Left on the doorsteps of the Rathmore residence, is a brown paper bag with a red ribbon under a golden wax seal. In the bag is generously frosted cookies in shapes of hearts and crocodiles. The bag came with a note saying, ‘May the frosty hearts of lizard men be filled with love’.
An icy wind ruffled the collar of Valko’s unbuttoned shirt, the same one he had been wearing all of yesterday and the evening before that as well. The morning sun did little to warm the air. His sister liked to enchant all of her clothing to block out the chill, but he had more important things that needed his energy now. He couldn’t go around throwing magic at every stupid inconvenience when pulling on a coat would do.
He stared at the bag. Near his right foot, Nostradamus stood on his hind legs, leaning forward to sniff at the unexpected parcel. Valko didn’t like surprises. Not anymore. Especially not surprises that came with cryptic notes. Bending down to read the strange phrase about love and lizards was as close as he got to the thing. He exchanged a wary look with the creature by his side. He wasn’t about to open it himself.
“Go see what it is,” he said. The raccoon immediately pulled his head back. They stared at each other for a few seconds. Then the creature turned around, and waddled back inside the farmhouse.
“Bitch.”
Jerk. The word popped into Valko’s mind so suddenly he might almost have mistaken it for his own private thoughts. Nostradamus usually preferred action to mindless chatter. Fucking hell, what was he even supposed to do with this.
“Odie!” he called up the stairs. His sister didn’t answer.
Fine. He would take care of the damn thing himself, whatever it was. Valko raised one hand in the air, his palm facing outward. He bent his ring and pinky fingers, and began to mutter. A flash of light brightened the doorway. Flames engulfed the bag. He watched the brown paper turn to ash, leaving a black, smoldering pile on the doorstep. Grimacing, he brought his raised hand protectively to his chest and shut the door.
