Archive of Our Own

Ever since Solas had disappeared into the veil, hand in hand with the Inquisitor, it had been nonstop. Everyone was rushing around,  reuniting with their faction and family members.  Grieving those they lost, and helping citizens trapped in the blight. Lucanis found Rook amongst it all, battered and bruised, but alive. 

She hadn't disappeared again. He pulled her into a reserved embrace. She was injured after all, and he couldn't have the remaining crows see him scoop her up like a lovesick puppy. 

Lucanis hated to part from Rook after all that,  all they had gone through…but there was so much to do in Treviso. As the new first talon, he had certain responsibilities to attend to, not to mention that the Dellamorte manor needed to be cleaned thoroughly and re-staffed after the debacle with Illario. 

Rook had responsibilities too, as a Shadow Dragon. She was helping Neve restore Minrathous after the big battle,  as much of it was destroyed. She needed to help delegate and pitch in to the effort. She couldn't, in good faith, run away with Lucanis to Treviso…no matter how tempting he had tried to make it sound. 

No, he actually knew that she couldn't. She felt very much responsible for a majority of the damage. She had saved Treviso over Minrathous the first time; she couldn't leave the Dragons behind again just to indulge in selfish desires.

He just needed to vent to her. And she listened as he told her all the things they would do once she was in Treviso again. A proper trip to the market,  the view of Treviso from the bell tower, a boat ride through the canals…so many things. 

But that was months ago. 

Six months, to be exact. 

This was torture to Lucanis. Where was she? Minrathous wasn't completely recovered, from what he had heard,  but it was certainly recovered enough to not need the help of one specific Shadow Dragon, right?

With a audible * scratch* Lucanis found himself messing up yet another piece of paperwork by spacing out. He groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was exhausted. He could have never expected that being First Talon would be so…boring. It was mostly paperwork and politics. Planning dead drops, delegating what to say in said dead drops. Approving contracts, and dealing with the remaining governors' malice. It was just taxing. 

He stood up and walked over to an armchair on the opposite side of his office. It was plush, black with gold inlays. Resting into it,  Lucanis tried desperately to just relax . There was a sidetable next to the chair, with a tray atop it, a coffee pot and a few empty cups stained with coffee remnants littered across it. 

Picking up one of the cups, he squinted at the inside. It looked clean enough, and he needed coffee , stat. He started to pour the cold coffee and grimaced. This would have to do, for now. He didn't have time to get up and heat up a fresh pot. 

Despite being cold, the sensation of the coffee entering his system was enough for him to relax a little,  sighing in relief.  

However,  as quick as that relief had come,  it dissipated when Spite tingled in the back of his mind. The demon had been surprisingly docile as of late. Well,  not docile exactly, but there wasn't really a word for what the demon was feeling.  Depressed was close,  but not quite. But it was the closest thing Lucanis could attribute it to it. 

the tingle grew, making Lucanis extremely uncomfortable. Then finally, their voice.

“ She's not here yet… ” Their voice was as harsh and scratchy as usual, but had a melancholy tone to it. “ Where is she?”

Lucanis sighed, put off his coffee break. He reluctantly got to his feet to make his way back over to the desk. 

Spite's impatience showed immediately as he roared. “WHERE. IS. ROOK?!”  

Lucanis had almost forgotten about Spite's obsession with Rook. Not that Lucanis wasn't obsessed with her. (though he would never admit that) But Spite had an unhealthy obsession with Rook since even before their relationship had started,  but ever since she had called them and Lucanis her ‘favorite boys’ , Spite had ramped up. The rest of the team had seen how Spite reacted when Rook went missing,  and Lucanis didn't wish to repeat that. 

“She's busy, Spite. She will arrive when she does.” 

Spite hissed in frustration. “We need her…” 

“No we don't, Spite. We can handle being apart for a while.” 

Spite slammed his fists on the desk, though it didn't move, naturally, as he was incorporeal. Just a reminder the only thing Spite could harm was Lucanis himself. 

He sighed again. “I need to focus. There is so much paperwork to handle.” 

