was serious, but there was also a little twinkle that let Kayla know she was young at heart. She wore thin-rimmed glasses and wore her hair up at work, but you could tell that after the day ended, those glasses came off and her auburn highlighted hair came down. Kayla thought the doctor might possibly be a wild woman after hours.

"So, everything looks good?" Kayla asked, smiling at her vision of Dr. Whitaker's wild side.

"Everything looks great. You seem to be right on schedule. Are you prepared?"

"Can you ever really be prepared?"

"Well, Nurse Frazier will give you some information that you can take home. If you have any other questions, please call the office. I'll see you in a few weeks!" As Dr. W. walked out of the exam room en route to her other patients, Nurse Frazier walked in with a handful of books and pamphlets.

"Hey, Kayla. How are you today?" The nurse flashed her usual bright smile.

"Good, Sarah. How's business?"

"Busy as ever. People never take a break from making babies." Sarah laughed jovially. She was Kayla's favorite nurse here at the office. She looked so young and seemed to have a glow about her. Truth be told, they were probably about the same age, but Sarah was so youthful in look and spirit that Kayla was even a little jealous at times.

"So, these are checklists of things that you should have packed for the hospital, and things you'll need at home for baby's first week." She handed Kayla a little stack of reading materials. "If you're planning on breastfeeding, there is some info on that, too."

"I'm a little scared." Kayla couldn't believe that she had voiced her fear to anyone but David.

"Oh, honey. It's ok to be scared. This is your first one. You should be a little scared; that means you care." She put a consoling hand on Kayla's. "I have three myself, and I was petrified with my first."

Kayla nodded her head, grateful for the camaraderie.

"You better get going now. I called the car service for you. They should be here soon. Where's David today? Doesn't he usually bring you?" She gave Kayla a warm smile while helping her off the table.

"He stayed home to work on the backyard. Today was the only day the landscaper could meet with him."

"Remodeling and a new baby?" Sarah raised an eyebrow.

"Just a little work. We put up a small wooden shed and a compost hut. David wants to start an organic garden."

"Health nut?" Sarah laughed.

"A little bit. He hates it that I love bacon cheeseburgers. The work is all but done. We're just finishing the garden."

Kayla grabbed her sweater, and the two women left the exam room. She waved to the rest of the staff and made her way out to the front parking lot to wait for the car service. The wait wasn't very long.

The maroon sedan pulled up, and the driver jumped out to help her get into the car. Her Stingray was parked and covered in the garage at home because she couldn't fit in either side of the car. Her next purchase was going to be a bigger car, maybe even a minivan. She squeezed herself into the backseat and thanked the driver for his help.

The Meatloaf song that had been playing on the radio ended, and the DJ announced a non-stop rock block starting with a classic by CCR. "Bad Moon Rising" came pouring out of the speakers.

"Can you turn that off, please?" Kayla asked urgently.

"Yes, ma'am," the older, gray haired driver said. "Not a Creedence fan?"

"Used to be, but not anymore." She stared out the window in silence for the rest of the ride home, lost in her own thoughts.

As he watched her get out of the maroon sedan in front of the two-story brick house, his mouth watered. He had to stop himself from bolting out of the shadows and eating her right there. She looked so tender and juicy, especially carrying around that sweet little one. He stopped himself, wanting to savor the experience. He wanted to make her suffer and plead for her life and the life of her baby.

It was going to be such sweet revenge. He found himself getting aroused at the thought of ripping her limb from limb. First, he would kill her pussy husband, and then rip that little piglet out of her and eat it in front of her. After all of that, as she begged for death, he would eat her piece by piece, keeping her alive to watch him dine on her flesh.

His arousal became too much for him, and he let out a lustful whimper. Covering his mouth, he ducked back further into bush and shadows. The woman turned around and surveyed the dark corner where he hunkered down in hiding. She had a suspicious look on her face, and even from his far away hiding spot, he could smell the fear dripping off her like sweet dew from the skin of ripe fruit. Dismissing the noise, she made her way into the safety of her home.

It would happen soon. She was going to pay for everything she had done. He was going to make sure of it. Sulking away into the approaching darkness, he was impatient for his revenge but vowed to bide his time until the perfect moment presented itself.

That baby would be a nice, plump mouthful for sure.

"Ow!" Kayla yelled and bolted upright in her bed. David awakened with a start and turned frantically toward his pregnant wife.

"Wha...what is it?" he asked, still groggy from his peaceful sleep.

"Just a kick, I think."

"Do you need anything? Are you ok?"

"Yeah, go back to sleep."

"Are you sure?" He asked again, not totally convinced.

"Yes, honey. Go back to sleep. I'm sorry I woke you." Kayla kissed him goodnight and laid herself down to try and rest.

Just as they were both sinking back into a comfortable, pain free sleep, they were awakened once more by a loud crash coming from the backyard.

"What the fuck?" David shouted as he got up out of the bed and stepped into his slippers.

"Where are you going?" Kayla asked, worried.

"I'm gonna go see what the hell made that racket."

"Let it wait 'til morning."

"It could be raccoons or dogs or something. If they get into the compost hut it'll be a huge fucking mess."

"Just be careful."

"Yeah," David said off-handedly as he slipped on a hoodie and grabbed a baseball bat from the corner of the room.

Kayla got up and slipped on her robe while David headed downstairs. She followed a few minutes behind, not wanting to rush down the steps, and not wanting to piss him off any further.

She walked to the sliding glass door that opened onto the backyard and looked out.

David stood next to the overturned compost hut shining his flashlight around the yard. Kayla caught glimpses of the spilled banana peels and rotting vegetables intermingled with the remnants of the straw building that was now toppled over.

"What the fuck?"

"What is it, David?" Kayla asked from the doorway, tightening her robe against the cold air.

"No raccoon did this," he said, flashing the light across the section of pavement in front of the destroyed straw hut.

Even though she was in her bare feet, Kayla walked out to stand by his side.

"Get back in the house," she said, looking down at the mangled body of a white rabbit lying next to words written on the concrete, obviously in the poor bunny's blood.

Little Pigs, Little Pigs

She shuffled back inside with David close behind her.

"What the hell is going on?" she asked no one in particular before she locked the door and they headed upstairs.

13

Kayla and David sat at the table in the kitchen, drinking hot tea. The events of last night had been buried, washed away, and cleaned up.

The silence between them was like a thick curtain. Each of them knew the other was there, but neither had any idea what to say. Kayla knew she would have to be the one to break the silence.

"David…," she began, not sure of how to finish. She wanted to apologize for getting him into a magical mess once again, but Kayla wasn't even sure what this mess was.

"It can't be him, can it?" he asked with a hopelessness threatening to overtake him.

"He's dead. I watched him get shot in the desert. I watched the old lady's grandson head out with a shovel to bury him."

"Did you see the burial?"

"No, but…." She trailed off again, suddenly very unsure of what she actually knew to be true.

"So it could be him."

"It could be," she replied, feeling defeated.

"Why would a werewolf send a silver rattle of all things?"

"If you knew the special kind of arrogant dick Lou is, you'd know he would probably see it as a message. He’s telling us that he's not scared of anything, even silver."

"I don't want you to be alone until we figure this out. Can you get Gus or Mooney to come and stay with you when I'm not here?"

"Where are you going?" she asked, feeling like one of those weak women that she had always pitied.

"I have to go out for the book signing on Monday. I can't cancel it, or else I would."

Kayla had forgotten all about David's book signing. He had written a how-to book on organic gardening that was becoming really successful. When he tried to read it to her or tell her about it, she was bored to near unconsciousness, but he was trying to secure their future and she loved and respected him for that. She would never dream of denying him or standing in the way of his success.

"Yeah, sorry. It slipped my mind with everything going on around here. I'm sure that one of them can stay with me. I'll call later and ask."

"I'll only be gone for the night. I'll be back Tuesday afternoon," he tried to reassure her. "California is just such a huge market."

"Yeah, honey, I know. I'll be fine. One of the guys will come and stay with me. No worries." She smiled what she hoped was a convincing smile. He returned one that was not so convincing at all.

"If you don't want me to go, I'll cancel it."

"No. Absolutely not. You can't put your life on hold because there might be a monster on the loose."

"You could put a protection spell–"

Kayla stopped him mid-sentence with a wave of her hand.

"No magic. I don't want the baby exposed to anything that might be harmful. I functioned for thirty years without magic, so another month or so won't hurt."

David could see that she had made up her mind and there would be no changing it.

"Okay, just call Gus. Right away."

"Yes, dear." She gave him a big smile, knowing he had let her win this little spat.

"Well, dear, you call and I will pack." He got up from the chair, gave her a kiss on the lips, and then knelt down, putting both hands on her tummy. "Hi, my little man."

"What if it's a girl? You are going to cause gender confusion!" She laughed, glad to be distracted by such normalcy.

"Naw, if it's a girl, then I'll just teach her to like baseball and hate boys."

"Go pack, Daddy."

David kissed her again as he ran up the stairs to get his bags ready.

Kayla picked up the cordless phone and dialed Gus's number.

"Hey Gus! I need to ask a favor. What are you doing tomorrow night?"

14

He had laughed, watching the little pigs scramble to clean up the message he had left. He didn't really believe in playing with his food, but this was so much fun!

He could tell Kayla was terrified, and he loved it. Pigs tasted so much better when they were afraid.

While the bitch pig, the pussy pig, and the little pig in a blanket slept in their bed, he had ripped that rabbit's head off with his bare hands. While he smeared the blood all over the sidewalk to leave them a message, he hadn't been able to stop himself from taking a long drink from its mutilated little body. It tasted so good that he had almost marched into the house and ate all three of them right then.

Self-control had won out. He had simply left the message, knocked over the sad little straw hut and sat in the bushes to watch them scamper around. They had rushed in when they found the message and locked up the house as if that would do any damn good at all.

He had to admit that he had not liked the look on the woman's face. As she had walked into the house, there was defiance in her expression while she scanned the yard for danger.

He would rip that smug look off along with her lips, nose, and eyes. He hadn't realized that the whole time he was watching them, he had been digging his extended claws into his own thigh. The blood had partially soaked through the denim pant leg and began to drip onto the well-manicured grass. He had released the grip on his leg and wiped his hands on the dry part of his jeans.

