Lucanis listened to Rook's contract explanation as the boat took them back to Treviso. Neve and Bellara jumped in with more details when they could, but Rook was able to cover most of what was going on and what was needed. They needed a mage killer to go after two blighted, ancient mages that had godlike power. That's what he got for being known for best, he supposed. Although, the women were powerful as well, as breaking him out of an unknown underwater prison was no small feat. This would be a contract worth taking.

"Tell me more about the Crows," Lucanis asked, turning to Rook. She tilted her head at that, sorting through her thoughts.

"As far as I know, they are well. Houses de Riva, Cantori, and Dellamorte are going strong. I haven't spoken to any other Crows yet, but I would imagine the Houses are doing fine. No infighting as far as I've heard," Rook answered, tapping her chin. "Viago tends to keep that information close to the chest, at least."

"You know Viago personally?"

"Yes, he is the Head of my House, and the one who gives me my contracts. He's also the one who gives me the most grief when a contract goes wrong or when I do something out of line," she groaned before waving her hand. "But Viago is Viago. He is stern, but he means well."

"You should give out business cards that say that," Neve teased as Rook smiled.

"Viago mentioned that he knew you before you were captured," Rook continued, turning back to Lucanis. He hummed, staring at the water.

"I may have ruined that friendship," he chuckled.

"He mentioned that as well. I'm sure Viago would still be interested in building that friendship back, if that's something you're interested in. You have been gone for a year," she reminded as he sighed. "Did you know Teia as well?"

"You must know her very well for you to know her as Teia."

"Viago trained me, so when Viago and Teia went on missions, I was forced to tag along," Rook informed as Lucanis shook his head.

"I am surprised that neither of them introduced us before," Lucanis commented. He thought he had grown close to Viago and Teia growing up, even if the dagger courtship gift had gone unanswered. Although, he did recall Teia mentioning a little sister Viago was carting around a few times, but he had assumed that it was a Cantori Crow, not a de Riva.

Rook paused as she pursed her lips, deep in thought. He stared back out over the water, trying to search his memory, wondering if they had been introduced and he had simply forgotten. He did meet a lot of fellow Crows in passing and on jobs. It was hard to keep names straight all the time.

"Illario also trained me," Rook mentioned as she stared at her hands. Her voice was soft and quiet, and Lucanis wasn't quite sure if he had heard her right.

"Illario trained you? When?"

"Maybe two years ago now, when I was on a contract that would let me become a Crow officially," she informed before turning to him. Lucanis searched her eyes, looking for a lie or deception. He found neither, but he found a certain confusion. "I didn't know he had a cousin until today."

"Henever mentioned me?" he clarified, tilting his head.

"I'm sure it was something that slipped his mind, but I thought you should know before we meet up with Illario again. I don't know why I didn't know who you were," Rook informed, lifting her shoulders to her ears. "I had heard rumors of the Demon of Vyrantium, but I didn't know he was Lucanis Dellamorte."

"Well, I am glad to at least meet you now, Rook de Riva, whatever the circumstances. I'm sure the others have their reasons," Lucanis reassured as Rook relaxed a little.

Something felt strange at the idea of Illario not talking about him. They had grown up as brothers, yet Rook knew all his close comrades yet not him. And he had no recollection of her. Had he been away on so many contracts that he had missed a de Riva climbing the ranks and befriending two Talons? He had spent a good amount of time in Tevinter before his capture, but still, Illario not talking about him still felt strange.

Where are. We?

On a boat heading towards Treviso.

Rook?

Next to us, talking about the Crows.

I want. To talk. To her.

No, you can't talk to Rook. Not right now. We're too exposed.

She can help.

Help with what?

You. Me. Us.

You get back to me when you have a better idea of what you mean.

Spite wailed in his mind in frustration, but he didn't manifest outside his body. The demon always talked in such fragmented sentences, and it drove Lucanis crazy sometimes. He just wanted to be able to understand what Spite wanted so he could better anticipate the demon. Although, him wanting to talk to Rook seemed like a bad sign.

"Has Illario always been a handful?" Rook wondered, bringing Lucanis out of his mind.

"Probably, but what do you mean?" he answered.

"He just feels a little overbearing at times, and he drives Viago crazy," she answered with a chuckle. "Sometimes I feel he acts a certain way to get a rise out of people."

"Oh, he definitely does that, and I'm not surprised he gets on Viago's nerves. Has he tried to poison my cousin yet?" Lucanis wondered.

"Not to my knowledge, but I wouldn't be surprised if he had. Probably not a great idea to poison the grandson of the First Talon, though," Rook reminded as Lucanis shrugged.

"If Illario gets poisoned, it's his own fault, he should've known better," he remarked as Rook raised an eyebrow.

"I'm starting to understand why you and Viago got along once upon a time," Rook smiled, shaking her head.

"Any other juicy gossip from the Crows?" he wondered, leaning into the playfulness.