Spite hissed again and turned away from Lucanis. “ Boring.”

“I don't have time to play with you,  Spite.” Lucanis rubbed his face with one hand, the dark circles under his eyes evident. “And I can only drink so much coffee. Mierda, that's not something I thought I'd ever say.” 

Leaning on the desk,  Spite's voice lowered to a raspy whisper. “ Working is boring. We should kill. Keep our skills sharp!” 

To an extent, He agreed.  It had been at least three months of paperwork out of the six months he had been back in Treviso. Before this,  Caterina had handled all of this nonsense. Lucanis hadn't been able to even train with his weapons,  let alone test them out on a target. 

“Maybe I should have let Illario take the job after all.” Lucanis joked to himself. Though Spite scowled at the suggestion. Lucanis didn't acknowledge the scowl though. 

He turned back to his paperwork, ignoring Spite to the best of his ability. Scratching and scribbling with his quill, he thought about what he would do when the paperwork ran out. His thoughts strayed to Rook, and to his promise when they had parted, and thoughts of her in general.

They had kissed when they were reunited, but it was brief. That didn't make it any less electric, of course,  but it was not the kiss he would have chosen had they been in a more private setting. It was bad enough the crows saw them kissing in the first place,  which could put Rook in danger from traitors or political enemies who caught wind. So there wasn't much they could do beyond that hug and kiss. 

He was missing her, a lot.  He hadn't realized how much her absence would affect him. As the months went on, he got increasingly restless. The most annoying part, though, were the letters. He had received a few letters from both Neve and Rook, updating him on the situation. Neve's were more helpful than Rook's though.

Rook wrote straightforward letters, with the occasional ‘I miss you’, with a bit of flowery language, but they were devoid of any of the humor and sassiness he had become accustomed to. 

Neve's letters updated him more on the situation, and gave some insight on Rook's mental state. She had tried to convince Rook to go see Lucanis, To take a break, but she had refused. 

Speaking of…he hadn't received a letter from Rook In at least a month. Spite had been more annoyed than Lucanis even, as he just assumed she hadn't had the time. Then again,  there was a letter from Neve waiting in his drawer. She had been sending one almost every week. Rook's had come every week to start,  but slowly the time between letters got longer and longer. Now he wasn't receiving any from her.

He sighed,  and pulled the drawer open, retrieving the letter embossed with the Shadow Dragon's seal. He hoped there was good news inside.

______________________________

Rook was equally as exhausted, though hers was more physical than mental. She had never been the strong one, her skills were more suited to lock-picking and daggers, rather than pulling wagons uphill to construction sites.  Yet she was doing just so. It was extremely difficult,  but Rook felt responsible for her city. It was where she grew up,  after all. Not in dock town specifically,  but all of Minrathous was suffering. 

It didn't help that her choices were weighing heavily upon her mind. She wondered sometimes, if she had chosen Minrathous over Treviso, would it have even mattered? The gods attacked Minrathous anyway. 

No,  she would make the same choices again, she knew that. It was just difficult to once again come face to face with her choices In such a concrete way. 

She collapsed onto a bench in the hideout, groaning as her muscles all screamed.

Her body was in so. Much. Pain. She had been attacked by some lingering darkspawn while clearing out some of the dock town market of blight, then had to help the Grey wardens clear the inert blight. Once that was done, so many refugees needed help moving into the cleared out area.  She carried a ton of tents, supplies, people… just a lot of things needing to be carried. 

Piles on top of piles of work to do,  and this was her only moment of reprieve. It would be a short reprieve. 

She was so busy,  she didn't even have time to think of her emotional state. Which was part of her goal, if she was going to be honest. If she didn't have time to think, she didn't have to think about her actions or her feelings about them. She had a feeling she might break otherwise.

When she did think,  her thoughts strayed to all her other friends. Lucanis in particular though was on her mind a lot. Obviously. Of course she missed him, but she needed to keep her priorities straight. Minrathous needed her right now. Lucanis could wait just a little while longer. 

