Haley is on her second week of a file-sort contract. She’s cleared to work with military records and has been slogging through years of research on artifacts that are only referred to vaguely. She is looking through a file and finds a piece of jewellery in the file with a lot of notes. She grabs the file and the bracelet and slips down the servants’ stairs to hand them off to the researchers in the basement, and that is where things go wrong.
The world is in danger. A rift of temporally stuck, highly radioactive marauders manage to saw through the space between worlds every six centuries. They are due any day now, and the military and family responsible for the defense are struggling to find the means to unlock the weapons they need. There are never any clues left by the original defenders, just the vague weapons.
Haley’s attempt to sneak the file into the lab is thwarted when a test subject is turned to ash. She’s caught, and she’s next.
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Haley showed her identification at the third gate and smiled. “Thank goodness it’s Friday. Nice creases on your uniform.”
He checked her biometrics with a scanner and nodded his shadowy head. “It is Friday. Congratulations.”
Haley took her card back and smiled. “Thanks.”
He paused as he was about to trigger the gate and looked at her with the red eyes and smoky grey skin of a warlock. His low creak of a voice rumbled out, “Happy birthday, Miss Preller.”
She blinked and saw his smile. White teeth on black gums. She smiled back and gave him a happy shrug. “Thank you.”
The gate opened, and she drove down the lane and up to the mansion of the Renith family. Military vehicles overran the parking area, and her little sub-compact looked like a colourful toddler in the parking lot.
She got her thermos and lunch and headed inside. She was a temp with security clearance and a completely clean criminal record. It was weird being the only working person in the building without a uniform, but she used the opportunity to dress like a dork. When she walked through the door, she felt the gazes on her blazer and skirt, with no idea that she was wearing a tee that had Beekeepers do it outside on it. It was a gag gift from a friend, but the logo was concealed when her jacket was buttoned, and she put on a vest while she was working.
She swiped her credentials to head up the stairs, through the magical restraint curtain, and headed up to the office. Her desk was in the middle of the file room, and her task was to look for all expenses in relation to the project while sorting out the detail sheets for the project they were there to work on.
Whoever had been there before her had just pitched all documents and readings and records into boxes and piled them up. She had been working at Renith House for two weeks and had only gotten through four boxes in that time. She still had over a dozen to go.
She hung up her blazer, put her vest on, and did up the buttons. Haley tiptoed past the military offices and put her lunch in the fridge. They didn’t like to see her loose outside of designated break times.
She crept back toward her workroom when Lord Renith came up the stairs. He smiled. “Good morning, Miss Preller. You are looking lovely this morning.”
She put a finger to her lips. “Shh. Don’t let them know I was out of my cage, your lordship.”
“Your secret is safe with me. Have a good day. That colour really suits you.”
Haley blinked and looked at his blond good looks and calm, suave demeanour. He looked like the lord of the manor without being overly muscled like some of the military men roaming the property.
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