"Unfortunately, that's all I have. Just Illario being too much, Viago being bossy, and Teia managing it all with a smirk and a trick up her sleeve," Rook smiled before sighing. "I'll be glad to be back home, even if it's for a little bit. We'll have to regroup in the Fade."

"Right, the Fade," Lucanis whispered, still unsure about that part. "What was the next step in your illustrious plan?"

"Neve thought that talking to the Shadow Dragons in Minrathous would give us a good lead on where the gods are heading to next. We have a meeting with them in a few days to figure out what they know, and if there's anything on our side that we can do to help," Rook explained just as Treviso came around a mountain.

Lucanis's attention was stolen by his home city, and he couldn't bring himself back to Rook's conversation. When he did glance back at her, she was also admiring the city with him. It was her home too, after all. To be home after a year was going to be strange, but it would feel good.

Isabella had expected someone at the dock to greet them, whether it be Illario or a fellow Crow, but it was empty. It had been the first sign of trouble, but she wrote it off. She helped everyone off the boat before leading the group back to the Diamond only to see the carnage that had been left behind.

Crow corpses were strewn about the Cantori Diamond with even more Venatori, and Isabella steadied her breathing. This was not the time to panic or worry. She needed to keep a level head. She ran towards the attic entrance with the other three on her tail.

Relief on seeing Teia and Viago was short lived as she saw more Crow bodies inside. She covered her mouth as she walked towards them. Lucanis looked around in disbelief, shocked to see the casino in such a state. This was one of the safest places for the Crows, and now it had been sullied by the Venatori.

Teia and Viago turned and froze, surprised and relieved to see both Lucanis and Isabella had returned unharmed. Isabella froze as she saw the mess of papers and broken furniture scattered around the Talons.

"Maker," Teia whispered, stepping towards them as Viago shook his head.

"Lucanis," he muttered. Isabella turned to Lucanis, realizing that this was a homecoming for him, and it was a worse case scenario.

"What happened here?" Lucanis murmured, taking in the scene before him.

Illario slammed down his fist onto the table, startling Isabella out of her shock. She turned to the cousin she knew longer, surprised by his reaction. She watched as he turned around in anger.

"A message from Zara Renata," Illario growled before his eyes fell on both Lucanis and Isabella. The anger vanished as he walked up to Lucanis, grabbing his forearm in greeting. "Cousin. You're home."

"Her people got this close?" Lucanis hissed as he walked past Illario towards the table. Illario exhaled before walking over to Isabella.

"Bella, I'm glad to see you're alright," Illario whispered as she clenched her jaw. This wasn't the time.

"Illario, this might be revenge for the breakout," she reminded as he sighed. Lucanis turned to face them both, still deep in thought. Then he glanced around before turning to Teia.

"Where's Caterina?" Lucanis wondered. Teia bit back a sob as Viago placed his hands on her shoulders, hanging his head. Isabella covered her mouth as Neve and Bellara stepped back towards the shadows.

"The Venatori got her in the confusion," Viago confirmed as Illario cursed under his breath. Isabella looked up at him, noticing that he wouldn't leave her side.

"I get one of you back," Illario hissed, gesturing towards Lucanis. "Only to lose the other."

"I am so sorry, Illario, Lucanis. Words can't describe-" Isabella started, hoping to bring some comfort before Lucanis shook his head.

"I need to work," he informed as Isabella took a sharp inhale.

"Lucanis, you can take some time," Isabella offered, but he wouldn't look at her.

"You just got back, and now you want to leave again?" Illario asked.

"I don't need time. I need a target. I will not break the last contract Caterina ever made," Lucanis informed, raising his head to look at Isabella. "Plus, I owe Rook. Once that's done, then I'll come home."

"I'll make sure he comes home in one piece," Isabella informed, glossing over the codename Lucanis had used. Illario turned to her and smiled.

"Thank you, just make sure you come on in one piece, too," Illario mentioned, grabbing her hands. Then he turned to his cousin with a sharp gaze. "When you find Zara, Cousin, I want - I need - to be there."

"We can't afford to lose any of you for this quest for revenge with Antaam on one side and the Venatori on the other-" Viago argued before Teia shook her head firmly.

"No, Viago. They took Caterina from my house. Theytook Caterinafrommyhouse!" Teia emphasized before she stared at Lucanis. "When you find her, you kill her and cut her heart out. Vi and I will hold down the fort."

"I will give her your regards, Teia," Lucanis promised as Teia nodded.

"For Caterina," Teia whispered.

Isabella gestured with her head towards Lucanis to leave before Viago cleared his throat. Isabella stopped to turn before noticing that Viago motioned that he still wanted to talk with her. She called over to Neve and Bellara to show Lucanis the way to the lighthouse and she would be right there.

She should have guessed that they would stay to eavesdrop after all the stories she had told of Viago, but there wasn't time to tell them to leave. So, she just hoped that they got what they wanted out of whatever Viago wanted to talk about.

"Pendeja," he greeted as Isabella fought a smile.

"Stronzo," she replied.

"If the Venatori are involved with your gods, you need to be careful. I am unsure if that is what is happening, but there is too much correlating for it to be a coincidence. I am glad that you were able to convince Lucanis to join your team," Viago mentioned as he folded his arms.

