Date: 2015-02-13 00:00:00+00:00
Description: Little Grace is all grown up with a baby of her own on the way, but the fairy tale magic that follows her family is not done with them yet! A devastating loss has hit the Burkhearts, shaking the entire family to its very core. There is little time to grieve before evil witches, werewolves, vampires and a force that Grace can't even imagine try to ruin the family. Can Grace make everything right? Can the family band together and defeat the evil that threatens to destroy them? Read this third installment in the series and see if everything can be righted with just one wish.
Publisher: CreateSpace Publishing
Rights: Copyright 2015 Christine Sutton. All rights reserved.

Burkheart Witch Saga Book 3: One Wish

Christine Sutton

Devildog Press LLC

Burkheart Witch Saga Book 3: One Wish

©2015 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.

Prologue

Grace stood in the middle of her bedroom, looking into the mirror on the back of her door. It was almost time for Harry to come and pick her up for the winter dance, and she was feeling nervous. She had no idea why she was antsy; it was just a silly school dance, and she was going with her best friend, Harry. It wasn't like it was a date or anything.

Grace had just finished curling her hair, and she was struggling to apply her makeup just right. Every time she put on eye shadow, it was too dark and when she got her lipstick close to her face, it seemed to have a mind of its own, running all around her mouth. She felt like she was going to cry.

Just then, there was a knock on her door.

"Come in."

"Hey, kiddo, how are you doing?" Her mom, Kayla, said as she poked her head in the room to check on Grace's progress.

Grace turned to look at her, bursting into tears. "I can't get this right," she cried.

"Oh, honey," Kayla stifled a giggle when she saw the mess Grace had made of her face. "Do you want some help?"

Her daughter nodded her head pathetically. Kayla reached over and pulled out a few of the wet wipes Grace had been using to correct her mistakes.

"Come over here and sit with me."

"Mom, I feel funny. I can't figure out why I'm so worried about looking good when I'm just going to be with Harry."

"Well, that is because I guess this is your first real date," Kayla said, wiping the lipstick off her daughter's cheek.

"Eww, no," she squinched up her face in not-so-convincing disgust. "Harry's just my friend."

"Well, let us look at the facts here," Kayla squinched up her own face, making Grace smile. "You remember when you met Harry, right?"

The two ladies always worked out any tough problems they had by playing the Just the facts game. It always helped to keep everything straight in their brains.

"Yes. I saved him from Aunt Miranda. She was an evil witch that was planning to eat us both for dinner. We got loose and escaped her house, and then we helped the sprites that were under her magic spell."

"That is all correct. So, you and Harry became best friends after that, right?"

"We have been friends ever since we were seven, and now we're both thirteen. We go to school together and we play together after school."

"When you have good news, who do you want to tell about it first?"

"You and Dad."

"After me and Dad, silly."

"Harry."

"When they put up the fliers for this dance, who did you first think about going with?"

"Harry," Grace said shyly. She was starting to figure out where her mom was going with this whole fact-finding mission.

"And who is the first person that asked you to go?" Kayla asked, raising an eyebrow dramatically. "Wait, let me guess. Could it be… Harry?"

"Yes, Mother," Grace feigned annoyance, but she couldn't hide her smile.

"So, just the facts here, ma'am," she sat up straight, looking very serious. "You like Harry and Harry likes you. You two went through a really hard thing when you were little, and it made you friends. But you guys stayed friends because you are both super awesome, and you happen to have the coolest mom in the history of ever, right?"

"It might be because I have the dorkiest mom ever," she chuckled.

"That could be it as well, but I think we should go for the first one," she laughed, putting her arm around her daughter and kissing her cheek.

"Yeah, okay, whatever makes you happy… dork." Grace was in a state of full-on giggles now.

"You know what? You're never going to be ready for your first date if you don't actually get ready. Can I give you a few tips to getting the lipstick on your actual lips? We don't want you looking like a circus clown."

"Yes, please!"

"Okie dokie, artichokey. Let's get you all gussied up."

"Gussied up? Isn't that like ancient talk?"

"Nah, it isn't that old. I used to talk that way to the dinosaurs all the time."

"Was that around the time you invented dirt?"

"Yeah, well you're stuck with this old lady."

"I'm cool with that, I guess." She smiled.

"All right, smarty pants. Let's get you ready."

Kayla explained to Grace how to apply her makeup lightly so it brought out her eyes without hiding them behind a raccoon mask of eyeliner. She told her the best way to put her lipstick on, and showed her how to blot her lips with a piece of paper, and all the other secrets that mothers should teach their daughters.

She felt a twinge of sadness, thinking about all the things her own mother had never bothered to show her when she was Grace's age. Her mom, Carolyn, had been too busy going out to the bar and hooking up with all kinds of different men after Kayla's father left, and probably before, to teach her anything about being a woman. Apparently, at least one of those men had been a werewolf.

Kayla had always been left on her own to figure things out. She had turned to alcohol, and by the time she was fifteen, she was a full-fledged alcoholic. Once she managed to get sober, she had decided early on that there was no way she would ever do that to her daughter. She would always be there for Grace, no matter what.

Grace got up after her makeup was finished and slipped into the pink party dress she had picked out to wear. She pulled up the crystal-encrusted straps over her shoulders and turned so Kayla could zip her up. She stepped into her pink heels and turned around to face Kayla.

"How do I look?"

"Oh, Grace, you look so beautiful," Kayla said, fighting back tears.

"You aren't going to cry, are you?"

"Maybe a little."

The doorbell rang, and they heard David walking across the hall to open it. The mumbles from downstairs let the women know that Harold had arrived.

Kayla went down first, saying hello and letting him know Grace would be down any second. She waved out the door to Harry's mother, signaling that he got in okay.

The woman waved back before she drove away.

"Are you doing okay, Harry?" she asked, noticing that the boy looked a little bit green. "Do you want to sit down?"

"I'm all right." The sweat on his temples and the tremor in his knees let them know he was certainly not all right.

"David will drop the two of you off at the dance, and he'll be there to pick you up at ten, right?"

"Yes, ma'am," the teen stammered.

"No funny business, right? No smoking or drinking or running away to Vegas and gambling away the farm, you got it?" David said with mock sternness.

"Yes, sir. I mean no, sir," the boy said, looking confused and nauseous.

"David," Kayla lifted her eyebrow with a smile. "You are going to give him a heart attack."

"It's cool, Harry." David put his hand on Harry's shoulder. "How about I get you a ginger ale and we take a seat?"

"That would be great," Harry sighed, sounding much older than his thirteen years.

He stopped in his tracks when he caught sight of Grace standing on the landing, waiting to come downstairs until she steadied herself.

"Wow," Harold said in a whisper, his eyes wide.

Grace smiled, pleased with the reaction from her friend.

"You, um, you look real nice."

"Thanks. You look good, too."

"Okay kids, you know I want to get some pictures before you go." Kayla turned on her camera and the two of them groaned. "Hey, it's not every day my daughter gets to go to a dance with such a handsome guy. I need photographic evidence. Besides, your mom has texted me twice already to tell me to take pics and send them to her. If I don't, she will kick my butt, and probably yours, too. Am I right?"

"Yes, you are," Harry chuckled, feeling much more at ease.

After a few rounds of pictures, Kayla finally relented and let them go.

As David picked up his keys to head out the door, he turned to Kayla.

"You did it, right?"

"Of course I did," she whispered. "Grace has a protection amulet sewed into her dress, and Harry has one in his coat pocket. I also did a spell to keep them out of trouble. And Jorek will be at the dance watching over them from the shadows."

"That's my girl," David said then kissed her goodbye and left to get the kids off to the dance on time.

Jorek watched the princess get out of the car with Master Harry at her side. She looked very beautiful, and also quite happy. He had been tasked with watching over the young royal at her very first dance and making sure she was safe. He took his royal duties quite seriously.

King David drove away after the two teens waved at him and headed for the gymnasium door. When they stepped inside, the two were mesmerized by the decorations. Silver and blue ornaments hung from the ceiling and streamers were strewn here to there and all over. It seemed that there was glitter everywhere.

Jorek found it all to be quite garish. But, as long as the princess was happy, nothing else mattered to him. He sat back in his mossy hiding spot and watched the festivities from afar. The hours ticked by and Jorek found himself singing along with the music that thumped from inside the gym.

"♫♪ Hit me baby, one more time…♪♫"

He stopped singing when he saw Grace run out of the gymnasium, crying. He wanted to go to her, but the queen had asked him not to disturb her for any reason. He watched while she sprinted across the courtyard, Harold following after her. The young princess stumbled and lost one of her shoes, but kept running.

Harry stopped and picked up the shoe, appearing to be sad and even a little confused. He tried to see where Grace had gone. He spotted her sitting on a bench on the other side of the common area, and he rushed to her side.

"Grace what's the matter?"

"Nothing. I'm okay," the princess lied through her tears.

"You aren't okay. Tell me what happened."

"Tommy Hanson was making fun of me. He was saying that I looked ugly in my dress and that you only came to the dance with me because you felt sorry for me. He said that you only asked me because nobody else would and my mom made you." She burst into tears.

Harry knelt down in front of Grace and gently slipped the pink shoe back onto her foot. He reached up and wiped a tear from her cheek.

"Tommy Hanson is nothing but a big jerk, and he's just jealous that he isn't here with you. You are the prettiest girl at this dance, and the nicest and the funniest, and I'm proud to be here with you. I was scared that you wouldn't say yes when I asked you."

"Why wouldn't I say yes? You're my best friend," Grace said incredulously.

"You're my best friend, too, and I don't like to see you cry. So stop it, okay?"

"Okay," she replied with a sniffle.

"I want you to get up and walk back into the dance holding my hand. If Tommy Hanson has anything else to say, he can open his big mouth and say it to me."

Grace took Harry's outstretched hand and stood up, straightening her dress.

"Thanks, Harry," she smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

Jorek could almost see the young man's feet lift off the ground.

"Will you dance with me, Princess?"

"Of course I will," she replied, blushing.

As the two walked back to the gym holding hands, Grace turned to Harry.

"Maybe I can ask the wood nymphs to make flowers grow out of his ears."

Harry looked at her and laughed, "No, but you could ask them to make flowers grow out of his nose."

Grace laughed out loud, picturing Tommy Hanson standing in the middle of the gym with flowers growing out of his ears and nose, crying for his mommy.

When he saw them walk back into the dance with their heads held high, Jorek knew the two of them would be just fine. He settled back into his moss bed and went back to humming along with the music pouring out of the gymnasium doors as the two kids stepped onto the floor for their first dance.

1

Grace applied the red rose-colored lip gloss exactly the way that her mother had taught her the same night as that school dance that had cemented her love for Harry. She made sure not to go outside the lines of her lips so that she didn't look like a clown or "one of those wood nymphs." Her mother really did not like the wood nymphs.

Grace chuckled when she remembered the first time Kayla had ever met a wood nymph. She and her mother had been in the forest, overseeing their royal responsibilities, which meant resolving disputes between gnomes and sprites, mostly. The wood nymphs had decided to return to the forest after they heard the news of Aunt Miranda's death.

Wood nymphs were interesting creatures indeed. They walked through the woods, making sure the flowers grew and the moss thrived. The scantily clad fairy cousins flitted here and there, making apples grow and such. They wore short dresses, and their skin sparkled like fine glitter. Kayla had taken one look at them and groaned.

"Do they have to do it naked? Is there a reason that they have to be so slutty looking?"

Grace, being ten at the time, had replied, "They aren't naked, Mom. They're beautiful. What does slutty mean?"

Kayla had just laughed and kissed Grace on top of the head. "I hope you never find out what that word means, Munchkin."

Standing in the bathroom of her parents' home fifteen years later, wearing her mother's black dress, Grace powdered her face and ran her fingers through her long blond hair one last time. She adjusted the string of pearls that rested on her chest, just above the dress's neckline. Glancing in the mirror one last time, she burst into tears.

Her father, David, ran in as though he had been standing right outside. One of the many powers Grace had developed through her lifetime was to project her emotions onto others. Her dad had been able to feel her pain, even through his own blinding grief. He walked in and took his daughter into his arms. Grace continued to weep as she held him tight.

"Oh Daddy, I miss her so much."

"I know, Munchkin. Me, too."

The two of them stood like that for a moment, holding each other and weeping over the loss of the woman that they both loved so dearly.

At the funeral, Grace and David sat in the front pew, accompanied by Grace's fiancé, Harold. Harold held her hand, just as he had when the two had been trapped in the evil witch Miranda's cage so many years before, and just as he had so many times since then.

Behind them, the rest of their family sat silently weeping. Joy and Doc, Gus, Mooney, Violet and Daisy all suffered the loss of Kayla Burkheart as painfully as her husband and daughter.

Within the walls of the church, gnomes, sprites, fairies, and every other magical creature that dwelled the forest sat weeping, paying their respects to their beloved queen. Most of all, they considered Kayla their friend and ally. She was respected and much loved by every being in her kingdom.

Was.

Grace sat there, thinking about how unfair it was that her mother, the queen of the forest, a warrior against evil, and the most wonderful person she had ever known, had been taken down by something as ridiculous as a car accident. Grace wondered why Kayla had not used magic to protect her from the impact, but it was a moot question now.

Kayla was gone. She would not be there to see Grace get married later this year. She would not be there to help Grace pick out her dress or do her hair. She was not going to be there to hold Grace's hand when the baby she now carried was born. It broke Grace's heart to know that her baby would never know her grandmother. She felt an anger swelling inside of her that she desperately tried to stifle.

It was time for Grace to walk up to the podium and say a few words about her mother. She had taken some time the night before to write something that she had hoped would convey her love, sorrow, and the extreme pride she felt for her mom. She didn't think she could keep her composure long enough to say anything of importance, but she would try. As she stepped up to stand next to the mahogany casket that contained her mother's lifeless body, she thought that her legs were going to give out. Harold jumped up to steady her. She kissed him and motioned for him to sit down. She was only two months pregnant, but Harold was already doting on her as if she were going to give birth any second. She loved him for caring so much, but she was about two seconds away from telling him to back off. She'd obviously gotten her independence from her mother.

When she turned to face the crowd, she saw a sea of friendly faces. It gave her some solace to know how much everyone had cared for Kayla. She had been a good queen and a good friend to all, and they all took her death very hard. There was one exception.

At the back of the church, a man dressed in what appeared to be an expensive silk suit sat in a pew by himself. He stared directly at Grace with brilliant blue eyes that looked like two sparkling sapphires. A shiver traveled up her spine, and she stood there, unable to speak. She felt suddenly overwhelmed with grief. After a few moments of silence, she shook her head and returned to her seat.

As the ornately carved casket was lowered into the ground later that day, Grace and Harold concentrated on consoling David. He was in a state of complete shock. The woman he had spent more than two decades loving was now just a shell that was being covered with dirt. He was just so lost. They walked away from the gravesite and went home to get ready for guests to arrive. Joy had prepared cookies, mini bacon wraps, and other foods that Kayla had loved. They would all sit and talk about their memories of Kayla. There was definitely no shortage of good stories to go around.

Grace had prepared a protection potion that would prevent anything evil from entering the house while everyone was there. The last thing she needed was some jackass werewolf or vampire crashing the memorial, and she wanted everyone there to feel safe.

Grace sat on the couch, holding David's hand on one side and Harold's on the other. She felt safe in this house. Maybe she and Harold would move back in for a while to take care of her dad until things settled down. David would probably be grateful for the help, and she would feel better that he was not spending all of his time alone in this big house.

Watching Joy and Daisy refreshing coffee and taking empty plates to the kitchen, she was suddenly overcome by that same feeling she had felt in the church. Her legs became weak and her stomach sank. She looked over to the corner of the room and saw the same man from the church staring directly at her.

He stood there, removed from the rest of the crowd, holding a cup of coffee but not drinking. For a moment, it seemed like he and Grace were the only two people in the world. Without taking his eyes off her, the man placed his coffee cup down on the table and walked over to where Grace sat. He paid no attention to David or her fiancé, even though both men postured, ready to protect her at a moment's notice.

"Dear Grace, I am so sorry for your loss," he purred with a slight Middle Eastern accent while he reached into his pocket, retrieving a business card. "Please accept my deepest condolences."

"Thank you," she replied, not knowing what to make of this dashing young man.

His eyes were an even more brilliant blue when viewed at close range. He held the card up between his index and middle finger and offered it to her. When she reached out to take it, he placed the card in her palm, running his fingers lightly over her hand. She felt a surge of electricity pass through her arm. It was not sexual in any way; she actually found the handsome man to be unsettling at best.

"If you need anything at all, please do not hesitate to call me." With that, he turned and walked out the front door.

"Who was that?" Harold asked, slightly ruffled by the dark-haired stranger.

"I have no idea." She looked at the card in her hand.

Roland Stillson

Procurement Specialist

Obtaining That Which You Desire

(360) 555-0729

"I have no idea," Grace repeated, still not knowing what to make of the strange young man in the expensive suit.

The guests issued their condolences and filed out of the house. Harold asked if she would like him to stay, but she just wanted to be alone with her father for a while. After the last of them had left, Grace took off the black dress and put on jeans and a t-shirt. She could not spend one more minute wearing Kayla's dress. It still smelled faintly of the perfume her mother had worn for as long as Grace could remember.

Sitting down at the dining room table where she had eaten her meals at for the majority of her life, she put her hands over her face and sobbed. After the events of the day, she was just exhausted. She felt tired all the way to the center of her soul. David entered the room and sat next to her, trying to find a way to speak to her.

"You know, you look so much like her, Grace. You are so beautiful, just like she is… was." His voice trembled as he continued to speak. "And she loved you so much."

"I know, Daddy." Grace reached out and gripped his hand.

"I just don't know what I'm going to do without her." David could no longer hold back his tears. His pain spilled out as if a dam had broken. Grace felt it come over her in a wave.

The two sat at that old table and cried for what seemed like hours. Grace tried to project peace onto David, but it was no use. She did not have any to give away. When the tears lessened, the two began to think of better times.

David recounted the stories of meeting the coven of little people that would become their family, their wedding day, the day Grace was born, and memories from her happy childhood. They talked about their frequent camping trips to the Washington forests, and time spent together as a family doing even the most mundane activities like cooking dinner or playing Scrabble. Mostly, they talked about all the things they would miss about Kayla Burkheart.

The whole time they were talking, Grace could not help but think about the man with the brilliant blue eyes. Who was he and what the hell did he want from her?

2

As Grace and Harold packed up their bags to go stay with her dad, she looked at all of the things in their apartment that reminded her of Kayla. It suddenly appeared to be a shrine to her mother's life: the photos of Kayla and David on the mantle, the crystal vase her mom had given her as an engagement gift, even the reflection in the mirror in the hall… it was all just a morbid reminder of a terrible loss.

Grace bore a striking resemblance to her mother, and she had always been proud of that fact. Now, though, that too was just a sad reminder of a lost friend.

It was an almost impossible task for Grace to stop thinking about the dark-haired man she'd seen at her Mom's funeral the week before. Every time she thought of Kayla, Roland Stillson would pop into her head as though they were a package deal. Harold had told her that she should just forget him. He believed Roland was probably some sort of charlatan who was going to try to cash in on Grace's grief by preying on her emotions. At the right moment, he would try to sell her an insurance policy, or a burial plot or something. She was not so sure that was the case.

Roland was quite obviously a magical being. David and Harold could not see it, of course, but she felt it. He was definitely not a witch. She would have known that right away. He wasn't a vamp or a wolf, either. So, what in the hell could he possibly be? He was too small to be a troll, and he was too big to be a goblin.

While putting her clothes into the last suitcase, Grace decided that she was going to find out. There was no time to waste figuring out what it was this thing wanted with her.

Whatever it was, good or bad, she knew it would need to be dealt with right away.

She sat down on the bed and picked up the phone.

When she dialed the number written on the front of the card, Grace had no idea what to expect.

She definitely did not expect to get Roland on the first ring.

"Roland speaking." His smooth voice was no less intoxicating over the phone than it was in person.

"I don't know if you remember me—" She was unable to get anything else out before he cheerfully interrupted.

"Ah, Grace. I am so very thrilled that you called me. I was very much hoping that you would."

"I don't know why I called."

"Perhaps it would be better if you came to my office. I find telephones to be somewhat impersonal. We can discuss your… situation face to face."

"What exactly is my situation?" Grace was beginning to get impatient with this whole mysterious act.

"Seven twenty-nine Desidero. Will 10:00 a.m. be good for you?" he asked, ignoring her question.

"I'll be there." Grace hoped that defiance was what came through in her tone, as opposed to the fear and trepidation she actually felt.

"Excellent. I will see you at ten." Before she could answer, Roland Stillson hung up the phone.

"You ready, babe?" Harold popped in and asked, causing her to jump in surprise.

"Yeah, I'm ready."

"You okay?"

She got up off the bed and joined him in the doorway.

"I'm fine." They walked arm in arm to the car.

"Are you sure, Grace? You look distracted."

"I promise; I am perfectly fine. You worry too much." She smiled as they headed off to her childhood home.

Harold tried to make conversation with her, but she was too distracted. She couldn't stop wondering what 10:00 a.m. would bring.

Grace pulled up to the building situated at 729 Desidero. It was exactly what she had expected.

Two golden pillars sat framing the large front door. The ornately carved building looked somewhat out of place in downtown Olympia. Most of the buildings and businesses in the area looked older with brick and stone fronts with splashes of modern architecture thrown in randomly. This one was different. There were several carvings of horses, intertwined with men who had the tails of fish and things of that sort all over the facing of the office building. It was all very subtle, but enthralling and beautiful. Looking at the building as a work of art, she suddenly felt very small.

