Soul of the Bride

Chapter One "Prue? Can I see you in my office, please?" Prue Halliwell glanced up from the contact sheet she was inspecting to see her editor-in-chief, Nick Caldwell, waving at her from his office door. She gulped. As a photographer for415magazine, San Francisco's most stylish city mag, Prue was used to dealing with editors -- her photo editor, the fashion editor, the restaurant critic who had her do food shots. But she hardly ever spoke to Mr. Caldwell. Hewas the head honcho and so out of her league, she rarely had a reason to exchange more than polite hellos with him.Prue slipped her contact sheet into a folder and nodded at her boss, who looked, as usual, slick and polished with his graying temples and designersuit."Sure, Mr. Caldwell," she called. She made her way across 415's loft, a totally hip, urban space with exposed duct work and red cement floors. Prue loved the magazine's gritty offices. And she lovedher job as a415staff photographer -- it was the most satisfying and exciting work she'd ever done. And now the big cheese was calling her into his office. Was she about to be pink-slipped?Prue shook the horrible thought away and ran her fingers through her glossy black hair. As she approached his office door, she gave Mr. Caldwell a bright, false smile."What can I do for you, Mr. Caldwell?" she asked nervously."Come in, Prue," her editor said, taking a seat behind his desk. "And shut the door, if you don't mind."Uh-oh, Prue thought. This doesnotlook good."Prue," Mr. Caldwell began. "I have to tell you..."Oh, Prue moaned inwardly, what good is being a witch if I can't use my powers to worm my way out of moments like this one?"...I love your work.""What?" Prue blurted, her blue eyes widening.She was so ready for a layoff, she couldn't quite believe her ears."Your photographs are really vibrant," Mr. Caldwell said. "You clearly have a lot of talent, even if it is still a little raw.""Thank you!" Prue replied. She could feel herself flushing with happiness. Who needs magic, she thought giddily, when I have...talent!"Here's the deal," Mr. Caldwell said. "We have nothing planned for the August cover. I want to give you a chance. If, andonlyif, you shoot a picture that knocks my socks off, the cover's yours.""A -- and...the topic?" Prue stuttered."That's up to you, Prue," Mr. Caldwell responded with a sly smile. "Could be a big break for you. But know that other photographers are going to be tryingfor the cover, too. You've got some healthy competition, so do your best.""Of course," Prue said, standing up.Clearly, Mr. Caldwell didn't know her too well.Were they here, her younger sisters, Piper and Phoebe, would have been happy to tell him, Prue Halliwell always does her best. She was a perfectionist with a capitalP-- a classic eldest child. "Thank you for the opportunity, sir. I promise to knock your socks off."With a grin, Prue turned and headed out of the office. In fact, she headed straight out of415.She was too exhilarated to pore over contact sheets. She had to come up with a killer cover idea. She needed to go home, where she could think and maybe bounce some ideas off her sisters.Ever since Prue, Piper, and Phoebe had moved into their grandmother's big San Francisco mansion, they'd relied on one another for just about everything -- professional and romantic advice, party clothes, and oh yeah, their magical powers.They had discovered that they were witches -- the Charmed Ones -- when Phoebe foundThe Book of Shadowsin the attic. The enormous, ancient tome was filled with incantations, potions, and information passed down by generations of Halliwell witches, including their grandmother and mother. Mom and Grams were both gone now, leaving only Prue and her sisters to carry on their Charmed legacy.The freakiest thing was, they were the most powerful witches of allLenhard, Elizabeth is the author of 'Soul of the Bride' with ISBN 9780743412377 and ISBN 0743412370.