Rook gave Lucanis a brief tour of the lighthouse before retreating to who knew where. Bellara had started talking about cooking rotations, and Rook had disappeared nearly instantly. He put his pack in the pantry, surprising both Bellara and Neve. Even though they insisted that the lighthouse had infinite space for him, he told them that he felt safest in there. With small chokepoints and one entrance, it would be easy to defend. Not to mention he would be closer to the coffee.
Lucanis would need to stay awake more often now, and he wondered if he could really sleep again. With Spite just below the surface, he wouldn't risk falling asleep. Not here.
Once he had unpacked his few belongings, Lucanis left the pantry to see Bellara and Neve chatting at the dining table. They turned to him as he paused, concerned that they were guarding him. However, their concerned looks put those fears aside for now.
"I didn't expect to see either of you still here," Lucanis mentioned as he wandered over to the table. He didn't sit down with them, instead leaning against the back of a chair.
"We were just discussing Treviso and the Ossuary," Neve explained as Bellara nodded.
"And Spite," the Jumper added as the demon in him perked up. Spite separated from Lucanis, approaching Bellara to investigate.
"Sounds like fun topics," Lucanis smiled, folding his arms.
"We were arguing whether he was actually a demon or a spirit," Neve added as Bellara shrugged.
"You think Spite could be a spirit?" Lucanis questioned skeptically. Bellara pursed her lips in thought before she sighed.
"Well, they're mostly the same thing, kind of," Bellara pressed. Lucanis nodded, remembering the process of making a spirit into a demon. She wasn't exactly wrong, but there was a difference. He stepped back and leaned his back against one of the wolves on the fireplace just as Rook walked back into the dining hall. She seemed to always have impeccable timing.
"Except one will manipulate you or kill you. Or both," Neve reminded gently. Lucanis hadn't expected to hear the gentler tone from the mages, but a part of him appreciated the care they showed him.
"But is there a way to get rid of them?" Lucanis wondered as Spite hummed. It wasn't exactly a snarl, as Spite also wanted to be separated from Lucanis.
"Well," Bellara sighed as Rook glanced around.
"What are we talking about?" She wondered, her gaze landing on him. He shrugged.
"Spite," he answered.
"The demon in Lucanis," Bellara added.
"Usually, when a person gets possessed, the demon takes over control," Neve explained before Bellara leaned forward.
"And then they turn into a monster. When a spirit takes over control, they just, well, mold them however they want," she explained before a dramatic lull entered the conversation. Rook pursed her lips as she crossed her arms.
"Neither sound like Spite," Rook admitted, glancing up at Lucanis.
"I have heard of abominations being cured by killing their demon in the Fade, but it isn't a sure bet. And with this being a different situation entirely, I'm even less certain it would work," Neve offered with a sigh. "But I could reach out to my contacts in Minrathous and see if they know anything."
"There is one way to kill Spite, but we would have to, um, well…" Bellara hummed as he exhaled.
"You'd have to kill me," Lucanis finished.
"That's out of the question. We're not killing you," Rook answered plainly, dropping her hands to her sides. Lucanis watched as Spite stood next to Rook with a smug grin.
"She won't hurt you. How sweet," Spite remarked before rushing towards him. He thinned his lips as Spite glared at him. "I want to talk to her."
"We should think of other solutions before we do, well, that," Bellara agreed as Rook nodded, dipping her head in thought.
"There must be a way to separate you from Spite without killing you," Rook mentioned before she started to mutter to herself. Spite growled in Lucanis's ear as Neve started again about her contacts and Bellara with her thoughts.
"Let me talk to them! I want. To talk. To Rook!" Spite shouted before hitting Lucanis.
Lucanis staggered slightly as he felt blood trickle down his nose. He tried to wipe the blood away when he noticed that the three women stood up to help. He held his hand up, keeping them on the other side of the table.
"Hold on, I'm fine, it's fine," he reassured sternly. Rook furrowed her brow in concern as she shook her head.