Grace stepped up to the front door and pulled the heavy wooden thing open. She stepped into a parlor that looked like it had been stolen directly from the set of Arabian Nights. There were large circular couches and ornately carved tables. The walls were covered with a deep burgundy with golden accents. Rich purple curtains hung in the windows and over the doorways.

Roland stepped out from one of those gilded curtains and reached out his hands in a welcoming gesture. He took Grace's hand in both of his with a warm smile.

"I am so pleased that you decided to meet with me. Please come to my office and we can talk in private."

"Mr. Stillson, what is this all about?" Grace asked, thoroughly confused by this man.

"Please call me Roland. I will explain everything when we get into my office. Please."

Grace stepped forward toward his office door, still feeling a bit worried. He seemed pleasant, and he had been able to enter the memorial after she had activated the protection potion. That had to mean that he was not evil. Her potions never let her down.

Roland motioned for her to take a seat in one of the chairs at his desk. The desk looked more like an altar with its rich cherrywood and filigree carving. The white silk upholstered chair she sat in probably cost more than her car. Roland took a seat behind the desk and folded his hands in front of him, conveying openness and genuine interest. He was hitting all the right cues.

"First of all, please accept my deepest sympathy for your loss. Your mother was an amazing woman."

"You knew her?"

"By reputation only, I am sorry to say. Her kindness and bravery is legendary."

Roland paused, seeming to agonize over his next statements.

"You are an empath and a telepath, correct, Grace?"

"Yes, and seriously, if you don't get to the point in the next minute, I am going to start getting impatient." Grace was normally not so blunt, but if she didn't find out what this was all about soon, she was afraid she might explode.

"Please forgive me, Grace. I do not mean to be cryptic, but I am trying to… feel you out. I believe that is the correct phrase," he chuckled. "This twenty-first century lingo sometimes eludes me."

"I hate to sound rude, Roland, but… what are you?"

Roland suddenly burst out in a booming belly laugh. Grace felt the urge to laugh along with him, but she refrained.

"I love that you are so direct! A trait no doubt inherited from your mother."

"Yes, definitely."

"So, I will no longer beat around the bush. I am a procurer, Grace. I give people what they want. I was sent here to give your mother what she wanted most in the world, but sadly, I was too late. Debts must be paid, Grace, so I am now here for you."

"Who sent you to give me what I want?" Grace suddenly felt even more uncomfortable with the whole situation.

"That is of no consequence. I seek only to give you what it is that you most desire."

"I already have everything that I desire, Mr. Stillson. I apologize for wasting your time." She stood up and moved toward the door. Harold was right. Stillson was nothing but a charlatan.

When she turned to go, Roland was suddenly standing directly in front of her. She looked back in confusion at the desk where he had been seated only a second before. He was no longer there.

"What the hell?" She turned back.

"Grace, I know this not to be true," he whispered, moving in close to her. "You are nervous about the safety of the baby that you carry. You pray that your upcoming marriage will be a love story akin to your mother's. You want to live a life without strife and interference from dark magic."

"Those are things that I hope for, true, but I will have to wait and see how those things turn out."

Roland placed a warm hand on her shoulder, and she was surprised that she made no instinctive attempt to remove it. He smelled of cinnamon and spices. His blue eyes seemed to be swirling pools of the clearest water as he continued to whisper to her.

"What about your mother, Grace? Would you not like to have her back as if nothing had happened? I can do that for you within a blink of an eye. I can bring her back to you."

She stared into his mesmerizing eyes, fighting back tears.

"We are done here." she said, once again heading to the door. This time, he made no attempt to stop her.

She felt anger welling up in her while she hurried out the door. She stopped suddenly when she heard his voice in her head. It felt as though he was trespassing in her personal space.

"Think about my offer, Grace. I am only one wish away if you need me."

She jumped into the front seat of her car and sped down the busy street, trying to get as far away from his intrusion into her head as she possibly could.

When she finally arrived back at David's house, she had somewhat managed to compose herself. Harold sat at the kitchen table with her father, the two men drinking coffee and chatting about all manner of manly things.

"Hi, Munchkin." David looked up at her. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah Dad, I'm fine. Doctor's appointment went great." She smiled back, trying to mask her nervousness and guilt at having lied to them about her outing.

"That's great, honey." David eyed her, knowing that something was not quite right.

"Do you want some lunch? We were just about to make some sandwiches." Harold got up from the table, ready to do whatever she needed. She was glad to have him there taking care of her; she needed the reassurance after her strange encounter with Roland.

"That sounds great, babe." She walked over and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. "Turkey?"

"With extra mayo and a pickle, just the way you like it," he confirmed.

Grace loved the fact that Harold knew her so well and really paid attention to details. He knew her favorite ice cream flavor was vanilla bean, and that she loved maple bacon Voodoo donuts. He knew which movies made her cry every single time she watched them, even though she had seen them a hundred times. He knew what music she loved, that she loved cats, her favorite vacation spot was the San Francisco Bay, and that she secretly had always wanted to be a ballerina but couldn't dance her way out of a wet paper bag. It gave her comfort to know that he cared so much for her.

There was one thing that he did not know.

Since she had found out that she was pregnant two months before, her powers had begun to grow.

She had long possessed the powers of empathy and telepathy, and she was great with potions and spells. When she was seriously threatened, she could pack quite a supernatural punch, and she was a master at enchanting items.

Now, though, she had become occasionally telekinetic. She could sometimes move objects using only the power of will. She also was able to conjure items from thin air.

The second power she had only discovered by accident. She had been sitting on her sofa, wishing she had a donut. Feigning dramatic desperation, she had called out to the universe.

"Spirits of the elements, my heart desires a donut more than anything. Let my desire be reality." She screamed aloud when a maple bacon donut had mystically appeared on the table in front of her.

It had exhausted her to the point where she needed medical attention. She had felt an incapacitating weakness that had immediately frightened her. Of course, she had also eaten the donut.

Harold had insisted on taking her to the hospital that night, and she had not put up much of her usual resistance. That was when they found out that a little bundle of joy was on the way.

Grace had been so excited to tell her mom what they had discovered, but she also needed to talk to her about the new powers.

Kayla had assured her that it was just a normal side effect of a supernatural pregnancy.

"Wild hormones do crazy things to a witch's powers, honey," Kayla advised her. "Just try to keep the magic use to a bare minimum. It might be bad for the baby."

The two had talked for hours about the new baby and what the nursery was going to look like. Grace was excited to tell the rest of the coven. Joy especially would be so thrilled. Kayla gave her some more pregnancy pointers and started planning shopping trips to get everything Grace would need for her new addition. When Grace left that night, Kayla was trying to decide between being called Nana or Grandma.

Two weeks later, Grace was sitting in a church pew wearing Kayla's black dress, mourning the loss of her beloved mother.

Life was not fair.

She sat down at the table and took a bite of the perfect turkey sandwich that her perfect fiancé had made for her.

Life was good, but it was not fair, she thought again as she looked at Harold and David sitting across from her eating their own sandwiches. Life might not be fair, but maybe there was something she could do about that. With a little help, life might just get a lot better.

3

"I want to know exactly what you are offering," Grace said when Roland answered his phone.

"Grace, I am so pleased that you decided to call me back."

"Just give me the details," she said curtly.

"I forgot how direct you can be. So, we shall get right to the point."

"That would be good." She felt bad for being so short with this man, who had done nothing to deserve her bad attitude so far.

"I am offering you the chance to have your mother back. The world will be as though the accident never took place. Any time that has passed will be filled with memories of shopping for the baby and having lunches in Olympia. No one will know the truth except for you, my dear."

"What will it cost me?" Grace could not help but be skeptical.

Kayla had taught her that nothing was ever just handed to you. In life, you had to work for what you want. Grace knew this to be true.

"Absolutely nothing, my dear! This is a gift to you. Gifts bear no price."

"Nothing comes without a price." Grace was quickly growing impatient again with the lack of details.

"I think that you will need to come back to my office, Grace. We can go over all of the details in person. I will explain everything to you. I give you my word that all will be clear to you. I am still more comfortable with speaking face to face and not over these wires and cables."

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes." Grace hung up the phone and grabbed her keys.

As she pulled up to the office on Desidero, the sinking feeling returned in the pit of her stomach. She ignored it and made her way past the gold pillars and into the ornate building.

Roland sat at his desk waiting patiently for Grace to arrive when she barged through the lobby and into his office.

"Thirteen minutes," he said, looking at the gold watch on his left wrist. "I am quite impressed, Grace." Roland's smile was intoxicating and immediately made her feel more at ease.

He placed his hand atop a pile of papers and turned them to Grace with a flick of his wrist.

"What is this?" she asked suspiciously.

"A standard contract. All of the details of your benefactor's offer are outlined there. Simply a formality, or rather an acknowledgment that you are receiving your greatest desire. Would you like some tea, my dear?"

"Yes, please." She began reading over the contract and realized that it might as well have been written in Aramaic for all the sense it made to her.

Roland brought a silver tray to the desk with a delicate china tea service for two. He poured the steaming tea into the floral cup and offered a smaller tray with sugar and cream.

"Two, please," she said while she continued trying to read the contract.

Roland dropped two sugar cubes into the cup and delicately stirred the hot liquid before he placed it in front of her.

"The tea is non-caffeinated, by the way," Roland said, answering the concern that had not yet made it out of her head. "That is best for your little one."

Grace lifted the cup to her lips. She was immediately comforted by the strong smell of clove and cinnamon.

"Is the tea to your liking?"

"Yes, it's actually perfect," she said, taking another sip.

Grace felt completely at ease as the hot liquid made its way to her stomach, spreading a warmth all the way to her toes.

"I still don't completely understand what this is going to cost me."

"What a suspicious thing you are." He clasped his hands together in an exaggerated gesture. "I assure you, my dear, your benefactor requires no payment from you other than your absolute promise to cherish your gift."

She continued eyeing him suspiciously, attempting to reach into his mind. She was surprised when she found nothing. Not just a clear mind, but nothing at all. It was as if she had walked into a complete whiteout, or a snowy television channel. Roland's mind was nothing but a fog.

"You'll find nothing there," he said, startling her out of her expedition into his subconscious. "It's not that I am empty-headed, mind you. I am simply immune to your powers. I am immune to almost all magic as a matter of fact."

"What are you?" she asked for the second time in as many days.

"I have told you, Grace, I am a procurer. An agent of sorts. Although, I am doing nothing more than acting as a delivery man for this transaction."

"Okay then, who is this mysterious benefactor?"

"On that fact, I am sworn to secrecy. This is a vow that I am unable and unwilling to break. Even though I am immune to most magic, there are certain rules which are beyond my control."

At that moment, Grace decided that she had grown tired of the dance and simply wanted this meeting to be over. She placed her teacup down on the desk and took the quill pen in her hand. With a deep breath, she signed her name to the last page of the contract with a flourish.

A rush of cool air wafted over her hands as she crossed the final "t". Grace looked up at Roland and instead of the alluring smile that she was expecting, she saw a look of what seemed like sadness on his face.

"What now?" Grace asked, feeling somewhat frightened.

"Our business is now concluded, Grace. Go home and all will be as it once was. You are the only one that will know anything of the events of the past month. Everyone else will be unaware that anything has changed."

The melancholy look still sat squarely on Roland's handsome face. Grace tried one more time to invade his thoughts, but it was still no use. He simply looked directly into her eyes.

"We are done here, Grace."

With that final statement, Roland Stillson disappeared in a puff of smoke. Grace looked around the room that had been filled with elegant furnishings and velvet wall coverings only moments before. It was now nothing more than an empty building filled with dust and remnants of past tenants. The desk dematerialized and the ornate chair she sat in was suddenly nothing more than a folding metal seat.

Grace unceremoniously rose from her rusting seat and walked out the door of the building, sidestepping old soda cans, empty cigarette packs and crumpled newspapers. The sign outside that read "For Lease" sat askew in the dusty front window, hanging there like a condemned criminal at the end of an executioner's rope. She hurried to her car, eager to be away from the dilapidated building and the ghosts that lay within.

Driving back to the house where her father sat alone during the day, missing his wife, she thought about the strange feeling she had encountered when trying to read Roland's mind. The expression of sorrow that overtook his face when she agreed to sign the contract weighed on her mind as well. This mystery was doing nothing but giving her a headache and a heavy heart. She continued the drive and did her best to keep her mind completely clear. She turned on the radio and listened as Aerosmith instructed her to walk this way.

The driveway of David's house appeared in front of her car as it had a million times before. She pulled in and almost forgot to put her foot on the brake as she approached the house.

There in the front garden was a woman with long blond, if slightly graying, hair. The lady was on her knees in front of the bed of pansies that had been planted in the early spring, digging in the dirt and pulling stray weeds.

Grace did manage to stop the car and stepped out, not exactly sure what to expect. She walked over to the flowerbed, and the woman turned around and flashed a bright, familiar smile.

"Hey there, Munchkin. How was your appointment?"

"Mom?" Grace stumbled over to Kayla in a daze.

Kayla quickly rose to her feet, dropping her trowel, and rushed over to where Grace stood dumbfounded.

"Honey, what is it? Are you okay?"

Grace was unable to respond. She moved her mouth as if to speak, but nothing would come out. Standing there like a zombie awaiting a head shot, she continued to work her mouth back and forth to no avail.

Kayla reached out again and put her arm around Grace's shoulder as if to steady her.

"David, Harold! Something is wrong with Grace. Come out here, quick!"

As Grace felt her mother's arm around her and smelled the familiar scent of her perfume mixed with the earthy smell of soil, she burst into tears and grabbed tightly to the recently dead woman.

"Oh Mama, is it really you?"

"Of course it's me, Munchkin. Who else would it be?"

"I just… I'm so glad to see you," Grace stammered through her sobs.

"Are you all right, sweetie?" Kayla looked her directly in the eyes and Grace could see that she was frightened and confused.

"I'm fine. Nothing is wrong, and the appointment went great. It must be hormones or something."

Grace smiled, overtaken by a feeling of pure joy. She pulled away from Kayla, reluctantly, and started toward the front door holding her mom's dirt covered hand.

David and Harold rushed out of the house and down the front steps to where the two women stood.

"Honey, are you okay? What's wrong? Is the baby okay? What's wrong?" Harold looked as though he was about to cry as well. The terror on his face mirrored the fear in David's eyes.

"She's fine. I'm so sorry I scared you; it was just hormones." Kayla smiled at the men as they both sighed in relief.

Harold still looked as if he was going to have a coronary, cry, and faint simultaneously.

"Oh, thank God," he sighed again, clutching his chest in relief.

"Let's get you into the house, Munchkin." David offered to take her other arm while Harold recovered from his near heart attack.

"Thank you, Dad. Harold, do you need some water or something?" Grace asked as her fiancé regained his composure.

Harold smiled at her and waved his hand before he bent over and placed it on his knee.

"I'm good now, thanks."

The four of them laughed, and Grace took special pleasure in hearing her mother's hearty chuckle.

"How about something to eat, Mom?" Grace said this with such pleasure that she felt as if her face might split from the smile spread across it.

"Cheeseburger?"

"Add bacon and you have got a deal."

"Coming right up!"

4

Grace stood in front of the mirror with her tight t-shirt pulled up over her growing belly. She was just over five months along and had begun to show. Most of the time now, she looked as though she were trying to smuggle half a soccer ball under her shirt.

Kayla had insisted on going to every single appointment with her, making sure that she ate right, and getting all of her vitamins together every morning. She had insisted that Grace move back into the house during her pregnancy. It was actually starting to make Grace a little bit uncomfortable, because Kayla had even begun to exclude Harold from some of these activities. It was a difficult situation, because on one hand, Grace was still so thrilled to have her mom back, but on the other hand, it was getting to be a bit of a strain between her and Harry.

Grace decided that she would have a talk with Kayla later that day. It would be hard, but Kayla would understand that she needed space. She stood admiring the little bump that meant her baby was growing healthy inside of her.

"Getting bigger every day," Kayla said, from the doorway, causing Grace to nearly jump directly out of her skin.

"Yeah, big as a house," Grace replied, suddenly embarrassed as she pulled her shirt down.

"Don't be silly. My second pregnancy, I looked like a hot air balloon."

"Second pregnancy?" Grace asked, confused.

"No, silly. I did not say second. This little one must be confusing your senses," Kayla replied, smiling and rubbing Grace's tummy.

"You said second. I'm sure of it."

"Are you saying that I'm lying?" Kayla asked her, looking hurt and angry.

"No, Mom. I just meant I could have sworn you said it. My ears just aren't working right, I guess," Grace laughed uneasily.

She knew full well what she had heard, and she was getting tired of everyone telling her that she was wrong about everything because she was pregnant. Being pregnant made her a little emotional and sometimes forgetful, but it did not make her stupid.

"I have your breakfast and your vitamins ready downstairs, Munchkin. Don't dawdle, now. It's important for you to get a good meal."

"I'll be down in just a minute."

"You will be down now," Kayla snapped at her, suddenly. "I am working very hard to take care of you, and you need to be a little more appreciative, young lady."

"Um, okay. I'll come down now then. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you," Grace said, stunned at the flip in her mom's attitude.

"That's better," Kayla snorted as she started down the hall toward the stairs.

Grace followed, not wanting to disobey, but she had a strong feeling of unease. She ran through all the possibilities in her head. Was Kayla "breaking down" after being back from the dead for three months? Was her mind going from some traumatic event during the time she was dead? She decided that the best thing to do was to wait it out and see what happened in the coming months. Maybe it was just nervousness about the pregnancy. Maybe everyone was right about her and pregnancy was screwing around with her head. She felt so confused.

She walked out of the room and smelled the biscuits fresh from the oven, and her worries suddenly seemed far away. She made her way downstairs and into the kitchen, her stomach growling like a starving tiger.

David and Harold had gone to her apartment to set up the new crib she and Kayla had picked out. Harold had really wanted to get out of the house and away from Kayla, but he would have never said that to Grace for fear of hurting her feelings. He occasionally seemed to forget that her powers allowed her to feel what he was feeling. He felt excluded and hurt, but he had loved Kayla just as much as the rest of them. She had been like a second mother to him after he was rescued from the cottage in the woods.

His family was great, but his mother and father had died shortly after his nineteenth birthday. They had been traveling to New York when their plane crashed. Harold was supposed to be with them, but he'd opted to stay in Washington to be with Grace for her birthday. The guilt that he felt had nearly killed him, and it had nearly driven Grace crazy as she felt every bit of it emanating from his mind in waves. She had tried her best to project feelings of forgiveness and peace to him, but the barrier he had set up around his heart was nearly impenetrable. She had finally broken through it when she told him that she loved him for the first time.

Grace had literally felt his heart soften, and she knew for a fact he felt the same way about her.

He was the best thing in her life, and she did not like the way that Kayla had been treating him since she came back. Even David had been having some odd feelings about his wife. He tried to mask them from Grace, but her magic was too strong for him to hide it. He was wondering why she had been short-tempered and impatient. He had even thought about the possibility of Kayla having an affair.

Grace sat down at the table ready to eat, and Kayla put a plate in front of her containing a grapefruit and a small bowl of oatmeal. Kayla sat down to a plate of fresh biscuits and gravy.

"What is this?" Grace asked.

"Your breakfast. You are getting a little too chubby, so we have to cut down on your carbs," Kayla said as she scooped up a forkful of gravy-coated biscuit. "Take your vitamins."

Grace's mouth hung open. She was in total disbelief that her mom had said something so hurtful. She decided to dig a little deeper into the situation.

"Mom, have you talked to Doc or Joy lately? I really wanted to have them over for dinner this week."

"No. We don't need to have those midgets here. I don't want them trying to fill your head with nonsense." Kayla continued to shovel her breakfast into her mouth as she talked.

In all the years Grace had been alive, Kayla had never said a derogatory thing about anyone in the coven. Doc and Joy were the closest things that Kayla had to parents, and she loved them fiercely. For her to refer to them as midgets was unthinkable. There was something very wrong, and Grace intended to find out exactly what it was.

"I'm going to go to the apartment and help with the nursery, and then Harold and I are going to go out to dinner tonight."

"I'll go with you."

"No Mom, just me and Harold."

"Well, if that is what you want," Kayla replied petulantly. "If you don't want me there, that's fine."

"We just really need some alone time," Grace said, digging into her oatmeal.

"I said it was fine," Kayla grumbled.

The two women ate in uncomfortable silence. All that Grace could think about was her desire to have biscuits and gravy—and how bizarre her mom's behavior was lately.

When the two women finished their meals, Grace rose from the table and took her dishes to the sink. She opened the dishwasher to place her plate in the rack. Noticing that it was full, she opened the cabinet under the sink to retrieve a tablet of soap, and that was when she saw it.

There was a bottle of vodka sitting in the cabinet behind the trash bags.

Grace was stunned that after so many years, her mom would start drinking again. Both her mom and dad were ex-alcoholics, and they had always sworn to her that they would never touch a drop of alcohol as long as they lived because they loved her and each other too much to ruin it by going back to that kind of life.

Grace stood up and pretended that she had not seen the half-hidden bottle. She would bring it up with her father before she attempted to confront Kayla with her new knowledge. It would certainly explain some of the odd behavior and the bad temper. It broke Grace's heart to know her mom was drinking again, but she needed to find out why.

She headed upstairs to get her purse and keys. On her way out, she saw Kayla sitting in the den on the computer. Grace walked in to tell her goodbye and Kayla immediately closed the window that she was working in.

"You shouldn't sneak up on people, Grace."

