At the foot of the grand Palais Brongniart at the corner of Rue Vivienne and Rue Réaumur, Lara looked down at her watch. Five minutes until eleven. The imposing building in front of her was too large to be so quiet. Moonlight illuminated the fronts of the pillars. The waiter at the bistro across the street was stacking chairs in an effort to close. During the day, this part of Paris was buzzing with offices and businesses, but at night, it was nearly abandoned. Other than the waiters and the occasional couple on their way home, there was nothing here. She looked down at the ticket and confirmed the streets. The courtyard in front of her was empty and dark.

She paced, her heels clicking on the cement. Turning, she thought she heard something behind her. Footsteps. She kept pacing. If anyone was watching her, she’d pretend like she was waiting for someone—she was waiting for someone. She regretted not telling Gaston what she was doing tonight, but she didn’t want to worry him or Barrow. After the woman had chased her, she should have been more careful, though she’d cast the protection spell again tonight before she left the hotel. She looked down at her watch again. Three minutes until eleven. All she had to do was hold this woman off for three minutes. Althacazur would find her.

The night air in Paris was sticky and warm, giving little relief. Feeling the need to dress for the occasion, she’d worn a black dress with strappy sandals like she was going to dinner or a concert. Slung over her arm was a denim jacket.

And she heard it again, the clicking of heels—a woman’s heels.

Lara spun. The noise was coming from the corner near Rue Vivienne where the streetlight was out. She felt a chill run up her neck. “Come on… come on.” She looked around for something to change. Silently, she began the chant.

Bracatus losieus tegretatto.

From a distance, she heard a church bell begin to clang. It was eleven. As if her vision were bending, she saw the pillars in front of her warp. At first it was small, like a ripple when you throw a small stone in the water. Within seconds, the smooth waves became more pronounced, like something was trying to tear through the scene. The streetlights dimmed, making a charged noise as the scene in front of her—the massive building with pillars—gave way. In its place emerged a giant round arena with an opulent gold entrance complete with a Devil’s open mouth.