Lucretia is a fucking liar .

Taako supposes that shouldn't surprise him anymore, but the sharp sting of her distrust still startled him. The fact that he could see right through her that night was telling; she's losing her touch.

Not that Taako cares much, anyway. He hasn't seen the Director since he went to yell at her for Maggie a week ago and he has to say, he's feeling great. His show is doing well, he's writing another book. He has an adorable boyfriend and a loving sister to hang out with. Merle is going to host a fantasy barbecue next week and Taako is planning on bringing dessert. He's fan-fucking-tastic, thanks for asking. He's definitely not thinking about the darkening bruise on Lucretia's temple she didn't even seem to notice. Or the way her clothes were rumpled or the sweat glistening on her throat or the way her eyes were wide and a little bleary and definitely too red. Nope, Taako honestly hasn't thought about that at all.

"Fucking shit," Taako mutters. Gods. He's gonna have to go back, isn't he? He hates being noble and shit but the bruises on her face . He blames Magnus for this guilty feeling in the pit of his stomach. A hundred years ago he wouldn't have even noticed.

"Not like she doesn't deserve that shit."

Her eyes were really wide. He could see the whites all around her irises. Her pupils were blown. She hadn't met his gaze for long but he'd seen that. Lucretia was definitely drugged and she hadn't mentioned a thing.

So drugged she'd fallen down.

"Not that it's any of my business," Taako argues with himself. He's staring blindly down at his recipe book, the one he'd let Lucretia leaf through only once on the Starblaster. She'd handled it like a newborn fawn, all light touches and careful fingers. She'd run her fingers over his chicken scratch in the margins, reverent. Her eyes had been so young and so wide. She'd smiled like the rising sun. "Madame Dickweed can handle herself."

The bruises. The fever. The eyes. She'd leaned on her staff and the wall like neither could be trusted to keep her upright. She'd smiled and it looked like death.

There was a stranger in there with her, says a voice that sounds too much like Lup in his head. The orc. She ran when she saw you .

"Lucretia's allowed to have friends that aren't us."

But that isn't true, is it? Lucretia doesn't have friends . Lucretia doesn't hang out with strangers. Hell, Taako hasn't spoken with her since the Day of Story and Song but he could probably still rattle off all the people Lucretia is comfortable with by rote if you asked. And there's no way Killian wouldn't have vetted anybody new trying to muscle into their Director's life before now. And for Lucretia to be comfortable enough with someone to be drugged around them? Fuck, Taako doesn't think that's even possible . And there's no way in hell that was a client, not that late at night. Taako himself was only there that late because he'd been putting off his favor to Mags all the last week and hoped he could miss Lucretia and claim innocence if he came in the middle of the night.

So who was that?

Someone who left Lucretia alone with a fever and the shakes and dilated pupils. Someone who saw the bruises and walked away. Someone who heard Taako coming and bolted.

And he can't even really blame them for it, because hadn't he done exactly the same thing?

"It doesn't matter! She doesn't matter anymore! She took my life from me and it isn't- isn't fair that she gets to sit up in her fucking ivory tower all the time!" Taako whirls away from his cooking and has to stifle the urge to sweep his supplies off the counter. Instead, he slams his fists down on the tiles and relishes the dull pain in his hands. "Maybe she, she deserves it, whatever happened! Huh? She fucked up the world and then she helped save it and, like, that's it? Everything's just a-okay now? Fuckin' fuck that shit."

But she was drugged. And that shit couldn't fly, no matter who did it to whom for what reason. He's seen enough of his people under the influence and out of their own control to recognize it when he sees it.

"Lucretia ain't my people anymore! She's done some fucking evil shit to a lot of people. And she's so high and mighty, all 'oh, Taako, I never meant to hurt anybody and I'm sorry for that but I don't regret trying to save you.' Fuck off! It's normal for me to be angry. I'm not the bad guy for being angry. I shouldn't have to talk to her, godsdamn it."

There were bruises on Lucretia's face.

" Fuck! "

He calls Magnus. No one picks up. He should have seen that one coming- it's Magnus's day with Angus because the universe hates Taako. He calls Merle.

"When are you gonna go see Lucretia?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Merle replies idly. "I'm actually kinda traveling with Cap'n'port right now, but I was thinkin' of visiting when I get back next week. Girl's been quiet and she hasn't answered my invitation to the grill out on Friday. You're goin', right?"

"Yeah, of course I am, idiot," Taako replies on autopilot. No Magnus and no Merle. No Davenport, not that he's really even an option at this point. He's not gonna ask Lup or Barry for help with this 'cause fuck that noise. He's not giving Lup any in to grill him about his feelings and shit when it comes to Lucretia. Taako doesn't know how much Avi or Killian or Carey know already but they'd just tell Lucretia he's been asking about her anyway. Oh godsdamn it. Its gonna have to be him, isn't it? "Listen, she's been acting fucking weird, so like, come fix her when you're back, okay?"

"Lucretia's always been weird," Merle says airily. "She okay?"

The bruises on her face. She was shaking. She smiled and it was empty.

"Yeah, 'course she is. It's just pissing me off because she's got nobody else around to complain to but me. You gotta take her off my hands, man."

Merle laughs. "I'll see what I can do, buddy. See you on Friday?"

Taako confirms and hangs up.

"Gods damn it," Taako mutters, staring at his farspeech stone without seeing it. "Gods fucking damn it, Lucretia."

Then he sucks it up and calls for transport to the Bureau of Benevolence.