She rolled over to look around the hideout. It reminded her of bringing him and Neve to assist her faction. They had been friends, and a point of contention for her. She felt like an intruder sometimes,  between their banter , and their love of coffee. Rook preferred sweeter drinks,  though she could brew a simple coffee well enough.

But Lucanis had never flirted with Neve,  to be fair. It was just Rook being a little jealous. She had no right to be, but she had been. Thank the gods…no,  thank the spirits she had never voiced it to Lucanis. He would probably be furious, at least in her mind. 

Her shoulder was shaken, causing her to grunt and try to refocus her tired eyes. They wobbled in her sockets a bit,  but eventually she was able to see the person.

Neve was standing above her,  hands on her hips.  

“You need a break.” She said simply, motioning for her to scoot over so she could sit next to her. “How much sleep have you had in the last 72 hours?”

When Rook spoke,  her voice was so scratchy that it came out barely a whisper. 

“I'm fine. I'm just a little tired. If I rest my eyes for about an hour, I'll be right as rain.” 

Neve laid a hand upon Rook's forehead and audibly huffed. “You've got a fever, Rook. You are literally running yourself ragged. You can't keep going like this.” 

Rook groaned. Her face had been feeling hot but she had dismissed it as nothing more than stress. She couldn't afford to get sick, not with so much work to do.  

But Neve sighed,  and she knew she was doomed. Rook may have stopped the gods,  but Neve was still above her in rank within the Shadow Dragons. If Neve wanted to force her to take a break,  she could. 

Rook was already surprised that Neve hadn't forced her to take a longer break yet. Sure, she had encouraged her in the past to take short ones, but she had not yet used her rank to force it.  

“Rook. I'm afraid I'm going to have you relieved of duty.”

Oh. Oh no,  that was much worse. 

“What?! But I've been doing so much work, Neve!” Rook jumped to her feet,  feeling extremely dizzy when she did so. “You can't put me out now, the relief efforts have just started to bear fruit.” 

Neve clicked her tongue. “All your work will not help you if you collapse. You don't just need a break, you need a vacation.” She was pointedly hinting again. 

“I'm not going to Treviso.” Rook said point-blank. 

“Why not?” Neve crossed her arms. “It's like you are avoiding leaving.” 

Rook pursed her lips tight into a straight line. “I'm not avoiding anything. I'm just…working.”

“Working yourself to death.” Neve corrected, then sighed and looked at the floor. “This is unlike you, you know.  You were always so chipper. Now you walk around like a zombie.” 

“The final battle took a lot out of me…” Rook admitted. “Losing Ashur, and Strife… And so many others from all the factions…was a wake-up call. I want to…no I need to be better. I can help more than I have been.” 

Neve looked at the ground.  She looked perplexed, but was apparently keeping it under wraps for Rook’s sake. She looked up at her and tilted her head. “I understand. But Minrathous is doing much better than it was six months ago, thanks to your efforts. But you don't have to lead the charge forever. So I'm ordering you to go Treviso. Have some coffee, peruse the market,” her voice dropped mischievously. “, see a certain assassin you haven't seen in some time.” 

Rook flushed. Oh gods. She hadn't even realized that it had been a month since she had last sent any correspondence To Lucanis. What must he think of her at this point? She had been so caught up in her efforts to correct her mistakes…

Wait…

“You said it's been how many months here in Minrathous?” Rook was dreading the answer. 

Neve didn't answer immediately, looking surprised. When she did answer, it was slow.  “It's been six whole months,  Rook.”

SIX??? Rook was mortified.  She hadn't meant to work for so long. She had told herself three months tops, then she would head to Treviso to meet up with Lucanis. What if he had already moved on? She couldn't wait anther minute, it would seem. She had to see Lucanis. To apologize at the very least. 

“Fine…I'll go. But you have to promise to update me on the restoration efforts!” She tried to sound upbeat, but her raspy voice just hurt her throat. 

Nodding, neve raised an eyebrow.  “Yes,  I'll send the updates to the Dellamorte Manor .” She grinned. 

“Stop that.” 

______________________________

Back in Treviso, Lucanis was once again pacing his office. It was a late afternoon,  but he had luckily managed to get a little sleep before waking from his siesta.

