Luastra woke up when dawn broke, and she quickly got up and dressed. She knew that she had gotten a little too inebriated the night before, and she had told Astarion that she had the tome he was looking for. Now she just had to get it to make sure she had it in her possession. It was a tome in her library back at the temple, and she needed to make sure another cultist didn't get curious in her absence.

She snuck out the window and onto the road, quietly slipping into the sewers. As she climbed closer to the temple, she could feel her urge grow. She had sated part of it with the slaughtering of the lamb, but an animal was different from a sentient person. Maybe the temple would be doing a sacrifice she could take over. That would sate her urge for at least a few days.

Once she was able to slip back into her room, Luastra breathed in the familiar scent. It was a pungent smell, but something that she found oddly comforting. She exhaled as she walked over to her bookshelf. She didn't have many books, but she at enough to steal the furniture. She ran her finger across the spines of the books, searching for the one with the cover made of skin. However, to her horror, the book wasn't there.

Luastra groaned as she ran her hand through her hair. Who could have come into her room? Orin certainly had the capability to, but she rarely took any interest in her things. Orin mostly came in to complain or threaten, never to take. And the cultists knew that wandering in here was a death warrant, regardless of if they were invited or not.

"I hope I'm not catching you at a bad time," a deep voice spoke up. Luastra bristled as she slowly turned to see a strange man on her bed. She grabbed the dagger off her waist and started to stalk towards him, seeing that he was holding the tome that she was looking for. "Interesting read, I must say. Never seen a book protected by spirits."

"Gortash," she growled, her urge threatening to take over. However, something kept the urge at bay, and it wasn't her. She stopped a few feet from the bed, her grip firm on the handle of the knife. "I didn't expect you to serve yourself up like this."

"Ah, but I was invited here. I was expecting you to be here when I got here, if I'm honest," Gortash explained before tossing the book on the bed. He sat up and stood, leaving the bed between him and the Bhaalspawn.

"I didn't invite you," Luastra spat, switching the position of the dagger in her hand, getting ready to throw it. However, her body froze as she felt something come over her. Her father's voice loomed over them.

"I did," Bhaal informed from the aether. Luastra dropped her dagger, standing perfectly still. Her father rarely rescinded his assassination orders. She wasn't sure she had witnessed it herself. It was unheard of. Murder was a divine act, and an assassination was the most perfect form of worship.

"Bhaal and my lord Bane have made a pact, you see. I have come up with a plan that will benefit us all, and put the power where it belongs," Gortash explained as Bhaal remained quiet, letting the man continue. "It requires the Chosen, namely you and me, retrieving something of importance to a certain devil. There are several steps that I would like to go over with you afterwards, but we must start at step one."

"A devil? You want to steal something of importance from a devil?" Luastra laughed as her urge subsided for now. She could feel Bhaal's disapproval, and she sobered. "That's akin to suicide. I may be a Bhaalspawn, but I'm not suicidal nor invincible. What makes you think that we can sneak into the hells and get out unscathed?"

"I have found a talented diabolist who says that she can get us into the vault of the Mephistar. There lies a crown of legend that will help bring the world to its knees," Gortash began, waving his hands with flourish. Luastra regarded him carefully. If he could do what he said, she understood why her father would remove the assassination order. Bhaal's dream was to drown the world in blood and death. Bringing the world to its knees would be the first step. "If we can get the crown, then we can go over the rest of my plan."

"Fine," Luastra replied shortly before exhaling. This was not what she wanted to do today. "We can go tonight, then. Unless you need more planning."

"You are the last step in my plan for the Mephistar heist," Gortash informed, starting to walk over to Luastra. She froze in place, knowing that killing him was out of the question. She wasn't used to being barred from murder. "We can go as soon as tonight around midnight if you prefer. The diabolist works in the lower city at a place called the Devil's Fee. I'll make sure Helsik knows you're coming and to send you to the right place."

"I'll find it," she grumbled, uncomfortable that he was standing to close to her now. Bhaal's influence faded from the room, letting her breathe a little more freely now. Gortash let out a breath he was holding and grinned.

"I think that went better than I thought," he commented, proud of himself. Luastra growled under her breath, irritated that he hadn't left yet.

"Is there anything else you need?" she demanded. Usually, she could intimidate and threaten people to get her way. She could do neither until the plan was complete, which didn't seem like a short-term plan. If Bhaal was involved like this, this meant that it was big and needed a lot of planning.

"No, I think I have what I came for," he grinned, starting to pace in front of her. She watched him, not moving a muscle.

"Then take your leave."

"You seem rather anxious to get me to leave. Do you have plans for today?"

"It's no business of yours."

"I suppose that's true. We could head over to the Mephistar right now, if you're free," Gortash offered. Luastra said nothing as he stopped pacing to meet her eyes.

