Chapter One

Phoebe knocked on the door of Virginia’s apartment, carrying sacks of herbs and other ingredients for potions. For the past few months, she and her sisters, Piper and Paige, had been training Virginia, the fairy tale princess, about the basics of being a witch: spells, vanquishing techniques etc.

She knew that Virginia had been uncomfortable having guests around this time of the month; it was when her husband went through his monthly "cycles." However she wasn't afraid. How bad could things be? From what she knew about lycanthropy, werewolves were only dangerous during the night of the full moon, not during the day. She wasn’t afraid of big bad Wolf. She had dealt with plenty of demons from the underworld and survived.

She always laughed when Virginia would make comparisons between Wolf and Cole. Being married to a fairy tale wolf, was in no way the same as being married to a half demon. She often envied the way Virginia seemed to live happily ever after, with her vivacious husband, and son. Her life was easy; no worrying about fighting demons, and defending a book of shadows.

Virginia timidly answered the door. “You didn’t have to come,” she told Phoebe. For some reason she seemed nervous. “Any of your sisters here or is it just you today?”

“Nope, just me, this time. Paige is busy working on a spell to vanquish chameleon demons, and Piper has a Lamaze class,” Phoebe responded, surprised that Virginia didn’t ask about how things were doing between her and her ex husband, Cole. Three months ago, after a trip to Kissingtown, a magic enchanted love town in the fairy tale realm, she had decided to give him a second chance. While their divorce had gone through, they were now seeing each other and were on reasonably good terms, much to the chagrin of her sisters and brother-in-law.

They made their way into the apartment and headed for the kitchen, where potions were made. As Phoebe attempted to explain different methods of vanquishing demons, Virginia seemed distracted, continuously peering in a small mirror set up on the counter. She then winced as a loud crack was heard from the bedroom.

“What was that?” Phoebe asked as Virginia retrieved a key then opened a closet in the corner. Phoebe was shocked when she saw what was inside. “You have a toddler, how could you keep that in your home?” she said as Virginia took out what appeared to be a rifle.

“It’s a tranquilizer gun,” Virginia nonchalantly responded. She then instructed Phoebe, “Stay in here, don’t leave until I come back.”

“I’ll go with you,” Phoebe insisted as she attempted to follow Virginia out. However Virginia didn’t listen and pushed Phoebe back into the kitchen.

From the other room, Phoebe heard something wrestling followed by the loud boom of the gun, then a voice, angry and threatening.

“Think you could hurt me? Now that you’re a good witch, you have to kill your evil husband.”

At that moment Phoebe’s demon fighting instincts kicked in as she slowly opened the kitchen door, and made her way towards the bedroom where the fighting seemed to be coming from.

“Stop it……you don’t know what you are saying.”

“Where is Daddy to defend you? Where are your little witchy friends? Did you bring them here to kill me? To kill the evil monster you married? Where is she?” he asked, an angry growl in his voice.

“No one is here to hurt you,” Virginia nervously pleaded.

Phoebe reached the bedroom, and slowly attempted to turn the doorknob. She didn’t want Wolf to hear her coming in. But, the knob wouldn’t turn; the door was locked from the inside. She quickly opened her wallet and took out one of her credit cards hoping that she could open the lock in time. She was beginning to regret coming here alone without Piper or Paige. It would have been easier for one of them to intervene in this situation.

“Don’t think I can’t smell her,” he yelled. His voice possessed a frightening manic quality. “Did she bring her sisters? Her pathetic little brother in law? They think I’m evil. Good little witches, who think Wolves are evil! You know what the oldest one did? She killed him, the greatest Wolf to have ever lived! Blew him up from the inside! She hates us. They all hate us!”

“No,” cried Virginia followed by the loud thump of someone being thrown against a wall.

Phoebe nervously slid the card through the space between the door and wall, hoping she could get it opened in time. At one point in her life, she had been a pro at “carding locks,” but under the circumstances, she just couldn’t get it. Her hands were too damp with sweat, and it was impossible to concentrate.

“Did you bring her here to blow me up?” he asked, an angry, threatening growl about his voice.

“No, no, just calm down,” Virginia replied.

“Calm down? Calm down? You brought them here to kill me.”

“Wolf no, I…”

Virginia screamed.

Afterwards there was a bone chilling silence.