Spots 
Midsummer revels in tenth-century Rome bring together foreign traders, sorcerers, and pilgrims. Tristan of Avalon arrives carrying the silent weight of past wrongdoing. His sombre demeanor sets him apart from the boisterous crowd filling Piazza Navona. Seeking spiritual peace, he finds an unquiet metropolis where chaos reigns under the night sky.
BOOK THE FIRST → CHAPTER III THE DREAM LADY OF AVALON
Memory recalls idyllic gardens where Tristan pledged his heart to Hellayne. That paradise shattered when she revealed her marriage to Count Roger de Laval. Discovered together in a darkened forest, their secret meeting ended in painful separation. A single blue samite scarf remains as the quiet reminder of lost devotion.
CHAPTER IV THE WAY OF THE CROSS → CHAPTER VI THE COUP
Mediaeval Rome falls under the sway of ruthless aristocratic women who govern both papacy and populace. Theodora the Younger constructs a lavish court on Mount Aventine to rival her sister Marozia's legendary rule. Her striking beauty lures nobles and foreign princes from distant lands into her orbit. Men serve merely as temporary playthings for her relentless political ambition.
CHAPTER VII MASKS AND MUMMERS → CHAPTER X A SPIRIT PAGEANT
Thrust into urban turmoil, Tristan earns preferment from Senator Alberic after intervening during public unrest. Wandering past ruined monuments along the Appian Way, he reflects on the nature of Italian authority. Decay opens doors for bold adventurers willing to serve ruthless masters. Survival demands quick action where power shifts with every political turn.
CHAPTER XI THE DENUNCIATION → CHAPTER II THE CALL OF EBLIS
Grand Chamberlain Basil encounters the ominous adept Bessarion amidst a roaring storm at Hadrian's Tomb. Whispers of demonic lineage stoke Basil's dormant cruelty and lust for dominance. The sorcerer promises total power over Rome and the possession of Theodora. Fear transforms into dark exaltation as evil claims its willing instrument.
CHAPTER III THE CRYSTAL SPHERE → CHAPTER VI THE LURE OF THE…
A sinister gathering near the Colosseum brings Basil back to his malevolent guide. Bessarion demands a physical token to seal their agreement before the forces of darkness. Three drops of blood fall into a carved altar basin beneath flashing lightning. The Grand Chamberlain commits his soul to reach the heights of worldly power.
CHAPTER VII THE FACE IN THE PANEL → CHAPTER IX THE FEAST OF…
Theodora hosts a staggering banquet beneath a malachite dome, surrounded by international guests. Wine flows freely while exotic perfumes mask underlying rivalries and political hatreds. Defiance flares when a rival beauty dares to challenge the hostess's supreme charm. The night of revelry shifts quickly toward lethal retribution.
CHAPTER X THE CHALICE OF OBLIVION
Awakening after a night of terrifying violence, Tristan confronts Basil at Castel San Angelo. The city's atmosphere thickens with suspicion as factional feuds threaten fragile stability. Basil defends harsh despotism as the only mechanism capable of controlling a chaotic populace. Ruthless discipline replaces justice in a society governed by terror.
BOOK THE THIRD → CHAPTER IV FACE TO FACE
Count Roger de Laval establishes a fortress residence while plotting political gains through Basil. Locked away in dark galleries, Hellayne endures her husband's brutal taunts and malicious threats. Her heart remains steadfast in its devotion to Tristan despite mounting danger. Love becomes an unyielding force that rejects forced marital obligations.
CHAPTER V THE CRESSETS OF DOOM → CHAPTER VII A BOWER OF EDEN
A chance encounter in a moonlit sanctuary garden brings Tristan and Hellayne together once more. Their passionate embrace dissolves past hesitations and lingering doubts about morality. Danger surrounds them, yet love proves stronger than fear of earthly vengeance or spiritual condemnation. They pledge their fates to one another regardless of future consequences.
CHAPTER VIII AN ITALIAN NIGHT → CHAPTER X DEVIL WORSHIP
Sacrilegious thefts from Roman churches ignite widespread panic among citizens and clergy. Odo of Cluny reveals to Tristan the presence of a secretive cult worshipping darkness. High-ranking rulers conspire with this hidden movement to supplant holy authority. Tristan discovers that his own appointment was part of a larger, treacherous game.
CHAPTER XI BY LETHE'S SHORES → CHAPTER XIII THE CONVENT IN…
Tristan resolves to protect Hellayne from immediate capture by spiriting her away in monastic robes. Disguised as Benedictine friars, they navigate murky Roman alleys under cover of night. He delivers her to the sanctuary of Santa Maria in Trastevere for safe keeping. Duty calls him back to urgent perils before sunrise.
CHAPTER XIV THE PHANTOM OF THE LATERAN → CHAPTER III THE LURE
Three days of silence leave Hellayne agonizing over Tristan's unexplained absence. News arrives that he has been arrested for the severe sacrilege at the Lateran. Realizing he is the target of a sinister conspiracy, she refuses to believe his guilt. Isolation forces her to seek a way to vindicate her lover.
CHAPTER IV A LYING ORACLE → CHAPTER VII A ROMAN MEDEA
Rejection drives Theodora to seek lethal vengeance against her beautiful rival. She travels by night to a dark ravine housing the laboratory of the alchemist Sidonia. The two women forge a pact based on shared cruelty and ruthless cunning. Deadly poisons offer an invisible weapon to eradicate any impediment to desire.
CHAPTER VIII IN TENEBRIS → CHAPTER X THE BROKEN SPELL
Masked allies assemble outside an ancient Etruscan pavilion during a raging tempest. Spanish guards and church leaders prepare to strike at the center of the blasphemous cult. Tristan joins the assault, determined to restore order and save his beloved. Light and shadow clash in a decisive confrontation at dawn.
CHAPTER XI THE BLACK MASS → CHAPTER XII SUNRISE
Discover how romance, political corruption, and sorcery collide in the dark landscape of mediaeval Rome.