"I wasn't sneaking, Mom. I just came in to say goodbye," Grace replied, telling herself that the alcohol must be the reason she was getting such hostile vibes from Kayla's mind.

"Well, enjoy your night out," Kayla replied coldly.

Grace decided to leave it at that and walked out of the house. When she got into her car, she spotted Kayla standing in the window, peering out at her. A feeling of what could only be described as disdain filled her head as it rippled from the figure standing there with the curtain pulled back. Grace drove off before she started crying. She needed to see David and get all of this worked out, now.

Grace walked into the apartment to find the two men sitting at her table next to an empty crib box and a pile of wooden pieces and screws.

"It's coming right along." She kissed Harold.

"We did manage to get it out of the box," he replied, rubbing her growing belly.

"Dad, I need to talk to you about something important."

"What is it, honey?" her father asked, and she felt his concern.

"It's about Mom. She is acting very strange lately, and I think I might know why."

David sighed and his shoulders slumped a little.

"I know, Munchkin. I think it must be stress or something," he said with sadness in his voice.

"I saw a bottle of vodka under the sink, Dad. I think she's drinking. I asked her about inviting the coven over for dinner and she called them midgets and said that she didn't want to see them. She fed me grapefruit and told me I was getting fat." Grace rambled out the words in a flood, relieved to be able to tell someone about her worries.

"What?" he asked, shocked. "You found vodka under the sink?"

"Yeah. I know it is not yours, Dad. She is just acting so damn strange. I don't know what to do," Grace began to cry softly.

"Don't cry, sweetheart. I'll talk to her and find out what is going on. We'll get her some help if that's what we need to do. I promise we will figure this out," he said, reaching over and taking her hand in his.

She felt so lucky to have these two men in her life, but she had always been able to lean on her mom for support. Kayla had always been her best friend.

"Well, I think that the crib will have to wait, then. I am going to go home right now and talk with your mother. We need to get this situation under control before something really bad happens," David stood up and moved to get his coat.

"Do you want us to go with you?" Harold asked, always trying to help.

"I think that this is something I should do alone."

"Call me and let me know what she has to say about all of this," Grace told him.

"You know what? I'm so happy that the two of you found each other. I see so much of your mom and me in you guys. I hope that you have what Kayla and I have. It really is magical," David said and turned to go.

"Be careful, Daddy," Grace said, confused by the sudden feeling of dread.

"I'll call you later, Munchkin. I love you both." And then he was gone.

Grace turned to Harold and looked into his eyes. He brushed her hair back and kissed her.

"I'm really scared, Harry."

"Everything will be okay, Grace. You'll see."

She leaned into his arms and let him comfort her.

"I really hope so."

5

When David entered the house, he didn't proclaim his arrival with his usual exclamations. He simply walked in and headed straight for the kitchen.

When he walked in, he saw his beautiful wife sitting at the table with a tall juice glass of clear liquid in front of her. When he stepped in, Kayla cried out, almost dropping her glass.

"Shit! What is it with you people and sneaking around? What the hell are you doing here?" She looked at him angrily. "You are supposed to be putting that hideous crib together. I figured that would take you two rocket scientists all day."

David was no telepath, but he could feel the hot waves of hate coming from her. This was a side of her he had never seen in their decades together. It was ugly and frightening.

"Baby, what are you doing? Are you drinking again? Why?" He sat next to her, feeling a mix of sorrow and anger.

"Baby, what are you doing?"she said in a mocking tone. "What the fuck is up with you people? Should we listen to some Air Supply songs and braid each other's hair while we proclaim our undying love for each other? Maybe I can knit you a pair of new panties, you fucking girl."

David was so shocked at Kayla's behavior that he almost forgot about the drink in front of her. He snatched the glass up and took it to the sink. Kayla got up and ran to him, punching at clawing at his back while he poured it down the drain.

"What the hell did you do that for?" she screamed.

"We'll get you the help you need, Kayla," he said, trying to take her in his arms.

She struggled away from his grasp, punching at his chest.

"The only help I needed was in that damn glass. That was the last of it, too. You asshole," she snarled.

"It's the alcohol talking, Kayla. This is not you."

Kayla burst out in laughter, looking at David as though he had just told the funniest joke ever.

"Well, you're half right."

"I don't understand," he said, feeling helpless.

She looked at him and started laughing again. It was a loud, trashy cackle that made him cringe.

"Kayla, what the hell is happening?"

She raised her arms and began chanting as realization dawned on him.

As the blackness bled into his field of vision and he began to feel sleep taking hold, he reached out for her. She easily sidestepped his groggy grasp.

When he hit the floor, his last thought was that he would not be able to warn Grace. He sent out a mental warning with the little bit of energy that he had left, praying that his baby girl would be able to pick it up.

The world faded as she continued laughing.

6

Sitting at the table with Harold, Grace suddenly felt a tiny electric shock shoot through her head. It felt like someone was trying to buzz her, but she couldn't make out who. A second later, the phone rang.

"Grace! Oh my God! Come home now! Something is wrong with your father!"

Grace held the phone away from her ear while her mother yelled from the other end.

"What is it? What's happened?" She felt panic rising in her chest.

She must have turned white, because Harold jumped up and ran to her side. Her heart pounded in her chest like a bass drum, and she felt queasy and lightheaded.

"He's unconscious. I don't know what the hell happened," Kayla continued to shout.

"Call an ambulance, and we'll be there right away," Grace said, trying not to lose her composure.

She hung up the phone and ran to grab her coat. Harold trailed after her, keys in hand. He knew better than to stop her by asking questions. She would explain it all in the car.

They peeled out of the driveway and sped toward the house.

"Something has happened to my dad. She said he lost consciousness."

"Oh God, babe. I'm sure he'll be okay. We'll get there as fast as we can."

"I hope he is okay," she said through her tears.

Harold said nothing. He just reached out and took her hand. He always knew when to just be there.

"The weird part is I think that he might have tried to contact me."

"You mean mentally?"

"Yes. The other thing is I didn't feel any fear from my mom. I didn't feel anything, actually."

"Maybe it was because you were on the phone."

"Something is wrong here. Something is very wrong. I need to find out what is going on."

They pulled into the driveway within a few minutes, and the ambulance pulled in right behind them. Paramedics rushed in, holding big black duffle bags full of equipment, and Kayla directed them to the kitchen where David lay on the floor.

Grace and Harold watched helplessly while they checked his vital signs and asked Kayla questions about what he was doing before he passed out. Grace still felt nothing coming from the woman that seemed to be playing at the role of the frightened spouse.

A young, female EMT with a tag on her shirt that read Amanda walked up to Grace.

"Honey, you shouldn't be in here until we can figure out what's wrong. If there is some kind of infection or something airborne, we don't want to put your baby at risk."

"I just saw him an hour ago. What the hell could do this?" Grace asked her pleadingly.

Amanda looked at her with a deep frown, and Grace felt compassion emanating from her, but she still felt nothing coming from her mom.

"I don't know. We're taking him to the hospital, and the doctors will take a look at him." She placed a hand on Grace's arm. "We are going to do everything we can for him."

"I know you will. Thank you."

Amanda went back to helping her fellow paramedics, and they wheeled David's unconscious body to the ambulance.

After they left, Grace walked up to Kayla, determined to get to the bottom of the situation.

"What the hell happened here?"

"We were talking, and he just fell to the floor," Kayla said with what felt like mock concern.

"Bullshit," Grace said defiantly.

"Don't you speak to me that way, young lady," Kayla said, radiating irritation. Grace was grateful to feel any kind of emotion from the woman.

"He was coming here to talk to you about your drinking and suddenly he is being taken to the hospital? Something is going on here and I am damn sure going to find out what it is." Grace spat the words out and then turned around and left the house.

Harold followed her out.

"What the hell was that all about?" he asked when they got into the car.

"I don't know yet. I need to make a few phone calls, and I may be able to find out."

Grace took out her cell phone and began making calls. In a few minutes, she had arranged for the entire coven to meet her at the hospital. She took a business card from her pocket and called the number on the front.

"I need to talk to you about my wish," was all she said before she hung up.

They rode in silence for a few minutes before Grace turned to him and began her story.

"I did something, Harry. Something that might turn out to be terrible."

She told him the entire story of Roland Stillson and the contract, Kayla's death, her new powers of materialization, and her fears about the whole situation.

He listened to the whole narrative without saying a word. When she had finished, he pulled the car over to the side of the road and turned to her.

"Grace, if someone had given me the opportunity to have my parents back, I would have jumped at it without a second thought. You did what anyone would have done in your situation. Don't you dare beat yourself up over this. If something is wrong, we will fix it. The coven will know what to do, or we will get this Roland person and he will fix it. One way or another, this will get fixed. Do you understand me?"

Grace nodded. Harold reminded her so much of her father. He was strong and caring, but he respected her independence and knew when to stand in the background and let her handle things. This was one of those times she was grateful for his strength.

He pulled back onto the road and headed for the hospital.

When they arrived, Doc and Joy were already there. They rushed over to Grace and she bent down to hug them.

"How are you doing, sweetheart?" Joy asked her, concerned for her and the baby.

Mooney showed up minutes later with Gus, Daisy and Violet right behind him. They all said their hellos and gave hugs. They took seats in a semi-private corner of the waiting room, and Grace once again recounted the story of Roland Stillson and the changes that had taken place in Kayla over the course of the last three months.

"Did he have very blue eyes?" Doc asked her.

"Yes, unnaturally blue," Grace replied. "Like sapphires."

"Oh, no. Grace, I think that Roland Stillson is a djinn. A genie. You signed a contract, you said?"

"Yes I did," she was feeling more afraid and embarrassed that she may have been duped by the suave trickster.

"There is only one way to break a contract with a djinn. You have to find his master and kill and kill whoever it is," Mooney chimed in.

"How do I find the master?"

"You have to guess the djinn's true name first, and then who the master is. I can guarantee that his name is not really Roland," Doc warned.

"How in the hell do I do that?" Grace asked hopelessly.

"You have to trick him into telling you. Djinn are smart, too. It won't be easy," Joy said, taking Grace's hand.

"Where is Kayla now?" Doc asked.

"I don't know. She didn't come with us."

"The first thing that you need to do is contact Roland," Doc said. "We need to find out what kind of contract this was."

"I called him."

"Then he'll come. He has no choice but to come when summoned," Mooney moved closer and lowered his voice to a whisper. "Gus and I are going to go back to the house and work on a few things. Grace, you two meet us there after you make sure that David is all right."

She nodded and said her goodbyes. Doc and Joy stayed by her side. A short time later, a doctor emerged and made his way over to Grace.

"How is he, Doctor?" Harold asked.

"I don't want to frighten you, but he seems to be in some sort of coma. His vitals are stable, and he doesn't seem to be in any sort of immediate danger. We checked for pathogens. We ran an MRI to check his brain. I even tested him for heavy metal poisoning. We just can't figure out why he is unconscious," the doctor said, giving them a look of bewilderment.

Grace could feel the sorrow emanating from him. He had such a strong sense of duty and compassion that it made her heart ache.

"Dr. Monroe, please don't beat yourself up about this. You will find the cause, and my father will be fine," Grace said as she projected a feeling of peace and calm onto the frustrated doctor.

He immediately relaxed his posture and allowed a small smile to spread across his face that made the older man appear quite handsome. Grace felt better that her powers were still working properly. After the run-in with Roland, and then her mother, she had started to doubt herself.

"We will do everything we can, and I am confident that your father will be fine," Dr. Monroe assured her with his newfound sense of confidence.

After the doctor left them and went back to his duties, Grace turned to Doc.

"Roland is immune to magic. I tried to read his thoughts, but he said that it wouldn't work," Grace said, formulating an idea in her mind.

"That's correct. All djinn are immune."

"Can he spot it? Can he sense something magical?"

"I don't know. What did you have in mind?" Doc and Joy were very curious as to the plan that she had come up with.

"Nothing as of yet. I need a little time to figure a few things out. Do you think that you can distract my mom… Kayla, for a while?"

"We'll do our best," Joy said, not quite confidently.

"Okay then, we need to work fast," Grace said. She rose from her seat and grabbed her purse. "You know I love you, right?"

"Of course we do, honey." Joy took hold of her hand and squeezed. "We love you, too."

Grace walked out of the hospital with an uneasy feeling and a hope that she could get a plan together that might just work.

7

Harold pulled into the driveway and spotted the unknown car parked in front of the house.

"Who the hell is that?"

The black Cadillac parked in the driveway was out of character for the suburban neighborhood. It shone like a dark diamond and looked as though it had been waxed only seconds before they pulled in.

"It has to be him." She stepped out of the car quietly and closed her eyes.

She tried to get any sense or feeling from the house, straining to grab on to the feelings that were floating just out of her reach like specks of dust in a ray of sunlight. Finally, she was able to catch hold of one.

Revenge.

"What the hell does that mean?"

"What?" Harold whispered, not wanting to break her concentration.

"Something that I picked up."

"Oh, I have no idea."

She turned and smiled at him. He was trying to lift her spirits, and she loved him for it.

They walked up to the house, and she suddenly wondered why Roland Stillson would need a Cadillac. He should be able to just "poof" wherever he needed to go.

She entered the house and found Kayla sitting in the kitchen by herself.

"Whose car is that outside?"

"That car is mine," Kayla said, lifting a glass to her lips.

"Where did you get a Cadillac?"

"I bought it. Where else would I get it? Duh," she replied snottily, taking another drink.

"Joy and Doc need you to go to the house. They want to do a ritual to help dad recover."

"Well, I had better get my boots on, then," Kayla smiled and did not move from her seat at the table.

"You need to go. I don't care what your deal is with the attitude and the drinking, but you had better go," Grace said as forcefully as she could. "They want to talk about dad's will, too. Just in case something happens, they need to make sure that everything goes to you without a problem. You remember, Doc is the executor. "

That got Kayla's attention. She tipped her glass and finished off her drink, rose from the table, and headed for her purse.

"Where am I going, now?"

"To Doc's house." Grace was trying not to let on that she knew whatever was in her mom's body was not Kayla.

"Oh, cool. I'm pretty sure I remember where that is."

Without another word, she left the house. Grace wasted no time once she heard the Caddy start up and head out to the road.

She rushed to Kayla's computer and turned it on. Password protected. She tried every password that she could think might work, and none of them did. She turned off the monitor and sighed. The only items that sat on the desk were a pen and two Post-It notes. One of the notes read "Logan at Smokey's," and the other just had the word "money" written on it with dollar signs on either side.

Heading upstairs, Grace looked through the bedroom that Kayla and David had shared for more than two decades. All the pictures of Grace had been taken down. There were piles of clothing on the bed, and empty snack wrappers piled on top of the nightstand. It looked more like a teenaged boy's college dorm than a custom designed master bedroom.

Grace poured through the dresser drawers and fought through the candy wrappers on the nightstand, but she found nothing. Harold was searching the closet when he called out to her.

"Grace, I think I found something." Harold turned around with a large metal box clasped in his hands.

She put down the handful of Snickers wrappers and walked to the end of the bed. He sat the box down on the edge of the bed and opened the lid.

Grace tried her best not to vomit right there on the spot. Harold turned away, clamping his hand over his nose and mouth and gagging.

Inside the box was the decomposing corpse of a raven, surrounded by an apple, what looked like a piece of moldy bacon, and several stones. Grace recognized several of the stones as cat's eye mixed in with some bright red stones that appeared to be garnets or rubies.

"Where did you find the box?" She turned to Harold who looked as though he was about to pass out from the sickening smell of decomposition.

"It was tucked back behind an old trunk in the corner of the closet," he said and began to gag a little more on each word.

"Someone put this here. My mother would never have anything like this in her possession. This is black magic. Very dark stuff. Summoning demons or dark sprits."

"What the hell? Demons? Are you shitting me?" Harold asked, forgetting the stench from the box and getting more and more angry.

"You need to put this box back exactly as you found it. She can't know that we saw it." Grace began chanting, holding her arms in front of her.

Harold watched in amazement as every piece of trash that had been moved out of place swirled back into its original spot. He put the box away, and when he emerged from the closet, the room looked exactly as it had when they had first entered.

"Are you up for a road trip? We need to go to camping," she asked Harold.

"I'll go anywhere with you, you sexy witch," he replied playfully. "Seriously though, camping?"

"We just need to go see some old friends."

"Well I guess I better pack the hotdogs and marshmallows."

"We won't have time for s'mores, but I think someone there can help us," Grace said as she headed out the bedroom door.

The two hurried downstairs, Grace trying to figure out who could have placed that box in her mother's closet. Who in the world would ever want to hurt Kayla?

Then again, maybe it wasn't someone from this world.

As they headed back out toward their car, Grace couldn't shake one thought from invading her mind.

God, s'mores sound delicious right now.

8

When they arrived at the edge of the forest, Grace slipped out of her regular shoes and into her hiking boots. She always kept them with her because she never knew when she and Kayla might need to head to the forest to handle one of their many royal duties.

"What are we doing here?"

"We need to talk to Jorek. If anyone knows what's going on, it will be him," she said as Harold caught up with her and took her hand.

It wasn't long before the two of them reached Jorek's home. He had found a beautiful tree to convert into a nice one-bedroom cottage. Grace had never seen the inside, of course, but he was quite proud of it.

Grace walked up to the converted tree and knocked three times. In a flash, Jorek was opening the hidden door and rushing outside.

"Princess," he bowed.

"You know that isn't necessary, Jorek," Grace said, kneeling down and gesturing for him to stand.

"It is a sign of respect, and I will only stop if you order me to do so," he said, head still bowed.

Grace knew that even if she ordered the sprite to stop, he most likely would not, so she let it go for the hundredth time.

"We need your help, my friend."

"I have heard that there are 'problems' with the Queen. I did my best to deny them and tell everyone that there was nothing wrong, but I sense that there is something amiss," Jorek said, looking almost tearful. "Please tell me what I can do to help you."

"She is acting strangely and seems to be not herself. There are a few things that I need to tell you about that might make the situation clearer."

"Is it about that djinn that was at her funeral?"

"What? You remember that? No one was supposed to remember that but me."

"There are advantages to being a half-breed, Princess. I am mostly immune to the magic of djinn."

"What can you tell me about him? I need to learn his name and figure out how to break the contract that I signed."

"What name did he give you?"

"Roland Stillson."

"And he has very blue eyes? The closer you get the bluer they are? And he smells of clove and cinnamon?"

"Yes. Does everyone know about these things but me?" Grace asked, exasperated.

"You know about him, too, Princess. I am sure that you heard the story of how he spun straw into gold for the miller's daughter. Of course, those drunken Grimm brothers got all of the details wrong. They used to say it was 'artistic license.' Bah, writers," he waved his hand in a dismissive gesture.

"You knew the Brothers Grimm?"

"Where do you think they got most of their stories from?" He smiled and Grace detected a hint of pride. "So, back to this djinn. His name was never Rumpelstiltskin, or Roland Stillson. He is somewhere around a thousand years old. He is a Si'Lat. He is a shape-shifting djinn that can take on the form of humans or animals at will. Most Si'Lats are evil, but this one has a soft side. He was once in love with a human girl. Her name was Serena. They lived together in another dimension, a dimension where Serena did not age. They planned to be together forever, but as most things go, their plans were broken."

Grace listened intently to the rest of the story.

"The Si'Lat was summoned by a woman with great magic and, as is the rule, he had no choice but to come. The thing that summoned him was a dark witch by the name of Aliza. She too loved the Si'Lat and was very jealous that he had chosen Serena, a human, over her. When the Si'Lat came to her call, Aliza sent her familiars to capture Serena and bring her back to this dimension. Aliza trapped the Si'Lat in a talisman and forced him to watch Serena age and die within minutes.

"Aliza forced him to do her will for decades, before he broke free with the help of a good witch named Aurora. Aurora defeated and killed Aliza in battle and released the Si'Lat to return to his own dimension. Suffering still from the heartache of losing his true love, he asked Aurora to give him the talisman so that he could destroy it. Fearing that his hurt and anger might cause him to take revenge against Aliza, Aurora refused. If he had the talisman, he would be all-powerful. Aurora loved him, but she did not trust him. She kept the talisman so that he would always be bound to it and under control. He wished to remain bound to this dimension and never be forced to return to the place where he was truly happy. The place that only brought him memories of his beloved Serena. So, a deal was struck. Aurora would keep the talisman and the Si'Lat would stay here, under her control but no longer a slave."

"Oh my God, that is horrible. What happened to Aurora?" Harold asked, just as rapt as Grace in the tale.

"Aurora married another and had a daughter, who had a daughter, who had a daughter, who had a daughter, who had a daughter. The last in that line is you, Grace. Aurora was your great, great, great grandmother."

Grace looked at him, incredulously.

"I've never been able to trace our family line past Carolyn."

"That is because she destroyed any evidence of your family. She never wanted anyone to find out about any of this."

"But why would she want it to be kept secret?" Grace was so confused.

"Because the talisman still resides with your family."

"So, why is he doing this? Why is he hurting our family?"

"He is not doing anything to your family. He has free will, but only to a point. He is still bound to the talisman and must do the bidding of the one that owns it."

"So, if we find the talisman, we can free him or command him to set this right?" Grace asked, feeling hopeful that this could be resolved.

"It won't be that easy, Princess. You must still guess his name and find his master. That is the only way to break the contract. I will warn you as well, the Si'Lat is very prideful. Arrogant, some would say. Even though he is bound in servitude, he feels himself to be all powerful."

"What is the talisman?"

"It was a necklace, but it may have been changed. The stone is what holds him."

"Jorek, someone placed a box into my mother's room that contained some heavy duty black magic. Do you know who did it or what it was for?"

