She lifts the latch slowly, careful not to let the metal creak. The instant the latch unhooks, she throws the door open. Ines and Aarya bolt through and a half second later I hear the whizzing sound of two darts. Ash and I are right behind them and we each run for a guard. I barely get ahold of mine, swaying under his weight, and place him silently on the floor. My pulse pounds in my head and my temples throb.

We pause once again to assess our surroundings. We’re in what I would consider an antiquated version of a mudroom. There are iron hooks on the wall with hooded cloaks hanging from them, wooden shelves containing gloves and hats, and winter boots lined up against the wall in varied sizes. Everything is black and matches the Strategia aesthetic. I gulp. The number of items in this room suggests a large household and I’m willing to bet that this isn’t the only entrance or the only mudroom in this place.

Aarya quickly makes her way to the archway leading into the estate. She peers around the stone and, after a beat, waves to us to follow her. And we do, but not before I take another look at the passed-out guards. With all these cloaks, why aren’t we seeing more of them? This feels too easy.

I follow my friends into a wide corridor lit by sconces and hung with oversized paintings of serious-looking men and women posed with lions. The ceilings are so high that the paintings loom above us, requiring us to strain our necks if we want to look at them. But maybe that’s the point—grandeur and intimidation.

Aarya slows as we approach a tall archway. She judiciously peers around it, waits a beat, and gestures for us to follow. I look through the archway into what appears to be an empty study with a fireplace and a large desk. And we keep moving past a sitting room, two hallways, a music room, and three closed doors. I know it’s the middle of the night, but the emptiness seems out of place and it’s starting to give me a sinking feeling.