Chapter Four: Nathan

How fantastic. A ghost from his past, now here in the flesh, embedded in his cellphone, someone he'd be working with closely for the next who knew how many days, weeks, someone who showed a lot of promise, and he had no intention of breaking up with. He wanted to do things properly this time.

He was maybe a little smug about the idea, too, though it'd occurred to him at almost the same time he'd mentioned it to her.

I'm more of an idiot than you.

He'd shared so much with her that evening, more than he'd shared with others before. He wanted things to be right.

Unfortunately, despite the joy of working with such a person, the actual job, the work that this Morgryn character wanted him to do… began three days later, once the professors had collected the people they thought would suit the requirements of the job best. Nathan hadn't yet met with all of them, and if he had understood correctly, he might not have to meet at all.

Now he had to stand there again, in front of that snide, untrustworthy thing with the fae realm merged with theirs in an almost brutal way. The professors had erected a psychic barrier around the door since their last visit. He'd spotted the glamour instantly and admired the intricacy of it. The glamour simply persuaded anyone who might wander in there that they had something else urgent to do. Since most students did, in fact, have something urgent to do, it was pretty elegant in its execution.

"Only you are needed for the first part of the mission," Morgryn said. "The others will play their parts, but it's going to take a little while to make sure we settle everything without stirring up too much dust."

"Alright," Nathan replied.

Morgryn smiled and waved his fingers, and a powerful surge of magic hummed through the room. Nathan gritted his teeth, painfully aware that Morgryn's power levels were far greater than his own. But even with that power, Morgryn was limited as to what he could do. Otherwise, he wouldn't have needed to put together a team, and he wouldn't have been locked away in some isolated section of the fae realm for a decade.

A portal to the deep fae realm – the Unseelie realm —now shimmered in front of Nathan. "You want me to go… here?"

And how will he backstab me?

"Yes," Morgryn said. "I will explain your mission in brief. I do not wish for you to fail. Failing will have… consequences. This should be the easiest of the assignments, but that doesn't mean there is room for failure." His eerie eyes became slits, and his otherwise sharp face became demonic. "Whatever you may think of me, I do not wish for either of our realms to be destroyed because of the greedy hubris of others."

"Alright. Tell me what it is you intend," Nathan said, peering into the portal. The way the Unseelie realm unfolded before him was distorted like a mirror in a funhouse. However, he spotted a smudged, brownish object in the portal that stuck out like a sore thumb compared to the other surreal colorations.

"One of my allies lives in a little cottage there. Her name is Greer. She was my strongest ally at one time; however, with my subsequent betrayal and banishment, I cannot ascertain exactly where her loyalties lie. If she has become a turncoat, which is possible since allegiances can shift like the tides, it would be best if I didn't contact her directly, as she can reveal my position, and it would not be… advantageous. You are to find out where her loyalty lies. You are to drink this Kiss of Truth potion that your colleague Eva made. With it, you'll be able to sense deception and dishonesty. She's done a good job with it. There's only one person whom I think could've made it better, and he is no longer around." Morgryn smiled thinly, handing a vial to Nathan to drink.

"Greer also has an eye for your type of physique. She gets rather lusty about it, which I believe will work in our favor."

"Ah," Nathan said. So, he was to use his charms in that way, after all. "If you can't reveal yourself to her, how exactly should I introduce myself?"

"Simple. You'll tell her that you've been looking for whoever you think is your fae relative. You've been looking for a long time. You've heard some rumors that it might be me, Morgryn, but the only thing you know of me is that I signed the treaty, so you've been searching through the Unseelie realm to try and find out if I might be your long-lost relative. She will most likely think you're foolish, but the fae will at least tolerate a search and your ability to be able to travel in the realm without being affected. Tell her of your mortal origins. It will be delicious for her."

So that was the catch in all this. "As long as I'm not expected to actually do anything sexual with her…"

"Hm, I thought that was your thing," he said, but he didn't look annoyed. "As long as you come up with a good reason, talking should suffice."

"How… dangerous is this?"

"As dangerous as anything might be when you interact with the Unseelie Court. However, I will say this of the court: It is very fractured right now. There are hedonistic, greedy fae who enjoy the pulse of deals and power. Then there are those who share my concerns and who would not appreciate their lives changing to such a degree that they would no longer exist. They've read the writing on the wall. And these are the Unseelie we're gathering together. Once you are certain of where her allegiance lies – only then can I arrange to meet her myself. I am placing a great deal of trust in you for this – and in the potion that your friend concocted."

Morgryn looked more amused than concerned about his situation, however. Perhaps it was like that with a lot of fae. They liked the chaos and uncertainty, just not if it affected them in a way that meant they could no longer function.

Well, there was no time like the present. Nathan gulped down the potion and handed the empty vial to Morgryn. "I'll give it a few minutes to kick in, then I'll step through. You won't have any issues holding it?"