"What the hell was that?" she asked as he shrugged.
"Spite's throwing a tantrum," he remarked as Spite growled again. He could see the demon wanting to hit him a second time, but they had played this game before. It wouldn't have changed anything for Spite.
"But couldn't he just take you over? Make you do what he wants?" Neve wondered.
"No," Spite complained as Lucanis shrugged.
"It's probably a good sign, though. It means that Lucanis has control," Bellara mentioned as Rook nodded, biting her lower lip.
"So, he's done this before?" Rook asked him. There was something in her voice that caught him off guard.
"He would do this in the Ossuary. The Fade does whatever a spirit wants, but the real world doesn't really mold like they want. Spite tends to get frustrated with it," Lucanis explained before shaking his head. "Just give us a moment, he'll get bored once everyone leaves."
"I don't love the idea of leaving you alone with Spite if he's going to act like that," Rook informed as Spite stared at her.
"She wants. To stay?" Spite wondered. Lucanis blinked at her, also surprised that she didn't want to get away from him and his violent demon.
"Don't worry about me," he replied gently as she frowned.
"Lucanis," she started to argue before he held up a hand.
"Please," he asked. Rook worked her jaw before she nodded once.
Within a moment, Lucanis was alone with Spite, who seemed even more irritable now that Rook had left. Spite yelled incoherently, bringing on the familiar headache that accompanied the demon's frustration.
"Rook wanted. To stay!" Spite reminded as Lucanis sighed.
"Because she was worried that you would hurt me more," Lucanis countered. Spite growled before walking away.
"You sent. Her away. I wanted. To Talk. To her," the demon continued while he paced in front of the fireplace. Lucanis watched, not having a good answer to that.
"She's still around, I just need you to calm down," Lucanis informed. Spite groaned loudly, shaking his head. "And we need to reach an understanding before you can talk with her."
"She can. Fix us. Make us. Better."
"You keep saying that, but you don't say how."
"She opens doors. She doesn't. Close them," Spite explained as Lucanis rubbed his brow. That made even less sense than the statement before.
"Are you talking about literal doors? What kind of doors?"
"The doors. Lucanis. Keeps us. Trapped!" Spite answered. Lucanis turned to the demon, confused. Was he talking about the eluvian? Surely, he wasn't talking about the dining hall.
"I'm not trapping you, we're tied together," Lucanis reminded as Spite groaned. They were having a disconnect somewhere, and he couldn't even begin to know where to start.
Spite paced in front of the fireplace, grumbling and growling to himself as Lucanis went back into the pantry. It was an upgrade from the Ossuary, but he still missed his home in Treviso. Not that it would be much of a home now without Caterina. For now, that was something he would deal with later. He needed to focus on Spite, Rook, and her contract.
He had been deep in his thoughts when he heard a faint knock at the door. Lucanis was disciplined enough not to jump at the sound, but he was impressed that Rook had been quiet enough to surprise him. He gave a reassuring smile before gesturing for her to come in.
"Was that enough time?" she asked, keeping the door open behind her. Lucanis noticed, remembering Spite's strange words.
"Yes, my head's clearer and Spite is calmer," he replied before sighing wistfully. "Although, I would kill for a cup of coffee."
"Have you? For coffee?" Rook wondered, teasing him. He smirked, lowering his voice.
"Not today," he answered before Spite entered the room behind her. "You probably have more questions now that we're in the Fade."
"Maybe one or two, if you open to talking about the topics," Rook answered, giving him an out. Lucanis raised an eyebrow before gesturing for her to continue. "You are the best mage killer in the Antivan Crows, and yet the Venatori captured you. How'd they do it?"
"I was set up during my contract for Calivan. I was bound for Tevinter to find the Ossuary. Someone knew exactly where I was going to be and when. When I arrived in Minrathous, I was ambushed," Lucanis answered, crossing his arms. "I'm not sure who they convinced the Crows I was dead, but Zara was gloating about it when I woke up."
