The private aviation terminal was a fortress of quiet luxury, insulated from the brewing storm outside. Thunder rumbled low and ominous, vibrating against the floor-to-ceiling glass windows that overlooked the tarmac. The sky was the color of a bruised plum, heavy and weeping, as the first violent d

*Three Years Later — Vienna, Austria*

The dressing room of the Musikverein was steeped in a rich, golden light, smelling faintly of polished wood, rosin, and expensive lilies. I sat in front of the vanity mirror, adjusting the lapels of my tailored black velvet tuxedo jacket.

I looked at my refle