Chapter 8 In Which that Witch Bitch Gets Hers

Lucanis turned, hearing footsteps. He saw Rook enter the dining room as he sheathed a dagger.

She looked at the now sheathed dagger on his hip, "well… this is ominous"

Lucanis looked at her, "Viago found something… Venatori in Treviso. Like we thought. One of them might know where Zara is. Viago has Crows watching them. We find them, we find Zara."

I her heart. In our FISTS.

Rook set her jaw, "Everything she did to you… We'll make her pay, Lucanis. Side by side," she grinned, "just like old times."

Lucanis firmly nodded before responding in a steely voice, "We just need to get this done. I'm not losing anybody else. We only get one shot at this."

They were walking along back alleyways and rooftops when Lucanis felt eyes. He looked over at Rook, who was studying him.

"Are you sure you're ready for this? Facing Zara, I mean."

Lucanis stared straight ahead, firm on his mission, "I lost a year of my life to that Venatori witch. I owe her for that."

Soon enough, they were near the docs. Lucanis was surprised to find a figure there, waiting for them.

"There you are!" Illario yelled in greeting, "What took you so long? Did you stop for coffee again?"

Lucanis looked at him in confusion, "what are you doing here, Illario?"

"I'm coming with you, cousin." He held his chin up in an arrogant manner, "No arguments."

Lucanis clenched his fists at his side. Oh, there would be arguments. "This is my job."

"This is Crow business," Illario argued.

Lucanis furrowed his brow, "how did you even know we would be here?" Much to his chagrin, his cousin ignored him.

"Rook! Always a pleasure. Visiting home with my cousin? You must allow me to show you how it's changed since you've been gone," He smiled charmingly. Rook looked at at him as if he were a giant, rotten fish.

Lucanis rolled his eyes at the shameless flirting her knew, and was glad, would go nowhere. He looked at his cousin, "this isn't your type of job, cousin. There's no one you can charm into dropping their guard. Only fanatics. All you can do it get yourself killed."

Illario stiffened. He looked at Lucanis, and asked in a low voice, "you think I'm not good enough?"

"Are you?"

The two men stared at each other before Illario breathed through his nose like a spurned bull.

"Fine," Illario spat out, "Have it your way, cousin. You know best."

Lucanis watched his cousin leave, walking briskly through darkening streets. He turned to his companion, "let's go, Rook. Zara is waiting."

Rook stared at the woman looking at them. The air around them tinged with the iron smell of the blood she was submerged in. Rook clenched her fists at her sides as the witched shifted her attention.

"Lucanis," Zara Renata purred. "It's terribly uncivilized to drop in on a lady unannounced. Now the evening's ruined."

This… this was the woman who locked Lucanis up for a year. Forced a demon onto him. Killed his grandmother. Rook would not let that stand.

"You are going to pay for everything you did to Lucanis," Rook yelled.

Zara smirked as she exited the vast pool filled with blood, "Spoken like a true peasant."

Rook and Lucanis looked at each other. Rook felt her magic crackling in her hands as Lucanis unsheathed his daggers. Rook nodded. And as a pair of Crows, descended on Zara Renata.

Zara slammed into a crypt-like structure. She tried to pull herself up, but the congealed blood covering her body made it difficult to get a solid grip. She desperately pleaded at Lucanis, "so… so serious, Lucanis! Why don't we talk? I can tell you so much about Venatori and our pet Crows."

Rook saw the flickering aura of purple surrounding Lucanis before she heard a bitter, growling voice yell out, "No. I want. Her heart. Quivering. On our knife."

Zara laughed bitterly, gasping for air, "you want to know who betrayed you, don't you? Who sent you to the Ossuary?"

"Talk!" He roared.

Zara laughed, "I knew you were-"

A figure jumping down from the ceiling and landing like a cat interrupted them. It stood and Rook's eyes widened. It couldn't be. It was…

"Illario?" Lucanis asked, his voice tinged with confusion.

"I told you," Illario said with a glare, "This is Crow business." He then proceeded to stab the witch with a blade.

"Amatu-" Zara gasped as her life forced slipped away.

Rook watched, jaw opened as a surge of purple wrapped itself around Lucanis, spectral wings emerging as he launched himself at Illario and aimed his blade at the cousin's heart.

The demon controlling the oldest Crow howled, "No! Mine!"

Rook felt frozen, stuck, as she watch Lucanis struggle to get control back.

Lucan struggled to turn his head towards Rook, yelling, through gritted teeth, "get… Illario… out!"

"What? No! I can't leave you here, Lucanis."

"Rook…" Lucanis pleaded, his voice sounded like agony to her ears, "I can't… I,"

"That's enough! Relent." Illario reached for a pendent on his chest. The purple haze around Lucanis disappeared immediately, and he slumped the the floor. Rook immediately ran to his side, and knelt down. She rolled him onto his back and visually scanned him for any harm. He was still breathing. Good, good…

She put a hand on his chest that was barely moving with shallow breathes. She looked at Illario, who had moved away from them.

"We can't wait around. Help me get Lucanis out of here," she pleaded.

Illario slowly stood, shaking his head. "I can't. That thing controlling him tried to kill me. I'll get you a boat, but I can't be near him. Rook. Keep him away. Keep him away. From Treviso. From the Crows. He is a danger to the family."

Much later, after returning to the Lighthouse, Rook gingerly made her way to the kitchen. She peeked into the larder. Lucanis was sitting on his bed, head down. Rook slowly entered.

"You're awake," she softly said.

"Yes, I've been trying to figure out what to say to you." He sighed and looked up at her. The broken look in his eyes broke her heart. "And… there aren't words enough to apologize. I never wanted you to see me like that."

"And yet," Rook spread her arms out with a shrug, "I'm still here."

Lucanis smiled tightly. "We need to talk about Illario."

Rook put her hands on her hips and rocked on her feet, mulling her words carefully. "He wants you to stay away. He thinks you're a danger to your family."

"He's not wrong. If I can't stay in control…" Lucanis paused, "he used blood magic to control Spite."

Rook blinked in surprise, "how? He's not a mage."

"I don't know but… something's not right."

Rook brought her hand to her chin, rubbing her thumb against her lips in thought. She looked at Lucanis.

"Did Illario know you were boarding that ship?" Lucanis nodded.

Rook hesitated, but continued, "And what… what if he was the one who betrayed you?"

"Then Maker help him."