Teia and Viago were updating him on the remaining Antaam stragglers, and on the movements of other crows. A lot was still happening since he became First Talon. He wished he could be back out there, right alongside his crows, But he would have to settle for hearing about it second hand.

He walked over to the window as Viago warned him about Illario's behavior as of late. He was distracted. Outside the window, he could see a good portion of Treviso, including the market. It looked busy this time of day, even as late as it was,  with vendors selling all sorts of doo-dahs and trinkets.

The Night Market was superior,  in his opinion. 

He allowed his mind to wander. Neve's last letter had detailed that Rook was deteriorating quickly, and that she was going to attempt to send them to Treviso, so ‘to prepare’.

Lucanis’ heart had both leapt and sunk. Sunk, because he hated to hear that Rook was not keeping well, and leapt because there was a possibility he would soon see her. Spite had been just as happy to hear that, but then had gone completely quiet. That unnerved Lucanis more, to be honest. 

He needed to reign himself in. There was danger in getting too excited. He would not show a weakness for traitors to exploit.

“Lucanis.” Teia's voice cut through. 

“Yes?” He reluctantly turned away from the window,  sparing a glance out at the streets. 

Teia held up a stack of papers. “We need to approve the newest fledglings. Heir needs that stamp before she can start training them.

Not this again. Lucanis groaned. “I just… can't right now Teia. This paperwork will be the death of me at this rate. I need to be out on the streets.” 

The outside breeze drifting invitingly through the open widow was so tempting to him. He longed to run across the rooftops of Treviso again, and his fingers were itching to take a contract. 

“I'm going for coffee.” He decided suddenly, Quickly jogging towards the door.

Teia and Viago shared an exasperated look. “We can get coffee sent up here from the kitchen!” Teia said hurriedly.

Lucanis scoffed. “I need café coffee, Teia. I'm going. I will return when I am ready.” 

Teia called after him,  but Lucanis had already tuned her out. He headed, as quickly and quietly as possible, towards Cafe Pietra. He had a craving for properly made coffee, not the stuff the people at the Dellamorte manor made. It was perfectly palatable, but not nearly as good as it could be.

He was reminded for some reason of Rook's coffee. She had gotten better at making it after that first time,  but she always included chicory in every brew. It was her trademark.  

He kept his smile contained. He needed to be alert right now,  he was unguarded otherwise. There was no doubt in his mind that there were probably spies watching him now that he was out of the Dellamorte manor. 

Spite perked up in his mind when his thoughts strayed to Rook. Like waking up from a nap.  

“ Rook always smelled so nice. We want to see her again. ” He said, surprisingly quietly. 

Lucanis mentally agreed with Spite. He was hopeful after Neve's last letter that he would be seeing Rook soon. 

“Soon, Spite. I promise”

It was back to growling. Throwing a mini tantrum. “ So bored recently! Rook Is much more fun than you! ”

Bracing himself,  Lucanis stepped into an alleyway out of sight. “Look, Spite, we have responsibilities now as First Talon. We can't just disappear to go to Minrathous to see Rook.” 

He could feel Spite rolling their eyes. His own eyes twinged with pain. “ Yes,  yes. ” He hissed in Lucanis’ ear. “ So, so busy. All work and no play. Rook would play. ”

Rook had always placated Spite so easily. She knew just the buttons to push to appease the demon. Lucanis didn't know how she did it,  but she was sorely needed recently. Spite was less often a problem, but when he did emerge, he was a brat. 

“Rook would.” Lucanis said, a bit upset. “But she is not here. She might be here soon, though.”

Spite went quiet for a moment. Long enough that Lucanis thought he might have retreated back into the recesses of his mind, but then he growled. 

“You. Better. not. be. lying! We want Rook!”

“Yes we do…” He stepped out of the alleyway and continued on.

Once he reached the Cafe, he took a deep breath in. The Cafe smelled delightful. Fresh coffee beans, and roasting pots. It was a welcome getaway from the monotony of the last few months. 

