TW: drugged/poisoned food and drink
More notes at the end of the chapter if you're concerned but do contain spoilers for the chapter ️ please read responsibly and take care of your mental health
~C~
Isabella guided Lucanis back towards the de Riva estate, and this time brought him to the front door. She hesitated a moment before she walked inside, knowing that Viago was most likely waiting for both of them. She had given Lucanis fair warning that the Talon would mildly poison the food, most likely to get a rise out of him.
"How sure are we that we can't skip dinner?" Lucanis wondered as he noticed that the estate seemed a little too quiet.
"If you want to try and miss dinner, be my guest. I already avoided him twice in a row after promising a visit. I don't need him to actually disown me," Isabella answered plainly. "And as for the garrison, let's get in and out before first light. I'd rather get this done quickly since we're already on Viago's shit list."
"I thought you wanted to rest."
"The more time we take, the more Viago is going to think thatweare slacking off," she hissed, gesturing between them. "The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can get to the lighthouse and get back to business as normal."
"And what was that again?"
"Not whatever this is. I feel like my heart's going to give out."
"Maybe Teia will be here for dinner. She usually softens his mood," Lucanis offered as she shrugged.
"They're in their off season," Isabella informed as Lucanis hung his head in defeat.
"So Viago is going to be extra irritable."
"You're still free to escape. You're a grandson of the First Talon. You have some immunity, otherwise Viago will have an internal war on his hands."
"I faced down Zara for a year, I can handle Viago for a night."
"Good point," Isabella replied as she opened the door to the dining room.
Viago sat at the head of the table, his legs crossed with one knee over the other as his fingertips tapped the table rhythmically. Isabella stood a little straighter as she walked in with a smile. He was irritable, but she was going to imagine otherwise until he told her so. It generally worked in her favor before her banishment.
"Buonasera, fratello," Isabella greeted, catching his attention. He only looked up to stare at her, his stony expression remaining emotionless. "You'll be happy to hear that we found a hole in the patrol pattern of the Antaam at the garrison we can exploit. Also, I know the location of the qamekmaker. I came back for a quick costume change."
"You should stay for dinner," Viago mentioned, his eyes narrowing in on Lucanis.
"That actually sounds like a good idea. My day didn't leave me much time to eat," Isabella remarked as she walked over to a seat next to Viago. Lucanis followed, making sure she stayed between him and Viago.
"You let her go hungry, Dellamorte?" Viago asked, glaring at Lucanis.
"He was watching my back, making sure that no one took advantage of my position," she informed, trying to defuse the tension. She wasn't exactly sure what had been exchanged at the Diamond, but it seemed that it irked Viago more than Lucanis had tipped off. "We actually were able to finish early because I was able to focus. I heard that your day was a little stressful at the Diamond earlier. I guess Bellara and Harding showed up."
"Your friends were very worried about you," Viago answered, finally turning to look at Isabella. "They demanded several times to know where you were."
"It's comforting to know that they worry, I suppose. I'm glad that you were able to defuse the situation," she remarked as he hummed a response.
"Lucanis was the one who actually convinced them to leave in the end," Viago corrected, surprising Isabella. She raised an eyebrow at the Crow as Lucanis reached for the water glass prepared on the table. "I believe he sited something about Crow business."
"I just mentioned that this was a type of job that Rook and I were trained to handle," Lucanis reminded as Viago sighed.
"Regardless, you should clue in your people more often on where you are going to be," the Talon recommended.
"Hard to do when I don't get much notice," Isabella noted, turning to Lucanis. "Or when I can't pass a message along."
"They know now," Lucanis reminded.
"True, after they yelled at Teia and I for nearly ten minutes before you arrived. You're lucky Teia has more patience than I do," Viago countered. Isabella grimaced, knowing that Teia had enough on her plate. Honestly, every Crow had enough on their plate without her team berating them about her whereabouts.
"I'll talk to them tomorrow about it. We'll set up a better strategy," Isabella amended.
"I'm glad to see you using your room again, even if you're sneaking around my back," Viago added, turning to stare at her.
