"What we've learned so far" a tired director Holston said, easing herself into the chair behind her cluttered desk. "Is that certain foreign powers want to capture or, barring that, kill you."

  Jade just stared at the older woman. She was back in the L-Ref HQ, and the two of them were alone in the director's office. Alan was being seen to by one of the base medics, and their guard had departed to rejoin her unit. The lingering psychic connection of the charm spell tugged at the back of Jade's mind. It was a little distracting.

  "I gathered that when we were attacked." Jade said, annoyed. "Why do they want that?"

  "You're the first wayfarer to gain her advanced class." Irene answered calmly, unperturbed by Jade's ire. "I'm not sure if they want to deny the US an advantage in the Labyrinth, or plan to force you to tell them what titles you acquired so quickly."

  "Advantage?" Jade was disgusted. "Are you all really playing politics while we're fighting to protect the world from being stripped bare? Not to mention stopping a demon invasion?"

  "No one else knows about the demons. You stressed the importance of keeping the extent of our knowledge close to the chest."

  "You should be working together anyway."

  "Most of the world is. But there will always be the shortsighted and greedy who seek personal gain at the expense of others. Why do you think we've been keeping you and your friends under our protection?"

  "Not that it did very much good. Our babysitter almost died in the attack, and so did my brother. That cannot happen again."

  The director's expression grew more serious, although she didn't look up from the display in front of her as she rapidly keyed something into her computer.

  "We're already increasing security around the base and deploying teams to watch the families of all domestic wayfarers. And your teammate, Naomi's family, as they're now in the city. Rest assured, your families will be safe while you're exploring the Labyrinth."

  "They'd better be." Jade finally sat in the chair opposite the director, crossing her arms. "You have no idea how powerful Earth wayfarers are going to get. How strong some of us already are. Things could get dangerous, quickly."

  She thought about the two wayfarers they'd run into on the first floor. The ones who had been luring in and ambushing other lost souls from Earth, stealing from them and leaving them defenseless.

  "There are a lot of people who shouldn't have power like this."

  "It's not as if we hadn't already considered that possibility. Believe me, L-Ref is doing everything it can to keep the domestic situation under control." Director Holston lifted her gaze from the laptop she was using, still typing as she met Jade's eyes. "Tell me, are you someone we can count on to keep any… dissenters… under control? Should the need arise."

  "If you keep my family safe, including helping my brother get the best treatment possible, then I'll do my part."

  Jade figured that was the bare minimum she was owed for all she was already doing but honestly, she didn't need much of an excuse to put a power-hungry thug in his or her place.

  "Anyway." Now it was her turn to lean forward. "I have something to share with you."

  The typing finally stopped. The director swiveled in her chair, giving Jade her full attention. The succubus could sense a feeling of exasperation emanating from the woman, and she had to fight back a smile.

  Yeah, join the club. Not so fun, having things dumped on you one after the other, is it?

  "And that is…?"

  Jade drew in a short breath. She had promised herself that the next time she saw the director, she would reveal the true nature of her race to her. Now that it was all but certain demon spies were in their ranks, it was more important than ever to get the secret out before anyone found out on their own and thought that she was one of them. And yet, Jade had been hesitating. There was less than a day left on the timer counting down to when she would be returned to the Labyrinth. Tonight was the last opportunity to open up.

  It was a little silly, plenty of people in the Labyrinth knew that she was a succubus. Anyone who made it to the elven city Lysara would certainly find out, given Jade's status as a local celebrity. But that was different. In the Labyrinth, people were used to magic, wayfarers, and the general bizarre nature of the world they lived in. People on Earth were not. Coming out as a demon, on the eve of a demon invasion, was sure to lead to complications.

  But not as many as hiding it will.

  "Remember when I told you about my shapeshifting power?"

  "I do. I've made discreet inquiries since you last entered the Labyrinth. So far, I haven't found direct evidence of any demons in our ranks."

  "Direct evidence?" Jade asked, latching onto the word.

  Director Holston waved the question away.

  "Nothing conclusive, and nothing I can share. By all accounts, Jade, you have a tendency to dive into every problem headfirst. That isn't the kind of approach that will yield good results here."

  Jade had to admit that she was probably right about that.

  "Remember, you're not the only one who can solve problems. You did well to bring this to my attention, and I'll take it from here. Where you and your team can help most is in the Labyrinth. You've already conquered one core, and I'm sure you'll want to help with more."

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  "Definitely." Jade nodded.

  "Excellent. Now, there was something else you wanted to share?"

  The director's tone made it clear that she wasn't looking forward to having another problem dumped on her. Jade didn't care. If Irene didn't want the headaches of being in charge, she shouldn't have taken the job.

  "My shapeshifting powers." Jade said, taking another steadying breath. "They don't come from my class."

  "The other primary source of powers granted from the Labyrinth comes from your race, correct?"

  The director was quick on the uptake, there was no doubt about that.

  "That's right."

  "Well, what did you choose that gave you this… interesting… capability?"

  The director's eyes asked a different, unspoken question. 'And why didn't you tell me this before?'

  "I was wounded by a monster when I reached the sanctuary where I became a wayfarer." Jade explained, doing her best to conceal her anxiety. She tensed, not sure what reaction to expect. "I chose a demon race."

  The director's eyebrows rose. When she didn't immediately speak, Jade found herself continuing.

  "I was poisoned, and there was only one option that would save me from it. So, I transformed into a demon, the same kind of creatures that are trying to break free from their prison in the Labyrinth."

  "I see." The director's expression was neutral. She must've trained hard at controlling her emotions, because Jade couldn't taste anything from her mind. After months of being able to easily read everyone she encountered, that was surprisingly unnerving. "You and your team mentioned there are different kinds of demons. Which kind are you?"