He knew it would heal completely before nightfall. The mixture that his blood contained was great for self-healing, and even better for speed and strength. There would be no stopping him this time. Even that witch's magic wouldn't do the trick. He had a few "tricks" of his own to show her. Wouldn't that little pig be surprised?

15

When the doorbell rang, Kayla jumped out of her seat. David had finished packing and had his bags stacked up at the foot of the stairs. He would only be gone for one day, she kept telling herself as she answered the door.

"Gus!" Kayla beamed as the little man walked in through the front door. Normally, she would have leaned down to hug him, but because of the basketball she was hauling around, she put out her hand instead.

Gus took her hand and let a small grin melt his grumpy countenance.

"Hi Kayla. Is David still here?" The grouchy look had reclaimed its rightful spot.

"Yeah, he's leaving in a few minutes. Do you want some coffee?"

"No." He hoisted himself up on one of the dining room chairs. "Tell me what's happening."

David joined her at the table and gave Gus a nod. Kayla began recounting the events of the last few days. She knew Joy had told him some of the events, but he needed her to fill in the blanks. Gus sat there and listened intently to her story. When Kayla finished telling all about the blood-soaked message and the general creepiness of the last few days, Gus just looked at her blankly. After a few seconds, he decided on his response to the story.

"No magic?" he asked, disappointed.

"No magic."

"Okay, then. We need to get this house in order." He pulled a notebook and pen out of the back pocket of his jeans and began taking notes.

"All of the windows need to be sealed, doors need extra deadbolts. Do you have an alarm system?"

"Yeah, I had it installed before we moved in," David answered.

"Who installed it?" Gus asked, ready to make a note of the answer.

"Something Greek… Niolikos Security." He pronounced it nee-all-ick-us, pulling a business card out of his wallet and handing it over to Gus, who looked at it and then tucked it away in his pocket.

"I'll have a look at the system myself," he said gruffly, jumping out of the tall chair and looking around.

"I have to get going, Kayla," David said, picking up his two duffle bags. "Are you sure that you'll be good here?"

"Yes, honey. Go and impress the masses with your knowledge of eggplants and tomatoes." She kissed him on the lips and gave him a strong hug that was difficult to end. She did eventually let him go when the cab pulled up to take him to the airport.

They said more goodbyes and she watched out the window pensively while he got into the cab and headed for California.

Gus was already hard at work with the toolbox he had brought with him, sealing windows and beefing up the security in Kayla's little brick fortress. She hoped like hell that it was going to be enough.

After all the extra locks had been installed on the doors and bars were set across every window, Gus boarded the outside entrance to the garage and sealed almost every crack, crevice, and hole into the house.

Kayla had started cooking a dinner of spinach salad and eggplant parmigiana for the two of them while he worked. Gus loved Italian food, and since he had refused payment for his work on the house, she wanted to do something nice for him.

Gus made his way into the kitchen and sat down at the table, obviously tired. Kayla brought a cold beer and put it in front of him. She sat down and sipped a cup of tea as he opened the beer and took a long drink.

"Belgian ale, huh? Classy." He smiled one of his rarely seen smiles at her.

"Someone left it here after a party." She returned the grin. "Dinner is almost ready."

"Great! I am starving!"

"Good. I made plenty. You can take some of it with you when you go home."

"I am not leaving here until David gets back. Stop trying to play tough."

"I just feel bad about making you stay here."

"Listen, woman, get me my dinner." He gave her a serious look, but was unable to hold it for long. Gus burst out in a donkey bray of a laugh that Kayla couldn't remember ever hearing before. It was definitely contagious. Kayla's laughter mingled with his, and they both laughed until Kayla had tears running down her cheeks.

"All right, I'm going." She patted Gus on the shoulder then went to the kitchen to prepare their plates.

The two friends ate their meal and talked about life.

"This is great," Gus praised. He seemed to be in an uncharacteristically good mood. Kayla liked seeing him in such high spirits, but wondered what was behind it.

"Not that I'm complaining, but why are you so cheerful today?"

Gus ate a big mouthful of eggplant and took a swig of his second ale. He breathed in deeply as if working up to something important. Finally, he let it out and began.

"I'm gonna ask Violet to marry me," he blurted so quickly Kayla almost didn't understand.

"Oh my God! That's great, Gus!" she shouted in excitement.

"I'm gonna ask her tomorrow night." His look of elation turned to uncertainty. "You do think she'll say yes, right?"

"Oh, Gus, of course she will. Violet loves you!"

"I love her, too. Even more than I thought I did. When Jess…" He began to choke up a little as he looked at Kayla. "When Mooney lost Jess, I thought about how I'd feel if I lost Vi. I couldn't even stand the thought. It took a while, but I figured out how much I need her."

Kayla leaned over in her chair and gave Gus a hug. It was partly congratulatory and partly sympathetic. She needed that hug as much or more than he did.

As she pulled away, a crash came from the front porch. Both of them scrambled out of their chairs, assuming defensive postures. Kayla's heart was beating at least a thousand beats per minute, and seemed to have relocated itself to her throat. She swallowed hard, waiting for something else to happen. After a few seconds of nothing, she began walking to the front window. Gus took hold of her hand and held her back. She was always surprised at the strength that the little man possessed.

"I'll check it out, Kayla. You stay back away from the windows." The commanding tone of his voice told her not to argue with him. Gus walked up to the window and pulled the curtains aside. He looked out at the front porch and the areas of shadows surrounding the front yard.

"Son of a bitch!" the dwarf exclaimed.

"What is it?" Kayla asked, frightened of the answer that might come.

"Don't look," he replied grimly.

Being herself, that was an invitation to, in fact, look. She silently cursed herself.

Someone had thrown what looked like a bucket full of blood at the front porch. The red liquid dripped from the wooden frame and the rafters. The overhead light was completely obscured by the viscous fluid. Sitting in the center of the porch, a severed pig's head sat staring directly at her. The dead, black eyes had been decorated with blue eye shadow smeared above them. Just below the snout, red lipstick had been applied in an exaggerated pout.

While she took in the details of the scene, a rush of sour bile and stomach acid began looking for the easiest route out of her body. The violent heaves took hold of her, but she looked away, able to stop the flow before vomiting all over the foyer floor.

She involuntarily looked again, and this time, there was no holding it back. She ran to the bathroom and vomited repeatedly. After her body was empty and her stomach muscles ached from the intense heaving, she sat down on the bathroom floor.

Gus poked his head in the doorway.

"You, ok?"

"Yeah, weak stomach, one of the perks of pregnancy."

"I went outside to check it out. See if I could see anybody running away."

"Did you?"

"No. I did find this, though, tied around the pig's neck… well, what was left of its neck." Gus handed her a card, like one you would find used as a tag at a morgue. Kayla read the blood spattered words out loud.

"Let me come in." A look of realization and horror washed out her features.

"What?" Gus asked, worried.

She looked up at him from the cold bathroom floor. The color completely drained from her face as she spoke the next line of the nursery rhyme.

"Not by the hair on my chinny, chin, chin."

16

David arrived home the next morning to find his front porch had a slight red discoloration to it.

He unlocked the door and entered the dimly lit foyer, searching for his wife.

"Kayla?"

"In here," she called out from the dining room. David walked in, finding Gus and Kayla seated at the dining room table, looking defeated.

"What happened?"

"We had a visitor last night," Gus said blandly. He continued on, telling David the entire history of events from the night before.

David placed another Belgian ale and a soda on the table as he took a seat next to Kayla. He took a long swig of his cold soda and looked at his wife.

"Hi, honey."

"Hi." She smiled. "How was your trip?"

"Good. Sold a lot of books and met some great people."

"Cool," Kayla began to chuckle at his attempt to make her feel better. It was working.

"I think I'm going to go throw away all the bacon in the house."

This time, Kayla and Gus both laughed. David had succeeded in lightening the mood, but he was about to dial it back.

"What can we do about this?"

"I got some feelers out, but other than that…" Gus trailed off.

"It has to be Lou," Kayla said, shaking her head. David got up to answer the ringing phone.

"Hello?" David paused a beat. "Hi Mooney, what's up?" He glanced over at the dwarf with another short pause. "Okay." David put the phone down on the table and pushed the button to initiate the speaker function.

"Mooney, you're on," Gus said, letting the fellow dwarf know he was there and listening.

"Hey guys," the digital version of Mooney's voice greeted them and then continued relaying what he had learned. "I found some information on that security company that you asked about, Gus. They are not exactly interested in security."

"What does that mean?" Kayla asked.

"From what I can gather, the company is a front. It appears to have been started by a group of wolves that use their knowledge of people's security codes to come back after a job and break in. They've been doing this for just over five years. They've never been caught, because they don't usually leave any survivors."

"Oh my God."

"The name of the group is The New Wolves, or Neo Lycos, or Niolikos." He waited for someone to have an "aha moment" while they realized what that meant.

"Fucking A,” Gus said, obviously disappointed that he had missed this little clue.

"Who runs this group, or gang, or whatever?" Kayla jumped in.

"It was started by Lou. My contacts say that he hasn't been back since, well you know."

"Shit." As hard as she tried, she just couldn't figure this out.

"Two more things, Kayla. The building where the business is run was leased by Carolyn."

"This shit keeps getting better and better." Kayla put her head in her hands and rested her elbows on the table.

"The other thing is: I found out Lou's full name. Lou Wagner," Mooney's crackling voice said with a hint of foreboding.

"Does that mean what I think it means?" Kayla moaned and raised her head.

"What does that mean?" David asked, feeling out of the loop.

"Carolyn's maiden name was Wagner. It means that Lou is probably my half-brother."

17

The wolf watched the tiny intruder leave the brick house and get into his truck. He didn't want to tangle with the coven that had helped kill his mother, not yet.

That group of pint-sized assholes could wait. Right now, it was all about his dear little sister. That pig had been the one that killed her—his beautiful, powerful mother had been the victim of greed and malice.

Kayla was the one who'd gotten to live with her and have all the benefits of a loving family. Why was she so fucking special? He had asked himself this question over and over throughout the years.

Mother told him that it was for his own good. He knew it had been best to trust her, but resentment had always been just below the surface. Mother had always come to visit at the full moon. She had taken him into the woods, allowing him to run and perfect his hunting skills with the rabbits and pigs she had brought for him. There were so many fond memories of his times with her.

