Chapter 7:
Helena brushed her fingertips over the intricate cast-bronze Phoenix as she passed through the door. The high spots flashed shiny from the repeated caressing of the sculpture. The touch of the metal felt warm against the tips of her fingers. Somehow the feeling grounded her. Made her head swim less. The people inside the room waited for her and her friends to enter.
She stepped over the threshold into the room, and the torchlight intensified, revealing a room filled with bodies covered head to toe in black silk. She drew a parallel to the black-robed villains of the Society of the Draco. Why did the evil ones always seem to wear black? All that was missing were the hoods. These all wore their hair pulled back and braided into long ponytails, men and women alike. All Cantonese,