  "A succubus. The race gives me shapeshifting and charm spells. Ah, that means-"

  "I know what charm spells do." The director cut her off with a raised hand. "So, what you're saying is you have the powers of a spy?"

  "I… Yes."

  "Are you using your charms on me right now?"

  "No."

  "Would I know if you were?"

  "I honestly don't know. Maybe not right away, but they don't last forever."

  Jade neglected to mention that she could in fact extend the duration of her charms indefinitely. Some tricks were best kept to herself.

  "I see." Director Holston leaned back in her chair, scrutinizing Jade. "You're worried that once the demons reveal themselves, you'll be grouped in with the rest of them."

  "Pretty much." Jade admitted. "Honestly, telling anyone I'm a demon feels like a big risk. I don't want a crowd trying to lynch me."

  "I wish I could say that’s paranoid, but it wouldn't be the first case. I've read through your file. Your life is well documented, I know you aren't a spy. But I'd recommend keeping your new race to yourself. Your shapeshifting is attributed to a class power in our records, and we'll keep it that way."

  "Thank you, director." Jade said, breathing a sigh of relief.

  "I would've had a harder time believing you about everything you claim is going on if not for other reports of demon attacks."

  "There have been others? Where?"

  "Just some encounters in the Labyrinth between with our wayfarers. You aren't the only one to run afoul of them. That, and word of the diplomatic incident you caused in Estelhelm spread quickly. A certain 'Countess Montrell' has already sent a letter of complaint."

  "We exposed a group of murderous demons hiding in their city." Jade said, crossing her arms. "And they threw us out for it. I won't apologize for that."

  "Just… please don't go back there anytime soon." Irene sighed, rubbing her temples with two fingers. "The point is, there's something going on, and we don't want you stuck in the middle of it. Thank you for confiding in me, I'll make sure you don’t have any problems on the home front. With your race, or more unexpected visitors." She finished darkly.

  Jade recognized a dismissal when she heard one. She wanted to ask more, like if they had any idea who had ordered nuclear weapons stockpiled near Labyrinth entrances, but knew she wouldn't get any answers. In the Labyrinth, she was one of the highest levelled wayfarers, at the forefront of the push for the cores. Here on Earth, she was a civilian. The status didn't transfer. At least, it didn't yet.

  Jade wondered how long that would last.

  "Thank you, director." She said, standing up. "Please, make sure my brother is taken care of."

  "I'll see to it. Now, get some rest. Wayfarers have been gathering in Illysport on the third floor, making pushes towards the cores. They could use your team's help."

  "Then that's our next stop."

  Director Holston pushed a button on her desk and the door opened, revealing a handsome man in a Hawaiian shirt. Deputy director Sam Wilson stood with his hand raised, ready to knock. He took a surprised step back, allowing Jade to pass.

  "Sam, would you show miss Callian out?" the director asked. "I need a few minutes to prepare before the staff meeting."

  "Of course, director." Sam nodded and gave Jade a pat on the shoulder. "I hear you landed in quite a mess today."

  "It's becoming something of a habit." Jade grunted, following him down the hall. "Would you show me where my brother is staying?"

  Regardless of the director's promise, Jade wasn't leaving Alan alone tonight. Some of their attackers had escaped, and while she was fairly confident that no one would be stupid enough to try and get to him on-base, she wasn't going to take the risk. Not while she had a choice.

  "Of course. Follow me."

  Irene pressed the button and watched her office door slide shut behind them. As soon as the lock clicked she opened a hidden drawer in her desk and took out a small vial of clear liquid. She drank the expensive cleanse potion, the liquid burning down her throat like a shot of strong alcohol. Grimacing at the taste, she waited a few moments.

  Nothing.

  She wasn't under any charm effects, then. Not from Jade, nor anyone else.

  "Small mercies." She muttered, clicking an icon on her laptop.

  The HQ security feed came up, and she changed the view until she could see Jade and Sam exit the building, heading towards the housing units.

  Jade was something of a wild card, but Irene trusted that she was at least trying to do the right thing. The woman who led the team that took down the first Labyrinth core had earned the benefit of the doubt, not to mention the demon plots that same team had foiled.

  Demons…

  Her eyes tracked the other figure on the display. An extensive background check of her entire staff had taken far longer than she'd wanted, both due to damaged infrastructure and an unwillingness to delegate any of the work to potentially compromised subordinates.

  She'd finally finished just before Jade's return from the Labyrinth, and the results were concerning.

  Sam Wilson, her deputy director, had come highly recommended by senior staff in the National Security Agency. The formation of L-Ref had been so fast, many of the normal screening procedures had been abbreviated or outright cut as the government scrambled to respond to the completely unexpected threat of the Labyrinth. So, Irene wasn’t surprised to find many oddities in the files of her staff. She could deal with people who had a record, or questionable foreign ties. It was a crisis, and they needed everyone they could get.

  But Sam was different. Anything more than a cursory inspection into his background revealed a frightening truth. According to the paper trail, the man hadn't existed until a little over one year ago. All documentation older than that were fakes and forgeries, Irene was certain of it. Not even especially good ones.

  That, coupled with Jade's warnings and reports from other teams in the Labyrinth, gave her cause to worry. Was her deputy director a demon in disguise? Some other entity from beyond their world? Or was he a more mundane threat? Irene was unwilling to draw firm conclusions from circumstantial evidence, but one thing was clear. He wasn't who he appeared to be.

  As for what his goals were, the best way to discover that was to watch and wait. That, and keeping a drawer full of cleansing potions in her office desk.

  Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.

  Words to live by, if ever there were any.