This is it. So easy. The entire attic looks like a mix between an artist’s workshop and a mad scientist’s lair, if you consider serial killers who make lamps out of people's skin artists, and in the middle of the room stands their target.

It looks like a small stick of wood, barely as long as an arm. At one  end, a bundle of twine binds a tube at a ninety degree angle and at the end of this tube there are three sharp needles the color of the night.

Nathan silently picks up the tool and positions it in a box nearby. Seren sees him pick up a few vials of liquid as well, consider them carefully and place them next to the tool.

Seren sweeps the room with her light. There are a few actual machines of unknown function, nothing too big and definitely nothing too new. A few tables host a hoard of various tools ranging from the obvious, like screwdrivers and pincers, to the clearly exotic like a copper tube with some sort of crystal at the end. There are also a few things used for paintings and what are obviously animal remains. The place is messy, dirty and it stinks of stale air, humidity and rot. Stains running down the tables and molten metal on the ground indicate that the person who lived there was quite frankly a slob, and also a budding psychopath. Fan-fucking-tastic.

Nathan grabs a few things from a table and turns to her.

“We got what we wanted. We should leave."

"We’re not going to look downstairs?"

"There could be an alarm and I learnt enough, we should quit while we’re ahead."

"Fair enough”.

Besides some awkwardness trying to get back on the ladder, their exit is uneventful. They leave the warehouse to find the bitter cold of December night greeting them. Agrias is standing next to Nathan’s battered SUV.

“Do you have it?"

"Who the fuck are you?”

Seren almost jump in surprise at Nathan’s answer. It’s obviously Agrias, they have the same face, same cloth, and the paths around her behave the same way. What is going on?

Instead of answering, Agrias smiles. Yep, same teeth as well, yet Nathan does not seem to be convinced. Curiouser and curiouser.

"Well met. You can call me Katagrias."

"I thought you were otherwise engaged."

"I was, and now I am not."

"So soon?"

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Seren decides that it would be wise to interrupt before Nathan says something that offends their first paying customer.

“Hum Nathan it’s already 10 PM."

"It is? Oh. I guess it is. You must be here for this."

Nathan offers the case. Katagrias opens it and inspects the strange object briefly before closing it.

"We will offer you a bonus for retrieving the ink as well."

Even after watching her for a minute, Seren still has no idea what differentiates the two twins. They look identical to her. Nathan is acting weird around them, so maybe it’s related to his own ability, or else it’s something pervy like breast size and that would really be a shame because the girls are clearly underage. Then again, he just said no to Agrias’ date idea. Then again, he was wise to refuse in front of Seren because she would have reported him to the FBI. Gah, nevermind, Seren should probably stop this line of reasoning.

Katagrias wordlessly does something on her phone and Nathan takes out his and nods. Katagrias then takes out a file in reach cream color with a seal in red wax from… Somewhere and hands it out.

“What’s this?"

"We have received two requests for employment within your… Company. We have enclosed their Resume as well as our notes."

"You guys are also headhunters? Seriously?"

The woman smirks.

Seren sees Nathan recoil briefly. He really walked into that double entendre didn’t he?

"Well played. I don’t suppose that you could find us customers as well?"

Of course we will advertise your services and take a commission on every successful transaction. Please bear in mind that a small proportion of North American population is aware of the existence or resurgence of magic, therefore…

"Yeah yeah I got it"

Seren notes that Katagrias is incredibly talkative compared to her twin. Not sure she likes it, her voice is… Strange. Almost hissy.

When they get back into the car, Seren feels that she has to ask.

“Any reason why you’re so aggressive with the girls?"

"First those are not girls for sure. They’re not human."

"Well Gwahin is not human either but you’re much cooler with her."

"They feel too alien to me, and we’re being used and helped at the same time, and that makes me uncomfortable."

"How so?"

"Do you know what we picked up?"

"Uh no I did not recognize it. It looks like a writing tool or something."

"Close but no cigar, this is a tattoo instrument and the ink we recovered is used for this."

"And?"

"The big Varog that almost killed us had a tattoo. It was made with that thing, they have the same aura."

"Wait you said the guy was human?"

"Yeah there is an experienced weaver working with Varogs. Not just that, but he also had access to equipment from the House, and the House led us right to him. I expect Jin counted on me to make the connection."

"That’s surprisingly helpful of them."

"That’s weird because I think giving us two more contacts is also a big help. And one of the twins could have done this job. It almost feels like they are grooming us and pointing us in the right direction, but for what purpose?"

"We’re probably an investment."

Seren considers that investors usually have a way of controlling their investments. Since the House is the only link between the magic world and themselves they have it, for now, but as they grow there will be more opportunities to emancipate. Seren wonders what the House’s end game is but decides the let the matter drop for now. It’s not like she knows enough to guess.

“Wait, where are we going?! This is not the direction of the hotel!”

Nathan turns to her, winks and points his thumb to the back seat. Seren turns around to find a fully stacked box of… Twinkies?

"Oh no you fucking didn’t!"

"I sure did!"

"We don’t have time the Park closes at midnight"

"It’s barely 10Pm we will be fine."

"I don’t want to see her again."

"Relax it will be fine."

So it is decided that they would visit the queen of rats.