Page 78 of The Dragon 2

He walked off and began to ascend the Grand Staircase.

We followed yet gave him space.

Reo got closer to me. “The Butcher greets us with female assassins and has us play the waiting game. We may not get the outcome we want tonight.”

“Let the Butcher play his strings. I am the one that will conduct the ending.”

Hiro got on my side. “Meaning?”

"If Jean-Pierre doesn’t hand me what I came for, we will burn this historic palace down around him."

Chapter fourteen

The East and the West

Kenji

The Corsican man led us away.

The doors to the main auditorium of the Palais Garnier opened.

We stepped inside.

It was like entering the ribcage of a god. Gold leaf coated every inch of the balconies, each carved with cherubs, serpents, and sirens in various stages of ecstasy. Crimson velvet draped the plush seats.

For now, there was no one inside but us and the orchestra tuning their instruments in the pit below.

Many said Paris was a city that belonged to no one, because the French didn’t close their historical sites for politicians,presidents, or popes—but. . .apparently, they did for the Butcher.

Above us, the ceiling bloomed in elegant color.

Beautiful.

It was dream-stained with floating figures and fragments of music. Blue horses. Green violinists. Lovers and ghosts drifting through sky.

Reo must have noticed me being taken aback by it because he whispered. “The artist is Chagall. The ceiling is divided into five panels that pay homage to fourteen famous composers—Mozart, Beethoven, etc.”

That must have been why each panel appeared so surreal.

Hiro snorted beside us and popped a lavender lollipop into his mouth. “Looks more like a fever dream than tribute.”

We followed the man down the central aisle and I felt a tightening in the air.

Then Hiro’s voice came out low. “Corsicans. Left balcony. Three rows back.”

I kept my view forward. “Skill level?”

“This is not a show of force. It’s a kill squad.”

Hiro didn’t look at them anymore. “They’re heavyweights. We could take them. But we’d be limping out.”

“How many?”

“Twenty I see lingering in the shadows. I’m sure there’s more.” Hiro frowned. “We should’ve brought more men.”

Reo, calm as ever, spoke without even glancing their way. “Bringing more men would’ve looked like disrespect.”

Hiro snorted. “Better disrespect than dead.”