"I was told that they used blood magic to make a corpse look like you," Rook explained. Lucanis cursed under his breath, shaking his head.
"Blood magic," he hissed.
"Speaking of the Crows, are you sure that you're okay taking this contract? Caterina just volunteered you before she could confirm you were even still alive," Rook pointed out. Lucanis laughed.
"Did Viago ever consult you on a contract before he sent you out?" he wondered.
"I barely knew what the contract said before I left for the job. But I'm not the Demon of Vyrantium," Rook countered. Lucanis hummed, forgetting that their circumstances probably looked different from the outside.
"Caterina was First Talon. You don't refuse a contract from the First Talon, not if you're smart," he chuckled before smiling. "Especially if she's your grandmother."
"I suppose that makes sense," Rook agreed.
"Besides, there are other reasons to work with you, Rook."
"Oh? Such as?"
"Well, for one, I owe you a debt," Lucanis informed. Rook gave a short nod, clearly not exactly what she was looking for. He wasn't sure what she was expecting though. "And maybe I'm looking forward to killing a god mage or two after spending a year in that hole."
"Yes. Kill. Kill is. Good," Spite grinned as he stood next to Rook.
"Glad to hear it," Rook chuckled before pointing towards the exit. "The Crossroads can get kinda dicey, but if you see a spirit called the Caretaker, they're friendly. You don't have to worry about them. Otherwise, the lighthouse is safe. We do have a cooking rotation, but Bellara can bring you up to speed on that if you're interested."
"After the Ossuary, that will be a pleasant change," Lucanis hummed with a grin.
"She didn't. Mention me," Spite pointed out, sounding a bit saddened and curious. Lucanis pinched his brows together, also a little confused by that.
"You didn't ask about Spite," Lucanis commented. Rook shrugged, searching for the words.
"Well, he certainly picked a fitting name. Did he pick his name?" Rook wondered as Lucanis waited for an answer. When Spite looked confused by the question, he bypassed it.
"Spite is stronger when I sleep, so I don't do it much," Lucanis admitted as she raised an eyebrow.
"That can't be good for you," she replied before we waved her off.
"No one was in the Ossuary by choice, not even the demons. We did what we needed to get out of there, so here we are," Lucanis offered. Rook nodded as her face softened slightly.
"It was no small feat, surviving that nightmare. You're an admirable man," Rook mentioned with a half-smile. "What you went through would break most people."
"I would not give that Venatori witch the satisfaction," he replied with a deep tone.
"Still, you must be a very courageous man," she pressed. Lucanis chuckled, unsure about that. He and Spite barely scraped by to get out of that pit.
"Maybe a very stubborn one," he countered, but he found her words welcoming. "But you are kind to say that. Leave Spite to me. If he's stuck here, he has good reason to fight for this world."
"I would hope so," she smiled as Spite hummed with a smile.
"For now, I will honor our contract. Gods, magic, politics. It sounds like things are going to get very bloody," he remarked.
"One can only hope," Rook grimaced before sighing. "I'll let you get back to settling in, then. I'll be chatting with Neve if you need anything."
"Thank you, Rook," Lucanis replied before Rook left.
Lucanis heard the pantry door close as he watched Spite, who stared at Rook as she left. The demon seemed to be thinking about something, which made Lucanis on edge. Really, anything Spite did that didn't involve yelling or complaining worried him.
"What are you thinking about?" Lucanis finally asked before Spite turned to him.
"Rook," was the only response Lucanis got from Spite before the demon started his pacing again. Lucanis sat on his bed, wondering if Rook had any coffee stashed away.
Isabella wandered over to Neve's office quarters with her head in the clouds. She hadn't intended to flirt with the Demon of Vyrantium, but it just felt natural after a while. Viago would probably scold her for wasting Lucanis's time, but she found that she enjoyed his company. It could have been the familiarity of having another Crow around after being without Treviso for nearly a year, but still, there was something about him.