Back when he was a teenager, they had shared a special connection. He had found out she was a powerful witch, and that he had inherited some of her magic. She told him all about how different and special he was, unlike other wolves, or even witches. He was faster and stronger than anyone else. When cut or hurt, his wounds healed within hours, sometimes even minutes.

Then, when he became an adult, his mother had told him it was time to fully explore his magic and embrace his power.

Just as his lessons had begun, this bitch had killed her. Kayla had taken away his mom, and she would pay with her life.

Darkness had just begun to take hold of the yard as the miniature troublemaker drove away. The plan was coming together. It wouldn't be long. One more night until the full moon, and he felt trouble on the way. Heading toward the garage where the pig's car was parked, he smiled an overly toothy smile and quietly hummed a tune.

18

"Tomorrow, we leave," David commanded as he paced the dining room floor, running his hand through his hair.

"Where?"

"A hotel, Doc's place, anywhere but here. I won't have you in danger."

Kayla didn't like being ordered around, but David was right. The full moon was coming soon, and her family needed to be somewhere safe.

"We'll get some rest tonight, pack up in the morning, and get a hotel room," she agreed, standing up from her chair. A look of relief washed over David's face. "Right now, I need to take a shower. I feel filthy."

"I'll join you." He put his arms around where her waist used to be. There was nothing sexual about his statement. Kayla thought it was mostly because he didn't want to be separated from her for even a few minutes.

"Cool, you can scrub my back." Kayla laid her head against his chest.

"Let's not push it," he joked. Kayla pulled back and playfully slapped him on the chest.

They made their way upstairs and climbed into the shower together. David had designed the shower expressly for this purpose, installing two showerheads on opposite ends of the extra-large enclosure, allowing both of them to get clean at the same time.

While the hot water poured over Kayla's stiff neck and shoulders, David shampooed his hair and quickly cleaned the rest of his body. He stepped in front of Kayla and indicated that he was ready to scrub her back. She felt all of the tension rinsing away with every circular motion of the loofah. He moved his hands up and began shampooing her long hair. It had finally grown out enough that the black could be cut out of it. She moaned with pleasure as he worked his fingers over her scalp, applying just the right amount of pressure.

Kayla's moment of contentment was once again interrupted. A series of loud booms emanated from downstairs. Kayla turned around and quickly rinsed the shampoo from her hair. She didn't like being in a vulnerable position and felt more than naked being here in the shower with her hair full of suds. David was already out of the shower, drying himself off. After she finished rinsing, Kayla stepped out as well. The banging continued.

They both got dressed as quickly as possible, throwing on sweats and t-shirts without any consideration.

David grabbed the baseball bat from the corner of the room, and they headed downstairs cautiously. The banging stopped, and Kayla found the silence even more frightening.

David slowly opened the door to the garage, where the sound had been coming from. He reached out the door and flicked on the light, illuminating a heart-wrenching scene.

The red stingray had been demolished. All four tires had been ripped to shreds, possibly by sharp claws. Every window was smashed, along with the hood. The apple red paint was marred with dents and scratches. The metal and fiberglass were twisted, broken, and bent. Even the interior had been shredded. Foam stuffing littered the floor all around the car. Kayla burst into tears when she saw the automotive carnage in the garage.

"My car," she wailed, looking away.

David scanned the garage to see if anyone was still there then made his way to the broken outer door. He scanned the backyard, and when he was satisfied that the intruder had left, he motioned Kayla to join him.

David extended the bat in his right hand, indicating the direction in which she should look.

Kayla scanned the yard herself before her eyes settled on the wooden shed. Even though it had been built to last, the little shed was no more. It had been demolished, wood planks strewn all over the garden. Pieces of it floated in the swimming pool they had installed the summer before. It looked as though a catastrophic shipwreck had happened in their landlocked backyard.

As both of them stood in the garage doorway shaking their heads, Kayla tried to work out the logistics of the situation.

Suddenly, a large board that had once been part of the shed came clattering down on the pavement in front of them. The wood landed face up at Kayla's feet, and she read the words they already knew would be there.

I WILL HUFF

AND

I WILL PUFF

"How is he doing this?" Kayla asked rhetorically.

As if in direct response to her question, a chorus of howls and yips came from all directions around her home. Kayla tried to count the number of wolves responsible for this cacophony, but was unable to figure on an exact number. Her best estimation was five.

"You don't scare me!" she screamed defiantly into the night.

"They scare me," David said from her side and urged her back into the house.

After securing the door leading from the garage to the house, David picked up the phone. Kayla watched him shaking the handset and checking the power cords.

"Dead." He looked at her as if asking what they should do.

Kayla suddenly felt woozy, so she sat down in a dining room chair.

"Try my cell phone."

"No signal," David said, waving the phone in the air.

Just then, a knock on the door startled the couple. The knock was joined by tapping on the front window, then the window in the kitchen. Something was clawing at the other side of the garage door. All of these sounds grew louder and louder until Kayla could no longer stand the commotion.

"Stop it!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. A gravelly voice that seemed familiar to her growled from outside the front window.

"Little pigs! Little pigs!" The voice from outside began making oinking noises, and his cohorts began echoing his taunts at every portal.

The jeers continued coming for quite a long time, until Kayla could no longer sit still. She stood up quickly, and was assaulted by a violent attack of vertigo. As she plopped back into her seat, the room seemed to be twisting on an unseen axis. The nausea and dizziness slowly subsided as she gripped the oak table for support.

David ran around the house, trying to make sure that the extra security measures Gus had installed were holding against the onslaught. Satisfied that they were doing their job, he came back to stand next to Kayla.

"Baby, what do we do?" David asked like a little boy lost and frightened.

"I don't know," she yelled over the ruckus. Then, as if a bright light had turned on above her head, she turned to David and explained her idea.

"Get a mirror."

"A mirror?"

"Quick! Any mirror!"

David jumped to action when he recognized the urgency in her voice. He tried to think where a mirror would be, but it was all but impossible with the chorus of shouts and oinks coming from just outside the windows. Giving himself a mental slap in the face, he was able to concentrate on his task. He rushed to the living room and focused on a small, gold mirror Kayla had hung on a side wall. He pulled it down and rushed back to his wife's side.

"Perfect," Kayla said, taking the mirror from him and holding it in front of her.

Even in this desperate situation, David could not help but feel a sense of pride. Since finding out about Kayla's magical prowess, and taking a back seat as she defeated evil witches and the like, David had felt all but useless. He had even felt a little emasculated at having to stand back while she saved him with her magic. He didn't like feeling that way, but sometimes he couldn't help it. Now, that feeling gave way to happiness at being able to assist, even in this one small way.

Kayla stared into the mirror, trying with all her might to concentrate above the continuing whooping, banging, and yelling.

"Daddy?" she asked, beginning to sound scared. David watched in awe as the small reflective surface began to glow softly.

"Kayla?" a familiar voice asked from inside of the mirror.

"Daddy, I need your help. They're here, trying to get in, and they demolished my car, and they're outside yelling, and I don't know what to do," she rattled like a set of chattering teeth, unable to stop the flood of emotions and words that spewed out.

"Slow down, honey. I can assure you that if they wanted to get in, they would have already. I've been watching whenever I can, and right now they are just trying to scare you. It looks like it's working," Richard said, attempting to comfort his daughter.

"What do I do?" She felt like a helpless little girl, unable to get herself out of a tough situation.

"Wait it out, Kayla. They will leave you alone tonight. Tomorrow is the full moon, and you'll need to be prepared. That's when they'll come at you with full force." The image in the mirror began to flicker, and Richard's voice became faint and difficult to understand.

"What do you mean?"

"I can't talk. Others are listening. Use your gift…" His voice faded completely, and his image became harder to see.

"Dad?" she yelled at the mirror, trying to will him to come back, with no luck.

"…Love you…"

"Dad, come back." It was no use. Richard was gone. Who is listening? Kayla thought.

As Kayla pondered the little bit of information that Richard was able to provide her, the sound of breaking glass and a loud crash brought her abruptly out of her deep thoughts.

David ran into the living room to find the source of the commotion. Kayla got up as quickly as possible and followed him. When she stepped in to the living room and saw the broken glass and the large rock in the center of the floor, she realized that the noise outside had stopped. There was no more banging or scratching. The yelps and howls had turned into silence. David had realized it as well, and he went to the window to find out if their uninvited guests had left.

As he checked around the yard by looking out through the broken pane, Kayla looked down at the rock that had caused the damage. Unable to bend down, she rolled the rock with the tip of her foot. She expected to see the last line of the nursery rhyme written on the surface of the small boulder, but the message, written in black permanent marker, caused her waves of nausea to return.

We are gonna eat you alive

Kayla sat down on the couch as a pain that felt like a hot poker shot through her abdomen and ended in her now weakened knees.

"David, something's wrong." She clutched her stomach as David rushed to her side. She looked at him, pleading for an answer.

"What's happening to me?" She asked desperately before she passed out.

19

Kayla awakened face down on the ground, not the carpet, but the dirt of a moist clearing. Sitting upright, she felt her stomach to see if everything was all right with the baby. To her astonishment, her stomach was completely flat, with no trace of the protruding belly she had been wearing for the last eight-and-a-half months.

Panic threatened to overtake her as she searched the ground for evidence of something horrible. The only thing she could see was dirt, for what seemed like miles. Deep breaths helped her regain some semblance of composure, and she told herself that whatever this was, it was not real.

Reiterating her assertions, Richard shimmered into view. Kayla was frightened at first, backing away as the mirage of her father approached. When he reached her, she looked into his eyes and relaxed. It was definitely him. She got up off the ground and threw her arms around his shoulders.

In the dreams where Richard was able to visit her, he always looked healthy and strong. All traces of the illness that had taken his life were gone.

"We don't have a lot of time, Munchkin."

"Dad, what the hell is going on?"

"They will come after you tomorrow night when the full moon rises. Use your gift and stand strong, Kayla. That will save you."

Richard doubled over in what appeared to be incredible pain. He fell to the ground and writhed in agony as a scream escaped his lips.

"Daddy?" Kayla tried to make her way to the place he had collapsed, but unseen force picked her up off the ground and threw her body across the dirt. She landed about ten feet away, right on her ass. Richard continued screaming in pain.

"Kayla! She's trying to kill me."