"I will see you at the Devil's Fee at midnight as we discussed."

"You're much more rigid than I expected you to be. I was told that Bhaalspawn were restless, twitchy creatures. You are much more collected than I expected, and not at all what I thought you would look like."

"What did you think Bhaalspawn looked like? We look like normal people so we can infiltrate society," Luastra explained, wondering if he was stupid.

"Your cultists don't look like normal people. They always have a crazed look in their eyes," Gortash mentioned with a shrug. "Bhaal must have had something special planned for you. He told me he had specifically created you, but he didn't give a purpose."

"I'm his Chosen, I thought that was obvious."

"Of course," he replied with a pause. Luastra stared him down before he smirked. "Regardless, I don't think we've been properly introduced. I am Lord Enver Gortash, at your service."

Luastra watched as he made a dramatic bow, unable to wipe the smile off his face. He straightened, meeting her gaze. Silence enveloped them for a moment before he gestured towards her. She fluttered her eyelashes in annoyance before exhaling.

"Lady Luastra Gallanth, daughter of Bhaal," she answered, dipping her head ever so slightly. Enver regarded her a second before grinning.

"I'm surprised you gave me your name so freely," he chuckled.

"You knew it before you arrived, just as I knew who you were," she scoffed. Besides, she would be changing her last name soon. She would eventually find a small modicum of anonymity when she didn't have a councilwoman's name attached to hers. Sure, Astarion was still a working cog in the government, but Ancunin wasn't a household name.

"True, but I was expecting some form of deception. I find that people aren't very honest," he explained, grabbing his cane that was leaning on the bed. "Plus, I would think a Bhaalspawn would want to keep her identity hidden."

"You already said that you need me as part of your plan. Exposing me would hardly put you at an advantage, and it certainly wouldn't endear my father towards you. I'm not exactly sure what you think is so fascinating about me but stop acting so surprised that I'm real," Luastra replied sternly, wanting to rip the cane out of his hands to beat him over the head with it. Again, the urge never resurfaced, and she stayed her hand.

"I'm glad you are as clever as the reports said you would be," Gortash mocked, resting both his hands on the top of his cane. "I think I've chosen my ally rather well. I find very few clever people anymore."

"Are we done here?"

"I suppose we are, for the moment at least. I will meet you at the Devil's Fee at midnight tonight," Gortash informed, walking towards the temple. Luastra thought it was odd that he was walking into the lion's den, so she followed.

When they exited her room, Luastra was assaulted by the smell of blood and rot. The cultists who had been in the temple were massacred. Bodies decorated the hall in a manner that Luastra had never seen, but she could feel her father's approval emanate from the air. The pieces started to click together. Gortash was most likely invited to speak with her, but he was not invited to the temple. No, he had broken in to make a statement to her father. A sacrifice of grandeur. It was the clearest and simplest way to get the god's attention.

"How did you do this?" Luastra whispered, taken back by it. She had been surrounded by bodies before, but it was usually caused by either her or Orin. She had never seen an outsider cause so much carnage. Gortash shrugged, also taking in the scene.

"I can show you. I have a few prototypes of metal golems that pack quite a punch," he smiled before he started walking around the bodies toward the temple entrance. "I asked them to wait outside after the offering. I didn't want to threaten my newest allies."

Luastra stood motionless as she waited for Gortash to take his leave. He didn't even glance back at her when he disappeared through the archway. She exhaled, wondering what exactly she had found herself in. This was the opposite of what she wanted, though. She had hoped to distance herself from her father and his temple. Maybe he had known her plan all along, and he lured Gortash here to entrap her in a plan she couldn't say no to.

The worst part is that she didn't even have anyone to turn to. She had hoped that she could confide in Astarion, but they still barely knew each other. Even though she had shown more of her violent side when they first got together, she was sure that he would not be interested in marrying a Bhaalspawn. There was definitely a stigma there, which was warranted. She just wished that she had more time to show him her true personality before she was exposed.

Luastra walked back into her room and stared at the tome on the bed. The whole reason why she had come down to the temple in the first place. Really, it was dumb luck that Gortash had been waiting on this day. She grabbed the tome, realizing that she was going to have to make a different gesture with it.

She scoffed at her past self for wanting to do something nice for her fiancé. A wedding gift? Now she saw that she was being naïve. Bhaalspawn didn't escape and live normal lives. Not without consequences. Now, she would use it as a bargaining chip. Luastra would explain her past in exchange for the book Astarion had been looking for. She would be fine if he called off the wedding if it meant that she could still live in his spare bedroom.

But…

Would she be okay if he called off the wedding?

That thought alone made her chest hurt. She hadn't felt this emotion in a long time, and she nearly forgot the word for it. Panic.

