Leon found me in a small antechamber off the Great Hall. He was panting, clearly exhausted from having run to get here. His suit, rich black with faint maroon highlights, was certain to be damp with sweat.

"Where have you been?!" I hissed. "We start in less than five minutes!"

He rolled his eyes and caught his breath. "You would not believe how difficult it was to find Lord Brux in that crowd. And he was so insistent on telling me just how tricky it had been to find the ...