"She?" A realization washed over her and settled in the pit of her stomach.

One word issued forth from the ghost of her dying father right before he ceased to exist forever.

"Carolyn."

Then he was gone, and Kayla knew that this time, it was for good.

"Kayla! Wake up!" David was screaming in her face, trying to shake her awake.

"I'm awake," she replied groggily and tried to sit up.

"Whoa, take it easy." David gently urged her back down into a lying position.

"My dad... he's gone." Kayla covered her eyes as the tears began to flow.

"What are you saying?"

"Carolyn, she killed him—again." She could no longer control her sobs as her body heaved with each outcry. Reality came sharply in to focus that instant, and she reached down to feel her belly.

"The baby," Kayla exclaimed, remembering the flat stomach from her dream. She sighed with relief when she felt the familiar bulge of her growing infant.

Kayla slowly sat up on the couch and looked at David, who had a confounded expression.

"We need to work on figuring out how to get rid of this bitch forever," Kayla stated matter-of-factly.

"Let's get to work, then."

She rose from the sofa, steadying herself, and made her way to the kitchen. Still determined not to use her powers, she saw no harm in using potions. She scanned the contents of her magical pantry and began removing jars and containers, holding them in her arms until she was able to drop them onto the kitchen counter. She directed David to retrieve various pots, pans, and utensils from the other cupboards while she sorted the herbs into groups.

As Kayla placed the vervain next to the canister of sea salt in preparation for her protection potion, she realized how much she really wished Joy was here with her. The elder witch, along with Daisy and Violet, had acted as her mentors and guides into the world of magic. Even though it had only been a year or so since she had discovered her abilities, Joy had marveled at how quickly Kayla had been able to master her lessons.

After snapping on protective gloves, she mixed the vervain and sea salt with a powder of frankincense and myrrh into a cup of pure spring water.

She moved on to combining mandrake root with mustard seed and verbena in order to make a potion to banish spirits. The next potion was designed to kill werewolves. It had never been tested, but Joy had been working on it for the last year. Kayla hoped it would work, but even she had to admit that it wasn't a sure thing.

Lining the prepared potions up on the counter, Kayla explained the purpose of each one to David in detail. He nodded in acknowledgement after her explanation of each bottle.

After the tutorial, Kayla realized that she was starving. She began to gather ingredients for a Caesar salad from the refrigerator. As she and David prepared their dinner together and then sat down at the table to eat, she fell in love all over again with the normalcy that her new family had afforded. Kayla hoped this would not be the end of the family she had worked so hard to build.

The couple went up to bed hand in hand, putting the events of the day behind them and preparing for the difficult day that lay ahead.

20

Kayla stood in the kitchen, sipping her herbal tea while she made two egg white omelets filled with ham and cheese for lunch. She and David had stayed in bed until almost noon, enjoying just holding each other and watching television.

David came downstairs after finishing his shower, to find his meal plated and ready to eat. Kayla sat down and poured herself a large glass of milk. She was determined to make this afternoon as normal as possible.

In between bites of cheese-filled eggs, David used the protection potion Kayla had brewed to anoint the top of his head and the soles of his feet. He helped Kayla do the same, since she had been unable to reach her feet for several months now.

She stood up to slip on her already laced tennis shoes, and that's when it happened. A rush of sticky liquid came flooding out from under the maternity tunic she was wearing. It seemed to her that a water balloon had hit the floor with a splash, but this was no regular water.

"Something's wrong," she said as she looked at David pleadingly. David surveyed the situation and looked at his panicking wife.

"Your water broke," he said with a smile.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. The baby is on its way."

"What the hell are we going to do?"

"Have a baby, I guess," David said, shrugging his shoulders.

"We have to get to the hospital."

"We can't leave, Kayla. They're already out there, and we have no way to get there or even to call."

"Whoa," she shouted suddenly, holding her belly as a contraction seized her body and squeezed her abdomen like a lemon in a press. David checked his watch, timing the contractions.

"We are going to have to do this here, like the old days, baby." He smoothed her hair back and took hold of her hand.

"Shit." The combination of pain and fear drove her to tears.

"The wolves are still waiting outside. I looked out the window, and I could see them hiding in the bushes. I can't figure out why they don't just smash the windows and come inside. What the hell are they waiting for?"

"Carolyn is what they’re waiting for. Even though the wolves are here, Carolyn is running the show."

David retrieved some towels from the hall closet and began to clean the mess on the kitchen floor.

"Whoo!" Another contraction rocked her body and David checked his watch.

"Five minutes."

"What does that mean?" she yelled, on the verge of becoming hysterical.

"It means that we need to get ready, because this baby is coming soon. Just relax, babe. You can do this. Aren't you glad that we went to that natural delivery class?"

"Seriously? You are giving me a freaking I told you so right now?" Kayla snapped at him.

"No, honey, I was just saying it's good that I know what to do, that’s all." He was trying to be comforting without being condescending. Kayla knew this, but she still found herself getting irritated with everything he was saying.

David took her elbow and began to lead her gently down the hallway toward the guest bedroom.

"I can walk, David," she snapped, again unintentionally.

"I know you can," he replied calmly.

"I'm so sorry. What the hell is wrong with me?"

"Nothing at all." He leaned over and kissed her forehead. This gesture of tenderness made her tears flow even faster.

"I love you, David."

"I love you." He led her into the guest room and made sure that she was situated comfortably in the bed.

"Ah!" Another contraction hit her. She squeezed her eyes shut and gritted her teeth against the pain.

"I'll be right back," David assured her as he left the room to get the supplies he'd need to deliver his own baby. When he returned, Kayla was already in the grasp of another contraction. This time, she let out a small scream of pain. It broke David's heart to see her this way, and to think that his baby would be born trapped in this house by crazy werewolves. He didn't have a lot of time to feel bad, because it seemed that his child was ready to arrive.

Something else seemed to be getting ready, also. As Kayla shouted in pain with every contraction, the unwanted visitors outside began yelping and howling. David glanced out the window and saw the monsters outside making their full transformations as they assaulted the brick house. He wished for a moment that they had not chosen such a remote location for their dream home. A nice suburb would have made the beasts think twice about making such a racket.

The banging on the windows and the constant howling was making it difficult for both Kayla and David to concentrate. Soon enough, concentration was not an issue. The baby was making its way out, and there would be no stopping it.

"Kayla, I think it's time for you to push."

"I can't," she cried, suddenly not wanting any part of giving birth to this baby.

"Yes, you can. Come on now, big push."

Kayla leaned forward, grabbing her knees, and pushed with all of the strength she could muster.

"Great job, honey. I can see the head!" David was crying tears of his own now.

Without prompting, Kayla pushed again, as hard as she could. Her reticence had turned into an overwhelming desire to get this baby out of her body as quickly as possible.

"Ah!" She yelled as she pushed a third time with strength that she didn't even know she had. That was when she heard the first cries of her newborn baby.

"Oh, Kayla! It's a girl!" David yelled from between her legs as he wiped his new baby girl clean and bundled her up in a soft yellow blanket. He used a pair of scissors to cut the umbilical cord and tied it off with a small clip he had retrieved from his office. Once he knew his little girl was breathing and safe, he stood up and handed her over to Kayla.

Kayla felt giddy and exhausted as she took her baby into her arms for the first time.

"Hello, Grace." She wiped away her tears of joy while she greeted the perfect angel that was now the center of her universe. As David finished up, Kayla took inventory. Ten toes, ten fingers, and a soft spray of pale blond hair. David joined her at the head of the bed and pressed his lips to Kayla's forehead.

"You did it. She looks like you, Kayla. She is so beautiful."

"We did it." She could hardly believe that this moment of perfect happiness was occurring in the midst of the cacophony.

Suddenly, she realized the noise had stopped. Besides the soft coos of her new baby, there was no sound whatsoever.

"David?" she asked, but stopped when she realized he had noticed it, too.

"What happened to them?" he asked, even more frightened now.

"I don't know, but I think they're watching us." Kayla reached down and took hold of Grace's tiny little fingers. A sudden jolt shot through her body, and a soft glow radiated from little Grace's fingertips. David and Kayla watched in awe as the glow faded.

Kayla couldn't believe how great she felt. All of the fatigue that had been wearing her down disappeared, and she felt as if she had all the energy in the world. There was no pain.

"Did you do this?" she quietly asked the now sleeping Grace. The only response was a deep baby exhale of contentment as Grace nestled in closer to her. Since letting her hand go, some of the exhilaration had faded, but Kayla still felt wonderful.

While she prepared for Grace's first meal, Kayla wondered what the wolves could possibly be planning.

21

"Please, let me go in. She's giving birth to that little monster right now. I can go in and take all three of them out in one shot," he pleaded with his mother.

"Not just yet. You need to be patient. We have to wait for the moon to be completely full for both of us to come into our power. We have no idea what that horrible girl is capable of, and I have no intention of going in there half-cocked," Carolyn scolded her son, making sure to keep a bit of gentleness in her voice. Wolves were volatile, and Carolyn knew that he could turn on her at any second, for any reason.

"I just want them so bad," he whined at her. "They are going to taste so good," he salivated.

"Soon, my darling little boy, the moon will be full in less than two hours, and we will get our revenge."

"You know best, Mother."

When he awakened in the bushes, he felt better about waiting for the kill. Mother really did know best. He treasured the time he was able to spend with her in his dreams, but she had never been able to put him to sleep like she had this time. He wasn't entirely sure that he liked anyone having that much control over him, but he trusted Mother completely. He would do as he was told and wait, as difficult as that might be. The vibrations that accompanied the change had begun. He knew he would begin changing within the hour, and he was having trouble containing his excitement. He lay back down in the bushes and waited for the full change to begin. His pack was in waiting, and they would take out the piece of shit husband. The bitch and her little spawn were going to be his.

Better than cakes and bread, he thought then closed his eyes and waited.

22

Even though Kayla didn't want to let her baby go, she knew there was work to be done. The sun was setting, and there wasn't much time to prepare. She got up from the bed with little effort at all. She felt as if she had never even been pregnant, like the stork had delivered a perfect little bundle and she had made no physical effort at all.

"Slow down, honey," David cautioned her, but she waved his concern away.

"I feel great, David. Really great." She smiled. "We need to get ready for them, quickly."