"I didn't want to wake you up if you were home, and the plan was to rest and get back out there. I hadn't planned to stay long," she argued, tilting her head slightly for a more innocent look.
"So is that why Lucanis didn't use the guest room?" Viago wondered as Isabella fought against a blush. She wanted to first argue that she had offered one to him, but that would put a bad light on the whole situation.
"He doesn't sleep much, so he used the time to map out the best places to spy on the Antaam. I just needed to rest my eyes for a little while before going out again," she reminded as Viago tapped the table.
"You don't sleep much?" Viago asked, turning his attention to Lucanis. Isabella had told the truth, even if she didn't say anything about Spite. While she would be willing to help them get along, she wasn't going to spill that secret to anyone outside their team.
"Byproduct of the Ossuary unfortunately. The nightmares keep me up," Lucanis shrugged.
"I see," Viago remarked as Isabella cleared her throat.
"Besides, I'm not a teenager, Vi. I'm more than capable of having a person over night without it being any of your business," she pointed out as he frowned.
"I just didn't expect it to be a Crow from another House," Viago admitted with a shrug, staring directly at Lucanis. Isabella rolled her eyes as the cook on staff brought out separate servings of paella.
"It isn't like that,fratello. Lucanis didn't have a place to stay outside of the lighthouse, so I offered him our place. I was being hospitable, as a de Riva should be towards her fellow Crows. I'm trying to hold up that image you pride yourself on," Isabella argued, leaning towards him.
"And you are what a de Riva should be,cosita, I'm just making sure that it stays that way," he answered, grabbing the fork beside his plate. Isabella huffed in irritation, but she didn't have a good retort for that.
"I am sitting right here," Lucanis reminded as Viago took a bite while making eye contact.
"I am well aware, Dellamorte," Viago replied, his voice conveying a clear warning.
Isabella looked down at her paella, checking visually if she could see if it had Viago's dosage of poison. It didn't look any different from Viago's or Lucanis's, which meant virtually nothing. Viago had mastered a great number of clear poisons. However, they usually came with a smell or taste. Nothing could be perfected completely. At least, not yet.
She gave a quick scent check to find nothing out of the ordinary before she tasted it. The rice and seafood in paella was cooked to perfection, but the rice had a slightly bitter and nutty after flavor. One that Isabella recognized off the bat as a rare poison that Viago enjoyed using. It also wasn't one that he traded to the other Crow Houses, only letting it be used by certain de Riva agents.
It was a distillation of two mushrooms known as fly amanita and inky cap, giving the taste away immediately. Anyone else would have thought that someone was playing with the flavors of a paella, but Isabella had tasted this toxin before. It was meant to incapacitate and cause anxiety. Sleep paralysis in a bottle, but Viago called it Ravenous Grip. It was one of the few poisons that required a trigger to activate the symptoms and had no real antidote. It was also one that Isabella had built an immunity against. As long as she didn't drink the entire distilled bottle, she wouldn't feel the effect.
Lucanis on the hand…
"Viago," Isabella hissed after swallowing a bite. Viago ignored her as someone started to pour wine for the table. "Are we really doing this?"
"I thought you still built up an immunity, or did you stop doing that over the year?" Viago asked, avoiding her obvious concern.
"Of course I kept it up," she hissed, glancing at Lucanis.
"Then you should have nothing to worry about," Viago reassured as Lucanis took a bite. "How's the paella?"
"Delicious," Lucanis answered immediately, although Isabella could tell that he tasted something different about the flavor. She glared at Viago, who still ignored her and continued to eat. When Lucanis reached for the wine next to him, she grabbed it and put it closer to Viago. Lucanis said nothing, a little surprised by the immediate denial, but he went for the water instead.
The trigger in this particular poison was alcohol. Without it, Lucanis would suffer a mild stomach ache with possible digestive issues. With the wine, he would find his body paralyzed as his heart pounded and anxiety pulsing through him like a panic attack. Horrific on a normal day, even worse when your body housed a Spite demon.
Viago did nothing to object to her behavior, continuing to eat as if he hadn't tried to poison an old friend. Isabella knew that their friendship had a rocky part a few years ago, even if she didn't have the specifics. She knew that Lucanis felt guilty over something, and Viago didn't ever open up about it to her. She didn't even know that they knew each other until very recently.