"It could have been anyone or anything. I can tell you that the queen still has enemies, though. As do you, Princess."

"Thank you, Jorek. You are a good friend."

"Another thing before you leave, Princess, that might be of value to you. Aurora and Aliza were sisters."

9

Grace sat in the passenger seat, staring out of the car window.

"Honey, are you okay?" Harold asked her.

"What the hell is wrong with my family? Families are supposed to have one or two assholes in the mix. I have a whole line of them."

"Your family is special."

"I don't want to be special. I want to be normal." Grace wiped a tear from her face.

"We'll figure this out."

"I wish my mom was here," she said, and began to sob.

Harold continued driving, sensing that the best thing to do was to let her cry. After a few minutes, Grace looked up with wide eyes.

"I think I've got it."

"I think I know how to get him to tell me his name."

Grace reached over and punched an address in to the GPS, and Harold adjusted his course when it showed on the map.

"Harry, I need you to stay in the car when we get there, okay? I have to do this alone."

"I don't like the sound of that, Grace."

"Please. I need you to trust me."

"Of course I do. Whatever you need," he said, still feeling uneasy.

They pulled up to the abandoned building at 729 Desidero, and Grace got out of the car. She took a moment to collect her thoughts before making her way up the steps.

While she stepped in to the broken-down lobby, it began to transform around her. The dirty floor turned into lush red pile carpet. The wallpaper was once again leafed with gold, and in the other room, the large ornate desk sat with Roland Stillson sitting behind it.

"I've been waiting for you Grace," he purred.

She took a seat in the once again finely upholstered chair.

"I know what you are, Roland. Or should I call you Rumpelstiltskin?"

Roland burst out in a hearty laugh.

"The ramblings of two drunken teen boys."

"I also know about Serena," she said, staring directly at him.

His demeanor went cold. "You know nothing of that."

"I know that a member of my family killed her. I know that my great, great, great, great aunt forced you into slavery. I also know that my great, great, great grandmother is the one that set you free."

"You have done your homework, Grace. I am impressed." He sat back and folded his hands in his lap, trying not to give away his obvious agitation.

"I am going to do more than that. I am going to summon Aurora. She will tell me where the talisman is, and I will send you back to where you came from."

Grace was doing her best to sound strong and confident. She really hoped her bluff was working.

"You do not have the power to do any of that, my dear," he said, leaning back and inspecting his manicure.

"I have the power to do a lot of things, Roland. More power than you, in fact."

"I would warn you against challenging me, Grace." H swiveled his chair and placed his elbows firmly on his desk. "I am sympathetic to your situation, and I wish that things were different, but if you dare to challenge me, you will lose. That is a promise."

"Lose to you? You are nothing but a trained monkey that has been passed from generation to generation through my family like an old toy."

"Grace, please leave." Roland was getting more and more agitated.

"You were nothing but a plaything for Aliza. Aurora kept you on a string. Did Carolyn use you as well?"

"Grace—"

"You are a step away from a parlor magician."

The walls of the office began to vibrate and Roland's blue eyes began to glow. Grace continued her assault, hoping his arrogance would override his judgment.

"A party trick. A two-bit wizard. A joke."

He could no longer hold his temper. Roland's skin gave off a soft blue glow as he stood up and placed his hands on the desk, leaning toward her menacingly.

"You say you know who I am?" he bellowed. "You know nothing. I am Am-Sher-Al, a djinn of the order Si'Lat. I have the power to destroy worlds and make kings from peasants. I am no wizard or parlor trick, and I am no ridiculous prancing imp made from gingerbread in a child's bedtime story."

He suddenly calmed and the intense blue glow left his olive skin. He adjusted the lapels of his coat and sat back down at the desk.

"Well played, Grace," he smiled at her. "Believe it or not, I am on your side. I no more wish to hurt you than you wish to hurt me. This is just a business transaction that I am conducting on behalf of someone else. It is nothing personal."

"Nothing personal? You are destroying my life."

"Not by my choice, Grace."

"Who is your master?"

"Ah, ah, ah. Fool me once, Grace," he said as he waved a well-manicured finger in the air.

"Well, at least I have your name. I'll find out who it is that's commanding you and what they want, and I will kill them."

"If you read the story, you should know what the goal is, Grace. The brothers got many of the details incorrect, but there were a few that were spot on." His eyes travelled to her growing belly.

Grace felt sick as the reality of her situation hit her square in the chest. She stood up and ran from the building without saying another word. She jumped into the car and yelled for Harold to drive.

"What is it? What happened?" Harold asked, obviously scared to death.

"Just drive."

He started the car and sped away. After a few minutes, he asked again.

"Grace, please tell me what happened in there. What did you find out?"

She turned to look at him, her eyes filled with terror.

"Someone is after our baby."

Grace and Harold drove straight to the coven. Thankfully, Kayla had already left.

They went inside and were greeted by Mooney and Gus first.

"Whoever she is, she just left," Mooney said with a long sigh.

"That most certainly is not Kayla," Gus agreed.

"We need to find out who it is, fast," Grace said, trying not to cry again. "Whoever it is, they are after our baby."

"Oh my God. Grace, sit down and tell us what you know," Mooney said, pulling a chair out for her to relax.

"You know that we won't let anybody take your baby, Grace. Fuck that," Gus told her, becoming agitated.

The rest of the coven heard Gus's raised voice and rushed into the room. Mooney motioned for them to take their seats and listen to Grace's story.

Grace sat down in the offered seat and took a deep breath. She told them everything that Jorek had told her and about the frightening encounter in Roland's office.

By the end of the story, she was unable to control her sobs. Harold was sitting next to her with his arm around her shoulder, doing his best to comfort her.

"Who do you think it is, Grace?" Doc asked.

"It can't be Carolyn. She's dead. Really dead."

Mooney turned away from the laptop that he had opened and rejoined the conversation.

"It can't be Aliza, either. When Aurora defeated her, she bound her soul. When you do that, there is no coming back. The whole history is right here on the deep web. Even though the brothers each published separately, it seems that one of the Grimm brothers liked to write stories under a pen name. Jacob Burkheart."

"Jacob Burkheart?" Grace asked, surprised.

"It gets better. The history books say that Jacob Grimm never married, but Jacob Burkheart did. He married a beautiful woman named Aurora in 1823 at the age of thirty-eight. They had a daughter."

"Are you serious? I might be a freaking Grimm?" Grace looked at him as if he had grown a second head.

"It seems like it might be more than a possibility," Mooney said.

"Well, that would certainly explain a lot," Grace said, putting her head in her hands.

"We need to find out who in the hell could be responsible for all of this mess," Doc sighed. "We just need to figure out why."

Grace felt overwhelmed by all of the new information that was being thrown at her.

"Harry, I think I need to lie down."

"Okay honey. Joy?"

Joy jumped up and took Grace's hand, leading her to one of the bedrooms in the back.

Harold got up to follow them, but Doc stopped him.

"Harold, I need to talk with you, privately."

"What is it, Doc?"

"I think that I have an idea who might have put that box in Kayla's closet, and why."

"Who would have done a thing like that?" Harold looked as though he was ready to hurt someone.

"I think it may have been David. Or you."

Harold glared at the small man with a look of complete horror and indignation.

"I certainly would not do it, and there is no way in the world that David would ever hurt Kayla," Harold was flabbergasted at the accusation.

"Not on purpose, of course," Doc continued. "Someone may have the power to control humans that are touched by magic. David would never know that he was 'possessed.'"

"Oh my God." Harold sat back down in a chair, feeling weak.

"I know what we need to do, but it will take a great deal of magic, and it will be very dangerous."

"What do you need me to do?" Harold asked, willing to do anything to help his family.

Doc looked up at him with a deep sadness in his eyes.

"I need you to die."

10

"You have got to be out of your damn mind," Grace shouted.

"Honey, listen…" Harold tried to calm her.

"Absolutely not. No way in hell."

"Grace Burkheart, sit down, be quiet, and listen to me, right now."

Grace was stung by Harry's tone. Nevertheless, she did as he instructed and sat down quietly. Harold continued.

"I'm sorry, Grace. This is the only way that we can think to resolve this. I do not want anything to happen to you or the baby, and if I have to do something that may be a little bit dangerous, then so be it. It is not like I've never been in danger before. Also, you need to remember that we are partners, and even though you have magic on your side, I am not frail or weak. I can help. We're in this together."

"You're right, Harry, but this is too dangerous," she said sheepishly.

"If it means ensuring the safety of our baby, nothing is too dangerous."

Grace turned to Doc and looked at him sternly.

"You'll be able to bring him back, right? Promise me."

"We will bring him back. With our combined magic, bringing his spirit back to his body should be no problem. We just need to make sure that his spirit is not gone for too long." Doc looked into her eyes and opened his mind so she could feel what he was feeling.

Grace softened when she looked in and saw that Doc was confident he could bring Harry back.

"What do we need to do?"

"You do not need to do anything. I want you far away when we do this. I can't have you exposed to this kind of magic while you are pregnant. That risk is too great," Doc replied, making sure that Grace knew he was inflexible.

"Harold, I need you to prepare. Your spirit will vacate your body during this spell. You need to fight the urge to move on with every fiber of your being. The pull will be strong and it will be difficult, but you have to stay with us. Do you understand me?"

"Yes," Harold replied with obvious trepidation.

"Good. I'll leave you two alone for a minute, but we need to begin soon."

With that, Doc and the others left the room. Grace and Harold sat down in each other's arms and waited.

"You had better come back to me."

"I will, honey."

"You swear to me that when they call for you, you will fight to come back. You think of our baby and me, and no matter how hard it is, you fight to come back."

"I'll be back. I would fight through Hell itself to get back to you," he said, looking her directly in her eyes.

When the coven returned, Grace rose from her seat.

"Are you ready?" Doc asked.

"As I'll ever be," Harry said, and also stood.

"Let's begin."

Harold kissed the woman he loved and wiped away the tears rolling down her cheeks before Joy led her out of the room.

"Will it hurt?"

"No, Harry, it won't hurt," Joy replied with a warm smile. "Just lie down and relax."

Harold stretched out on the couch and folded his arms over his stomach. He tried his best to remain calm.

Well, as calm as I can be, knowing that my spirit is about to be removed from my body so someone else can occupy it, he thought.

Doc and the others formed a circle around the couch, holding hands. They began their chant in a whisper that gradually gained volume until they were almost shouting. Harold felt a vibration begin in the pit of his stomach and radiate through his limbs until his entire body was humming. He thought he might go crazy from the strange feelings flowing through him. He was just about to cry out, unable to stand it anymore. Then there was nothing.

Kayla opened her eyes, feeling very strange. Her body felt foreign, too large and bulky. She looked down and saw why. She raised her hands, surprised to see hairy knuckles and freckled skin.

"What the hell?"

Everything was foggy and unclear. She felt as though she had been hit by a truck.

That thought brought a flash of memory back to her.

She was driving. As she looked ahead through the glare of oncoming lights, Kayla felt a sharp tug on the steering wheel. She tried to control it, but it was no use. The wheel tugged hard to the left and Kayla's SUV swerved into the other lane. She let go of the wheel and raised her hands. A bright light emanated from her palms and the vehicle righted itself, only to tug even harder to the left. Kayla tried with all of her might to help herself, but it was no use. She raised her hands to shield her eyes from the oncoming headlights as the truck bore down on the driver's side of her vehicle.

The memory of the accident sent her body into a spin. Kayla jumped up from the couch she was lying on and tried to catch her breath. Her chest felt hot and tight as she wheezed and fought for air. She heard voices around her calling her name. Everything was foggy and sharp at the same time. The small hands that gripped hers felt foreign and hurtful. She cried out in a voice that was not her own.

"Mom?"

A familiar voice called out from behind her.

"Grace?"

The world came spinning back to her as she felt her daughter's arms encircle her.

"Mom, I've missed you so much," Grace said through a curtain of tears.

"Grace, what the hell is going on?"

"Sit down, and we'll explain it all."

Kayla sat down shakily on the sofa and looked down again at the foreign body she now inhabited. She felt big and bulky and not right.

"Who am I inside of?"

"Harry."

"Where is he? Oh God, he isn't dead is he?"

"No. Just on standby," Doc interjected.

"How long have I been gone?"

"Four months. Too long," Grace said, taking a seat beside her.

"You look so radiant, Munchkin," Kayla said as she rubbed Grace's growing belly.

"Mom, we don't have much time."

"Of course, honey," Kayla said. She shook her head, clearing the final bits of fog. "Let's get to work. You must have brought me back for a reason."

Grace and the rest of the family explained everything that had happened up to that point. They told her about what Jorek had said and about Roland Stillson. They told her what Grace had done. Finally, they told her about what had happened to David.

"Well," Kayla said calmly. "The first thing we have to do is figure out who put that box in my room. The second thing we need to do is find out who in the hell is in my old body. The final thing we need to do is kill whomever it is that is hurting my family. Right now, I would like to go see my husband. But, if it's all the same to you, I would rather not drive."

11

The whole family walked through the hall toward David's hospital room. Grace thought about how they must look and smiled to herself. Six little people, one tall redhead, and one big pregnant lady all strutting down the hall with a purpose. She envisioned them as a silly looking Justice League of misfits.

When Kayla saw David lying in bed unmoving, she burst into tears and rushed to his side. She heard her words coming out with Harry's tenor.

"Oh babe, what did they do to you?" She took his hand into hers and leaned in to kiss his cheek. His skin felt cold and plastic. "I'm so sorry I left you alone."

Grace turned around and pulled the curtains closed. They had paid extra for a private room so no one would disturb him. The dwarves gathered around the bed and joined hands with Grace and Kayla. They all closed their eyes and focused their attention on David. Above the bed, a swirl of light formed. In the depths of the light, a picture appeared.

David stood in his bedroom looking at a box that sat on his dresser. He carefully opened it and reached a hand in, grasping its contents. As his hand emerged, they could see that he held a lifeless black bird between his fingers. As he placed the dead bird in the larger box, his lips moved rapidly and his eyes rolled back into his head. After a minute of this, he picked up the larger box and took it to the closet like a zombie shuffling to its next meal. When he emerged from the closet, he seemed to be back to his regular self, sitting down on the corner of the bed and putting on his shoes as he whistled to himself.

Grace gasped as she realized that this was the day that Kayla had died. The swirl of light faded away and the coven dropped their hands.

"Did you get any information from that? I mean, we know he was possessed and he put the black magic box in your closet, but did it tell you who was responsible?"

Kayla looked at Grace with a sadness in her borrowed eyes.

"He was wearing a ring when he went into the closet and he wasn't wearing it when he came out. It was the same ring that was in some old painting that Carolyn had hanging in our hallway."

"Do you think it's the amulet?" Joy asked.

"It has to be. But how did he get it?" Kayla sat down in the chair next to the hospital bed and put Harold's head in her hands. "This is all my fault."

"No, it is not. You can't think like that," Mooney chimed in.

"If it wasn't for me, none of this would have happened."

"This is a story that began long before you were ever a thought, My Queen."

The group looked around and saw Jorek standing in the doorway, holding his hat and hanging his head.

"Jorek, you can tell it's my mom?" Grace asked.

"Again, Princess, half-breed."

The sprite walked into the room and stood next to Kayla. "I have many abilities that most of my two kinds do not have."

"So, tell us, Jorek. What is this all about?" Kayla asked her old friend.

"The only thing that I can tell you for now, Your Highness, is that Carolyn is, in fact, not dead."

"Where is she now?" Kayla asked Jorek as they settled back into the couch at Doc's home.

"She is on a spending spree at the moment. After she purchased the new car, she went and bought a completely new wardrobe and some jewelry. I'm not sure where she is right now. I fear that all of your money will be gone within the week."

"Money is secondary to the safety of my family."

"Of course, My Queen."

"What we need to do first is find out how in the hell Carolyn is back," Gus chimed in.

"It has to be tied to the dark magic box in the closet," Kayla replied.

Violet entered the room and took a seat next to her husband, Gus. She opened a notepad that sat on her lap.

"What did you find, Vi?" Gus asked, placing on hand on her back.

"Well, it seems that Carolyn would not have had the power to come back on her own. She had to have help."

"But, who would help that bi…," Gus stopped short when Violet turned and gave him the look. "Sorry, honey."

"Keep it classy, babe," she looked at him and smiled before continuing, "It was the box, Kayla. I looked up the elements, and the spell in there was to weaken your powers so you could not defend yourself, and to steal your magic."

"So, when I tried to use magic to stop the accident, I was actually giving this thing more power?"

"It seems so."

"Well, that sucks."

"That it does. But, we should be able to get her to talk. That is, if we can find and catch her," Mooney interjected.

"I think I know some things that can tell us where she is," Kayla said. "We'll need to take a little trip."

"Let's go then," Grace stood up and grabbed her keys.

"No way, Munchkin. You are not going anywhere," Kayla ordered.

"The hell I'm not," she replied defiantly.

"Don't you take that tone with me, young lady. Where we are going is no place for a pregnant witch to be. Especially not one that is carrying my grandchild."

"I'm not a child, and I can handle myself."

"I know you can," Kayla said as she took her hand. "I am so proud of you, honey. I just don't want you near the people we have to go see, and I definitely do not want you around my mother."

"But she won't hurt me. I can help."

"Grace, the answer is no, and it is final."

The younger Burkheart witch crossed her arms over her stomach and gave the best pouty look that she could muster, even though she knew it wouldn't do any good. When Kayla made up her mind, she was unmovable.

Kayla kissed her petulant daughter on the forehead and headed out the door with Doc, Gus, and Mooney.

They all piled into Doc's car, Kayla in the passenger seat.

"Where are we going?" Doc turned to ask.

"Smokey's on Fourteenth Street. If I know my mother, she has been there buying rounds for everyone."

Doc started the car and headed to the seedy side of downtown Olympia.

"What do we do when we get there?"

"I've got a plan. We need to stop and talk with someone there, but we have to wait until sundown."

"Are you trying to say we are going to talk to a vamp?" Gus asked with disbelief.

"He's the only one that can help us now. Besides, he owes me a favor. He just doesn't know it yet."

As the group pulled into the parking lot behind Smokey's, they saw a man step out of the shadows. He was tall and gaunt and looked as though he had not eaten in weeks. He lit a cigarette, raising his rail thin arms to shield the flame from the light breeze. He looked around shiftily, as though expecting someone to attack him at any moment.

The scrawny man almost jumped out of his skin when the tall redheaded man stepped out of the car and spoke to him.

"Hey there, Logan."

"Jesus Christ, dude," he said as he held a palm to his chest and sucked in air. "You scared the piss out of me. Do I know you?"

"Maybe not in this body, but you definitely know my mother, Carolyn."

"Whoa, hey man… whoever you are, I don't want any trouble. I don't run with that crowd anymore." He took a step back and put his hands up.

"What crowd is that?"

"Those psycho vamps and wolves that followed after your ma like slobbering idiots. I saw the light and I just stick to myself now. I even helped that goody two shoes Kayla chick out with some stuff she needed. I'm reformed."

Kayla raised her hand up and took hold of Logan's throat. She liked having the extra physical strength of Harry's body. As she squeezed, Logan's fangs involuntarily slipped out from his gums and he rushed to try to retract them.

"Hey, that hurts," he wheezed.

Kayla raised her other hand and looked back as a small ball of fire formed in her palm.

"I get it, I get it, you're big and tough. Put out the fire and I'll tell you whatever you want. Just stop with the manhandling."

Kayla let the squirming vampire go and extinguished the fireball in her hand. He rubbed his neck and smoothed his shirt.

"So, talk. What did you help Kayla with?"

"About six months or so ago, I helped her find a ring she needed. I had to dig up a body to get it for her. Lemme tell you, that was not cool at all. Even though that chick has been dead a long time, she still didn't smell so hot. After that attack thing at her house, I thought I owed her something, ya know?"

"Did you see her? Kayla, I mean."

"No, she called me… telepathically or some crazy crap. I tried to ignore her for days, but I swear I almost went batshit crazy what with her babbling in my damn head twenty-four hours a day. A vampire has to sleep, ya know." Logan gave her a look that told her he fancied himself a victim in all of this.

"So, you dug up a grave and took a ring from a corpse?"

"I would have done almost anything to get that bitch to shut up."

"I need you to show me where you dug it up. Take us there."

"It's about an hour from here. Are you sure you wanna go there? It is deep in the woods. I mean dee-eep in the woods."

"I think we can handle it. Get in the car."

"I don't just get into cars with anyone. You gotta tell me who the hell you are, at least." He tried to look defiant, but instead came off looking sheepish and weak.

"You will get in the car and you will take us to the exact spot where you dug up that ring. If you don't, I will not kill you, but I will definitely make you wish you were dead. You'll be begging me to stake you, do you get me?"

"Okay, okay. You drive a hard bargain. No need to get all crazy on me, I was just trying to establish some trust here."

"Don't we need to go inside?" Doc asked her as Logan got into the car.

"That can wait. I think we may be able to do more good at the gravesite."

"What do you know, Kayla?"

"It seems like very little at the moment. I just have a feeling."

"Well, your feelings have rarely steered you wrong. Let's go into the woods."

Kayla and Doc got back in the car and turned to look in the backseat. Logan was sandwiched in between Gus and Mooney, who were giving him their best intimidating looks. He started the car and drove off toward the woods.

"So, you guys are witches, huh?" Logan asked.

The two did not reply.

"Cool, cool. I'm a vampire. Not by choice, ya know. I was turned like 50 years ago. It was hard at first, but…"

"What are we, girlfriends?" Gus interrupted.

"Wow. I was just trying to make conversation. It's called being polite. Man, I thought witches were supposed to be nice. I guess that's some fairy tale crap," Logan mumbled, sounding wounded.