While Kayla carried Grace in her arms, David gathered the potions from the kitchen. The family headed upstairs to barricade themselves in the master bedroom. Kayla and David sketched out a quick plan to deal with the immanent attack and felt that they were somewhat prepared for the invasion.

As soon as the dark began to take over outside the windows, the howls began. Kayla held Grace tightly to her breast. She was so much more afraid now that she had this little person to worry about. Beginning to doubt herself, she took David's hand. They sat on the bed and waited for the battle to begin.

When the crash came from downstairs, Kayla knew the wolves had broken down the front door. Their howls got louder as they made their way deeper into the house searching for her family.

Kayla stood up and headed for the closet, where she gently nestled Grace into a pile of blankets, hoping to keep her safe. She kissed the baby's forehead and felt that electric surge of power once again. Kayla sniffed back her tears and gently closed the closet door as the pack of wolves made their way up the stairs.

"Little pigs?" that familiar voice sang from the hallway. Other raspy voices joined in with the obvious leader.

"Let us come in!" they said, scratching at the bedroom door.

"I can smell your bacon, bitch," the leader snarled.

"Well, then I will huff…," he continued while someone began kicking the bedroom door, trying to knock it down.

"And I'll puff…," he laughed in chorus with the rest of the pack. Another kick jolted the door, and the hinges began to separate from the thick wooden frame.

"And I'll blow your fucking house in!" One last kick and the door separated from the hinges and clattered to the floor in front of Kayla. Four semi-transformed wolves entered the bedroom in a flurry of teeth and fur. Each one of them was snarling, exposing their elongated teeth and transfigured snouts. They turned their attention away from Kayla and settled their sights on David, who stood his ground and showed them no sign of fear.

While the four beasts approached David, Kayla could hear the wet shifting and cracking of their bones as the transformation completed. David took a step back and away from Kayla. When the lupine quartet approached him, he pulled the bottles of potion from his pocket and threw the contents of two of them on the wolves.

The effect was immediate. As the liquid in the bottles came in contact with the four werewolves, it acted like an acid. The smell of burning hair and flesh was sickeningly thick. The first two wolves fell to their knees yelping and whining in pain as David continued to splash the remaining potion on them and the two others behind them.

The first wolf to enter the room had gotten most of the liquid directly to his face. He had covered his searing flesh with his clawed hands and was now trying to pull them away. Along with the flesh of his paws, a large chunk of his cheek also separated from his skull and dangled from his hand like a wet dishcloth. He howled in agony while the potion burned its way through the muscles of his face and ran a course to the inside of his skull. He placed his paws on either side of his head and let out one last deafening howl, falling to the ground in a quickly deteriorating heap. The second wolf had not had a better time of it, and he fell on top of his dead packmate. David continued shaking the potion bottle and found that it was now empty. The last two wolves had received a healthy dose of the potion, but it was not slowing them down as much as the first two.

The wolf on the left stepped on the dead wolves with a loud crunch of the corpses' remaining bones. Kayla felt sick as the bodies made liquid squishing sounds when the wolf's foot sunk into the rapidly decaying flesh. As this wolf reached out toward David, Kayla could see the flesh of his arm and the left side of his face falling off in clumps and sheets. She felt sure he would not be able to make the distance between them without falling apart, but to her horror, she realized she was wrong.

The last wolf fell to the ground, unable to make the journey, softly yipping in pain as his flesh landed in goopy puddles on the carpet. The only one of the four wolves left standing was still trying to close the distance to David, the skin of his leg turning a mottled red and cracking open, gushing more blood onto the carpet. When he reached the spot where David had huddled himself into the corner, he fell to his knees and lashed his claw through the air before finally collapsing, dead.

"David," Kayla yelled as she tried to find a way to reach her husband and make sure that he was unharmed without stepping in a caustic puddle of bubbling werewolf.

"I'm good," David said as he stepped out of the corner of the room. The bodies of the four liquefied wolves created a dangerous acid barricade between the couple, but Kayla could see the ragged fabric of David's shirt as it turned from a light blue to a dark maroon.

"Oh, David," she said as he looked down at the spreading stain.

"Kayla?" David fell to his knees, obviously in shock. As Kayla scrambled over the king-sized bed to help her wounded husband, there was a knock on the ruined doorframe. Kayla jumped up, positioning herself in front of the closet door. David had used the entire werewolf potion, and she was totally defenseless. She assumed a defensive stance and waited for what she hoped was the last intruder. She thought she knew who was about to come through the door and attack her, but the sight of his face momentarily weakened her guard.

"Ray," she said matter-of-factly, glaring directly into his yellow eyes and remembering the attack at the mall, which she had thought mortally wounded him.

"Bingo! What's up, sis?" he said, smiling his bright white toothy grin.

"So, it's true then? Carolyn was a whore for a werewolf? I didn't think any witch would ever slum like that. Not even that disgusting bitch." Kayla was shocked by her own defiance and complete lack of fear.

"Don't you ever talk about my mother that way, you fucking pig!" he roared, obviously surprised by her newfound bravado as well.

"I will talk about her any way I want, fleabag," she taunted.

Ray's anger flared as he completed his transformation.

"Uh, uh." He waved a fur-covered claw in the air and laughed. "I know what you are trying to do, sister. I am not gonna get mad and kill you quickly. I'm going to take my sweet-ass time with you. You're going to get a first-hand look at what your own guts look like." He punctuated this statement with a snap of his powerful jaws.

"We'll see about that." Kayla concentrated all of her magic and waved her arm at Ray, trying to send him flying, but nothing happened. She waved her arm again, but still nothing.

"What's the matter? Your magic doesn't work, huh?" he teased in a mock baby voice.

"Let me tell you a little something, pig. I am wolf and witch. I have strength and power that you have never even dreamed of. Did you think that a tiny little bookmark, not even silver, was going to kill me? Nothing can kill me. Did you think that you would be able to do one of your stupid little parlor tricks and I’d just die? You are dead wrong, bitch. Now, you are just going to be dead." He chuckled at his own joke as he moved toward Kayla. She stiffened, not knowing what to do and worrying that Ray would find her baby after he finished killing her.

Ray stopped in his tracks, and his amber eyes looked into hers. He tilted his head, looking puzzled, and took a deep whiff of the air.

"Speaking of appetizers, where is that plump little mouthful of yours?"

"You stay away from my baby, you fucking mutt," she said, coldly staring him down. With what Kayla thought was the worst timing possible, Grace began to cry softly from inside the closet.

"Aha." Ray smiled greedily, once again baring his teeth.

Without hesitation, Kayla turned and opened the closet door, snatching Grace up from the bundle of blankets. She said a silent prayer that her plan was going to work. She pulled the little yellow blanket down, exposing the baby's tiny pink hand. Kayla touched her skin as the glow from Grace's fingers began to spread over the newborn's entire body. She had time to see what looked like a sweet little grin on her daughter's face as an intense power surged through her. Kayla waved her free arm toward Ray again, concentrating with all of her might.

This time it worked. With a look of shock, Ray's body lifted from the ground and slammed into the large dresser across the bedroom. The circular mirror came crashing down on top of him, and he hit the floor with a loud thump. He didn't waste any time getting back to his feet and pouncing at Kayla. She went down to the floor, careful to protect Grace from the fall. While Ray clawed his way to her, she turned over and tried to crawl out of the bedroom, but he caught her ankle in his powerful grasp.

"You bitch," he howled in as much frustration and surprise as anger. He pulled her back across the carpet, burning the elbow of her arm that she had wrapped around Grace.

Kayla desperately grabbed at the bedframe and the carpet, struggling to wriggle free of his iron grasp, but it was no use. She scanned the piles of creams and lotions that had fallen from the top of the dresser for any kind of weapon. Her hand randomly felt for anything she could use to make him let her go. With almost no effort, Ray flipped her body over so that she was lying on her back, clutching her baby. Her free hand searched blindly for purchase, when she felt something cold and hard with the tips of her fingers. Ray climbed on top of her, and she could smell his rotten breath as his face leveled with hers.

"This is for my brother and my mother, you worthless pig," he said, raising a clawed hand in the air, ready to strike.

Kayla closed her fingers around the handle of the rattle. Richard's words echoed through her head: Use your gift. She brought the silver baby toy up with as much power as she could summon and whacked Ray on the temple. He yowled as the ball of the rattle broke off the stem, taking a small patch of skin with it. Kayla could smell burning flesh as Ray stepped back. He seemed genuinely surprised that he was hurt by the toy. Kayla took the opportunity that his moment of weakness presented, and she jammed the broken end of the rattle as deeply into his throat as she could manage.

"That is for my father, you arrogant dick."

A rush of thick, hot blood coated her hand and ran down the screaming wolf's chest. He immediately jumped to his feet and clawed at the embedded silver handle that only slightly protruded from his oozing throat. Every time his claws touched the handle, the sizzling noises became louder and he yelped in pain.

Kayla scrambled away from the cooking werewolf and wrapped her arms tightly around Grace. She sat and watched for what seemed like an eternity while Ray writhed in agony and then eventually fell to the ground. He began turning back into a human before his body had even stopped moving.

Kayla sighed with relief as she stood up, checking her baby for any injuries. Finding none, she again looked down at her dead brother.

"That was silver, bitch," she said to his corpse, feeling like a heroine from an action film.

From the other side of the room, David whimpered.

"Kayla?" Another familiar voice called out from behind her.

She turned to see Carolyn standing on top of the dislodged mirror no more than five feet from her.

"Carolyn."

"Mom is more appropriate, isn't it?"

"What do you want, you murdering bitch?" Kayla snarled at her, deciding she'd had enough fun and games for one day.

"Hostile. I want to see my beautiful granddaughter, of course," Carolyn smiled sweetly.

"You mean you want her powers, right?"

"Well, yes."

"You killed my father."

"Technically, he was already dead. I did send him where he belonged, though," she said with a snotty smirk that infuriated Kayla.

"You will never get my baby."

"Let's not fight, Kayla."

"I'm done fighting with you, Mother," Kayla said as she pulled the spirit vanquishing potion bottle from her pocket and threw it at the mirror where Carolyn stood.

The look of shock on Carolyn's face made Kayla smile from ear to ear. The spectral witch doubled over in pain, the mirror she stood on turning into a dark black pool of smoke. As Carolyn was slowly sucked back into the mirror, she screamed in pain and fear.