"Rook?" Neve called out as Isabella realized that she was standing in the doorway. The detective stared at her, waiting for an explanation, while she closed the door behind her. "Everything all right? You don't usually get distracted."
"I guess I'm feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment, but I can rest after we figure out a plan of action," Isabella reassured, walking over to Neve's desk.
"We have a few days before we meet with the Shadow Dragons if you want to clear your head," Neve offered before Isabella shook her head.
"I need a distraction more than anything, and work will help," she assured, pulling up a chair. Neve hummed as she leaned back, clasping her hands in her lap.
"You Crows like to keep busy," Neve remarked. Isabella shrugged, shoving her hands in her pockets. "Do you all decide to work instead of deal with your emotions?"
"What do you mean?" Isabella asked carefully.
"Lucanis with his grandmother, and now you about Lucanis," Neve answered. Isabella stared at her, keeping her gaze even and vacant. "Not many would express such concern over an abomination."
"You and Bellara did as well," Isabella argued as Neve smirked.
"Both of us were fine to leave when Lucanis asked us to. You were the one who tried to stay," the detective recalled as Isabella's eyes narrowed. "Just an observation."
"Right," Isabella sighed before putting her head in her hand. "Any other interesting observations I should be aware of?"
"Only that Lucanis is the only one oblivious," Neve teased as Isabella groaned. "And Harding, but that's because she's still holed up in the conservatory."
"Something tells me she's not going to get along great with Lucanis," Isabella groaned before sitting up in her chair. "Let's focus on the Shadow Dragons, and we can talk about how my attempts at flirting were met with a stone wall later."
"A stone wall, huh?" Neve chuckled.
"Neve," Isabella complained.
"Fine, fine," the mage relented with a smirk. "We can talk about it when you're feeling a little less intense."
"Thank you," Isabella exhaled, leaning back. "So, the Shadow Dragons? They're located in Minrathous?"
"Most of them, yes. I think if there's any chance of finding a trace of the gods in the city, it'll be through them. Then we can figure out exactly what they're up to and why," Neve informed as the Crow nodded along. "Any new developments from Solas?"
"None, and I'd like to keep it that way for now. I don't like the idea of the elven god of lies and treachery putting ideas in my head. For now, we can do without. If we have to, we can talk with him," Isabella answered, rubbing her eye. "He hasn't come to visit in my dreams either."
"Odd for him to just stop. Most mages that use blood magic use it more frequently," Neve commented.
"He did mention he hated blood magic. I'm sure he wanted to yell at me for ruining his plans and releasing the gods. I doubt we'll have to worry about him for now."
"I would worry a little at least. He still is an ancient mage with immense power. He's probably trying to wiggle his way out as we speak."
"I can't say you're wrong. I just don't know how to keep him in a Fade prison of his own design," Isabella groaned, deflating a little. "I need to take one thing at a time, and Solas is contained and docile for the moment. For now, we need to find the gods and figure out what they're up to."
"And figure out what they're doing with the blight."
"Harding mentioned that she would reach out to the grey wardens. Hopefully they'll be able to help. It would be nice not to fumble around in the dark."
"But one thing at a time."
"One thing at a time," Isabella whispered with a nod. "So, meet with the Shadow Dragons in a few days and see if they have news on the gods."
"It's a good a plan as any. Bellara said that she would check with Strife to see if he's heard anything as well," Neve added.
"That's good news. The more eyes and ears we can borrow, the better," the Crow smiled. Isabella took a deep breath before she stood. "I'm going to rest somewhere, and then we can discuss the other thing."
"If you want to," Neve chuckled as the Crow hummed.
"Couldn't hurt. Just want to make sure it isn't me, you know?" Isabella smiled. The Crow waved before she left, walking towards the stairs leading towards the lighthouse balcony. The height was just what she needed.