He quickly ordered something,  and sat down at a nearby table to watch the water. Treviso was beautiful this time of day, the sunlight splashing colors over the canal. He had nearly forgotten about this. After his escape from the ossuary he had been thrown right onto Rook's team, and every mission they had to Treviso was always during the night to avoid Antaam patrols. Then,  when he finally got back after defeating the gods, he had been thrust into politics and paperwork and hadn't been able to get out and about until now.

Spite stirred In his mind again. Confused,  Lucanis glanced around. There was nothing in the immediate environment that would cause the demon to react again. 

“ Smell something…” The demon said carefully, though its voice was strained. 

Lucanis kept quiet as the waiter came over and sat down his coffee. He watched until the waiter walked away before responding, whispering to the demon so as not to garner attention. 

“You always smell something,  Spite. It's probably the coffee.” 

Spite buzzed, his voice shrill. “ No! I smell…warm leather…and fruit…and is that…no. ”

Lucanis sat up straight. There was only one other person who Spite had described as smelling like ‘warm leather’. He looked around, but saw nothing. He Sighed. 

“Do not get my hopes up, Spite” he whispered into his cup to hide his lips from onlookers He took a large sip from his cup, trying to calm his jumping nerves. 

Spite growled. “ No! I smell it! She is here. ” He audibly sniffed the air. “ Chicory. Who else?! ” 

Lucanis was starting to get frustrated with Spite. She was nowhere to be seen, yet here they were, teasing him. Just like he had when he and Rook first got together.  It was quite unlike him,  but Emmrich had explained that Spite would draw on his own emotions, so maybe he needed the teasing. 

He was deep in thought as Spite growled and gruffed into his ear,  but he still heard the footsteps approaching him. 

“Viago.” 

He sat down across from Lucanis.

“Did Teia send you? I said I would return when I was ready.” Lucanis took another sip of coffee,  his attempt at relaxing quickly going out the window.

Viago shook his head. “Surprisingly, no. You have a…guest.”

Spite suddenly ramped up. “ It is her! She has come! ” 

Lucanis, on the other hand, didn't want to get his hopes up. “Ah, is it one of the other house heads?” 

Once again, Viago shook his head. “No. It's Rook, but…” 

Lucanis and Spite both paused. Spite in glee, Lucanis in worry. “But?”

“She was quite ill when she arrived at the Cantori Diamond. Teia had just arrived and found her passed out on one of the couches. She has a pretty bad fever, so we took her back to the manor.”

He flinched slightly. He knew Neve had mentioned in her last letter that Rook was deteriorating , but that letter had to have been sent at least a few weeks ago since it took at least a week to get to Antiva from Tevinter. Had she really gotten that bad that fast? 

Spite seemed just as dismayed. “ Hurt! We must go to her! ” 

Lucanis stood up, leaving his half-full coffee cup on the table, but Viago stopped him. 

“She isn't going to get better any faster if you rush over there. Just be calm.” He said. 

“I am calm.” Lucanis said,  but his chest felt a bit tight. Spite was throwing an absolute uproar in his mind, and physically was pushing at his legs. 

Viago motioned to the coffee. “The famous Lucanis Dellamorte Would never leave behind half a cup of coffee.”

Ah, he was speaking both bluntly and vaguely. He meant that the spies watching would notice if Lucanis rushed out of the Cafe just for a ‘guest’. 

He sat back down reluctantly, swilling the coffee in his cup. He was frustrated, as was Spite, but he needed to be wary of the spies since he didn't know who they aligned themselves with yet. 

“ We need to go. To. Her.” Spite pushed his again, causing him to stumble. He glared at the projection, and Viago looked uncomfortable. He just sighed and sipped at his coffee, ignoring Spite's tantrum.

“What is her condition, then.” He said tersely. 

Viago glanced around. “She is…fine.” He was speaking with purpose, not revealing too much.

Rook was back, though. As much as Spite was raging, he knew she was in Treviso and mostly safe. 

Lucanis finished off his coffee as inconspicuously as he could. He then stood up and leisurely stretched. 