"None." Morgryn reclined in his chair. All he needed was a fae cat to complete the image of a villain, observing the world around him. "I will hold the portal for as long as necessary. It is only visible to you. That is within my power. I advise you to keep track of the time, however. My strength is not infinite. Should I run out, I will need a day to recharge, but I will open the same spot."

"Noted." Nathan had a sinking suspicion he'd probably end up needing to stay for whatever counted as night in the fae realm, which would put him at risk if he had to interact with an overly horny fae.

I'm going to have to make this work out somehow.

He felt the potion course within, already spreading its magic.

I must try that sense potion Eva says she's going to get patented. It really must be something special.

He closed his eyes until he was certain the magic had taken root, and with a "So long," he stepped through the blurry portal, and the choking sense of the supernatural pressed into him as the fae realm opened up and took him into its ethereal embrace.

A normal human wouldn't be able to last too long without experiencing strange effects. However, the realm recognized his strong fae ancestry. Briefly, Nathan wondered if there was any possibility that Morgryn might actually be his father, but then he recalled that Morgryn thought his blood came from one of the other courts.

Of course, that could have been a lie.

Ahead, the brown smudge he'd seen unfolded into a twisted little cottage. It didn't have the architecture that humans preferred, straight and uniform. It was uneven, crooked, woven out of branches that were slotted together, forming a house.

The potion burned within him as he walked to the cottage.

I assume this is where I'm supposed to go. I guess I'll find out one way or another.

Hopefully, he wouldn't be gutted like a fish. That might make for an awkward greeting.

It was probably best if he didn't voice any misgivings, either. You never knew what might be listening in the fae realm. Taking a deep breath and rolling his shoulder until he heard a satisfying, he went straight to the door, no dithering, and knocked sharply.

There was no answer. He waited patiently. If someone were inside, they would definitely have heard him knock. He waited one minute, then two. It was a long time to wait, but he didn't knock again. Instead, he listened for any sound and looked around to see if he could spot any movement.

The door creaked open. An astonishingly beautiful but old female fae stood before him. She had dark blue skin, deep silver eyes, white hair, and tribal-like tattoos on her face. She wore a robe that seemed translucent, almost teasing the shape within but still leaving a decent amount to the imagination.

He had a very, very strong suspicion that she was a succubus.

I absolutely hate Morgryn. I hate, hate, hate that piece of shit, just wait until I get back and –

While his thoughts raged internally, outwardly, he smiled and bowed. "Greetings. I understand that you are the lady of this house, and your name is Greer. I did not ask for your full name."

The Unseelie examined him intently without changing her expression. Nathan didn't sense a glamour on the Unseelie. She was naturally like this. He waited, sensing it best not to speak further until she had examined him and said her piece.

"Yes, that would be me," she said in a rich, reverberating voice like someone used to public speaking or singing, possibly. "And who are you, mortal? You smell of both the mortal realm and the fae realm."

"Nathan," he said, careful not to give his surname. While Morgryn knew it, Nathan didn't plan on giving it to any other full-blooded fae he encountered. The risk was simply too great. "I am indeed half of this realm, half of the mortal realm," he said." May I come inside so we can talk further?" He flashed his most brilliant, charming smile, feeling the soft thrum of his magic and the pulse of Eva's potion, giving him extra insight into the interaction.

After a pause, Greer inclined her head and invited him in. The cottage was both orderly and chaotic at the same time. While everything was neat, nothing really matched. Colors clashed, and things were not in logical places. The table they sat around was in a glassy alcove, which also appeared to be a bedroom. The bed itself was shaped like a cocoon, the bedding fluffy and warm.

"I assume you're not foolish enough to drink or eat something a fae would offer," Greer said, sitting opposite him, clasping her hands and thrusting out her chest. "Or maybe you are, and I've played my hand already."

Again, he smiled, his green eyes meeting her gray ones. "My task is not an urgent one, so I hope not to interrupt you for too long," he said while her eyes trailed over his form, taking in his physique. Already, he sensed a physical interest there.

"Well, what brings a pup like you to my door?" she asked, an easy smile on her lips. She likely believed herself too powerful to worry about someone like him.

"Thank you. As you've already sensed and I've mentioned – there is fae in me. My quest is a simple yet exhausting one. A few years ago, I was questioning who might be my ancestor. I have asked, cajoled, and wheedled for information. I believe I have a grandfather who was a full-blooded fae, but I never knew him, my mother never knew him, and my grandmother remembers nothing. Most likely, she was glamoured, and her memories were lost forever. Ever since I was able, I've been seeking a way into the fae realms, exploring, and trying to find out who my grandfather was. He most likely doesn't even know I exist."

