The Other Halliwell

~ Prologue ~

Serena Fredrick flipped open the white kitchen shutters and stared out into the night. Through the mist, lights glowed softly in the apartment building across the street, and grey clouds hid a full moon over the city of San Francisco. Her heart jumped as a flash of lightening pierced the sky. Thunder rumbled through the electric air and right through Serena's bones. Rain   poured down onto the slick pavement below.

She nervously ran a pale hand through her shoulder-length blond hair. She sensed that something was wrong. The fine hairs on the back of her neck tingled. Someone was watching her- watching and waiting for her to lower her guard.

she had accepted her destiny as a good witch long ago, yet  she still shuddered at the thought of the evil that lurked in the underbelly of the city. She'd been fighting that evil for all of her twenty-eight years. For Serena lived in a world that few knew existed: the world of witches, warlocks, demons, and monsters. She shivered , wondering what form of evil might be hunting her now. There was so much to fear.

Serena shook her head. Stop being paranoid, she told herself. It's the storm that's making you so tense.

She opened a can of food for her cat and spooned it into a bowl. "come on, baby!" she called, walking into the hallway.

The white Siamese Serena had adopted as her familiar stared at her with its jewel-like blue eyes. It purred as she placed the bowl on the hallway floor.

"good girl" Serena said, stroking its back as it ate. She fingered the gold charm on her cat's collar- a full circle with three interlocking arcs inside. The triple link - the symbol of goodness. She had tattooed the same image underneath her collarbone for luck.

Another bolt of lightening brightened the room, followed by a crash of thunder.  The lights in the apartment flickered off and on, and fear jolted through Serena's body once again. "A protective spell," she said softly. "For peace of mind."

Serena walked back into the kitchen, poured red wine into a silver chalice, and hurried into the living room. She placed the chalice on a low round table covered with a dark blue cloth. She kneeled beside the table , then glanced at the colourful arc of unlit candles, the bowl of herbs, and the ceremonial knife that rested on it.

She took a deep breath and gingerly touched the wick of the first candle in the arc with her index finger. "fire," Serena whispered. A small flame emerges from her fingertip, lighting the candle. She touched another candle, and then another , until they all burned brightly.

Serena closed her eyes and placed her palms together. For peace of mind, she reminded herself, then she opened her eyes and began her spell. "ancient one of the earth so deep" she chanted, crossing her arms over her chest. "master of moon and sun. I shield you in my wiccan way, here in my circle round ,asking you to protect this space, and offer your sun force down..."

A  slight breeze made the candles flicker.

Behind her Serena heard the nervous patter of her cat's feet suddenly bolting through the hallway. The hair prickled up on the back of her neck again. Someone was watching her . she knew it. someone was standing right behind her.

Serena gathered her courage and quickly turned her head. She gasped when she saw a man hovering in the shadows of the room. who?  she thought nervously. who is it?  

The male stepped into the light with his hands behind his back, smiling.

A face I know, Serena thought. She let out a breath of relief. Thank goodness. "What are you doing here?" she asked him. But her friend said nothing in return. 

Serena raised to her feet and smiled, moving closer. "what's going on?"  again, no reply.

Serena sensed something was wrong as the man brought his hands out from behind his back. She gasped when she saw what he was hiding.

The long blade of a double-edged knife flashed in the candlelight. He tightly gripped the golden handle  encrusted with red and blue stones.

Serena opened her mouth, but before she could speak, she felt the burning pain of the knife plunging into her stomach. The crashing thunder drowned out Serena's screams, and she fell helplessly to the floor.