"So sorry if I offended your delicate sensibilities."

"Geez, you guys are touchy."

"You wanna see touchy…"

"Gus," Mooney admonished.

"Okay, okay," Gus settled back into his seat, crossing his arms.

The group drove in silence until they were out of town, trees and night sky being all they could see. After another fifteen minutes of driving, Logan indicated that they should pull over into a small inlet off the road.

As Logan emerged from the car, Kayla stepped out and once again grabbed the vamp by the throat. He struggled to free himself from her grip, but it was no use.

"What the hell are you doing?" He gasped.

"Where is she?"

"Where is who?"

"Carolyn. I know you know where she is."

"I don't deal with that crazy bitch anymore. Isn't she dead, anyway?"

Kayla dropped the struggling vamp and turned back to Doc.

"She's close. I can feel her. It feels like death."

"Well, let's find her then. I suggest you lead the way, vampire."

"I told you, I don't know where she is!"

Mooney stepped forward and raised his hand.

"Enough of this crap. Tell us now or you'll be sorry, bloodsucker."

"What are you gonna do to me, midget?" Logan snarled.

Mooney gripped his hand into a fist and Logan clutched his throat.

"First of all, do not call me a midget. Secondly, I will crush your skull like an over-ripe melon unless you start spilling the beans, you pasty, bloodsucking piece of shit."

Logan gripped his skull as the pressure began to build. He screamed out, and when he looked up at the group, his eyes had begun to leak blood and his fangs protruded from between his lips.

"Stop it, stop it! I'll talk!"

Mooney lowered his hand and Logan released a heavy sigh.

"Talk."

"Holy shit. You pack a good punch for a midg… I mean a little person." He rose to his feet, slowly shaking off the pain.

"So, where is she?" Gus asked.

"It's gonna be a hike. I told you it was dee-eep in the woods."

"Then you had better start walking," Kayla said as she pushed Logan to move forward.

"All right, all right. Geez, you guys are all super touchy. Maybe try decaf or do some yoga."

"Shut up and walk."

12

Grace sat on the sofa, fidgeting like a criminal awaiting the first day of trial.

"What are they doing? What the hell is taking so long?"

"I'm sure they are fine, honey," Daisy said as she wiped her nose and patted Grace's knee.

"This is all my fault, Daisy. If I had never made that wish, none of this would be happening."

"You know that is not true, Grace," Joy interjected as she sat down by her side.

Jorek walked over to the window and squinted his eyes, trying to see something in the distance.

"What is it, Jorek?"

"Princess, I fear something is coming. We need to prepare ourselves."

"What's coming?"

"I do not know, but I can tell you that it is not good. We must fortify to fight against anything that may approach. Are you strong enough, Princess?"

"Yes. I can do whatever we need to do."

Joy rose to her feet. "Let's get to the kitchen and start mixing up some potions, then."

Grace stood up next to her and felt a wave of dizziness that threatened to send her reeling. As she felt herself stumbling, she reached her hand out to stabilize herself on anything nearby. Out of nowhere, a small table materialized just in time for her to grab hold of the edge. The witches watched in wonder as the table disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.

"Whoa, how did you do that?" Violet asked with wide eyes.

"I'm not sure. It just happened."

"Can you control it?"

"Yes… mostly."

"Well, that should come in handy later," Violet said, following the others to the kitchen.

The women, along with Jorek, set about mixing potions in the kitchen. It looked like a scene from anyone's Thanksgiving celebration. All of them were tootling about, grabbing pots, pans and wooden spoons. The only difference was, instead of measuring sage and cinnamon, the witches were using ingredients like toadstool and mandrake. Jorek took a jar of wolfsbane and added a pinch to his bubbling pot.

Violet stood back with her trusty notebook in hand.

"All right, we have a protection potion, a warding amulet, and a stunning liquid. Can you think of anything else we may need?" she asked the rest of the group.

"I think that if we need anything more than these, along with our own magic, we have bigger problems to deal with," Joy replied.

"Right," Vi agreed. "We have the stakes sharpened and the silver knives ready."

She made a check mark in her notebook after every item she read off.

"I think we are ready, then," Daisy said, sounding a little shaky in her resolve.

"As we will ever be," Grace replied, scared to death.

13

Roland swirled the eighteen-year-old single malt scotch in the crystal glass and watched the amber liquid splash over the clear cubes of ice. He swallowed the remainder in one large gulp, but when he brought the glass down to the desk, it was filled again. One more advantage to being a djinn, he thought to himself, never ending scotch.

"Also, ice cubes that do not melt," he chuckled aloud and took another swig from the glass.

He rose from his velvet chair and walked to the mahogany bar. He had no need to do so, but going through the motions felt good to him. It gave him some feeling of normalcy. The array of crystal decanters filled with various colors of liquor reflected the light in the form of small prisms of color. It really was a beautiful sight. He ran his fingers over the cold stone and sighed to himself. There was so much beauty in this world that could not be tarnished by any form of ugliness.

"What do you want?" he asked the woman that now stood behind him.

He did not need to turn around to know who it was. He could feel her spirit in his soul. It was black and rancid like rotting meat that churned in his belly.

"I want you to obey," she whispered. "I am your mistress."

"You are that." His defeated tone sounded foreign to his own ears. He took a large swig of his scotch and reached for the decanter to pour himself a full glass.

"Right now, the witch is vulnerable. I could take her over and have the baby to myself. This could be finished tonight."

"You know that is beyond my power. Souls must be given freely or the vessel must be empty. You know this, so why do insist on wishing for things you cannot have? If it were that easy, there would be no need for this ridiculous charade."

"Oh, my sweet Am-Sher-Al, you forget the pain," the woman said as her smoky visage took corporeal form. She placed a hand on the djinn's shoulder, slowly running her fingers down his bare back. As the ring she wore touched his flesh, he flinched away. An imprint of the ring's stone burned into his shoulder blade as she held it in place. "You forget how much pain you have endured."

"Stop this, please," he begged. "You do not have to do this. It is not right."

"Right means nothing to me anymore. Right only means pain and death. I once cared about right and look where it got me. Look where it got the both of us."

"That is not how it has to be. We could leave this place, and I will be forever in your service. I believe that Grace is kind and good, much as you were once. Leave her be, and we can be together forever."

"She is nothing more than a spoiled child that cares nothing for her lineage and even less for you. She would kill you as easily as she pours tea. You behave as though you love her."

"I love no one. Any ability to love was extinguished a long time ago. I am cold inside, as you are."

She reached out again and pulled him around to face her. She raised her hand back to strike him, and he took hold of her wrist, looking into her green eyes.

"Please do not do this, Mistress. I live only to serve you."

Roland stroked her cheek with his other hand and leaned into her. Their lips met and she allowed herself to relax in his strong arms. As they parted, she sighed and placed her palms flat on his chest.

"It will be done. The witch will die and that baby will be mine."

Roland's eyes shimmered a brighter blue as his mistress gave him a cold, steely stare.

"Your wish is my command," he replied with a profound heartache.

The ring of the phone startled them, even though they both knew who was calling. Roland pulled away to answer it.

"Grace, how can I serve you?"

He listened intently for a moment and then answered in a hushed tone.

"I will be there shortly."

As he turned back to face his mistress, all he saw was a slight shimmer where she had once stood. She was gone for now, and he was alone with his own guilt and sadness. He took another drink of his scotch and placed the empty glass on the bar. He turned to go and smoothed the black suit jacket that he now wore. He was off to betray the small bit of soul he had left.

14

Logan led the way through the woods, and the rest of the group followed. He dipped under low-hanging branches and took long strides over flat lands.

"How much further?" Kayla asked the vampire.

"Almost there. I know it's coming up here real soon."

"It had better be."

"You know, I am really shocked at you people. I never really talked to witches like you before, but I always heard you were goody two shoes tree hugger types. I never woulda guessed that you had such crappy attitudes."

"Yeah well, my give-a-damn got broken a while ago. Also, I've never been too fond of bloodsuckers."

"That is a derogatory term that I take serious offense to," he said indignantly. "Racist."

"I'll just have to live with myself somehow."

"You are gonna be so surprised," the vampire snorted as a smile spread across his pale face.

"Surprised at what?"

"Them." He raised his arms and pointed up to the top of a small hill ahead of them.

On top of the hill, silhouetted by the rising moon stood two large figures. One stood on two legs with his arms outstretched between two pine trees, the other was crouched down on all fours with its back arched unnaturally low. The standing figure raised its head as a blood-curdling howl issued from its snout.

"Oh great, flea bags, too," Doc said as he took a defensive stance.

Logan turned toward the group and smiled a wide, toothy grin. As the group looked on, he began to change. His fangs lengthened as he fell to his knees. Long wiry hair sprouted from his shoulders where his shirt had ripped open.

"Holy shit," Gus whispered.

The vampire-wolf hybrid stood up, puffing his chest out as his transformation continued.

Kayla pulled the wooden stake from her back pocket and held it in front of her, pointed toward the monster.

The thing laughed as its eyes turned a bright yellow. Kayla took her hand off the stake and watched it float in mid-air. With her palms up, she pushed the weapon forward with her mind. It flew through the air with immense force and buried itself in Logan's chest. He looked down at the piece of wood and grinned again. Within seconds, his smile turned to a grimace of pain as smoke began billowing out of the wound. He began to shrink back to his vampire form as he let out an ungodly half scream, half howl. His transformed hands grasped the stake as he looked up at Kayla.

"How?"

"Silver-tipped stake, asshole. A girl can't ever be too prepared."

Logan's look of confusion faded as he fell to the ground and disintegrated into a pile of ash. The two wolves on the hill howled again before they charged toward the group standing over what used to be Logan. They moved with lightning speed, their claws digging into the layer of pine needles and moist earth. Kayla, Doc, Mooney, and Gus joined hands, raising them to form a makeshift circle. Light grew in the center and enveloped them, forming a barrier that the first wolf crashed into. He let out a yelp and fell onto his back in the dirt. The second wolf stopped short and began circling the group like a hungry shark in the open sea. As the first stood up and shook off his tumble, he joined the circling.

Kayla chanted to herself as the light grew in size and intensity, forcing the wolves back.

"Boys!" a familiar voice called out from the dark of the woods. "You're going to singe your fur. Come here to me."

The two wolves immediately bowed their heads and moved away from the circle of light. From the shadows, the group watched as Kayla's body, inhabited by Carolyn, stepped forward. She was dressed in a black pantsuit that was tailored to fit her perfectly.

"Well, well Kayla, aren't you a sight? I have to say that ginger man suit does not fit you at all." She threw her head back and cackled. "Now this body, I must say, is a nice change. I guess clean living was the way to go, apparently. You have definitely been eating your Wheaties."

"You are disgusting," Kayla snarled.

Carolyn stepped forward and put her hand up inches away from the protective shield.

"This is quite impressive, too. I have to say that I have been thoroughly enjoying using this body of yours. You've done well keeping yourself in shape. After spending a few nights with that husband of yours, I can see why." She smiled lasciviously as she ran her hands down her borrowed body, lingering over Kayla's breasts and firm stomach. "I always thought he was a little bit of a wuss, but wow, he is a wildcat in the sack."

Kayla tried hard to hold her temper while her mother continued her taunts.

"Then there is all that money! You and that husband are quite the crafty little chipmunks, aren't you? Investing and saving for a rainy day. Well, I am definitely enjoying the rain. It's funny, I walked into the bank and they all tripped over their tongues to give me whatever I wanted. My new Cadillac is pretty awesome, fully loaded, of course, and all of these new clothes…" She twirled in a circle, displaying her attire. "I threw out all of the mom jeans and tee shirts that you were stockpiling, by the way."

"Go to Hell," Kayla said through gritted teeth.

"Been there, done that," Carolyn snorted.

Kayla looked over at Mooney and asked him non-verbally if he was ready. He nodded and closed his eyes, building a singular power inside of himself. As the others stepped back, widening their circle, he stepped to the center. His arms raised above his head as a golden glow shot from his palms. Once there were two full streams flowing from his hands, the group broke apart and formed a line facing Carolyn and her wolves. Kayla jumped forward, picking the silver-tipped stake up from the ground. When the first wolf pounced, she raised the stake and fell back as the wolf overtook her. Its jaw snapped inches from her face. She held fast to its throat with one hand while she used the other hand to drive the stake through the monster's throat into its brain. The now human eyes rolled back into his head, and the full weight of the animal collapsed on top of her. She pushed forward and felt the flesh shifting and transforming back into human form. The naked body turned over onto its back and stared blankly into the night sky. Kayla pulled the stake from its skull with a loud popping sound and turned to locate the second wolf.

To her right, she saw Doc flat on his back with the wolf towering over him, ready to bite. Gus stood behind the animal with his arms wrapped around its neck, holding it back.

"Gus," Kayla yelled out then tossed the stake through the air.

He let go of the wolf long enough to catch the stake and thrust it down with all his force. The wolf howled as the stake buried into its shoulder blades. It jumped up and writhed around on all fours, transforming. When it became more human than wolf, it stood up and reached back to try and get hold of the burning weapon. A throaty growling, mewling sound came from the fully formed man. His hands found purchase and pulled the piece of wood from his back. He brought it forward and looked at it for a moment before he weakly charged toward Gus. The dwarf stepped to the side just before the man fell face first to the ground at his feet, unmoving.

Kayla breathed a sigh of short-lived relief before she felt hands grasping her shoulders from behind. With surprising force, Carolyn pulled her to the ground and jumped on top off her.

Kayla grabbed her by the throat, forcing her backward. Kayla took advantage of Carolyn's disorientation and got to her feet. Her mother wasted no time in charging her with her head down, meaning to drop her back to the ground. Kayla braced herself for the impact and took the full force of the charge to her midsection. As the air was forced from her lungs, she held fast to her standing position and reached down to grab Carolyn around the waist. She picked her up and flipped her upside down, surprising the witch with her strength. Carolyn's legs flailed in the air for a moment before Kayla threw her body forward. She landed in a heap on the pine needle-covered ground. She tried to stand and get her footing, but she slipped on the bed of needles and went down to her knees. Kayla stepped forward in a rage, wanting nothing more than to choke the life out of her mother. She stopped short when the beam of golden light shot past her and hit Carolyn in the center of her chest.

"What the hell?" she cried out, falling flat on her back. "You ruined my blouse!"

Kayla stepped toward her, but stopped again when Mooney called out to her.

"Don't touch her. I've got this."

He raised his arms again, holding the beam of light on Carolyn's chest. Her body raised up from the ground and floated a foot above the pine needle carpet.

"What are you doing? Stop it," she yelled out in surprise.

"Necromancy. I have been practicing. Technically, you are dead."

He moved back, and her body moved with him through the air. Kayla and Doc stepped up and used a piece of rope to bind her hands while Mooney chanted a spell to bind her powers, at least temporarily.

"You won't get away with this. I will kill you all," Carolyn spat.

"You've already failed a few times at that, so give it your best shot." Doc smiled at her.

"Let's get her back. This magic won't last forever."

With Mooney's magical help, they loaded Carolyn into the trunk of the car. She continued shouting curses and threats at them.

"I'll get rid of you forever, and your stupid daughter, too."

With that, Kayla balled her hand into a fist and swung. Carolyn collapsed into the trunk when the large, meaty hand connected with her jaw. Her head lolled to the side as she lost consciousness.

"Shut your mouth, bitch."

With that, they started the car and made the drive back into the city.

15

"Do I have any more wishes?" Grace asked the djinn when he arrived at the house.

"No, you do not. Is that the only reason you summoned me?" He seemed to be impatient.

"Of course not. I need to ask you some questions."

"You may ask, but I cannot guarantee I will be able to answer."

"Are you my grandfather?"

Roland laughed his booming laugh again. "No, I am not."

"Who is your master?"

"Nice try, my dear."

"I had to ask."

Daisy and Violet sat down on the sofa, and Grace gestured for Roland to take a seat. Instead of sitting on the small seat that he was presented with, Roland waved his arm and two plush thrones appeared. He motioned for Grace to sit in the chair closest to her. She felt the cool, soft fabric against her skin as she sat. When she was settled, Roland unbuttoned his suit coat and took his own seat.

"So Grace, shall we begin our dance? You will ask me more questions that I am unable to answer, and I will politely deflect."

"I think you might be able to answer a few of my questions, at least. Did you love Aurora?"

"So it seems you know much of my story then." He smiled, but Grace thought he might look a little worried. "I did in a way. She was kind to me in a manner that I was unaccustomed to."

"Did she love you as well?"

"I believe she did, but at the time, I was not able to reciprocate that same type of love she had for me, unfortunately."

"Aliza kept you in her service for decades. What did she force you to do?"

"She used me to defeat her enemies and to crush anyone that she perceived as a foe. She also wanted to use my magic to gather riches and power."

"How did Aurora defeat her?"

"I cannot give you this information, Grace."

Roland shifted in his seat, visibly uncomfortable.

"Am I making you nervous, Roland?"

"Of course not, my dear. I am simply not used to such surroundings." He gestured to the room and wrinkled his nose. "No offense intended."

Daisy and Violet looked at the djinn as though they smelled something foul.

"None taken," Violet said as she cracked a sarcastic smile.

"Are we done here, Grace?"

Before Grace had a chance to answer, the front door opened. Mooney walked in, followed by Gus and Doc. Kayla entered after them holding her own unconscious body in her borrowed arms. She brought the body in and laid it on the sofa across from Roland.

"What is the meaning of this?" He stood up and took a step forward.

"You tell me. This is your handiwork, isn't it?" Grace asked, slowly rising from her seat.

"Who is this?" he asked again.

"Are you trying to tell us that you don't know?"

"I know the body, and I know that your mother's spirit inhabits this man, but who is that?" He pointed to the woman on the sofa.

"That is my grandmother, Carolyn. That is who I assume is your master."

Roland suddenly burst out in rich laughter.

"No, my dear. This thing does not have the power to command me. This woman is nothing more than a petulant child that hungers for power and revenge. Her magic is strong, but not nearly strong enough."

Carolyn moaned and stirred, tugging at the restraints on her wrists. As she began to regain consciousness, her eyes opened slowly and she looked around the room.

"Shit. I'm back at the 'It's a small world' ride," she croaked as she struggled to sit up. She worked her jaw, obviously feeling the remnants of the right hook she took in the woods. "I think you cracked my face, Gigantor."

"You're lucky I didn't put a stake in your heart," Kayla replied with a hint of satisfaction.

"And who is this tall drink of water?" Carolyn asked, looking Roland up and down. "Did you trade up from Strawberry Shortcake here while he was otherwise occupied, Grace? Nice choice. A dark and mysterious hunk of desert lover."

She continued undressing Roland with her eyes and licked her lips lasciviously.

"Shut your filthy mouth," Grace snarled, trying not to charge the women on the couch.

"Are you saying that you don't know this man?" Mooney asked.

"Short stuff, if I knew this man he would look a whole lot happier." She winked at Roland. "And he wouldn't be standing here fully clothed."

"You're disgusting," Grace hissed.

"Yeah well, I'm also thirsty. Does the Lollipop Guild have anything to drink in this joint?"

"There is nothing here for you, witch," Daisy snarled.

"Oh, that is where you are mistaken, Tiny."

Carolyn threw her head back and began chanting out loud.

"Vino la mine copiii mei . Eliberează-mă și omoare răpitorii mei. Am comanda."

"Shut her up," Kayla called out.

"It's too late," Grace said as she heard the first howls coming from outside.

"Princess, they are here," Jorek announced while he entered the living room.

"You! I knew we should have killed you years ago, you filthy half-breed," Carolyn shouted, struggling against her bonds to reach the sprite.

"Neither you nor your sister had the power to kill me, witch," Jorek said smugly.

"Get these cuffs off and we'll see about that, you mutt." Carolyn grew more and more agitated as she shouted at him.

"Calm down," Kayla shouted. "Do I have to knock you out again?"

Carolyn calmed, but only slightly.

"This is all gonna be over soon, anyway. All of you are going to die tonight. Too bad you have to go, hot stuff." She eyed Roland.

"Petulant and vulgar," he replied, curling his lip in disgust.

"Your loss, Abdul." She shrugged and turned to Grace. "You and that little pup of yours are going to be ripped to shreds. All of your little friends are going to be hors d’oeuvres before the big meal."

"Not as long as I'm here." Kayla moved to Grace's side protectively.

"Don't worry, Giant. You won't be here for long."

Carolyn cackled as the howls drew closer.

16

The wolves came together in front of the home where their mistress was being held captive. Her commands rang in their ears like a dinner bell.

"Vino la mine copiii mei . Eliberează- mă și omoare răpitorii mei. Am comanda. Come to me my children. Free me and kill my captors. I command it."

They were compelled by magic and loyalty to comply. In addition, the promise that they would all be able to have a witch of their own to eat was too good to pass up.

Behind the three wolves, three vampires stood baring their fangs, ready to fight. They had lost Logan, as well as two members of their pack already, and they did not intend to lose any more.

Once, an entire pack of wolves and a large nest of vampires had stood loyal to Carolyn, but now this small group was all that remained. The others had either been killed or had moved on, denying the mistress after her first death.

Carolyn had gathered them upon her return and had promised them great things once she was able to kill the queen and her daughter. She had told them they would receive riches and magic if they helped her to get her enemies out of the way. They had happily complied. It was a bonus that they would get to kill the coven that had held them all down for so long.

Joshua, the alpha wolf, raised his head and let out a long, loud howl. The other two joined in. The vampires hissed and walked forward toward the house. They could see members of the coven standing at the window, looking out at them.