"What's happening?" she bellowed.

"You're finally going to burn in hell, you monster," Kayla said with no emotion as Carolyn completely disappeared and the glass turned back into an ordinary mirror. She sighed with relief and jumped over the bed to where David lay face up.

"David, are you all right?" she asked him desperately. He closed his eyes and muttered a few unintelligible words. Kayla leaned over him and listened for a heartbeat. It was so faint she could barely make it out. She felt so helpless, even after defeating these monsters, she was going to have to sit here and watch David die. She leaned down again and put her forehead to his.

"Please, David, don't leave us," she pleaded, sobbing at the thought of losing her soulmate. As she wept, she felt a charge of electricity flowing through her hand. She pulled herself up and saw that little Grace was completely bathed in a soft white light. Kayla didn't know what to make of it, but she decided to place baby Grace into David's now almost lifeless arms. She pulled away, not knowing what to expect, and a rush of excitement hit her when David embraced his infant daughter. Her tears turned into laughter as David sat up from the carpet and took her in his arms.

The three of them sat there, surrounded by three puddles of what used to be wolves, and one dead man. Kayla and David kissed each other as though it were the first time, and Grace softly cooed, the white light fading away.

They rose from the floor, no worse for the wear, and started out of the blood-soaked bedroom. David raised Grace up to his face.

"Daddy's little miracle worker," he said, kissing her pudgy cheek.

The family walked down the stairs and out into the night, heading to the nearest neighbor, half a mile away.

Kayla smiled knowing that her family was complete, and that no one could tear them apart ever again.

23

Grace had grown into an exceptionally beautiful little girl. During the celebration of her birth, Kayla's coven of friends had bestowed gifts upon Grace that could never be purchased at any store.

Joy, Daisy, and Violet had given Grace the gifts of beauty, patience, and love. Doc gave the gift of intelligence and common sense. Gus had given her the gift of strength of mind and heart. Mooney gave her the gift of music and fun. All of these presents had been given on top of the mountains of toys and every other bell and whistle a little girl could ever dream for.

Now that Grace was seven years old, she displayed each of these gifts with a subtle charm. Grace was not arrogant or self-absorbed. She was friendly and genuine with everyone she met. A brilliant little princess with poise and elegance who loved to make mud pies, play with puppies, and plant flowers in the garden. Kayla loved Grace more than anything else in the world.

There was one thing that Grace was not. Magical. She had not once displayed any interest or inkling toward magic after the day she was born.

Kayla would be lying if she said it was not a relief that Grace lacked magical powers. She wanted Grace to be a normal kid who worried about toys, make up, and eventually boys.

As the two Burkheart ladies packed for Grace's first camping trip, (Kayla had elected to keep her maiden name out of respect for her late father, and David had taken it as well) Kayla watched her daughter gathering toys and placing them into her little pink princess purse. Grace seemed to be agonizing over which items should accompany her on the trip to the woods. She had started with a Cinderella doll, a lip-gloss, and two hair barrettes. The doll was replaced by a Hello Kitty notepad and pen. Satisfied with her selections, Grace ran up to where Kayla stood.

"Ready, Mom."

"Oh, yeah?"

"I got everything I need to camp in the woods!" Grace exclaimed, proudly holding up her little purse.

"Well, good job, Munchkin. Why don't you go get Daddy and tell him that we are almost ready?"

"Mama, why do you call me that?"

"Because that is what my daddy used to call me. Does it bother you?"

Grace seemed to ponder the question for a few seconds.

"No, I like it," she stated matter-of-factly before turning to go find her father.

Kayla chuckled to herself while she watched her daughter's blond ponytail bounce up and down with her retreat.

Even though the last seven years had been blissfully uneventful, she found herself unable to relax fully without anticipating some tragedy.

Grace had given her the "Geez, Mom" look on multiple occasions when Kayla had been ridiculously overprotective.

David had spent many days holding her hand and trying his best to calm her fears. Most times, he succeeded. This camping trip was one of those times.

Grace had pulled every string she could think of to get them to go. Everything from stomping feet, to hugs and pleases. The two co-conspirators had eventually won her over.

Kayla had spent a week casting protection spells and crafting defense potions. All the stakes and silver spikes had been sharpened in case they encountered any unsavory characters.

There were definite drawbacks to knowing about all the things that went bump in the night.

Kayla was still overwhelmed at how much Grace had changed their lives. Her days of booze and pills were all but a distant memory. She was surrounded with warm memories of her father and the new, loving family she had gained from her ordeals with Carolyn and her half-brothers. She felt a sense of surreal disbelief at the fact that her little trio was going on a camping trip in the Washington woods, just as any normal family would.

"Let's go, babe!" David shouted from outside.

Continuing to put the last few items in the bag, she went over her mental checklist one last time. Everything seemed to be in order, but Kayla was positive that she was forgetting something. After agonizing for a few more minutes, she decided it couldn't be anything too important, and went to join her family.

She walked outside with her bag of goodies, and David could read the angst on her face.

"You okay, honey?" he asked tenderly.

"As good as I'm going to be." She smiled and got Grace buckled into her seat.

Locked and loaded into their 4x4, the family began their trek to Larch Mountain, about two hours outside of Olympia.

Kayla put on Grace's favorite music, some boy band that Kayla could not name but Grace knew everything about. She had to laugh as Grace sang along and bobbed her head from her booster seat.

When Grace noticed, she stopped and gave Kayla a huge grin.

"What?" she asked, relishing the attention.

"Nothing, silly goose," Kayla replied.

"Mommy wishes she could sing as well as you, Grace," David teased while giving Kayla a sly smile.

"That is absolutely correct," Kayla played along.

Grace looked at her parents, trying to decide if they were pulling her leg.

"It's okay, Mama. Practice makes perfect," she said earnestly.

David and Kayla burst out laughing, and again, Grace looked confused for a second. She decided it was all fun and joined in. After a few seconds, she resumed her private concert.

"Baby, baby…. I love you," she sang with all her heart.

David pulled onto a gravel road and found a place to park the 4x4. He switched off the engine and disengaged his seatbelt.

"All right, my beautiful girls, from here, we hike!" he said with a gleam in his eyes.

Kayla and David walked up the hill as Grace trailed a few steps behind. The hike to the summit was only about a mile or so, but Grace was getting bored and tired. David turned back to check her progress and noticed her dropping something out of her pocket.

"What are you doing, Munchkin?"

"Marking our path with jelly beans," Grace replied with an almost adult tone.

"Why are you doing that?"

"So we don't get lost," she said then popped a bean into her mouth.

"Good thinking." David smiled and continued on.

"Daddy, who was that man?"

"What man?" Kayla asked with more sharpness than she intended.

"The little man that was standing on the road."

"Little?"

"Like Uncle Mooney and Uncle Gus."

"I didn't see him."

"He smiled at me. He looked like a nice guy," Grace said as she trudged up the hill.

"You tell me if you see him again."

"Okay, Mom."

Kayla looked at David, and he could see the worry on her face. He took her hand to try to console her. They continued on, not wanting to waste any more daylight.

After setting up camp, David lit a small campfire, and they ate sandwiches and then roasted marshmallows. Grace was having a great time listening to campfire stories, eating gooey marshmallows, and finding bugs in the grass.

As night fell, they all decided to retire to the tent and try to get some sleep. Grace got a serious case of the giggles, and it took about an hour for them to go away. She finally drifted off to sleep, lying in between David and Kayla.

Kayla could not imagine a more perfect ending to a wonderful day as she and David drifted off as well.

24

What seemed like just minutes later, Kayla woke with a start. She felt around for Grace, unable to locate her. She sat up and called out.

"Grace?"

David sat up as well.

"What's wrong?"

"Where is Grace?" Kayla fell into a panic.

"Maybe she went out to pee."

Kayla jumped up and ran out of the tent.

"Grace?" She began to cry.

David searched frantically around the tent, to no avail. He grabbed the flashlights and slipped on his boots. He handed a flashlight to Kayla, gripping her shoulders.

"Kayla, you have to calm down. We'll find her."

Kayla tried her best to focus on what he was saying, but the blackness of her terror threatened to overtake her consciousness.

"We will find her," she forced herself to repeat his assurance.

The two parents began searching the area around the tent in a circular pattern, fanning out and calling her name. Kayla froze in her tracks when the howl of a wolf echoed through the forest.

Grace opened her eyes and saw stars. She felt a little shiver of cold while she tried to figure out where she was.

"Mommy? Dad?" she whispered, but got no answer.

She looked around and saw the little man from earlier standing just a few feet away. He smiled at her again and put his finger to his lips to signal her to be quiet. She closed her eyes as tears began to flow.

"I want my mommy," Grace said, almost silently.

The little man gave her an understanding look and another warm smile that made her feel better. She tried to get up off the ground to find her parents, but her leg was jerked back when she attempted to take a step. Looking down, she saw a metal cuff around her ankle, attached to a chain. Grace sat back down on the ground and began to cry softly again. Where was her mommy?

Looking around, she was unable to see the little man anywhere. Grace sniffled deeply and dried the tears on her cheeks with the palms of her hands. She needed to be brave. She remembered Mommy and Daddy telling her that if she ever got lost or taken, she should try to be brave and find a grown-up to help her.

A howl echoed through the forest and weakened her resolve. Mom had told her about wolves, too. She knew that she had to stay far away from them, and that some people could be wolves, too.

Grace felt around on the ground for the end of the chain that bound her leg. As she moved her hands over the cold ground, she felt the little pink purse she had packed for the trip.

Opening it up, she saw the two little blue barrettes. Grace remembered watching a movie with her dad where a lady used a pin from her hair to open up a lock. Grace thought that maybe her barrette could do the same thing. She located the lock at the end of the chain and slipped the blue barrette into the little hole. Just like magic, the lock slipped and opened. Taking the chain off her foot, she stood up and started to run away. A thought came to her, and she walked back to where the chain lay.

Grace took the Hello Kitty notepad and pen out of her purse and wrote a note. She had been practicing writing in her second grade class, and they were just starting to learn cursive.

Mom and Dad I woke up here. I am scared. I got free and went to hide. Please find me. Look for my jellybeans. Love, Grace.

Leaving the note on the ground and saying a prayer that her parents would find it, Grace hurried off, dropping a jellybean every few feet.

