The room Dale stepped into felt more like a real living space than any other part of the bunker. A thick rug covered most of the floor. The walls were painted in a warm tone and the flames in the fireplace gave everything a homey feel. Dale felt as if he had stepped into his own grandfather's cozy office to hear a bedtime story rather than a secured room to meet with his mysterious employer.
Just as Dale finished surveying the room, a voice came from the corner and a figure stepped out of the deep shadows.
"We meet at last," a faint female voice entered into his mind and his ears. "Dale Burgess."
The three rules Jazia had gone over with him were quickly forgotten as he searched for an appropriate response.
"Uh, hi," was the best he could come up with. He stared at the shadowy woman, unable to make out any distinct details.
She laughed at his response. "Well, I suppose you weren't chosen for your charismatic personality."
Dale smiled. "No. That's never been my speciality."
"Well we all have our talents. Now Mr. Burgess, won't you please have a seat so we can conduct this interview more comfortably?" She motioned to the desk taking up the center part of the room.
He nodded, but stood still, waiting for her to move towards the desk first as Jazia's words came back to his memory. The air in the room suddenly felt heavy, urging Dale to take a seat by the desk.
"I believe it's proper for you to sit first, ma'am," he managed to say through the weight of the empty space. Dale had never experienced this type of magic before despite his numerous encounters with magic wielding beings including witches, sorcerers, and a demon.
Though her facial features remained obscured in the shadows, he felt sure the woman was smiling. A gentle laugh sounded all around him. "I see Jazia did a better job preparing you for this meeting than she did the last one."
The woman stepped into the firelight and paused, allowing Dale a few moments to catch his breath. He had never seen such a beautiful woman. Her figure was fit, implying she went to the gym often. Her clothes appeared to be high end, but from an older era. Her face seemed young, but mature.
Dale's mouth opened slightly in a mix of awe and horror as his eyes reached hers. The first thing he noticed were her red pupils. The rest of her eyes were the deepest black he had seen. His glance moved up a little further to her hair. It was a translucent white, yet seemed to reflect every color of the rainbow in it. The longer he stared at her, the harder it became to think about anything else besides that her and that hair.
"Whoa," Dale whispered under his breath. He continued to take in every detail of her hair. Gravity seemed to have no effect on it, as it floated in all directions giving an alien vibe to her entire appearance.
"It's impolite to stare," the woman corrected him, a hint of harshness in her voice.
"Oh, uh," He began. "Sorry. Your-" He stopped himself as Jazia's rules replayed in his mind.
"Go on," the woman said. She had stopped right by the large office chair behind the desk.
"You're just a lot younger than I expected." Dale smiled, trying to seem genuine in his lie.
The woman stared at him. He couldn't tell if it was out of curiosity or anger.
After several moments, she broke into a fake smile. "Please, sit. Let's continue with our interview."
"Of course," Dale replied. He didn't move as he watched her sit down. Breathing a gentle sigh of relief, he walked to the desk and took a chair opposite of her.
Nobody spoke for several painfully silent moments. He fidgeted in his chair a bit, forcing himself to wait for the hostess to speak again.
"Well, tell me about yourself, Mr. Dale Burgess. I'm afraid all I know is your name and that you are a skilled adventurer, more knowledgeable than most about magical creatures."
"Oh, well," he said. "That about sums me up."
She stared at him with those cold eyes. "Surely there's more to you than a name and resume. Do you have family? A girlfriend perhaps?"
Dale swallowed. The air felt heavy around him again.
"I simply wish to get to know you better Mr. Burgess. No harm in that, hmm?" Her words pressed hard into his mind.
"I'm single currently, and I live alone." The truth came out of his mouth before he could stop it. Silently cursing himself for getting in over his head, he determined to not share anything more personal than that.
"Oh. I see. No family then?"
The urge to spill his guts about Warren and other distant relations was nearly impossible to resist, but Dale focused on his breathing while reminding himself that he couldn't get his brother involved in this. It could ruin Warren and his future aspirations if word about his ties to a shady brother came out.
"Nope," he said, trying to sound casual in his answer.
"Very well. That makes you a perfect candidate for this team. We only take those who have no one they're leaving behind."
"Oh. I guess that makes sense if the mission is dangerous."
"Well that's part of the reasoning. Do you have any questions for me before we conclude?"
"Um, what exactly is the objective of the mission? The packet never said what we would be doing for the two weeks." Dale said, relieved to finally get some answers.
"A fair question. At the most basic level, you and the rest of the elite team will be helping make the magical world a safer place. Your assignment is to ensure a certain leader among the fairy brookers from attending a meeting in which he is planning to propose new regulations which would greatly harm the wild fairy population."
"Oh," Dale said, somewhat surprised. "That's actually a good cause."
"You're surprised I hired you to do good?" the woman replied, clearly amused.
"It's just not what I was expecting," he amended. "But why do we need two weeks to accomplish this?"
"Well you will need to do some basic surveillance to ensure his disappearance goes unnoticed."
"That makes sense."
"Anymore questions?"
"Just one. Will we meet again before the two weeks finish? Or is this a once ever type of meeting?"
"Ah. I suppose I should explain now. I realize that originally the mission was stated to only be two weeks long, but, well, since we are the type of people who like to keep out of sight and stay in the wind, I'm afraid that you will not be returning to your previous life. I'm sure Jazia, Kelly, and Jameson will enjoy the permanent extra set of hands around here and for other missions"
Dale's mouth dropped open. "I'm sorry… I don't understand. I agreed to a temporary assignment."
"The agreement has been altered. We can't let riff raff and sketchy adventurers such as yourself come and go as they please. This is a covet organization. Once you're in, you don't get to leave."
"I'm afraid that won't work for me," Dale said, standing from his chair. "I appreciate the opportunity, but I'd rather choose my work and my employers."
Before he could move away from the desk, he was forced back into his seat. Laughter filled the room and his head. "You don't get a choice anymore. Welcome to the Shadows."