The wolves howled, and the vampires shouted threats and obscenities as they charged forward. The group of monsters stopped just short of the front door, each of them snarling and drooling in anticipation, but unable to move any closer.

"Let us in, you bitches," a small blond vampire shouted at the door.

"I'm going to pull out your heart and show it to you," a larger male vamp joined in.

The wolves snarled and howled, sniffing the ground to find a way into the house. One wolf caught a scent on the far side of the porch and ran to it. He began digging furiously, throwing dirt in wet clumps behind him.

The other two wolves joined in, clawing at the moist ground, creating a hole at least two feet in diameter. When the crater was deep enough to accommodate the largest wolf's body, he dove in nose first. As he writhed through the hole, the smell of burning fur permeated the night air. He let loose a series of whimpers and mewls with every shock the magical field delivered. As soon as he reached the other side of the shield and dug the rest of the way out, the magical force field sparked in a bright blue arc before it fizzled out completely. The rest of the wolves and vampires walked straight up the front steps to the door.

"Little pigs, little pigs, let us come in," the blond vampire said in a sweet voice while she lightly knocked. A small chuckle escaped her lips.

"Go away," a voice said from inside the house.

"As soon as you let our mistress go," she purred. "Oh, and right after you all die."

"You first."

"What the hell are you—"

Before the vampire was able to finish her question, the wooden stake shot through the door and into her heart with a loud crunching sound.

The scream that came from her set the wolves howling again. The other vampires cried out in anger as their youngest sister turned to a cloud of gray ashes and fell to the ground in front of them.

They heard a voice from the other side of the door as they moved in, trampling over the dust in front of the door.

"One down."

17

Kayla pulled the stake out of the wooden door and turned, resting her back against the wall.

"You bitch," Carolyn screamed in fury and scrambled to her feet. "I'll rip your face off!"

"Sit down," Roland said calmly.

"Who the hell do you think you are, Habib? You can't tell me what to do."

Roland took a step forward, his eyes blazing. Carolyn took a step back, still attempting to look defiant but failing.

"I said sit down," he repeated quietly.

This time, she did as she was told. She sat down on the couch, seething.

"What can we do? It's only a matter of time before they bust through that door," Grace asked, obviously scared and on the verge of crying. "We made a stunning potion, but it only works for a few seconds at most."

"The first thing you need to do is to calm down, Munchkin. You are projecting pretty hard. Even I'm feeling it," Kayla said as she put a hand around Grace's shoulder, attempting to comfort her daughter.

"Sorry," Grace said, taking deep breaths to try to calm herself.

They all slowly turned back to the sofa when they heard the maniacal yet quiet laughter. Carolyn sat there with her hands still bound, chuckling to herself wildly.

"You are all going to die. You are all going to die and then I'll get the power. I'll be able to come back for good, and I will be her mother."

"Who is her?" Kayla asked, stepping toward her mother.

Before Carolyn could answer, there was a loud bang against the front door. That was followed by another, and then another as the monsters took turns trying to knock the door down. Their howls and taunts only grew louder.

"Come out, little pigs. We are going to eat you alive. We'll take that baby and eat it for an appetizer. I'll use its bones to pick my teeth."

The door made a cracking sound as it started to give way. Kayla and the coven members took a defensive stance in anticipation of their entrance. Roland placed a hand on Grace's shoulder, attempting to lead her away from the coming scuffle.

"No. I have to help," she yelled, pulling herself free of his grasp.

"What can you do, Grace? If they need a telepath, or a potion, they will call you. You musn't put yourself or your baby in danger," he pleaded.

"Is that you being concerned, or are you speaking for your master? Do you even give a shit about me, or is it just that you want to deliver my baby to whatever monster owns you?" She hissed, hoping that whatever feelings he might have were at least slightly wounded.

He simply looked her in the eyes, was although her words had obviously stung. Grace watched as a blue glow emanated from his body. It was the same glow she had seen in his office when he was so angry with her. She took a step back, fearing the worst. After a moment, the glow subsided and Roland took a seat, seemingly exhausted.

Grace had no idea what to make of the events, but she had to worry about helping her family, not Roland.

Another sharp crack from the door put them all on edge again. Kayla stepped forward and pushed the bookshelf from the hall to the front of the door, hoping it would at least delay the inevitable. She didn't trust her magic completely in this body, and using it could cause problems for Harry when he got back to himself. She wanted to be as careful with her current vessel as possible.

The shelf rattled as the lock on the door gave way. Kayla stood with her family and waited for the rush of teeth and fur to come at them full force. What she heard was a car horn honking in the distance. Everyone in the room shared her bewilderment, except for Roland. He sat in his chair with what looked like a slight smile on his lips.

As the car engine revved forward, the pounding at the ruined door slowed.

"What the hell?" Kayla heard one of the vampires cry out.

That cry was followed by a pained yelp from one of the wolves. The other monsters snarled while they moved away from the front door and toward the unseen attacker. Mooney ran to the window to try to see what was happening outside. A smile spread across his face as he turned back.

"You guys have got to see this."

18

The wolves tried not to be distracted by the car horn honking in the distance. It was increasingly difficult as the car got closer and closer.

They were almost through the front door, and soon they would be feasting on witches. This distraction was nothing more than an annoyance, until the first shot rang out.

The vampire Michael turned, looking stunned before he disappeared into a cloud of dust. The alpha wolf yelped as a silver bullet tore through his hind leg, leaving a ragged flap of fur before he fell to the ground in a melting puddle of flesh. The other two wolves and the one remaining vampire turned toward the source of the shots and leapt off the porch.

The man in the red SUV took aim again and shot a hole through the smaller wolf's face, sending her tumbling. The vampire, Aiden, took off running to his right as the last wolf charged.

Just like a vamp, the last wolf, Estella, thought to herself as she leapt onto the vehicle's hood.

Before her jaw could find purchase on the man's arm, she felt the blade of the silver knife cut through her lower jaw and bury itself in her skull. The pain shot through her body like a bolt of lightning. She felt her body rapidly transforming to her human form, and the pain was excruciating. Her tendons pulled and stretched and her bones snapped and cracked before she felt the silver of the blade melting what was left of her brain. She fell in a heap of molten skin and fur oozing down the hood of the car.

"Daddy?" Grace called out as she stepped through the splintered front door, avoiding the piles of ash and goo.

"Munchkin, it's me," David replied with a wave.

"Daddy, look out!" she screamed as the last vampire lunged from behind him.

David ducked down to avoid a bite, and the vamp's jaw connected with the steel frame of the car door. David heard the crack of teeth and bone while the thing stepped back, holding his mouth.

"Son of a bitch," he cursed, turning back to look at his prey.

David stood weaponless in front of the vampire that had forgotten the pain of his broken fangs and now wanted only blood.

"I will eat you alive, you piece of shit," he taunted, walking in a slow circle.

Grace watched in terror, fearing that her father wouldn't be able to fend him off. She closed her eyes and let her mind focus. When she opened them, the stake was floating in the air directly in front of her. She raised her hand and pushed with her mind. The stake flew through the air with the force of a bullet and landed in the final vamp's heart just as he leapt at David's face. Instead of teeth and claws, David was hit with a cloud of ash.

He turned and spat out the remnants of Aiden onto the ground. Grace ran out and threw her arms around him.

"Dad, how did you get here?"

"I got a message from a man. He told me that you needed help, and I felt your fear. So, I left that hospital and rushed here. How did you do that… with the stake?"

"I think it's all this little one," she said, rubbing her stomach.

"Well, thank you very much, little one," he said, looking down. His mood turned suddenly serious, and he looked at her sadly. "Grace, your mom, she—"

"I know Dad. That isn't Mom, it's Carolyn."

"Well, that explains a lot." His relief slowly turned to disgust. "Oh my god, I—"

"Dad," Grace said as she put a hand up and shook her head. "She had all of us fooled, and Mom is not upset about it at all."

"Doesn't make me feel less queasy."

"Well, just wait until you hear the rest of the story." She took his hand and led him into the house.

As he walked through the door, Harold rushed forward and threw his arms around David's neck, kissing his cheek.

"Um, I'm glad to see you, too Harry."

"Dad, that isn't Harry. That is Mom."

"I'm really confused," David said as he took a seat in the nearest chair.

"I'll explain it all to you." Grace took a seat opposite him. "Wait, where is Roland?"

"He left, Princess, and he took your grandmother with him," Jorek gestured to Kayla's body that now sat slumped on the couch, her hands still bound.

"Crap. Well, Jorek, do you know how we can get all of this straightened out?"

"Give me a few moments, Princess, and everything should be right as rain."

"That will give me time to explain."

Grace turned to David, who looked like he was developing a migraine from all the confusion, and began the story one last time.

19

"What the hell are you doing?" Carolyn tried to call out, but it was no use.

She was no longer inhabiting her daughter's body; she was now trapped in some kind of container.

"Uh, uh. You are done causing trouble, little witch." Roland waved a finger at her.

In a fit of rage, Carolyn tried her hardest to break free from her glass cage.

Roland turned to her, his eyes a blazing turquoise.

"I bind your spirit for eternity. You shall do no more harm from now until the end of days."

She felt the power drain from her spirit as he repeated his chant, tying a black ribbon around the bottle that was to be her eternal home. As he placed the jar atop a high shelf next to the other containers, he felt as though he was no longer alone.

"How may I serve you?" he asked with no real conviction.

"Am-Sher-Al, what have you done?"

"I have simply eliminated a threat, Mistress."

"So now you see fit to take matters into your own hands?"

"I simply did what I thought best for you."

"Or, did you do what you thought best for the young witch? Tell me Am-Sher-Al, have you gone soft? Do you have feelings for her?"

"I feel only the need to serve you," he said, turning toward the voice.

It was difficult for him to hide his feelings at the best of times. Djinn were not known for their ability to lie.

"I find this all very disconcerting, my love," his mistress spoke in a purr as she took on physical form. "I want what is mine, nothing more, nothing less. Is that really too much to ask?"

"Of course not, Mistress."

"Well, I see I will have to get my due another way, then." She reached up and pulled the jar with the black ribbon from the shelf. She turned the jar over in her hands, eyeing the contents. "I have to admit, I never liked dealing with this vile creature. All swearing and drinking like a sailor. She never struck me as very trustworthy, to be honest." She tossed the jar from hand to hand before replacing it on the shelf. "Serves her right, being bound for eternity."

"What is your plan now, Mistress?"

"I think I'll keep that to myself for now, my sweet. I am not exactly sure who I can trust."

"As you wish," Roland bowed his head. When he looked up, his mistress was gone.

20

Jorek stood in the middle of the circle of witches, with Harold and Kayla's slack bodies in front of him.

He raised the oil-filled bowl and anointed the foreheads of the two people. The sprite stood before them with his eyes closed, chanting low and slowly. A pink glow came from his hands as he raised them in front of his face.

Within seconds, Kayla's body heaved with a deep gasp as though she were in great pain. Her chest protruded and her eyes bulged from their sockets, and she let out a blood-curdling scream. Grace tried to run toward her mother, but David held her back.

"He warned us about this, Grace. You can't touch them until it's done."

"But Daddy, she's in pain," she said, struggling to free herself from his gasp, tears running down her cheeks.

"She's tough, Munchkin. She'll be fine," he said, close to tears himself.

Grace relaxed, seeing the reason in what her father was telling her. It did not stop the flow of tears while she watched the sprite work his magic.

Kayla relaxed, slumping over in her seat, and her breathing slowed. She looked like she was in a peaceful sleep. Jorek's hands glowed brighter as he turned his attention to Harold. Nothing happened. Jorek doubled his concentration and thrust his hands forward, sending an arc of pink light into Harold's unmoving chest. Still nothing.

Grace turned and buried her head in David's chest, sobbing.

"Come on, Harold," Doc begged, squeezing Joy's hand.

The rest of the coven looked on, their hearts in their throats. Harold's body sat lifeless in the chair as Jorek pushed the light into his chest with even more force. Small beads of sweat formed at the sprite's temples, and his face began to change. His features broadened, his skin stretching over expanding bones. The half-breed cried out in anguish as his small form shifted and transformed. His tiny legs expanded to the height of a human man and his arms extended with crunching and pulling of bones and tendons. His torso widened and his chest expanded with enough force to rip the small tunic he wore. His gnome hat fell from his head as golden blond hair grew from his once bald head into a flowing mane. His face contorted in a grimace of pain, yet he never wavered in his pursuit to breathe life back into Grace's soon-to-be husband. His eyes blazed a shimmering green that was as brilliant as the grass-covered hills of the forest. He fell to his full-sized knees, holding the stream of pink light fast to Harry's chest. After what seemed like forever, his hands dropped to his sides and the shining pink light dissipated.

"Forgive me, My Princess," he cried out in sorrow. "I cannot bring him back. He has been away for too long."

"Oh Harry," she cried, rushing to him and collapsing at his side.

She wrapped her arms around the body of her true love and held him close. Her tears streamed freely as she rocked him back and forth.

"Please don't leave me, Harry. You promised. I need you. Please don't leave us alone," she sobbed, kissing his lips, even though she had all but lost hope that he would return to her.

"My Princess, I have failed you." Jorek stood at her side and hung his head in despair.

"No Jorek, you did your best. You cannot be blamed for this," Mooney said as he approached the grieving princess.

The rest of the coven approached and tried their best to comfort Grace, but she was inconsolable.

"Wait," David said from behind them. "That Roland guy is the one that brought me out of my coma. Can't he help with this, too? I mean, he is a genie, right?"

"He is bound by the stone and cannot betray his master," Jorek replied sheepishly. "If this is the will of his master, he must abide."

"The stone?"

"The stone worn by his master. We believe it is currently in the form of a ring."

"Is it a blue stone? About as big as a small apricot? It kind of glows sometimes?"

"Yes, that is the stone I speak of. How do you know this, My King?"

"Because I saw it. Months ago, a ring like that was on the dresser in my bedroom. I thought it was something that Kayla had bought, so I was goofing around and I tried it on."

"That would have been around the time Mom died," Grace said, pulling away from Harry and wiping her eyes.

"Honey, you need to rest," David stepped to her side to help her get to her feet.

"No, Dad," she said with conviction. "What I need to do now is find the son of a bitch that is responsible for all of this."

"We," he corrected her.

"Yes, we." She took hold of his outstretched hand and tried to stand on legs weakened by her grief.

As she rose, her legs gave way when a sharp pain shot through her abdomen.

"Oh god, not right now," she cried out as another pain washed through her and she felt wetness flow down her inner thighs. "It's too early."

"Honey, your water just broke," Joy said. She pulled a blanket from the sofa and handed it to Grace. "It is right now. We need to get you to the hospital. The baby is coming."

Grace burst into tears again as she looked back at Harold and Kayla sitting motionless in their seats.

"I can't do this without them, Dad."

"Yes you can, and you will."

"Do not worry Princess, I will watch over them. Go and give birth to a strong new heir to the throne," Jorek said, stepping in to guard her family.

"Jorek…" she reached out to take his hand and saw the tears flowing from his dark green eyes. "What happened to you?"

"I can explain this countenance to you later, Princess. Right now, you must focus on your new life.

Another contraction hit her, and she leaned on David for support.

"Let's get you in the car, Munchkin."

She allowed David and the others to help her into the car. While they headed toward Seattle Mercy Hospital, Grace rested her head against the window and wept. She feared for the safety of her baby and for the new life she would have without Harold in it.

It was a mix of bittersweet emotion, interrupted only by the contractions that were coming closer and closer together.

"Joy, can you time the contractions?" David asked.

"Yes, they are five minutes apart right now."

"We need to hurry. If she is anything like Kayla, this little one will make its way out pretty soon. Did you ever find out if this is a little prince or a princess?"

"Harry wanted it to be a surprise," Grace replied just as another contraction hit with the approximate force of a professional boxer.

"Well, it is a surprise for sure."

"Three minutes," Joy called out.

David pressed the gas pedal a little harder, adding more speed. He didn't want to go too fast, but they would need to get there soon. His grandchild was not going to be born on the side of the road.

"Holy cow!" Grace yelled out as the next contraction hit even harder than the last. "Dad?"

"Yes?"

"Step on it!"

21

Jorek stood above the two bodies, one inhabited by the spirit of his queen, the other an empty vessel that should have contained the soon-to-be prince of the forest. He had great love and respect for both of them; neither had ever made him feel like the half-breed that he was. They had treated him as a trusted advisor and a true friend.

Now the princess was going to have to live her life without her prince and true love.

This was not acceptable to the newly transformed sprite. The amount of magic he had used to break free of his gnome/sprite prison had been enormous. While it was true that he had been born a half-breed, this was not the true form of his enormous spirit.

Now that he was free to be seen in his true form, he was more able to truly help the princess with her plight. He mused at how the old ones would react to seeing him in his fairy form, now that their spell was broken. He had been forced to live many lifetimes as an outcast with little power, but now he would take his revenge and put things right once and for all.

He leaned in and placed his hands on Harold's shoulders, steadying himself above the heroic man who was far too young to die. His lips approached the Prince's lips, and the fairy Jorek exhaled a thin stream of pink light into Harold's mouth. He pulled away and watched the end of the light search through the air, trying to seek out the Prince's soul to tether itself to and lead it to its rightful home. This was the last option that Jorek could try to bring the Prince back. If he failed again, he would not be able to face the princess. His shame would be too great.

He watched while the thread shot from Harold's mouth, through the ceiling and into the ether, hopefully finding purchase. Jorek closed his eyes and projected as much magic as he could still muster to assist the tether, but he feared Harold might be lost forever.

Suddenly, he felt the string tighten and make a distinct plunking sound that reminded him of the harp his fairy mother had once played in his original lifetime, thousands of years before.

As quickly as the tether had left him, it shot back through the roof and into Harold's body, disappearing as though it had never been there at all.

Harold gasped loudly and shot up from the chair next to Kayla. Jorek looked over and saw that the queen still sat there, deep in sleep.

"Harold, My Prince? Are you there?" Jorek placed a hand on his arm, trying to steady him.

"What is happening? Where is Grace? Who are you?"

"I was finally able to bring you back, thank the spirits." Jorek beamed. "Grace is on her way to the hospital to have your baby."

"I have to get to her." He turned in a circle, bewildered and not sure where to begin. "Who are you?"

Jorek steadied Harry and focused his attention. He spoke slowly and directly, making sure that Harry was fully conscious and alert. Harry shook his head as if shaking off the last bit of sleep after a restless night.

"I am Jorek, My Prince. I have been transformed by magic. I will explain all of this later. Right now, we need to get you to the princess."

"Yes, you do. Right away."

"We have to wake up the queen first."

Jorek turned and knelt down to wake the queen so they could make their way to the hospital.

The group pulled up to the hospital, and Mooney jumped out of the car before it had even come to a full stop.

"We need a wheelchair; she's in labor," he told the first person that looked remotely like a nurse before he ran back out to the car.

The nurse grabbed a wheelchair from the lobby and followed the running dwarf outside. Grace was trying to heave herself out of the car with the help of Doc, Joy, and Gus, while Daisy and Violet opened the trunk and took out the bag that they had ready for this occasion. David stepped to the nurse's side and gave her all the details.

"Her water broke twenty minutes ago, and her contractions are less than three minutes apart. Her Doctor is Smithson."

"All right, sir. We will get her in and set up. I'll call Doctor Smithson. He's already here, but he is in surgery right now. Are you her father?"

"Yes. Please take care of my daughter," he pleaded.

"We'll do our best for her, sir," the red-haired nurse said with a reassuring smile.

With that, the nurse rushed into the hospital, pushing Grace toward the maternity ward.

The family stood there, feeling relief that she was in the hands of the doctors now. They made their way to the waiting room and settled in, anxious to hear news of the birth.

"She'll be fine, David," Doc reassured him. "Our Grace is very strong."

"I know, Doc. I just can't help but worry. Harry should be in there with her."

Doc patted David's hand and sat in silence.

After what seemed like forever, another nurse came to the waiting room and approached David.

"Mr. Burkheart?"

"Yes, that's me. Is my daughter okay?"

"Yes, sir. Grace is fine. We had a little bit of a scare due to the baby being impatient and coming a little bit early, but they both pulled through with no problems. You have a beautiful little granddaughter."

"Oh, thank God," he said, trying not to faint with pure relief. "Can we see her?"

"Only one at a time. She needs to rest, and the doctor wants to avoid any undue excitement."

"Can I go first, Dad?"

They all turned to see the source of the voice. Harold stood in the doorway of the waiting room, looking exhausted.

"Harry? But, how? We thought you were…" David trailed off.

"No, it just took me a while to get back home." He smiled.

"You're the father of the baby?" the nurse asked.

"Yes, I am."

"Then you definitely get to go first." She motioned for him to follow her.

He followed without acknowledging the rest of the group.

After getting suited up in his paper gown and face mask, Harry stepped through the doorway of Grace's room. It looked like she was sleeping, so he walked over and took hold of her hand.

Grace turned her head and she saw him standing above her.

"Harry?"

"Yes, honey," he said, squeezing her hand tightly.

Just touching his hand made her feel as though her heart was going to stop beating. She could not bring herself to believe that he was actually there and standing right next to her again.

"I thought you were dead," she said, bursting into tears.

"I could never leave you, Grace. I made a promise." Harry looked into her eyes, his red hair framing his handsome, pale face. The baby had his freckles.

"We have a baby girl."

Grace motioned with her free hand to the large, clear baby bed that sat on the other side of her. Inside, a girl with just a hint of red hair and pretty green eyes lay sleeping, swaddled in a soft pink blanket. Her tiny hands and feet were hidden from view. All that could be seen was her little upturned nose and constantly moving miniature lips.

