Genevieve Grimm recalled that her first murder was in Rome, then described how crows began to shadow her days before her planned departure. While she pretended to follow a tourist itinerary set by her sister Ophelia, Genevieve was stalling, unsure about pursuing a stranger who might change her future. She noticed one crow watching her at breakfast outside her favorite pasticceria, where she was secretly reading a grimoire taken from Ophelia’s collection.

Over subsequent days, the birds multiplied and grew bolder: two accompanied her to and from the Porta Portese market, and three tapped at her bedroom window through the night. Genevieve avoided acknowledging why they followed her, but after a tour of the Colosseum at dusk, she stepped into streets lined with crows on rooftops and lamps, all fixated on her. They pursued her through the city, shrieking and swooping without harming her, creating an overpowering sense of urgency.

Fleeing to the rented town house, Genevieve begged for more time even as the birds crowded her windows and balcony. She rushed to the primary suite, dug through her trunk, and produced a black, silver-embossed envelope sealed with a thorned branch and an S. Inside was a velvety parchment: a letter from Barrington Silver of Enchantra Estate addressed to “Tessie,” apologizing for delays, insisting on an in-person reunion before the spring equinox during a brief sabbatical from duties to Knox, and enclosing funds for travel, mentioning ripe demonberries.

Genevieve recognized bled ink forming the shape of a crow and felt a warm, magical hum from the parchment, confirming the letter was enchanted and that the crows were a supernatural omen. She had intended to leave Rome in time but had procrastinated out of nerves and sightseeing. The letter’s urgency—“I insist you visit us before then”—made clear she could not delay further.

She tucked the invitation into her diary, snapped her trunks shut, and declared her intention to go. As the birds’ assault on the windows peaked, Genevieve hauled her luggage from the bed. When she turned to leave, the murder had vanished, signaling the omen had achieved its purpose and that her departure for Enchantra was set.