The house was quiet when they arrived.
Dane and Sofia had left a note saying they'd be out for the evening. The kitchen showed signs of Martha's earlier presence—a coffee mug in the sink, papers spread across the counter, and the particular organized chaos she created when working through complex problems.
Kate went upstairs to change out of her work clothes.
Jolthar retreated to his room and found clean clothing that didn't carry blood or torn fabric.
Martha arrived at 7:15, her arms full of documents and her expression showing the particular exhaustion that came from bureaucratic work rather than physical labor.
"I hate administrative days," she announced to the empty foyer.
"Give me actual dirt and rocks over budget reconciliation any day."
Kate appeared at the top of the stairs.
"Rough afternoon?"
"The university wants a full accounting of every piece of equipment we brought to Kreeshan. Every. Single. Piece. Including things we rented from third-party vendors."