Harry released Grace’s hand and walked around the bed. He reached down and carefully picked up the little one. He unwrapped her from the blanket and took stock of all of her parts. He kissed the bottoms of her little feet, counting her toes. As she waved her hands in the air, he placed his finger in hers. Ten tiny fingers gripped his. He looked over to Grace and smiled, tears in his eyes.

"She is so beautiful."

Grace opened her mind to feel what Harry was feeling. She wanted to let his happiness reaffirm that he was really there with her and not just a cruel dream. His happiness at the sight of his healthy newborn daughter would push aside the nagging feeling inside of her that this was all wrong somehow.

When she reached into his mind, she expected to be overcome with pure joy. What she found instead, was absolutely nothing.

Not static. No white noise. Just nothing.

She brought her hand down slowly and reached over to press the call button.

"I wouldn't do that," Harry said in a singsong voice while he continued to coo over the baby.

"Who are you?" Grace asked the thing inhabiting her fiancé.

"I'm going to be your husband-to-be for now. Then, after I kill you, I am going to take over your body and raise this little one. And, when the time is right, I am going to take over this little girl. Then, I will have all of the Burkheart magic, and I will get to live on forever and ever. Isn't that right, sweet little baby?"

"You are nothing but a monster," Grace said, feeling helpless and alone.

"Oh, I am so much more than that."

Grace needed to find a way to get her baby away from whoever this thing was. Anger and fear welled up inside her while she watched it playing with her child as though it felt something for her.

"Where is my mother?"

"Oh, I disposed of that bitch before I left the house. I also got rid of that ridiculous fairy," Harry cooed at the child. "Yes I did. Fairies are stupid. Stupid, stupid fairies. Yes they are."

"You don't have the power to kill my mother."

"Really?" Harry looked up at her incredulously. "Because I did kill her. Twice."

Grace closed her eyes and lay back in her bed. Her body ached from the strain of giving birth only an hour before. She still felt the effects of the pain medication the doctor had given her, although it was beginning to wear off. She was just so tired. She called out to her father, trying to send a message so he could come in and help her.

Dad, I need you right now. Help me.

"You can call all you want, but no one will be able to help you."

Harry set the baby down gently in the hospital crib, folding the pink blanket over her. After he was satisfied that the baby was bundled, he pulled one of the hospital pillows out from Grace's side. She winced from the pain of her body settling. He raised the pillow up and brought it down hard against her face. She flailed her arms, trying to scratch and claw her way to fresh air. As he pushed harder and harder, her chest burned with the need for oxygen. In the darkness of her vision, small pinpoints of light swirled and her head swam. She was about to lose consciousness when she heard a thump and felt the pressure on the pillow give.

She slapped the pillow away from her face and took a deep, gasping breath. It felt as though she was breathing in fire, but it also felt glorious to have the rush of oxygen filling her lungs again. She turned and saw her father standing in the doorway, holding his forehead.

"He got away," David said sorrowfully.

She turned to look the other way and was filled with terror.

"The baby. She's gone."

22

Jorek woke, his head pounding and a sharp pain shooting through his shoulder. The fireplace poker protruding from his chest was the obvious culprit. He tried to remember exactly what had happened before the world went black.

The queen!

He rose from the floor and grasped the iron poker in both hands. The flesh of his palms sizzled as he tried to pull the rod free. It was no use. The poker was lodged firmly.

Without warning, a flash of light illuminated the entire room. Jorek felt something push him from behind, and he watched the poker shoot from his chest and embed itself in the far wall.

He turned and saw the queen lying on the floor with blood pooling around her. Her hand was outstretched and she was breathing, although it was very shallow.

Jorek had already begun to heal. Now that he had broken the curse that had been upon him for more than five hundred years and he was fully fairy again, he healed very quickly. He rushed to the queen and gently turned her over.

"My Queen, what have they done?"

Kayla tried to speak but she only managed to wince in pain.

"I failed you, My Queen. My job was to protect you, and I failed."

She slowly raised a hand to his cheek and shook her head. She even managed a small smile before her head lolled to one side. Her last act had been to save him.

"No!" Jorek shouted and brought her limp body to his chest.

As tears streamed from his eyes and rolled down his cheeks, he rocked Kayla back and forth in his arms. He pulled away and looked at the small knife that was stuck in her chest. He pulled the blade from her chest and leaned forward, allowing a single tear to fall from his eye and land squarely into the wound.

A soft pink glow surrounded the ragged flesh.

"Please," he murmured, not sure if his fairy magic would still work. He had not healed anyone for so many years, and it was not always a guarantee that it would work.

Within minutes, Kayla's wound had closed and the pink glow was emanating from deep within her chest, where it was hard at work healing her internal injuries. Or so Jorek hoped.

He continued rocking Kayla, waiting for the magic to finish its work. His own healing had slowed due to the power he'd used to help Kayla, and he felt suddenly weakened. He sat back on the floor and waited, stroking Kayla's hair.

"Grace needs you, Your Highness. Please wake up."

He smiled when he saw her chest move as her lungs once again filled with air. Her eyes opened and she slowly sat up, looking at the golden man who sat beside her.

"Jorek," she said hoarsely. "You saved me."

"But Harold is in danger. I was able to bring his soul back, but it was too late. Another inhabits his body, and she has control. I fear she means harm to the princess."

"Where is Grace?"

"They took her to the hospital to deliver the heir."

"Then we had better get there, too."

Kayla rushed outside with Jorek right behind her. She looked around and saw David's car in the distance. It was covered with a fair amount of werewolf goo, but it would have to do. She jumped into the driver's seat and prayed that David still had the spare key hidden in the console. She had told him a thousand times what a bad idea it was to leave a spare in the car. Thank God he never listened.

She started the car while Jorek sidestepped a puddle of wolf and sat in the passenger seat. He barely had time to buckle his belt before she hit the gas and the car screeched out of the driveway.

Within fifteen minutes, they pulled up to the hospital and got out of the car without even closing their doors. As they entered the main lobby, a young nurse with blond hair and an impish smile stopped them.

"Can I help you?"

"Maternity?"

"Down the hall and to the right, but you can only go in if you have family—"

"My daughter," Kayla said, cutting the nurse off and heading straight down the hall.

The nurse turned to look at Jorek. He was a striking, tall blond man with a chiseled physique, but he wore the ill-fitting rags of a vagrant.

"You will need to… uh… put some clothes on," she said, embarrassed for the half-naked man.

"Why is that? I am dressed in my finest," he said, waving a hand in front of the nurse.

Suddenly, she saw an Adonis, dressed in a fine Italian suit.

"I… I'm sorry, sir," she stammered.

Jorek wasted no time making his way down the hall after Kayla.

As he caught up with her at the entrance to the maternity waiting room, a voice boomed over the hospital loudspeaker.

"Code pink, we have a code pink in maternity."

David stood in the doorway between the waiting room and the ward. When he saw Kayla, he rushed over and took her in his arms. They didn't need to exchange words; everything they needed to say was said in their embrace. David knew there were more pressing matters than their own reunion.

"Harry tried to kill Grace and he ran out with the baby."

"That was not Harold, Your Highness. Harold is there, but he has been hijacked by another spirit that entered his body while it was empty," Jorek said, looking ashamed.

"I know, Jorek. Harry would never hurt Grace. We have to find him, though. Whoever is in there with him has control and we have no idea what they'll do to the baby."

"She won't hurt the baby," Grace said, limping up behind David.

"What are you doing out of bed?" He stepped back and put his arm out for support. She took it gratefully.

"I can't just lay here while someone has my baby. Mom?"

"Yes honey, I'm here."

"She told me you were dead."

"I almost was, but Jorek saved me."

Grace looked into the handsome fairy's eyes.

"Thank you, my friend."

"Munchkin, you keep saying she. Do you know who is behind all of this?" Kayla asked.

"I have a pretty good idea, but we have to see Roland first."

"How are we going to get out of here? The whole hospital is on high alert." Mooney said, looking around at the staff rushing around and security guards standing post at every exit.

"I can get us out," Jorek said, walking past the staff and guards toward the exit. No one so much as turned their heads to watch the group walk out. "Fairy glamour." He smiled with pride.

The entire group of ten walked to their vehicles and piled in.

"Seven twenty-nine Desidero," Grace instructed them all without speaking a word.

The two cars pulled out and made their way to Roland's office.

As the two cars pulled up to the rundown old building with the crooked "For Lease" sign hanging in the dusty window, the building began to transform. The mythical carvings appeared above the golden columns and a plush red carpet covered the previously dilapidated steps. Grace looked up at the carvings, examining each scene. She saw the monsters with the tails of fish, and the pictographic stories of men fighting monsters, rams and lions charging at mythical creatures and all manner of beasts.

Scanning the rest of the carvings, she saw something she was sure had not been there before. In the far corner of the building, a woman stood in front of a large window, staring out at an expanse of trees and hills. She had long hair and a sad look on her stone face. Just past that, the same window showed a clawed hand reaching through the mirror and grabbing hold of the woman while she struggled against the grip of the monster. The last carving in the story showed the woman on the other side of the window, but this time she no longer had the fresh, youthful face that the first carving portrayed. Her face was sagging and haggard, her posture no longer strong and tall, but now slack and slumping. Seeing the carvings for the first time, Grace wondered if the clues had been there all along, and maybe she had not wanted to see them.

She turned to her family that stood behind her, awaiting instructions.

"I have to do this alone."

"No way. We are all in this together," Kayla said. She stepped up and took Grace's hand.

"Mom, I love you. You have given me so much strength and shown so much courage my whole life. I can only hope to be half the woman you are, but you have to let me handle this in my own way. I started this, and now I need to finish it."

"Don't be silly, Munchkin. You are twice the woman I could ever be. You go and handle this, but know that I am right here if you need me. We are all right here." Kayla hugged her daughter and took a step back, allowing Grace to make the journey by herself.

Kayla felt much the same way she felt on Grace's first day of school. She watched the grown woman, now a mother herself, take the few steps up to Roland's office, but she saw a small, fragile little girl taking her first steps toward independence. Grace turned back one last time before entering the palatial office. She looked at Kayla and smiled as David stepped up and put a consoling arm around his wife.

"I love you all."

With that, she opened the door and disappeared.

As she stepped into the familiar lobby, she surveyed the curtains and velvet wall coverings. Somehow, everything that had once seemed lush, exotic, and beautiful was now cloying, foreboding, and frightening. She felt as though the walls were hovering above her, waiting to come down and smother her without warning.

Grace set her feelings of dread aside and strode confidently through the curtains that hid Roland's inner office from view. Stepping through, she saw a room much different from the one she expected.

She had entered into a large chamber with a small chair directly in the center. Harold sat in the chair, his arms bound and his head lying limp on his chest. The rest of the room was filled with shadows and dark corners, but Grace felt another presence. She wanted to run to Harry's side and help him, but she had a nagging feeling that this was just a trap. She looked around and listened for any hint of her newborn's presence. She smelled the air, hoping to catch a whiff of that sweet powdery baby scent. Nothing.

"Come in, Grace," an unfamiliar voice called out from the shadows.

"Who's there?"

"If I told you, I would have to kill you," the female voice giggled.

"Where is Roland?"

"Aww, how cute. The little witch is calling for her charming hero. I hate to tell you this, but Roland cannot help you. In fact, he cannot help me anymore, either. Ever since he started to go soft for a little witch, he cannot be trusted. Besides, I do not really need him anymore. I have grown quite powerful in my own right. Thanks in part to the Burkheart family magic."

Out of the shadows, a tall blond woman stepped forward. She was half corporeal and half black, misty fog. As she approached Grace, her form solidified and she stood before her in a long, blue velvet gown. She was statuesque, taller than Grace's five-foot-eight, with pale, porcelain skin and eyes of bright green that recalled memories of Grace's trip to Ireland with her parents as a teen.

"Where is my baby?" Grace demanded, standing tall in front of the creature.

"Such a strong little thing you are! I would almost be afraid, but I know that you are weakened. You smell of blood and medicine, and you are weakened by your love for these creatures." She indicated Harry and made a gesture toward the other side of the room.

Grace assumed that the baby was somewhere in the shadows, hidden from view and, Grace prayed, safe.

"If you hurt either of them, I will kill you," Grace growled at her through gritted teeth.

"That would be up to you, my dear."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Well, your baby is going to need a mother. I have honestly grown tired of this game. Body switching, wishes, blah, blah, blah. It will be so much simpler if you just give over your body to me. I will care for the baby until she is of age, and then I will take her over. It really is simple."

"You are insane if you think I am going to let you do this to me or my family."

"Well, I have been accused of worse in the past, but it really is a brilliant plan," the woman said smugly.

"I need to see my baby. I need to know she's all right."

"In due time, dearie. First, I will need an answer. I do not see that you have any other choice, really. If you do not comply, I will kill you and your entire family. I think I will start with this little one."

Grace waved her hand. She watched as a bassinet rolled out of the corner to the center of the room. Grace stepped forward, but the woman held up her palm, stopping Grace in her tracks. She struggled against the invisible wall, but could not move. She cried out in frustration.

"There is that spirit that I like so much. I can see how Am-Sher-Al became so smitten with you. He always did have a soft spot for feisty blondes."

"There is nothing between him and me. I love Harry and Harry only. Roland is just as big a monster as you are."

"That is where you are wrong, my dear. He is the weak link in this equation. I am the one who has had to be strong. All these years, I have borne the loss and the pain and he has done nothing but live a plush life as someone's lap dog."

"What loss and pain?"

"That is none of your concern, witch. I have battled for more than a century to make my way back here and get my due. I will not have it ruined by some ridiculous witches and a sympathetic pet djinn."

"Why are you doing this? What is it that you think is due to you?"

"Stop asking so many questions. You will never guess my name, and even if you did, you cannot hurt me in this form. It is too late, Grace. You lost. Now it is time for you to settle up."

Grace knew she only had one opportunity to fix this mess, but she could not play the only card in her hand without being absolutely sure that she was right. She needed help, after all.

Grace closed her eyes and called out with her mind to the one person she knew without a doubt could help her.

"Mom!"

23

"This is bullshit. I can't stand out here and do nothing while my little girl is in there in danger," Kayla said, pacing back and forth in front of the office.

"We have to let her do this," David tried to calm her. "We can't go in there half-cocked and maybe cause more harm than good."

"How in the hell could we screw this up more than it already is? It's all my damn fault. I should be the one in there facing whatever or whoever this is."

"My Queen, this is no more your fault than it is the princess's. This is a plan that was put in place long ago and it would have come to fruition in another way if these events had not transpired," Jorek interjected.

"Jorek, do you know something that we don't?"

"No, Your Highness. I only know the nature of magic and the nature of revenge. Those are two things in which I have been well versed in the last two centuries."

"Revenge…," Kayla whispered, trailing off. "Jorek, how do you summon a djinn?"

"You simply wish for his presence."

Kayla closed her eyes and wished for Roland to come to her. She waited for a few minutes and when nothing happened, she opened her eyes, looking at Jorek.

"I wished. Why isn't he here?"

Before Jorek could answer, Kayla felt a vibration coming from her front pocket. She pulled the cell phone out and looked at the screen before she swiped to answer.

"Hello?"

"Kayla, this is Roland. I received your call, but I cannot come to you. I am bound here. Grace needs your help. My mistress has her, and I fear that she will give her no choice but to surrender in order to save her family," the djinn said in a rushed tone, obviously frightened.

"Who is your mistress?"

"I cannot say, but I think you may know already. The problem is, she cannot be killed or defeated until she is in a body. Right now, she is in her spirit form and her magic grows stronger by the moment."

"I need your help, Roland. I know you care for Grace. Now is the time to break this curse and help her. I know you have the power to help her."

"I do care for Grace, and I wish that I could help more. But, until you guess my mistress's name and kill her, I can do nothing, sadly." The djinn sounded genuinely sorrowful. "Kayla, sometimes you need to go through the looking glass in order to see what is right in front of you. Looking at things from another perspective can help you see the true dimensions. Do you understand?"

"Kayla, what is happening?" David asked worriedly.

Before she could answer either of them, she felt a sharp shock in her head as her mind filled with the one word that would always make her drop everything and run.

Mom!

Kayla let the phone fall to the ground and turned to David.

"Grace needs me. Stay here, and please trust me." Kayla knew David would protest, so she gave him no choice. She ran up the steps and entered the building, disappearing into the darkness.

"You," the spirit woman declared when Kayla entered through the burgundy curtain.

"Yes, me. Who in the hell are you?"

"Everyone wants to know me! I must be one of the popular girls," the woman laughed.

"I wouldn't go that far, bitch."

"I can see you have your mother's mouth. Charming."

Kayla stepped forward and took Grace's hand. The two women felt a surge of magic flow through them. It was as if they had hooked themselves up to a generator.

"It won't help, you know. I am too powerful for even the two of you to defeat together. Also, I have your baby, and I will not hesitate to kill the child if I cannot get what I desire."

"You wouldn't dare," Kayla snarled.

"Test me, witch."

Kayla opened her mind to Grace. She learned without Grace having to say a word exactly what this thing wanted. She wanted to gain immortality by taking all of the family magic. She had been waiting for more than a century to exact her revenge. Grace and Kayla also sensed immense anger coming from the woman in waves. There was something underneath all of that rage as well. There was a deep sorrow that made Kayla ache all the way to her bones; it was the sorrow of a wife and mother who had lost everything she loved. It was the same sorrow that Kayla felt from Grace, but much more profound. This pain had had time to grow and fester like a cancer inside the woman until the only thing she felt was hate. In that moment, Kayla was positive that she knew exactly who they were dealing with.

"Then take me," Kayla said, dropping Grace's hand.

"Mom, no," Grace protested as she looked at Kayla in horror.

"Munchkin, it's all right. I'm already dead, after all," Kayla smiled at her. "We have to save the baby. This thing can have my body and all my powers. Jorek will be able to help her with the whole immortality thing she is looking for. This is for the best, really. This way, I know that you and the baby will be safe."

"Mom, you can't do this. I just got you back," Grace sobbed.

"Munchkin, you know exactly what you have to do. I need you to be strong. I have always tried to teach you that true happiness sometimes requires sacrifice. Now is your time to sacrifice. You know what has to be done. Just remember that I love you with all of my heart."

Kayla placed a hand directly over her heart and stepped away from her daughter.

"Are you willingly giving yourself to me?" The woman asked Kayla, suspiciously eyeing her.

"Yes, I am. However, I need to have your word that Grace and the rest of my family will be unharmed. Jorek is a fairy now, and he will give you your immortality. If you can give me your word, I will willingly go, after I say goodbye to my granddaughter, that is."

"I give you my word."

Kayla stepped forward toward the bassinet. She looked inside and saw the most beautiful little girl that she had ever seen in her life. The baby slept, her tiny chest moving up and down rhythmically. A small grunt escaped through her little lips, and she brought her hands up to her face, yawning. Kayla reached down and caressed the baby's cheek as a tear fell from her eye.

"Hey there, little one. I am your Grandma, and I love you more than anything else in this world. I love you more than I ever thought I could love anyone, after your Mama."

Kayla wiped her eyes and stepped away from the bassinet. Grace looked up at her mother through a curtain of tears. Kayla gave her a wink.

"I'm ready to go now. I love you, Munchkin. Always and forever."

With that, Kayla walked up to the woman and nodded her head.

"I'm ready."

She placed her hands on either side of Kayla's face and brought her lips close. When their lips touched, the woman slowly turned into a mist of gray fog, beginning at the end of her blue gown and moving slowly all the way to her head. Grace watched the fog enter Kayla's mouth and disappear. Her mother's body turned and looked her directly in the eyes. Grace could see that there was no trace of Kayla left in those eyes.

Grace fell to her knees, weeping uncontrollably as she watched the woman walk toward Harry.

"Don't you hurt him, you bitch!"

"Grace, I am stung. I always keep my word." She twirled her finger in the air and the rope that bound Harry's hands unraveled, leaving him completely free. "You are all free to go."

Grace gathered up her fiancé, who had begun to come to, and made sure that he was able to walk. She picked up the newborn and placed her in Harry's arms. He immediately perked up and the two of them checked her to make sure she was okay.

"I will warn you, Grace," the woman said, stepping closer to the family. "Do not cross me. I am good for my word, but I will kill you if you betray me."

"You never even asked," Grace said, deadpan.

"Asked what?"

"What the baby's name is going to be."

"Why would I give a damn about what you call your little brat?"

"Because I was going to name her after you… Serena."

The thing in Kayla's body gasped as Grace turned around, catching sight of the athame floating next to Grace's shoulder. Before she could even raise her arms to defend herself, Grace grabbed hold of the knife and plunged it into Serena's chest. She cried out in a scream of rage while she stumbled backward. As the woman who’d stolen Kayla’s form fell to the ground, her eyes bulging, her hands clawing at the protruding blade, Grace fell to her knees, overcome with the reality of what she had just done.

She cried out in a deep, primal wail that was made of pure anguish. It made Harold's heart ache.

Her cries of pain also brought something else. Roland stepped from the shadows and placed a hand on Grace's shoulder. She pulled away, looking up at the djinn.

"Grace, you have given me freedom from her darkness. I am eternally grateful. Please tell me how I can help you."

"Bring her back to me. Bring my mother back to me. Please. Please Roland," she stood up and clutched the djinn's lapels. "Please just bring her back."

"I am so sorry, Grace," Roland said with tears forming in his blue eyes. "This I cannot do. It is not within my powers. She sacrificed herself. That death is a permanent one. What I can do, though, is to help you find peace."

