Prologue
The night was not dark and stormy, instead it was cool and foggy, grey. Most residents of Wiltshire had the good sense to stay indoors. Three did not. One man, tall and powerful but afraid to exit his own home, looked at the weather and hurried inside, to put something warm on. Two people crept in the bushes, hiding from something, or someone. A small, smart one, cloaked and hidden from the sky, turned his head as the man went into his home. It was nearly time. And the third person, an observer of sorts, watched and saw all.
The cloaked figure stepped over the threshold of the mansion hesitantly, as if waiting for an attacker to emerge, or a secret to be revealed. Looking furtively around, and deciding that it was safe, they relaxed marginally. Like the fog that had swept in just that afternoon, the figure slipped silently from room to room until finally reaching a small forgotten parlor. Tension seemed to drain out of them, although the figure's guard was kept up.
To a casual observer it would appear that the figure had lit a lamp of some sort. A torch maybe. Only a person who was very informed of the world's secret happenings, such as the observer even now lurking outside the window, would recognize the tapering stick of dark, heavy wood for that which it truly was.
The light from the wand spilled over everything in the parlor, chasing away the shadows in all but the darkest corners. The furniture was quite ornate looking, and somehow seemed imposing and regal despite a thick blanket of dust that coated everything.
The figure had, by this point, relaxed so much that they had put their hood up slightly, not enough for the observer to see anything other than a pair of glittering, mirror-like eyes.
Then a heavy tread began, starting subtle but getting louder and louder as time passed. The observer outside leaned closer.
Rather than hiding, the intruder simply glanced at the doorway and let the hood slip back another inch. A taller figure, also cloaked, strode powerfully into the room. At first, the smart one had seemed tall, having nothing to be compared to, but around this new person they seemed quiet small. Then the larger figure waved a hand, and the room was illuminated. This would be excellent for the observer, if not for the clutching mist, which clung to the glass until everything blurred.
Voices could still be heard, however, and the story they told was a troubling one.
"You came?"
"Of course. Anyone with eyes can see that."
"Don't play games with me! Are you here to help me or are you just to going to stand there?"
The voice of the larger figure was cold and aristocratic. The voice of the smaller figure was younger and merrier, but with raspy undertones, as if it was not used often.
"Help you of course. I'd imagine that if I knew of your plans, but did not participate in them, you would kill me on the spot."
"Do you think you can accomplish the task?"
"Please. All you are asking me to do is to step outside and grab a package. Cake. If you are still worried, then look out the window that overlooks the alley. Your task will be accomplished as you see fit."
The observer at the window had leaned closer as the smart one and the owner of the house spoke of a task, now they jumped back. They skittered down the dingy street and as they passed a streetlamp, that was fighting a losing battle with the shadows, they could no longer suppress a childish giggle of glee.
The smaller figure had exited the house and was standing on the back step. Perhaps they had heard the giggle, or sensed that dark forces were about that night, because they looked around, tense once more, and put their hood down. They seemed to pause on the back step, enjoying the cool night air and the bright shine of the blue moon, or at least the remaining dredges that had gotten through the fog bank, or maybe they were scanning for the unseen, who slipped and pried, and dreamed of witnessing things like the dark deed that will be accomplished tonight.
The figure was about to head off, then they heard a faint rustling. They quickly descended into a hunters crouch, and snuck forward. Suddenly, they whipped around, running as quickly as possible away.
They were two feet from the door when the spell struck.