Luastra found that she didn't want to call off the wedding. She had grown close to another person for the first time in her recollection. She wasn't sure if they were friends, really, but he was the closest thing that she had. She wanted to confide in him and talk to him about everything she was dealing with.

And telling him that she was a Bhaalspawn could destroy everything.

Even if he took the bargain, there was no guarantee that he would keep his word. He might change his mind down the line, and that frightened Luastra as well. And if she went with her original plan, then she could really talk to him until after their wedding. That seemed like the least likely option. She wasn't sure if she wanted to keep this big secret for that long.

Trying to calm herself, she snatched the tome and climbed out the back way she came in from. She would take the book back to the house, and she would decide what to do when she got home. And she wanted her decision to help her keep her home.

~U~

Luastra climbed through her bedroom window in Astarion's house, listening to see if he had woken. After hearing nothing, she threw the book on her bed as she started to pace. She needed to make up her mind, and she needed to do it quickly.

First, there were the things she knew. She knew that she wanted to tell Astarion that she was a Bhaalspawn. She knew she wanted to give him the tome. She knew she wanted advice on how to handle Gortash.

Although, she also knew that she couldn't tell Astarion about the heist plan that she and Gortash were planning. She wasn't even sure how she could start with that. Telling him that she was a Bhaalspawn was one thing. Telling him that she was Bhaal's Chosen was a different thing entirely. One might get her kicked out of the house, and the other would leave her chained up in a prison if she got lucky.

She pulled at her hair and dragged her nails through her scalp, careful not to draw blood. She wouldn't be able to explain what had happened effectively if Astarion found her with blood drenched hair. It was getting too much, her worry starting to affect her neglected urge. She wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. She wanted to slash and rip and tear and shriek and kill-

Luastra took a deep breath, trying to normalize her rapid breathing. She hadn't even noticed that she had started to hyperventilate until her urge started to surface. Damn Gortash. She was supposed to perform her own ritual to control her urge, but he had slaughtered the damn place.

Her door started to open as she realized that she had been ignoring several knocks on the door. She froze in the middle of her pacing, her nails between her teeth with her free arm hugged around her stomach. Astarion opened the door just enough to make eye contact. She wasn't sure what he was asking, but she tried to focus.

A moment of stillness surrounded them as neither of them moved. Astarion then stepped into the room, reaching out to the startled drow. She didn't move, keeping eye contact with him. He gently pulled her arm, dislodging the bloody fingertips from her mouth. When did that happen? She stared at the red tipped fingers, realizing the damage wasn't too bad. She hadn't chewed off her fingers at least.

"Darling? Are you alright?" Astarion whispered. Luastra's eyes darted back to his as she opened and closed her mouth a few times in an effort to speak.

"I don't know," she stuttered. She had never felt this way before, and she hated it. She felt like she was spiraling out of control. Astarion frowned before guiding her to the bed. If he saw the tome she grabbed for him, he gave no sign he did.

"Why don't you sit down? Would you like a glass of water or something?" Astarion asked. Luastra slowly nodded, not sure if the water would help. It certainly wouldn't hurt. He nodded before making her lay down on the mattress. "I'll go get it for you, okay? You stay right here."

Luastra watched as he disappeared from her room, and she felt tears spring in her eyes. Her brain started to overthink again, wondering if this would be the last time he would ever dote on her. It was also the first time, but she couldn't recognize that. She grabbed the blanket and pulled it tight against her chest, trying to resist the urge to curl up into a ball.

Astarion walked back in with the glass of water, seeing his fiancé folding into herself. Luastra wanted to disappear when she saw that he was concerned for her. She felt weak, and she hated it. He helped her sit up again and gave her the glass. She sipped it as she stared forward.

"Do you want to talk about why you're so wound up?" Astarion asked before gently moving her chin so she would look at him. Her eyes had dulled slightly, missing that usual spark that she normally had.

"You'll leave me if I tell you," she replied, her voice quiet and shaky. Astarion was surprised by her admission, making her feel worse.

"I don't understand," he replied as he reached for her hands. She searched his eyes, wondering why he was being so kind to her. He was usually more standoffish, but she had never broken down like this in front of him. She didn't think she had broken down before. Luastra almost wished that Astarion had brushed her off and gave her the cold shoulder.

Just as she went to explain what she was, sobs came out instead of words. She couldn't hold them back anymore, and she felt embarrassed for not having a better handle on her emotions. Astarion rubbed her back as he held one of her hands on her lap. She covered her face with her other hand, doing her best to calm down.

"I promise to take whatever information you have with grace and understanding. I'm not going to kick you out," Astarion reassured, confused on what left her in such a state. Luastra steadied her breathing before she stared at the hand that he was holding, and he made no effort to retract his hand from hers. With a deep breath, she glanced at him before answering.

"I'm a Bhaalspawn."