Isabella turned to her own food, trying the wine as well. As she suspected, there was a hint of a toxin in the wine as well. It was subtle, but she guessed it was belladonna since it was one of her favorite labels. It would have helped fuel the anxiety part of Ravenous Grip. Again, it wasn't enough to kill, just enough to help keep her body used to the poison.
Eventually, they finished dinner in mostly silence, and Viago gathered the dishes. Isabella watched him, glad that she had enough sense to keep her gloves on. Another trick he had taught her was that people could use skin to skin contact poison, and he had shown her examples of that during her training. She wouldn't be surprised if he had that trick up his sleeve as well.
"Did you not like the wine, Lucanis?" Viago asked as he gathered his plate.
"I don't like to drink on the job," Lucanis replied politely, noticing Isabella's earlier discomfort. She carefully watched both of them in case Viago tried to more directly poison Lucanis. Isabella just wished to know why Viago would go to such lengths to scare Lucanis.
"A pity, we'll have to have you over again when you're not working," Viago remarked before straightening. "You two have a contract to get to then, if you still think you can make it tonight. Otherwise, I'll have a guest room made for you, Lucanis."
"I'm sure we can get the job finished tonight," Lucanis reassured with a polite smile. Viago smirked before he disappeared out of the room.
Once Viago was out of eye sight, Isabella grabbed Lucanis and turned him towards her. She peered into his eyes, pulling his eye lids apart. His pupils were reacting normally to light, and he didn't seem drowsy. That meant that Viago used the regular dose instead of modifying it. She placed a hand to his forehead, seeing that it was a regular temperature as well.
"Thank the Maker," she hissed before falling back into her chair.
"What was that?" Lucanis wondered, blinking at her.
"Viago used a de Riva poison that he doesn't share outside the House. One that you wouldn't have an immunity to," Isabella explained as Lucanis frowned.
"And am I okay?"
"You're fine as long as you don't have any alcohol in the next day or two. The poison is meant to linger in your system, and alcohol triggers it," she answered with watery eyes. "It's not deadly unless administered in large quantities. It's called Ravenous Grip, and it recreates sleep paralysis mixed with a panic attack."
"Are you sure that won't happen?"
"If he had modified it, you would have felt the affects already. As long as you don't have alcohol, you won't experience the side effects. You might get an upset stomach, though."
"I'll take that over sleep paralysis."
"Whatexactlydid you say to Viago at the Diamond? What haven't you told me? I've never seen him act this way before."
"Nothing, I don't think. We talked to Bellara and Harding about how we had a contract, and then after they left, he told me that he knew that you snuck me inside the house," Lucanis explained, searching his memories. "He said that he could hear us arguing from across the estate."
"He's always been a bit of an exaggerator. We weren't even fighting that loudly."
"That's what I told him. I said we weren't being that loud," he added as Isabella turned to him. Then he nodded. "And after I said that, that was when he said that I needed to help you before he poisoned me."
"Because you made it sound like we were fooling around," Isabella groaned, shaking her head. "That's why he said he wanted to keep the de Riva image as it was. He thinks you and I are fucking around together."
"I think that's more Illario's style than mine," Lucanis admitted, his cheeks a touch pink.
"While I don't disagree, Viago doesn't seem to care," she reminded, rubbing her forehead. "Okay, well, that's fine for now. We have bigger things to deal with. And I did warn you about the potential poisoning."
"You did."
"Alright, let's just get this qamekmaker in the ground, and we can get back to the lighthouse. I don't think letting you stay here another night is going to be a good idea."
"He'll still be upset. We technically live together in the Fade."
"But we're not under his roof. It's a different image when de Riva is involved. In the Fade, it's just Rook," Isabella explained as Lucanis scrunched his brows in confusion. "I promise, it makes a difference, especially to Viago. Anyway, head outside and I'll meet you there after I grab my things."
"Alright," he agreed, turning to leave. Isabella took a deep breath to calm herself before she ran upstairs to change.