"He will be a great help, I'm sure," Isabella agreed before he chuckled.

"And you gave him your codename."

"I did. If he asks for my real name, I will give it to him. Otherwise, he will know me as Rook. Does that bother you?"

"I think we're past that now. You've turning my insult into a pun. I'm bothered for an entirely different reason now," he teased as she shook her head. Then Viago undid his cape and wrapped it around Isabella's shoulders. She stood still while she looked at him with confusion. He leaned into her ear. "Your friends are watching, but make sure you trust them before anything else. Do not let your guard down. I've also added more labeled and bottled poisons into the cape."

"Thank you," she whispered before he leaned back with a nod.

"Teia also said that you could keep the leathers. If you need more, she would be happy to lend you more. Just let her know."

"I will if I need them. I should go before Bellara sneezes and alerts us to their location," Isabella murmured as Viago smirked.

"Not much one for stealth."

"That's my specialty. She's the one who fixed the eluvian so I could get here, so be nice."

"I will send a bottle of wine her way for sending you back home," Viago replied before crossing his arms again. "I should load you up with Treviso contracts so you can't step outside the city for the next three years."

"Ah, but when the gods come knocking, you'll have no one to blame but yourself."

"You better succeed if you're going to talk like that."

"I'll be back within the next two weeks, and the eluvian is right in the Cantori Diamond. I'm not far at all anymore," Isabella reminded.

"Keep that in mind next time you think you might get in trouble with the Crows," Viago warned as she rolled her eyes. "Alright, get going or they'll leave without you."

"Don't stress out too much, Viago, I'll see you soon," Isabella promised before turning towards the eavesdroppers. She heard Bellara squeak as she approached and then found the three of them pretending to look bored next to the eluvian. She took a deep breath before walking through the mirror.

Lucanis generally didn't like to spy on non-contracts, especially if they were allies or clients. However, when Neve mentioned that she wanted to understand the dynamic between Rook and Viago, he had to admit he was curious. He wrestled with himself over it for a moment, trying to decide if it was worth it to spy on his fellow Crows. Viago would probably be pissed if he found out. Although, he did like his odds.

Once he won the argument with himself, he peeked around the corner to see Viago fasten his cloak around Rook's shoulders and lean in close. Whatever Lucanis had envisioned their relationship to be, it wasn't that. Given how Viago was acting with Teia earlier, Lucanis would've thought that they were together. Was Viago cheating on Teia with Rook? Or vice versa?

He focused on listening in, but he missed the hushed conversation only to hear about how Viago should assign three years' worth of contracts to keep Rook in Treviso. That was when Spite manifested to get closer, and Lucanis grimaced. It would be easier to listen to people if Spite could get closer and unseen. Eventually, Rook waved off Viago, promising that she would visit in the next two weeks.

Spite followed Rook as Lucanis leaned against the wall, pretending that he was patiently waiting the whole time. The demon kept following Rook around and would only glare at Viago, who had gone back to trying to clean up the Venatori mess. Lucanis wondered if he should stay to help, but he found that he didn't want to. He wasn't a Talon or in charge, and he needed to throw some knives at something for a while.

Once they stepped back through the mirror and into the Fade, Spite stepped back into Lucanis's body and grumbled incoherently. Lucanis sighed inwardly, wishing that if the demon was going to sulk that he would at least do it outside his body.

What's wrong?

Rook smells. Wrong.

What?

The other Crow. Gave her. Clothing. Makes her. Smell Wrong.

She's allowed to accept gifts from others, especially from her Talon.

Talon?

Like her boss, he gives her work.

Can we. Give her clothes?

…Why?

Then she. Would smell. Like us.

Lucanis stuttered in his gait, surprised by the demon's comment. The demon often explained what people smelled like, no matter how much Lucanis told him not to. It felt strange to know what the scent was, and it also felt uncomfortable to know. However, Spite had never mentioned wanting someone to smell like him.

NO. Like US. I don't. Have a scent.

Why do you care?

I like Rook. Don't like. Other Crow. Talon.

So, you want her to smell familiar.

I want. Her to Smell. Like you. Like Mine.

Lucanis tried to hide the grimace he made when Spite explained what exactly he wanted. He was feeling possessive over Rook, and that could only be a bad thing. It was one thing that Spite was possessive over Lucanis, as that was the deal that was made against both of their wills. Rook was a different matter entirely.

Rook is a person. You can't own her. It isn't right.

I don't. Want to Own. Want to. Make Mine.

Lucanis was going to tear his hair out.

You can't take Rook to make her your own. She's still a person.

Lucanis is mine.

Right, and that was something that we have made work. We didn't have a choice. Rook has a choice.

Lucanis waited for an argument, but the demon remained quiet as Spite gave it some thought. The Crow took a deep breath, hoping that he had gotten through to Spite and that would be the last of that conversation. Explaining how a person was not an object was not a conversation he ever expected to have, especially with a demon.