Page 74 of Secrets of the Six

The first guard slices down, but Remus easily sidesteps the attack and sweeps his leg around, kicking him against his temple and knocking him to the ground. He moves on to the second guard leaving the third to me. I grin, knowing I'm going to hand this man his ass. The patrolman thrusts his rapier toward me, and I knock my knee against his hand, unarming him. I three-piece punch him in the gut before taking the rapier he dropped and smashing the butt end down on his head. I toss the weapon away from his crumpled body and watch as Remus throws his elbow connecting with the guard's jaw. A loud crack echoes down the street.

"Time to go." Remus snatches my hand, and we take off in a sprint down the alley and cut to the right.

It won't be long before the soldiers collect themselves and chase after us. Thankfully, we're both fast and light on our feet. It'll take them all night to find us and that's if we don't get out of the Golden District by then.

We hit a sharp left and when we reach a stunning house with green shutters and a sloped terracotta roof on the corner nearest the canal, Remus drags me to the fenced backyard and crouches, cupping his hands to give me a boost. I run and step in his hands and he heaves me over the hedges beyond the black-iron fence and into the garden. Remus swings himself over with little effort and takes my hand to tug me to the back door.

"Are you breaking in?" I ask, my eyes darting to the back corner of the garden where we came from, hearing the guards but not seeing them yet.

"It's not breaking in when I live here." He swipes a key from beneath a flowerpot and unlocks the door. He pulls me inside and shuts it just as the patrolmen round the corner. We both duck behind the wall and sneak a peek through the curtained windows. They stop and scan up and down the street, but when they come up empty, they sheathe their weapons and march out of view.

I exhale a sigh of relief as Remus stands from his hiding spot. Footsteps sound down the grand staircase at the front end of the house and an older man darts around dressed in pajamas and a striped night hat slung crookedly on his head.

"Sir? Is that you?"

"All is well, Manuel." Remus slides his mask off his face and smiles. "I'm sorry we woke you."

"It's alright, sir. As long as you are safe."

"Yes, we're fine." Remus presses his hand against the small of my back. "Manuel, this is Ines. She is posing as Doña Otero's niece. Please see to it you send word to Doña Otero first thing in the morning of her whereabouts and the need for her to be picked up discreetly at her earliest convenience."

"Wait," I hiss, confused. "You're not suggesting I spend the night here?"

"Of course you're spending the night." He says as if it's the simplest thing in the world. "The Black Guard will be on high alert patrolling the district looking for two very good-looking vigilantes. It's not safe for us to be out and test fate a second time."

"Third."

"Pardon?"

"A third time," I repeat. "If you've already forgotten, we had a run in with the Red Guard earlier."

"Ah, right. I did forget about that." He removes his cloak and hands it to Manuel. "I'll give Ines a tour. No need to stay up any longer, Manuel."

"Of course, Sir." He bows his head and makes his way back to the staircase, disappearing from sight.

"Do you trust him?" I whisper. "You told him exactly who I was."

"I trust Manuel with my life. He's kept all of my secrets for years."

"But – "

"He's a Venturan," Remus cuts me off. "Everyone who works in my house is Venturan. Hence why I trust them wholeheartedly."

"But not me." I say bitterly and it catches him off-guard, but not enough to address my comment.

He clears his throat, coughing into his closed fist, and motions me to follow him. "I'll show you around."

Remus escorts me around the first level of his home. His mansion boasts an enormous kitchen, dining room, living room and study before ushering me upstairs. By my count, there are five bedrooms, three bathrooms and another living room. His house is decorated tastefully, and I dare say my mouth is salivating imagining how I'll furnish my house once I have it.

He pops open a door at the end of one of the hallways and says, "This is the guest room."

"Where I'll be sleeping?"

"If you like." There's a devilish gleam in his eyes as he tilts his head for me to continue after him.

At the end of the corridor toward the front of the house, he flings double arched doors open, and we enter a large bedroom with herringbone wooden beams on the ceiling, warm toned terracotta flooring, and a massive four-post bed with billowing white sheets and a mountain of fluffy pillows. The floor to ceiling curtains are drawn so I'm denied the view, but my eye catches sight of an adjoining bathroom with a porcelain clawfoot tub that could easily fit two people.

Remus stalks over to the fireplace and lights it. The crackle of the charring wood eases my sour mood.