"Oh, how exciting," Greer said, biting her lower lip in a way that Nathan knew was meant to affect him. "Unknown children of such strong blood always create quite a stir in our societies. We did dabble more with mortals in the past – after all, almost all magic that exists today is because of direct and indirect interactions between your realm and the fae realms.

He sensed she was telling the truth. He had piqued her interest and felt confident enough to continue. "That was the impression I had. Hopefully, whoever I may be related to would be interested in knowing me. I don't know, of course. But there is only one way to find out. One lead I have, which I was led to understand you might be able to assist with, is that the fae I may be related to had some involvement in the mortal realm about forty or so more years ago. I understand your kind do not visit much anymore," he said, noting the intense flash of anger in her eyes, "so I'm seeking the individual who signed the separation treaty back then. I don't really have any other leads, though any would be appreciated."

At the mention of the separation treaty, the fae's nostrils flared slightly, and she sat back, her hands gripping the table.

"And," she said carefully, "you have heard that I might know of this? Do tell."

"Well, anyone in the Unseelie realm potentially," he said, smiling and trying to appear as genuine and guileless as possible. His magic told him she wasn't quite buying it. She was cautious now, and he wondered if she was one of those who turned their back on Morgryn. Still, he had to persist with his deception. Morgryn had made it very clear that there'd be consequences if he didn't follow through. "Your name came up. I will find others. I will visit them, too. I do not even expect you to have the answer I seek. But if you can tell me anything about the person who signed the treaty – if you know where he is, that'd make my journey a lot shorter."

He leaned forward, implying with his body language that he found her mesmerizing and alluring. Even though he actually didn't. Still, he needed to play the part.

"I see," she said, though her body remained tense and cautious. "Yes, I suppose it is known in the mortal realm that one of us signed the treaty. I assume you're looking for everyone who was involved, yes?"

"Yes. But… I confess I wanted to start with the Unseelie. They've always been the most mysterious, the most intriguing of the courts to me. The mortals paint you as evil, wicked. But you just operate on a completely different level of morality. You are free, even more than the others. And it would please me greatly if my grandfather was, in fact, Unseelie."

His attempt at flattery appeared to work. He likely seemed like a vapid human drunk on tales of the fae without knowing the true ways they operated. Certainly, her posture relaxed, her hands became less like claws, and her playful smile returned.

"I can tell you something of the one you're searching for, but I'm afraid it may not be the best news," she said, coolly examining her perfectly manicured nails. "I will expect something in return for the information, of course."

"Naturally," Nathan said, his throat going dry. God, if he needed to bed the fae, it wouldn't look good to Eva, especially now when he wanted to try and develop something with her, even if he'd done such things in the past.

Crap.

Outwardly, of course, he wore the same interested smile as before.

"Good. My cost is that I will require you to talk to a… lesser fae in the area. Have them visit me. Of course, if you are interested, I can perhaps find another way to use your… enticing services." She folded her arms, accentuating her bosom.

"Mm. It certainly sounds tempting," he said, one eyebrow arched. "Though I'd be that you'd place a glamour on me should I take you up on your offer."

"I thought so." She gave him a toothy grin. "You are being cautious, and I respect you for that. But I will extract a price from you. As much as I'd enjoy it to be physical," she said, eyes leering over his form, "I require a visitation from a lesser fae. I cannot be bothered to exert any of my magic toward them."

He detected absolute truth in that statement, and another suspicion entered his mind. She wanted to preserve her magic. More than that – she needed her magic. Just in case… something happened. It made sense if she expected danger or an attack. After all, if the Unseelie locked Morgryn away, and she was considered a close ally of his, then she would want not to expend more magic than necessary. Of course, it might be an elaborate trap, too, but the potion was guiding him and his tongue.

He felt a little more in control, but his body language didn't show it. Doubtless, she'd pick up on that. He didn't know how old she was exactly, but she was far older than any mortal.

"I see. There is no reason to be wasteful. I don't mind visiting and passing the word so long as it will not place me in any undue danger. Do we have an agreement?"

"We do," she confirmed, nodding, reaching out a soft hand for him to shake. She did it daintily but firmly with a sense of power. "The name of the person you are looking for is Morgryn. He was the Unseelie king at the time. My, it would be most illustrious if a Highborn was responsible for your bloodline. It's possible. Your magic is strong within you, innate. But it can also express itself in unusual ways in mortal offspring. I had a child once who was stronger than I but lived a far shorter life. But I digress. Morgryn signed the treaty. You may have heard that we were good friends once."

Once.

Nathan noted this with caution.

"But some of the younger fae generation were disillusioned at the idea that they wouldn't have the same freedom as the elder ones. Why should we be allowed to dally with mortals and get all these juicy deals, and they were not? So… there was a rebellion, a shifting of alliances in the court, and now the youth hold sway, and their leader is Aelund."