From behind the trees, the creatures watched the little girl free herself from her chains. Miranda was going to be so angry with them. They knew what happened when she got angry. They whispered amongst themselves, trying to figure out what to do.

They had to get her back and deliver her to Miranda. There was no choice. Dozens of eyes followed the little girl's retreat while they planned the next step.

25

Miranda was starving. She hadn't eaten anything in at least two weeks. Those stupid little sprites had not brought her anything, except the boy. She had cast the spell on them because, in her weakened state, she was unable to find food on her own. The mindless little insects were easy to control, and she wondered why she had wasted so much energy over the years getting food for herself.

She could have been sending these ridiculous sprites out to gather children for her meals all along.

All those nights spent transfigured into wolves and crows and the like had put her in the foulest of moods and made her smell like wet dog half the time.

How could any respectable Wood Witch allow herself to get to this point? Living alone in a forest, only miles from the city, foraging for the flesh of children but surviving on the putrid corpses of rabbits and any other woodland creatures that she could catch. It was shameful and embarrassing.

Well, no more. With the unwilling assistance of the sprites, Miranda would once again dine like the queen that she was meant to be.

She was positively salivating at the thought of dining on the young boy's tender flesh. Boys were tasty, but if they could find a girl, that was a delicacy to be savored. But alas, she had to wait for the boy to get fat enough to make a decent meal. The past few weeks had been so hard on her, waiting for the boy to plump.

Miranda uncorked the wine that she had retrieved from the cellar, a one-hundred-twenty-year-old vintage that she had taken from a colonial family at the last turn of the century after she had dined on their daughter.

That was a meal to remember. Children had yet to be contaminated by soda pop and "happy meals." They were still pure and good, unsullied by pop culture, absent of any guile or cunning. Just the way Miranda liked them.

As she took a deep whiff from the aging cork, Miranda looked over at the sleeping boy in the metal cage. Tonight, he would be roasted on a spit, and she would sleep, sated with a full stomach and a light heart.

Stoking the fire, Miranda hummed a tune, anticipating the first decent meal she would have in more than two decades.

26

Grace continued to run through the forest, dropping a jellybean every so often to guide her mom and dad just in case they found her note.

She whipped her head around at every rustled leaf and snapped twig, fearing the worst behind every noise.

At this point, Grace decided that she would gladly give away every toy that she had ever had if she could just find her mommy. Even the new Princess Hair Studio that Aunt Joy had just given her. It had a Cinderella head that you could put real makeup on, and a real curling iron so you could really do her hair. The curling iron didn't get hot, so you couldn't burn yourself, but it was really real, just like Mom's curling iron. She hadn't opened it yet, and she wanted to play with it so bad, but she would tell Joy to take it back if this would just be all over.

As Grace dropped another jellybean on the ground, she turned around and saw the small house off to her left, just a few feet down the stone path. It looked to Grace like a cottage that a princess would live in before she met Prince Charming and went to live at the palace.

The windows had flowers on the sills, and the door was painted bright red. Grace made her way to the front door, hoping an adult was inside who could help her. She raised her little hand to knock on the door when she heard humming coming from inside. That made her feel better. Wolves never hummed.

The knock at the door made Miranda almost jump right out of her skin. It startled the boy as well. He sat up in his cage and looked bleary-eyed toward the door.

"You had better stay silent! Not a peep!" She scowled, pointing a bony, withered finger at the boy while she covered his cage.

He cowered into the corner of the cage and shook his head in terrified agreement.

Miranda walked to the door and opened it to find a stunning little girl of no more than six or seven years old standing there with dirt on her pants and a bewildered look on her pudgy little face. She could barely control her excitement and wiped the corner of her mouth.

"May I help you, little girl?" she said, her voice as sweet as strawberry cake.

"I'm lost and I can't find my mommy or daddy and somebody took me and chained my foot up but I got free and I ran as far as I could to find help and I found your house and can you please help me find my mommy?" the girl said without pausing to take a breath. Tears began running down her little cheeks.

"Oh no, my little dear, don't cry now. I'll help you find your mommy. Just step inside and have a seat. We'll get you cleaned up and then get you back into your mommy's arms. I promise." Miranda smiled widely, trying not to look overly anxious.

"Thank you. My name is Grace, and it is a pleasure to meet you," Grace said, just the way her mom had taught her.

Miranda laughed with glee, and Grace cowered.

"My name is Miranda, and it is my pleasure to meet you, Grace," she said, trying to calm the little morsel. "Come inside, my sweet, and I'll surely help you."

Miranda led the wide-eyed little girl into the parlor and sat her down on the red brocade sofa. While she poured the tot a cup of tea, Miranda noticed her attention wandering toward the large cage covered in the white cloth.

"Do you have a bird?" Grace asked, brightening a bit.

"Uh…" Miranda said before quickly forming a plan in her head. "Well dear, I do have a parrot. Here is a little bit of tea to calm you down. Drink it up and then we can look for your mother."

Grace took the cup and sipped a small bit. After making a sour little face, she looked again at the covered cage.

"I like parrots."

"Well, I guess that we should take a look at my parrot!" Miranda said, standing up.

"What's his name?"

"Uh, Harold," Miranda said, caught off guard.

Grace rose from the couch and allowed Miranda to guide her gently toward the cage with the promise of seeing something amazing.

27

"Grace! Grace?" Kayla yelled into the darkness, desperate to find her little girl.

The sense of panic was crushing her heart like a powerful fist. She was finding it increasingly difficult to breathe. David checked either side of the path they walked along, calling out to their daughter.

A sound came from deep in the bushes to Kayla's left, causing her to whip around, almost falling down. She regained her footing and sprinted over to the source of the sound.

"Who's there?" she called out. David joined her in the investigation.

There was no answer. Overwhelmed with frustration, Kayla swished her right hand through the air. The dense bushes parted on their own with no resistance. Kayla shined her flashlight on the newly cleared spot on the ground.

A small creature that looked like a large dragonfly with a human body lay in the dirt, shaking with apparent fear. Kayla knelt to try to calm the little fairy down.

"Hey, little guy. It's all right."

Without warning, the little thing jumped up, bared a mouth full of sharp teeth, and swung its tiny claws at Kayla's face. Kayla once again held her right hand up, suspending the mini monster in mid-air while maintaining a safe distance. It kicked its legs and continued clawing at her, seemingly oblivious to the fact that it was being held by magic.

"Hey, knock it off, you little bastard!" Kayla yelled, still holding the sprite in place.

"No! I must be free. I cannot be held under the spells of evil witches. Let me go!" The thing continued to writhe.

"Listen fairy, I am not an evil witch. I'm just looking for my daughter."

"I am not a fairy, I am a wood sprite! Fairies are dirty creatures that serve no purpose. They're almost as useless as those damn gnomes!"

"Okay, sprite. Have you seen my daughter? She is seven years old with blond hair."

"Oh, no," the sprite interrupted. "A little girl in these woods?" He looked worried.

"What is it?"

"Miranda might find her. Is your little one a witch as well?" The sprite was calm now, and seemed genuinely concerned.

"No. Well, I'm not sure."

"Well, if my clan finds her and takes her to Miranda, she is in serious trouble."

"Who is Miranda?"

"Who are you?"

"Kayla. My daughter is Grace."

"You are daughter to Carolyn?" the sprite said in sudden awe.

"Yes," she replied worriedly.

"I am Jorek. Please forgive my insolence, My Queen. We have been waiting for you." He relaxed and bowed his head.

David and Kayla shared a look of utter bewilderment as they said in unison, "Queen?"

28

The nice old lady was going to help find her mom after Grace got a good look at Harold the parrot. They approached the large cage and Miranda reached up to remove the white cloth.

Grace suddenly got an uneasy feeling and started to back away. Miranda pulled the cloth off the cage, exposing the frightened little boy seated within. Grace cried out and took another step back, when Miranda suddenly seized her arm and flung her toward the now open door. Grace's body slammed against the metal bars and fell to the floor, her arm aching from the blow. She scrambled to her feet, crying, and tried to run out. Miranda slammed the door just as Grace reached it.

"Why are you locking me up?" Grace screamed, unable to comprehend the witch's actions.

"Because I'm going to eat you for dinner, my dear," Miranda replied with a hideous grin that Grace had once mistaken as kind.

"You can't eat kids!" Grace yelled as the little boy got up and tried to pull her from the door.

"Just be quiet and sit down," he whispered in her ear.

"Well, look at the two of you! Thick as thieves," Miranda laughed while she poured herself a glass of red wine.

Grace decided that the little boy's advice was good and sat down at the far end of the cage with him. He continued to whisper into Grace's ear.

"My name is Harold."

"I'm Grace. How long have you been here?"

"I don't know. A long time."

"Don't worry Harold, my mommy will find us and save us. She's magic."

"Your mom is a witch?" Harold said, a little too loudly.

Miranda suddenly jumped from her chair with a swiftness that surprised even her.

"What is this, little Grace? Your mother is a witch? You are going to be especially tasty." She smiled a toothy grin, and Grace noticed that her teeth were crooked and stained a dark brown. Miranda's nose suddenly appeared larger and more bulbous. Her once neat gray hair had become scraggly and tangled.

"My mommy is a very powerful witch that fights wolves and monsters like you. She is gonna find me and stop you,” Grace said, enraged.

"Ooh, I am so scared," Miranda mocked. "Who is this big powerful witch?"

"Her name is Kayla and you should be scared,” Grace said defiantly.

"Kayla? Kayla Burkheart?" Grace thought she saw a faint trace of worry cross Miranda's face.

"That's my mom." It was Grace's turn to smile.

"Well, it seems that we are about to have a family reunion then. My niece has finally made her way home. Allow me to reintroduce myself; I would be your great aunt."

29

"Okay, so let me get this straight, I am the Queen of this forest?" Kayla asked the sprite.

"Yes, Your Majesty,” Jorek replied.

"Please stop calling me that."

"Yes, My Queen."

"Just give us the details, Jorek,” David sighed, trying to get the story moving.

"My King, Carolyn ruled this forest for many, many years. She was cruel and heartless, driving most of the forest fairies and gnomes away. Only those witches loyal to her stayed. When the city began encroaching on the area, even the other witches moved away, except for Miranda, Carolyn's sister."

