Mallory Fontaine, a feisty young tour guide who keeps a dagger hidden in her boot, waits on a dark street corner outside the abandoned House Saphir for her clients. Louis Dumas, a portly gentleman, arrives with his sister Sophia, a young woman with a tattoo on her shaved head identifying her as an initiate priestess of Tyrr. Mallory has little interest in any of the seven gods worshipped by the elite since the fall of the veil almost 20 years ago, an event that collapsed the two worlds of mortals and monsters. The Dumases are atypical visitors, unlike the usual thrill-seekers, outcasts, and couples who behave like delicate damsels and chivalrous protectors during her macabre-themed tour.

Louis explains they are taking the tour on their last night in Morant at the suggestion of a witch on Rue Tilance, who, seemingly unbeknownst to them, is Mallory’s older sister and accomplice, Anaïs Fontaine. Though descendants of witches, the sisters have no magic and make a living by running scams. Louis purchased a rare god-relic from the witch’s shop, an item Mallory knows is fake. The final guest, Monsieur Badeaux, is late, and Mallory starts the tour without him.