I don't own the Characters from Kim Harrisons books just the ones i added.

Chapter .1. "The Smell"

I knew that smell, the smell of Redwood, the smell of my blood. I lay there on my back. The man who just stabbed me standing over me with the knife that was in my arm a few seconds ago dripping my blood on the sidewalk.

I knew I was in trouble but I also knew I had three charms in my pocket. One that said I could take him down, one that said if he had a friend I'd be ok, and the last that said I might walk away in less pain than I was in at that moment.

This guy didn't know what the smell of redwood meant, This guy wasn't bright not even average bright, so he thought he was tough and so he strutted and turned his back saying "well now I bet you wish you had given me what you have in your pockets huh?"

while he said that I slipped my first amulet out of my pocket dragged it across my bleeding arm which hurt like a bitch and said in a desperate tone "fine you can have it it's just money!" and I tossed it at him he caught it like an idiot and dropped like a stone.

I took the next one out and slipped it on after letting blood get on it, and the pain felt like a paper cut I knew that the pain would be back soon enough. I had to get to a hospital soon so they could fix me up before I pass out.

I got up and picked my bag up and went for the nearest bus stop. The bus would get me there it might take an hour but if I passed out at least they would call an ambulance.

I didn't know if there would be another one around so I kept the last knock out charm in my good hand hidden by the back packs strap.

Charms wont do their job if they don't have blood to activate them and just any blood wont do you need the blood of a witch to do that and that's what I am.

My name is Ramuald Wisp I live in the Hollows, and go to the university to further my education in the ways of being a witch. I'm a white witch, and I dabble in leyline studies but I'm not very good in that Area, but where I lack in the leyline department I kick ass in the Earth witch department.

I made these charms myself about three days ago when some bully thought he'd beat up the "Gay Witch Boy." I'm in college but that doesn't make bully's disappear I think it just gives them space to operate.

Humans still don't get that we saved their asses from the turn, and some still don't get that we can kick their asses just by being ourselves and bleeding on a stick.

I made these and a couple others to protect myself. I guess that I'm an easy target for guys like that. I'm girly, thin, I look like I have no muscle to help me and I'm a loner in college. I am gay and my best friend is a pixie girl who takes care of my indoor garden .

Her name is Majen her father Jenks is one of the only Pixies to own a large plot of land he owns a Church a cemetery and the garden there in i found Majen when Rachel Morgan Jenks's witch partner saved my life.

I should probably say it's her garden because she planted it and tends it and lives in it even though this all resides in my deceased great aunt Millie's two story house where I live.

Great Aunt Millie Left me her home because I was the only one from our family who she talked to anymore I don't know why but I think it has something to do with Great uncle Hugh's secret.

Great uncle Hugh left a journal and every one thinks it has the secret in it but Great Aunt Millie said no one was to open it till she read it but to my knowledge she never did.

Great Aunt Millie died two months ago, and on her deathbed she gave me the key and the location of the locked chest where she hid the journal, but she made me promise not to tell the family about her even telling me where it was.

My relatives don't really like me so it was a big surprise to me when every single one gave me a call or a surprise visit to see how I was doing… I'll just let that sink in.

I haven't got the journal out and read it Great Aunt Millie didn't really say I could or should but she didn't say I still couldn't I'm sure she knows everything now. So I guess it's ok.

The bus arrived in time for me to not look like a walking corpse, and I told the driver I needed to get to a hospital ASAP and why. The bus driver looked at me like another annoyance in an already bad day, and I felt for him I really did but suffice to say his bad day probably didn't rival mine right now.

It was 2am when I got to the hospital and yes I had the common courtesy to call Dr. Lock before I got there and tell her I had an emergency stab wound.

By the time I got out and back home it was 5am and I was sleepy I got home and Majen was up and perky as usual "hi Majen have things been quiet?" I asked as I slumped in my favorite loveseat and curled into a ball.

She answered with an ecstatic chirp "there were fairies trying to get into my mothers garden again!" wow she was always this cheery even when talking about enemies. "oh and another one of your relatives called while you were at school." she added without interest.

"Did they say what they wanted?" I asked. I used to ask if they left a message but she always deleted them so I just relied on her ability to recite word for word now.

She smirked and replied in a whining yet snobby male sounding voice "Dear Ramuald I am dreadfully sorry to have missed you, please accept my deepest apology for not getting to you sooner and I can't tell you how sorry I am I couldn't get to the funeral!"

Right. Cause my cousins step dad really cared about Great Aunt Millie or what I thought. Laughable.

"ok I think we might need to make a few protection charms to ward away bad people." I joked with my fingers at my temple. Majen Came back with "too bad we cant make a ward for the phone to!" followed by her wind chime laugh.

I looked at her and thought "no way!" saying "you can't really make wards to keep bad people away can you?" I asked. I asked because Majen always seemed to know just a little more about magic secrets than I did.

"Well my sister might be able to ask Ceri for me, I'll visit her tomorrow."