"What? She has a sister here?" Kayla was finding it difficult to process all of this new information.

"Yes, she is a wood witch, an eater of children. There was a bitter rivalry between the two sisters. Miranda was cursed by Carolyn to stay here in the forest, unable to leave. Miranda, in turn, cursed Carolyn and all in her line to suffer from the myrchen."

"Myrchen? What the hell is that?" David asked.

"The lives of all in her line would be forced to live in what you would call a fairy tale."

"Well, that explains a hell of a lot," Kayla was putting the pieces of the puzzle that was her life together now.

"You have been plagued with this, My Queen?"

"You could say that. I really need to find my daughter. What were you saying about your clan?"

"Miranda has enchanted them. They are unable to resist her spell and have been charged with gathering food for her."

"Food. As in children," David said, a sick look coming over his face.

"Yes, My King, children. If Miranda finds out that your tochter, your daughter, is a witch and is of your bloodline, we can only guess what she will do."

"Why aren't you under her spell?" Kayla asked.

Jorek sank down a bit and his wings fell to his sides in what seemed to be embarrassment.

"Because my blood is not pure. My father was a… gnome." He spat the last word out as though it made him physically ill.

"Jorek, can you help me find my daughter, please?" Kayla asked, looking the sprite directly in his deep blue eyes.

"You need not ask for the assistance of your subjects, Your Majesty. I would be honored to help you."

"Thank you, Jorek. Do you know where Miranda lives?"

"Yes, my sister has been forced into her service."

"Well, it sounds like we need to save your sister as well."

"You are too kind, My Queen."

"Yeah, I am awesome. Let's go find my aunt."

The trio began the trek toward Miranda's cottage in the woods. Jorek flew through the air, leading the way. After a few minutes, they came into a clearing. Shining the flashlights around the forest floor, Kayla's light came across a small metal post with a chain attached to it. Kayla and David ran up to the post where they found the note that Grace had left for them.

"Jellybeans." Kayla grinned at David, grateful for the small glimmer of hope brought on by the little piece of Hello Kitty paper.

They searched the ground, trying to find the small bits of candy. A little glimpse of red caught Kayla's eye. A red jellybean lay in the grass. Jorek went ahead, searching for more candies. He shouted when he located an orange bean a few feet ahead. The three followed the trail, and Jorek informed them with a grim look that the beans were leading right to Miranda's cottage.

"We had better hurry," Kayla said, running ahead with Jorek leading the way.

30

The nasty old witch had tended the fire and continued drinking glasses of wine until she fell asleep in her chair. Over the last hour, she had been getting more and more ugly. Her skin was turning a sickly gray; her eyes had clouded over with a white, milky film. It seemed to Grace that she was having a harder time seeing what she was doing. Grace turned to Harold and whispered to him.

"Why is she getting uglier?"

"This happens every night. She turns into a yucky monster."

"We need to get out of this cage," Grace replied, crawling forward to check the door.

"Be careful, she might hear you," Harold said in a panic. Grace looked back and smiled, trying to calm him down a little bit.

"I'm gonna get us out of here, I promise."

Harold squinted his eyes in disbelief, but kept quiet.

Grace inspected the door to see if she could find a way out. She thought about using the barrette again, but she couldn't reach the big, rusty lock. When she looked over to the other side of the door, she saw the big hinges that held it in place. Beyond the door, she saw the little man from earlier standing in the parlor.

She watched him making a motion as though he were putting on lipstick. She kept quiet, but realized he was signaling her to get her lip-gloss. She took the little tube of lip-gloss from her purse and showed it to the man. He nodded his head and smiled at her. Suddenly, he disappeared in a little poof. He reappeared right outside of the cage door. He pointed to the large hinges and pantomimed putting on the lip-gloss again. A light went on in Grace's head, and she began to slather the lip-gloss all over the hinge. She pulled up on the pin, getting sparkly gloss all over her fingers, and to her surprise, it lifted out with no resistance. They were going to get free!

The witch gave a loud snore and sat up in her chair.

"What is going on? What are you doing, niece?" She stood up as the man disappeared once again. She felt around the room while she walked toward the cage to investigate.

"I was sleeping," Grace replied, hoping she would sit back down and fall back to sleep.

"Give me your finger; prove that you're still in the cage." The witch stuck her hand into the cage, obviously unable to see the children through the thick cataracts now covering her eyes.

Grace stuck out the long metal hinge for the witch to feel.

"You are so bony, child!"

"I'm starving. What do you expect?"

"Well, that won't be a problem much longer. I would say in about ten minutes," Miranda cackled as she added a log to the burning fireplace, preparing it to roast the children.

"Why would you want to eat us right now? We are both so skinny. Give us some food and eat us later." Grace hoped that the witch would fall for her game.

"I guess I can wait a little longer. I was going to have you for dinner tonight, but I think that you would make a fine breakfast, too." Miranda turned and grabbed a plate of cookies from the counter. She took a large key from her pocket and opened the lock on the cage. She was caught off guard when the loose hinge caused the door to slip from her hand. Grace grabbed Harold's hand and pulled him past the witch and out of the cage, almost knocking Miranda down.

The two children ran toward the door, but Miranda reached her hand out and grasped on to Grace's ponytail. She yanked the little girl back, and the two tumbled onto the floor. Grace scrambled to her feet as Miranda made her way up a little more slowly.

Grace pushed against the old witch while she was trying to regain her footing. Miranda once again lost her balance and fell over, but this time, she landed inside the big stone fireplace. Miranda let out a piercing scream when the hot coals burned her tissue paper skin. She tried to scramble out of the fire, but just then, the little man reappeared. Miranda looked surprised when he reached up and swung the heavy iron fireplace gate, and it closed with a click. Miranda's screaming intensified while she tried in vain to open the scalding gate.

"Get outside; your mommy is waiting," the little man finally spoke.

"Who are you?" Grace asked above the screaming of the dying witch.

"Your Uncle Jess." He smiled and signaled her to go before he disappeared for the last time.

31

Kayla ran ahead, following Jorek on the way to Miranda's cottage. Suddenly, she heard something that stopped the breath in her chest.

"Mommy?"

Kayla and David ran past Jorek and saw Grace running toward them.

She scooped her little girl up into her arms and swung her around. David joined them, and they stood in silence hugging their baby.

Grace began pouring the story of her ordeal out, followed by a stream of tears. She was finally letting some of the stress of the events fade as a loud crack came from the forest surrounding them.

In an instant, they were surrounded by a dozen or more sprites, all hovering in the air, baring their sharp teeth and holding claws at the ready. Harold announced his presence by uttering a loud screech.

Jorek flew to the front of the little group.

"My family, this is our Queen, daughter of Carolyn. The little girl is Princess of the forest. You must not harm them."

The group of sprites ignored his pleas and moved in a little closer, growling.

"Amira?" Jorek asked a sprite that Kayla assumed was the sister he had spoken of before. The female sprite looked at Jorek and opened her mouth, uttering a spine-tingling hiss. He refused to back down from her.

The family, along with Harold, clutched each other in fear, but Grace broke free and stepped forward. Kayla reached out to bring her back, but Grace shrugged her off.

The little girl raised her right hand to the sprites. A soft glow emanated from her palm, engulfing the group of winged creatures. The sprites began to twist and writhe in what seemed like pain. Jorek jumped forward and pleaded with Grace, who was now in some kind of trance.

"Don't hurt them, Princess. They are under a spell," he begged.

Grace turned to him and smiled a sweet warm smile. She turned back to the squirming sprites.

"Let the spell be broken. Return to the forest, and do no harm," Grace said, sounding like an adult, not like the little second grader that she was. A poof of smoke came out of the top of the chimney on the little house with a loud popping sound.

The light from Grace's palm faded, and the sprites hovered, looking confused.

"Jorek?" The female sprite called Amira, looked at Jorek, blue eyes glistening. She flew to her brother and embraced him in mid-air.

"I'm so sorry," she cried as the two hugged.

"No apologies needed, my sister. This is our Queen, Kayla, our King, David, and our little Princess, Grace."

The sprites bowed to their new Royal family standing together as they said in unison, "Your Majesties."

"Let's go home, Mama,” Grace said, looking exhausted.

"All right, Munchkin, let's go home."

At home in Olympia, Kayla had been able to track down Harold's parents and return their son to them. He had been missing for more than two weeks. They had a play date scheduled for the following week.

Kayla had told Joy about the curse and about her being Queen of the forest. Joy had smiled and asked Kayla if she was planning to move. She told Joy that she had left Jorek and Amira in charge of the forest creatures. Last she had heard, the gnomes had even returned.

Kayla and David were cautiously optimistic that Miranda's curse had been broken. They hoped their lives would be uneventful from then on since they no longer had to worry about which fairy tale was going to try to kill them.

"Grace, how did you make that light come out of your hand?" Kayla asked, for the first time daring to bring it up.

"The little man told me that I could set the sprites free. He helped me get out of the cage and kill the bad witch. That was when he told me what I could do."

"Who was the man?" Kayla asked, thinking that she already had a good idea.

"He said he was my Uncle Jess."

Her parents exchanged an amused glance, and both hugged Grace tightly.

"Maybe we should call Uncle Mooney and tell him all about how Jess helped you."

"Okay." Grace jumped up and went to get the phone.

Kayla leaned over and kissed David. "I love you, My King," she chuckled.

"You will always be My Queen," he said and kissed her again as Grace brought the phone and sat down to call her family and tell them all about her adventure.

Also by Christine Sutton

I hope you enjoyed the story. If you did, please consider leaving a review.

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Burkheart Witch Saga In Audio will also be available summer 2015! Read by Julia Whelan

Table of Contents

- Title Page
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Chapter 1
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3
- Chapter 4
- Chapter 5
- Chapter 6
- Chapter 7
- Chapter 8
- Chapter 9
- Chapter 10
- Chapter 11
- Chapter 12
- Chapter 13
- Chapter 14
- Chapter 15
- Chapter 16
- Chapter 17
- Chapter 18
- Chapter 19
- Chapter 20
- Chapter 21
- Chapter 22
- Chapter 23
- Chapter 24
- Chapter 25
- Chapter 26
- Chapter 27
- Chapter 28
- Chapter 29
- Chapter 30
- Chapter 31
- Also by Christine Sutton