Rook returned to him quickly, and they were able to get to the garrison a few hours after sunset. They followed the pattern she noticed earlier, and they were able to slip past the defenses nearly undetected. There were a few soldiers posted where they needed to go, but with the help of a few poisoned darts, they went down easily.
She guided him across the roof and through the attic into the main building she had heard described earlier. Lucanis followed carefully, making sure that they remained undetected as they continued.
It wasn't long before they found a large open hall with a balcony, and there was a sickly stench choking the air around them. It was terribly distracting, and Rook faltered slightly when she opened the door to the room with it. Still, they pressed forward, knowing that they were getting closer. She turned to him to point to the balcony when they heard a deep guttural voice.
"I can smell you," something informed from the large hall beyond the balcony. Rook froze as the voice sounded pleased. "I knew someone would come. I know what you're here for. If you want it so bad, then come and take it."
"What is that?" Lucanis hissed as Rook shook her head.
"I don't know," she answered, taking a peek over the railing. There was a huge, blighted monster beneath them with huge, gnarled horns. "It's a reaver."
"Mierda," Lucanis cursed.
"You can't take the qamek away, little bird. It's mine. It's always been mine," the reaver taunted as Rook frowned.
"The qamekmaster is the reaver?" Lucanis questioned as she raised her shoulders.
"We have to put it down either way. We can't have it loose in Treviso," Rook answered as he sighed.
"Hey, you were the one who wanted to tagalong," Rook reminded before she hopped over the banister.
"There you are, little bird. And you brough a friend. How nice," the reaver growled before charging at them. Rook dodged out of the way as Spite lifted Lucanis into the air, giving him an aerial attack opportunity.
The reaver was one of the more intense combatants Lucanis had dealt with. It was fast for its size, and it packed a punch. It threw him and Rook a cross the room a couple of times, trying to run them over when they fell. And yet, even though it was blighted, the damned thing could still taunt them as it went.
"Why can it talk? It's blighted!" Lucanis pointed out when his frustration reached a certain level. Rook dodged another charge before glaring at him.
"How am I supposed to know? I'm not the damn blight expert!" she shouted before shooting at it with an arrow.
"The gods have given me such a gift. The butcher doesn't even want to see," the reaver yelled in laughter, charging at Lucanis. He jumped out of the way at the last minute, letting the reaver run head first into the wall, crushing its skull on the impact.
"Finally," Rook whispered, returning her blades to her hips. "You look around for more information about what's going on, I'm going to neutralize the qamek."
"Don't you mean destroy?" Lucanis asked as she pulled out a few vials from her satchel.
"Same thing. We just need to make sure that it's completely useless. I don't want anyone else to be able to use it," she answered as she walked over to the waiting vats.
Lucanis wandered the room, sifting through journals and loose notes. It seemed that the reaver was a renowned potion maker before he was hired by the Butcher. From then, the man slowly descended into madness, talking about blighted gods and how they were going to save him and the world. As he went to flip through another journal, a note fell out with fresh smudged ink.
The Butcher rages. Someone has stolen the qamek I made for him. I do not know who took it, nor is it my concern. I told him to have the human who betrayed this city investigate the matter.
The Butcher was not pleased. Locked me in here. Said I was "changed".
Let him find another qamekmaster. I have fulfilled my role. The gods grant me another as a reaver of flesh.
"Rook," Lucanis called over as she finished the last barrel. She stood and walked over to him, peering over his shoulder at the parchment. "It's worse."
"Damnit," she hissed, ripping the paper from his hand. "First the gods, and now the traitor has some of the qamek."
"Viago is going to want to know," Lucanis mentioned as Rook continued to curse under her breath. "I would keep that note so he has it."
"I'll give it to him. He said he was going to be at the Diamond to see us off after the contract was complete," she informed, nearly tearing her hair out. This was going to be a much bigger problem than she first realized.
~C~
A/N: No one feels the effects of the poisons, but Viago is intentionally trying to give Lucanis a bad drug trip. Rook is able to avoid any issues, but the bad intent and action are still there. Viago protects his flock, even if he makes horrendously bad choices.