Nathan pretended to look shocked. "Did they kill Morgryn?"

She shook her head grimly. "No. That was the idea. Exhausting as it is, we can be killed, and they wished him dead. But some argued that Morgryn had served the court well, and it would be a true injustice to kill one who had passion for our way of life. I was one of those voices. And now, he is locked away in a secret, inaccessible location, even for one such as you or for one like me. He should not be dead unless they sent daggers in the night without our knowing. But he is no longer… of influence."

Again, her words had the ring of sincerity, and his magic let him know he was on the right track. Thank goodness for that.

"That is… unfortunate," he said carefully. "I had hoped finding him would not be so challenging." He did want to broach one more subject but didn't know how to do it without revealing his whole hand. "Would it be worth my approaching this Aelund person, or is that extremely disrespectful?"

"Oh, he wouldn't tell you anything," Greer said, bitterness in her tone. "Him and his foolish lackeys. They'd destroy our realm with little thought to it."

Oh ho!

Excitement shocked his system into high alert. "They would? I don't understand. Why would they?"

"They ignore the reason we signed the treaty in the first place. It wasn't to restrict them. It wasn't because we did these things, and now we wanted to prevent them. It was because we were actively damaging our existence in the process." She hissed the words, limbs trembling, and somehow, Nathan knew his own magic had gotten this confession. She didn't seem to be too aware, however, and continued to stew in that anger. "Now we must watch it all go to ruin."

Perhaps Nathan might be deviating from his mission here, but he saw an opportunity and just went for it.

"Is – wait." He paused for dramatic effect, all wide-eyed, confused. "There's been some weird stuff happening in my area recently. Is that – could it have anything to do with this?"

She glared at him, and for a moment, everything was frozen before her smile transformed into a smirk. "Oh, you tried too hard there."

Shit.

"What do you mean?"

"I wasn't born yesterday." She flicked her hair. "I still require you to do what I requested you to do. But now I'm pretty sure you have a similar interest to mine. Perhaps you are searching for your long-lost relative, and what a lovely and moving tale it makes. But I also think you very much don't wish for the desolation of your land."

Shit, shit, SHIT.

"And if that was the truth of the matter?"

"You may have an ally. Who sent you, really?"

Morgryn had told him not to reveal him, but Nathan's instincts told him to say it. Plus, he couldn't sense any glamours pressing on him. "Morgryn."

Now, her expression shifted into one of astonishment. "Morgryn? Are you being serious?"

"Nope, I'd actually be angry if he did turn out to be my grandfather." He leaned back slightly while she leaned forward, her body language demanding more. "But you know all the deals the fae have been making recently? Turns out it brought the isolated pocket that Morgryn was trapped in into our realm. We were able to free him. Now he's trying to gather allies, but he wasn't sure if you'd betrayed him or not. He didn't want me to mention that I was directly working for him, but I think I've ascertained enough now to know you're on his side."

She let out a delighted, raucous cackle. "Incredible. That sly old bastard. Managed to get out?"

Well, he didn't exactly manage it intentionally. However, Nathan felt maintaining an air of power might be better for Morgryn's connections in court, so he said nothing about the accident of the prison's discovery. "He sure did. Now he's trying to put out feelers, find out who may still be his ally and who is a danger."

"You must waste no time," she said, getting up, no longer interested in teasing him with her physicality. "It's already getting a lot worse in our realm. A couple of his allies have been assassinated. But we are still around. I can start reaching out. But I'll need to speak to him myself."

"That was his intention if I was able to find out the truth," Nathan replied. "With your permission, I'll go to this place you wish for, and then I'll go to inform Morgryn of the good news."

"Better tell Morgryn to open a portal to Tael's place. He'll know what I mean. And he was always a master at creating such portals without anyone noticing. Since they all believe him to be locked up, I'm sure he'll be persuaded." She grinned, rubbing her hands together in sheer glee. "Oh, this is the best news I've heard all year."

"Not a good year, then?"

"No. We had agents searching for the prison. I guess we can call them all back now." She practically danced on the spot, unable to contain her excitement. "Thank the gods. We needed this. We needed a win." She started pushing him out. "Go, run to him. Tell him that Greer of the Weirwood stands with him. And she's ready to reach out once we talk."

"I will go. Thank you. I'm glad to see there are fae who want to preserve things. I doubt you do it out of love for our world but for yours, but it's appreciated all the same."

"What does it matter, so long as the result is to your liking?" she asked, a peculiar smile on her face. "I'll see you around sometime, maybe."

"Maybe," he said, bowing to her before rapidly heading off to where the portal was located. At least he had some good news for once. A part of him felt like something else was watching, though, so he picked up the pace, not slowing until he'd made it through and back into Morgryn's study.

Just in time for dinner.