He placed his hand on her cheek, caressing her skin and looking directly into her eyes. His own eyes blazed a bright blue and his skin began to glow once again. He pulled his hand away, leaving a blue, glowing handprint where his had been. Grace looked down, taking hold of his hands. When she looked up, her tears had dried.

"Thank you, Roland."

"My work here is not yet complete." He held out his hand, palm up, in front of him. Within seconds, a glass jar appeared.

Roland pulled the stopper from the bottle and knelt down in front of the dying Serena. He reached out and, as his hand moved straight through the women's body, he grasped something intangible. A gray fog. He balled his fist and held it over the jar. When he opened his fist, a fine cascade of sand fell inside. When his hand was empty, he replaced the stopper and removed a black ribbon from his pocket. He tied the ribbon around the bottle and said a few words in a language that Grace did not understand.

His shoulders slumped and Grace could suddenly feel something emanating from him. It was an emotion that she never would have thought she would feel from someone like Roland. She felt regret.

"It is done. She is bound for all eternity and can never harm you again, Grace."

With that statement, Roland Stillson disappeared.

24

Grace and Harold made their way out of the building. As they came down the steps, David looked hopefully at his daughter. His hope turned to terror when he saw in her eyes that Kayla would not be coming out.

David felt as though he had been punched in the gut. He fell to his knees, quietly weeping.

"Daddy, she sacrificed herself to save me and the baby," Grace said, trying to give David a little of the peace that Roland had given her. It was no use.

"Where is she? Where is her… body?"

"She is inside, Your Highness," Jorek interjected. "I will make sure that she is given the proper respects. She will receive a queen's burial."

Jorek made his way up the steps to retrieve the remains of his queen.

Everyone else stood outside, realizing that there was nothing more for any of them to do. David made his way over to the car and sat in the passenger seat. He shut the door and sat there alone for a moment. Grace could see and feel the pain in his heart, and the feelings of loss and fear that she had felt the first time Kayla had died. The rest of the family turned away and found their cars.

When they arrived at David's house, he insisted that they all go home and get rest. They had a lot to do to prepare for Kayla's funeral. He did not want them doting over him. He told them that he just wanted to sleep and spend some time alone. The dwarves reluctantly left after informing David that they were only a phone call away if he needed them.

Grace stayed behind with Harry and the baby to make sure he was really all right.

David went to the kitchen to make some coffee, but he stopped cold when he opened the cabinet and saw Kayla's favorite mug sitting there. He picked it up as Grace walked into the kitchen.

"Your mom loved this damn mug. I dropped it once after we first moved into this house and chipped the rim. I threw it away, but she got it out of the trash. She told me it was the only thing that she had kept from the time before she and I met, and that it reminded her that she never wanted to go back to that life." He turned it over in his hands and read the faded lettering on the front aloud. "I hate Mondays."

He broke down, unable to hold in his grief. His whole body heaved with each sob for his lost love.

Grace went to him and hugged him tight.

"Munchkin, what do I do now?"

"You live," a voice said from the living room.

"What was that?" David asked, thinking he had hallucinated the sound.

"It was me," Kayla said, stepping into the kitchen, her body slightly translucent.

"How…," Grace trailed off as she looked at the dead woman standing in front of her.

"I made a wish and got a little help. I can only stay for a short time."

"Baby, I don't know what to do without you," David sobbed.

"You be the amazing father you have always been, and now you get to be a grandpa to that beautiful baby girl in there." She turned to Grace. "What did you really decide to name her, by the way?"

"We were thinking about calling her Aurora," Grace replied.

"I think that is a great name." Kayla's spirit beamed.

"We need you, Mom. I don't know how to be a mother."

"Neither did I, and look how great you turned out. Just love her and be there for her. Be a parent first and a friend second. The rest you'll get as you go along."

"I can only dream of being as good a mom as you."

"No, Munchkin, you will be better than I ever was. Now, before I have to leave, I want you to deliver a few messages. Tell Doc and Joy that they are the best friends and parents that I ever could have wished for. Tell Mooney to open his heart; he will never find love in a reference book. Gus and Violet, tell them that they need to love each other as if no one else exists, except of course, the baby that will be here soon. Tell Daisy that I am so proud to have a true sister like her. Let them all know that I will always love them and that I was so blessed to call them family. Harry, you are like a son to me, and I could not ask for a better man to take care of Grace and Aurora. You love them and protect them, always. Grace, you can call me if you really need me and, if I can, I will be here. David, my love, my king, my heart, I will always love you. Thank you for giving me a wonderful life, a beautiful baby girl, and for always being by my side. I want you to be happy and live your life to the fullest every day. Spoil the hell out of that baby, and know that we will be together again. But you have a lot of life left to live. Do not miss a moment of it grieving over me. I'm okay."

Grace felt the hot flood of tears flowing down her cheeks, but she knew that Kayla would always be with her, and she still felt peace. It was not an artificial peace, manufactured by a djinn, it was real peace.

"I have one more thing to do before I have to go." Kayla held out her hand.

Grace reached out, and Kayla opened her fist. The ring with the large blue stone dropped into Grace's palm.

"This is what I think it is?" Grace asked.

"Yes, you choose what to do with it. I know you will make the right choice, Munchkin. I love you guys, always."

With that, Kayla was gone.

Grace sat down with Harry to feed Aurora, and David made coffee. The four of them spent the rest of the night sitting at the table and remembering the woman that they all loved so much.

25

Everyone who had ever been touched by Kayla Burkheart came together in the forest to bid her farewell. The service was attended by all sorts of magical creatures. Sprites, gnomes, fairies, and even the wood nymphs that Kayla had scoffed at gathered, all wishing to pay their respects to the fallen queen and to celebrate the ascension of the new queen and the birth of Princess Aurora.

They brought flowers to lay on the casket of their beloved queen, and each of them had blessings for Aurora. She was given beauty, charm, grace, intelligence, righteousness, kindness and love. From the trolls, she was given the ability to fight, or as they put it, kick ass.

Grace knew everything would be fine for Aurora. She had so many people who loved her and would die to protect her that Grace had no worries. She would do everything in her power to make sure her daughter grew up to be a good person and a true princess.

Jorek approached Grace and Harry while they were saying goodbye to the hundreds of guests.

"Your Highness, you have one more guest that requests an audience."

Jorek stepped aside and revealed Roland Stillson, standing in front of them with his head bowed.

"Roland, please sit," Grace gestured to a tree stump next to her.

"Ah, if you please, Your Highness," he gestured, and a small ottoman appeared, upholstered in blue velvet. "Old habits die hard."

"We were hoping you would come," she said. She leaned over and took hold of his hand. "I want you to know that we understand why you did what you did. You had no choice."

"No, I did not. But, this does not mean that I do not feel badly for my part in all of this."

"You helped us. My mother told me that you tried to help her, and I know it was you that put the clues in the carvings on the buildings. You helped her come to us later that night and ease my father's pain. You risked your own life to save us from that monster."

"She was not always so, Grace. Once, I loved her very much, even though she was but a human." The sadness was once again in his eyes. "She was kind and good once. When Aliza took her from my realm, causing her death, she blamed your family. To be perfectly honest, so did I. Her spirit could not rest, knowing that her happily-ever-after had been stolen, along with the life of our child."

"Oh Roland, I had no idea."

"No one did. Not even me, until recently. Apparently, the grief of her loss caused Serena's spirit to go mad, and her target was your family line. She thought that by destroying your family and stealing your magic, she could be immortal and we could be together again. It was nothing more than a desperate attempt to regain the life we once had. A life that died with her original body. I could never again love someone who caused so much pain. Your ancestor Aurora taught me that doing good was the best way to live. That is why I helped her find love with Jacob. She deserved to be happy after all of the damage her sister had done. Nevertheless, rest assured, Grace, Serena's spirit is bound for eternity, along with the spirit of that vile woman that was your grandmother. They will never do you or your family harm again."

"I have something for you." Grace reached into her pocket and pulled out the blue-stoned ring. She held it in her palm and looked up at Roland.

"You know this means that I am in your service, Grace. This is a position that I am honored to hold."

"No," Grace said, placing the ring on the tree stump beside her. "You have been in the service of this stone for far too long. It is time for you to be free. It's time for you to go home."

"I don't know that I belong there anymore," he said, looking off into the distance.

"I know that you do not belong here in servitude. You need to live your life, Roland. I am releasing you from this stone, once and for all."

She raised her hand over the stone and closed her eyes. A pulse of white light formed in her palm before it descended onto the ring, then the sparkling stone shattered into dust. Roland breathed a sigh of relief, his blue eyes shimmering.

"Thank you, Grace. Know that if you ever need me, I am only one wish away."

"I do have something that you can help me with before you go, but only if you would like, Roland. It is your choice."

He smiled at her and nodded, already knowing what she was asking.

"Your wish is my command, My Queen."

The djinn took one last bow before he disappeared in a puff of blue smoke.

26

Grace stepped down from the upstairs landing of the home she had shared with her mother and father for so many years. Her white gown trailed behind her and her hands, cold and clammy, clutched the bouquet of pink and white flowers. She took a deep breath.

David stood at the foot of the stairs, waiting to either take her arm or catch her when she tumbled down. She looked as if she were a few breaths away from hyperventilating. Lucky for both of them, Grace made it down the steps without falling and took hold of the arm that David offered to her.

"You look amazing, Munchkin," he said, choking back tears. "I guess I can't really call you that anymore. You are all grown up now."

"I will always be your little munchkin, Dad."

This time his tears could not be stopped. As he dried his eyes, the two of them made their way down the makeshift aisle.

"I wish your mom was here to see this. She would be so proud of you."

"I know she would. She is here with us, Dad. I can feel her watching."

"I can feel her, too."

They walked up through the rows of chairs where her loved ones sat. All of the forest creatures that had attended Kayla's memorial were here in her childhood home only two days later to celebrate her marriage.

When they approached the podium where the priestess stood, Grace could see that Harry was just as nervous as she was. He looked at her and smiled.

Suddenly, any fear that she had fell away like water shedding off a mountainside. She saw in Harold the Prince Charming she had always wished for. He was her knight in shining armor, her support when she stumbled, and the love of her life. Looking in his eyes, she saw the same from him. She knew he loved her more than anything, and that he would always be a wonderful husband and an amazing father. During the short time Aurora had been in the world, he doted over her, changing diapers and preparing her bottles. He loved to sit and rock her to sleep, and he had already bought her every stuffed animal known to man. She knew she and their daughter would always be loved.

"Who gives this woman?" The priestess asked.

"I do," David said, squeezing Grace's hand and kissing her cheek before he took his seat next to Doc.

Harry stepped forward and joined Grace at the podium. He almost stumbled because his knees were shaking so much. Grace chuckled and smiled at him through her white veil.

"Grace and Harold, know now before you go further, since your lives have crossed you have formed eternal and sacred bonds. As you seek to enter this state of matrimony, you should strive to make real the ideals that, to you, give meaning to this ceremony and to the institution of marriage."

The priestess took a length of gold cord and draped it over the couple's joined hands.

"Know that within this circle, you are not only declaring your intent to be hand fasted before your friends and family, but you speak that intent also to your higher powers. The promises made today and the ties that are bound here only strengthen your union and your love for each other. This union will only grow stronger through the years as each of your souls grow. Do you still wish to perform this ceremony and pledge your love?"

"Yes, we do," they said in unison.

"Excellent. Will the guests please stand?"

All of the guests stood up, and all eyes were focused on the loving couple as the priestess called blessings from each of the four elements.

"Blessed be this hand-fasting from the east and the element of air. Openness and communication, and purity of the mind and body. From the east, a new beginning with the rising of each sun, and the understanding that each day is a new opportunity to show your love for each other."

"Blessed be," the guests said in chorus.

"Blessed be this hand-fasting from the south and the element of fire. Energy, passion, creativity, and a loving home. From the fire within you generate light, which you will share with one another in even the darkest of times."

"Blessed be."

"Blessed be this hand-fasting from the west and the element of water. You have absolute trust in one another, and vow to keep your hearts open in sorrow as well as joy."

"Blessed be.

"Blessed be this hand-fasting from the north and the element of earth. Sustenance, fertility, and security. The earth will enrich you, and help you to build a stable home to which you may always return."

"Blessed be."

Grace chuckled as she heard the sniffles coming from her bridal party. Daisy and Violet were both teary eyed. The priestess continued.

"Grace and Harold, will you honor and respect one another?"

"We will."

"The first binding is made. Will you share each other’s pain and always seek to ease it?"

"We will."

"Will you share in each other’s laughter, and always look for the positive in each other?"

"We will."

The priestess took a white strip of cloth from the podium and wrapped it around the couple's hands.

"As your hands are bound together now, so your lives and spirits are joined in a union of love and trust. Above you are the stars and below you is the earth. Like the stars, your love should be a constant source of light, and like the earth, a firm foundation from which to grow. The rings?"

Harold turned to Jorek, his best man, and took the ring. He placed it on Grace's finger. Daisy handed Grace the ring and she placed it on Harry's shaking finger.

"I now pronounce you hand-fasted as husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

All of the nervousness drained from Harry as he lifted Grace's veil and took her in his arms. When their lips met, they both knew everything would be okay from here on out.

The couple turned to face their guests, and Grace looked up to the staircase. Kayla stood there at the top of the landing and smiled down on her family. Grace indicated to David to look back. He burst into joyous tears when he saw his beloved standing above them. Roland had come through for her after all. Her final wish was that her mother could be there on her wedding day. She was not only there; she looked so happy.

She raised her hand and blew a kiss before she faded away.

27

Aurora sat at the head of the table, her mother on one side and her dad on the other. She silently counted the candles on her cake.

One… two… three… four… five.

She had just received her certificate for counting to thirty from her teacher, Ms. Locke, so now she practiced her counting wherever she was. It was time for her to make a wish and blow out all five of her candles, then she could open her presents.

She breathed in until her chest felt like it might explode from too much air, and then she blew out the candles as hard as she could. She got four of them and then took a little breath to blow out the fifth one. She was sad that her wish might not come true, but then her mom told her that it was okay, because she got them all out. She would not tell anyone what she wished, because then it wouldn't come true.

"Time for presents," her mom called out after everyone had eaten a piece of birthday cake.

Grandpa gave her a new bike with training wheels. Training wheels were for babies, but Grandpa told her that he would help her learn to ride without them. Poppa Doc and Gramma Joy gave her a pretty new dress with pink flowers on it and a stuffed bear that was almost as big as she was. She got a dollhouse from Uncle Mooney, play make-up from Daisy, and books and games from Gus and Vi. A bunch of pretty flowers and other stuff were left at their door by all of the creatures from the forest. Jorek even made her a crown of yellow flowers. She wore it while she opened her other presents. She decided to never take it off.

After the last of the cake and ice cream were eaten and presents were opened, Aurora sat on the couch, snuggled up next to her mom and dad. She was still wound up from the fun of her party, but she yawned and stretched, snuggling in tighter against her mom's side.

Everyone was about to leave, so Aurora gave kisses, hugs, and thank-yous to her family and friends while they walked out the door. When the last guest left, Aurora walked back to the living room and sat down next to the teddy bear from Doc and Joy. She wrapped her arms around her fuzzy new friend and closed her eyes.

"Aurora, you have one more present over here. We must have missed it," Grace said, and handed the glittery blue box to her daughter.

"Who is that from?" Harry asked.

"I have no idea," Grace replied.

Aurora opened the box and looked at the gold necklace sitting inside. Her eyes lit up as she surveyed the small pendant.

A gold filigree tree sat inside a circle surrounded by Celtic knots. In the center of the tree was a bear paw that had a tiny green stone embedded in the pad.

"Mama, it's so pretty! Can I put it on? Please?"

The fog of sleepiness had left the little girl, and now she was jumping up and down with excitement as Grace removed the necklace from its box.

Under the tray that held the chain in place, there was a card.

This should fit
just right

Grace lifted the card out and handed it to Harry with a questioning look.

"I'm sure it's just a gift from one of the nymphs or something," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Mama, put it on me!" Aurora said, holding up her golden hair and jumping up and down.

"Okay, okay, Curly. Stand still for ten seconds so I can put it on." She unclasped the necklace and slipped it around Aurora's neck. She joined the clasp and turned the girl around. "There. You look gorgeous, my dahling."

"Thank you, Mama! I love it!" The little girl ran out of the room to the bathroom so she could see her pretty new necklace in the mirror.

Grace and Harold collapsed onto the couch, both of them exhausted from the events of the day.

"She had a good day, didn't she?" Grace asked.

"Yeah, I think she did," Harry said, and he kissed her forehead.

"I wish my mom was here."

"I know, honey. I do, too."

"I just wish I knew that she was all right. I wish I could talk to her and sit with her and hear her tell me that I'm doing a good job."

Harry knew his only job at that time was to be there and hold Grace until she felt better. She always seemed a little sad around Aurora's birthday.

"It'll pass, Harry. I know she's gone, but I still miss her, you know."

"I do know, babe. I do."

"Well, let us see if we can get Curly to sleep, shall we?"

"Ha! You might need a magic spell to accomplish that," Harry chuckled.

"Well, let's try for a bath first. Tiny steps."

They headed into the bathroom to get Aurora's bath started. When they walked in, she was standing at the mirror, still staring at her new necklace.

"Hey there, Curly. Time for your bath."

"Okay, Mom. Can I keep my necklace on?"

"I don't see why not," Grace replied while she added some bubbles to the warm water.

"I don't want to ever take it off," Aurora said, getting her bath towel and pajamas ready.

"Never, ever?" Grace said, reaching over and tickling her daughter's tummy.

"Nope. Never, ever, ever!" Aurora giggled.

"Okay then, get yourself all clean. Wash behind your ears and make sure you get that curly head of yours all spotless."

"I will, Mama."

Grace left, leaving the door cracked open. She waited in her bedroom until Aurora called out to her. The little princess came running down the hall wearing her cartoon pajamas, waving her hairbrush in her small hand.

After hair was brushed and a story was read, Grace tucked her little one under the covers and kissed her goodnight. Harry came in as Grace was getting up to say goodnight as well.

"Hey there, Curly, look what I brought." He held out the stuffed bear she had just received for her birthday and placed it next to her bed.

"Thanks Daddy." She sat up to give him a hug and kiss goodnight.

"We love you so much, little girl. You know that, right?"

"I love you, Daddy and I love you, Mommy and I love you, Frederick the Bear."

"Frederick?"

"Yep. His name is Frederick the Bear."

"All right, goodnight then, Frederick the Bear," Harry said with a smile. "Ready for lights out?"

"Yep!"

"Hey Aurora, what do you think about going camping this weekend?"

She looked at her dad with wide eyes and motioned him to lean in close so she could whisper in his ear. He leaned in close, cocking his head to hear her secret. She held her hands up around her mouth and said in a loud whisper, "That was my wish, Daddy!"

"Well, then, I guess it came true. We'll get up early tomorrow to get ready, okay?"

"Yay," she cheered.

"All right, time to get some sleep. See you later, alligator."

"After a while, crocodile," she giggled.

"See you soon, baboon."

"Okie dokie, artichokey." The little girl burst into laughter. "You are silly, Dad!"

"Nighty-night, Curly."

He closed the door and smiled to himself, wondering how he got so lucky.

28

Aurora woke from a deep, sugar-induced sleep. Her room was dark except for the little kitten-shaped night light that illuminated one small corner. Her mom had given it to her when she was four, when she started having bad dreams. She told her mom that she was five now, and big girls did not need night lights. She was glad now that her mom had not taken it out yet.

"Daddy?" Her small voice echoed in the darkness.

"Aurora, over here," a husky voice said. "Right next to you."

"Who… who's there?"

She wanted to jump out of her bed and run down the hall and into her mom and dad's bed. But she knew that only babies slept with their mom and dad, and she was a big girl now, so she would stay in her room. Aurora pulled the covers up around her face, hoping no one answered her.

"It's me, Aurora. Frederick the Bear."

"Frederick?" she asked, still fearful but a little less so.

"Yes, don't be scared. I'm not going to hurt you. I just need your help."

"You need my help?"

"Yes I do. I am trapped here and I need to get home to my mommy and daddy. I miss them. Can you help me?"

"What can I do? I'm just a little girl. Maybe my mommy and daddy can help you. They are really good at helping people. I bet they are even good at helping bears."

"No, they won't believe. It has to be you."

"They will believe. My mommy is the queen of the forest. She has lots of powers and I know she'll help you."

"No, it has to be just you. No adults allowed."

"Oh."

Aurora was no longer afraid. She knew that since Joy and Doc had given Frederick to her as a present, he could not be bad. She decided she would do whatever she could to help him. He was her friend and since she was the princess, she should help her friends when they needed her.

"Did you get the necklace in the sparkly blue box?" Frederick asked her.

"My new pretty necklace? Did you give that to me for my birthday?"

"No, but I know who did."

"Who?"

"I'll tell you later. Will you help me get home to my parents?"

"Yes, I'll help you. You should be with your mommy and daddy."

"Thank you so much, Aurora," the stuffed bear said as she reached out and hugged him tight.

"It's okay, Frederick, don't be scared. We can get you back to your mom and dad soon, and then you won't be sad anymore." She yawned and settled back under the covers with Frederick in her arms.

"Let's get some sleep," Frederick said. "We can get started tomorrow."

Also by Christine Sutton

I hope you enjoyed the story. If you did, please consider leaving a review.

Book 1 in the Burkheart Witch Saga Available Now!

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Coming 2015

Burkheart Witch Saga In Audio will also be available summer 2015! Read by Julia Whelan

Table of Contents

- Title Page
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Prologue
- 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
- Also by Christine Sutton