“Alright, let us go.” He finally said, glancing around one last time. The spies seemed to have disappeared, either to report back to their masters or because of the time it had taken him to finish his coffee.

“ Finally! ” Spite howled. He shoved against Lucanis’ back, urging him along. 

Solas had said, at one point,  that Spite had been a determination spirit originally. He could see how that could be true here, he was certainly determined to get back to Rook. Though Lucanis had to admit he was just as eager. 

Viago walked alongside him as the retreated back to the Dellamorte manor, far away from (most) spying eyes. Once they were in the main hall, he turned to look at him. 

“What is her real condition?” He asked carefully.

Viago looked up at the stairs towards the bedrooms. “It is just an exhaustion fever, our physician said. It will work itself out of her system once she gets some rest.”

“ We need to see her. ” Echoed both Lucanis and Spite at the same time. They were of one mind on this matter. 

Nodding, Viago motioned upstairs. “We weren't sure where to put her -either in the guesthouse or the infirmary- but Teia had a fit when we suggested either location. So she is in one of the family rooms.”

Lucanis nodded in return. It was a solid choice for Teia to make. He knew that Rook and Teia had bonded through the missions but he wasn't aware Teia liked her that much. It was high praise. 

“That was the correct move.” He said,  and set off upstairs. 

He caught the Crow Physician just as she was leaving one of the rooms. When they noticed him, they bowed slightly. “First Talon. Your guest is sill out cold, but she will recover with no lasting effects. I did notice that her muscles were strained to a tenuous degree. She needs rest, and a lot of it. 

Lucanis hummed in agreement. “Thank you for your assessment.” He waited for her to get out of the way,  and walked into the room.”

The first thing he noticed when he saw Rook, was how exhausted she really looked. She was thinner than last time he saw her, with dark, thick circles under her eyes. How much has she been sleeping and eating? She reminded Lucanis of himself at some point, early in their journey. Her brow was laden with sweat as well. She did not look good at all. 

“ Warm…warmer than usual. ” Spite said.  He was standing by her, feeling her forehead. 

Lucanis mimicked the motion with his own hand. She was practically boiling! 

“Nice of you to notice me.” Teia said  from behind him with amusement in her voice. “If I had been a traitor, you'd be dead by now, First Talon.” 

Lucanis turned. Teia was sitting in one of the armchairs next to the bookcase. She was holding one of the books in her hands. 

“Teia. You are the one who found her,  yes?”

She nodded. “Found her on the couch alone in the Cantori Diamond. She chose a pretty remote spot to crash in.” 

Looking back at Rook, Lucanis really looked at her face. She truly was out cold. Spite was standing over her just peering at her face.  He seemed to be calmed by her very presence, though he didn't exactly look at-ease with her condition. 

“She seems to be…holding up okay.” Teia spoke carefully, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “The doctor said she will be awake in a few hours given she gets total rest .” She seemed to enunciate the last part. 

Lucanis understood what she was saying immediately. “You want me to not ‘bother’ her.” He said plainly. 

Spite glared at Teia, growling lightly but not moving from his position. “ She's too warm,  we can't leave. ”

Crossing her arms, Teia nodded. “Yes, please. I will stay here and get her a cooled towel for her head. You, ” She raised an eyebrow. “Have work to do. Fledglings need approving, and all that. I will send for you once she wakes.” 

“ We can't go! Not now! She is back! ” Spite almost roared at Lucanis, who glanced at Rook, noticing her labored breathing. 

“As long as you notify me the moment she is awake.”

“Not a moment later.” 

He nodded, and stepped back outside, taking a deep breath. He hated to see Rook like this. And Spite probably did too, based on his whinging. Spirit of determination indeed. He headed back to his office, hoping she would wake up soon, and not just to stop the screaming demon in his head.

______________________________

Rook woke slowly, her vision still blurry and fading in and out. She groaned and covered her eyes with her hands. She felt awful. She rolled over in the bed to hide from the light source coming from her left

Wait…bed? Where was she?

The last thing Rook remembered even vaguely was stumbling into the Cantori Diamond. Her vision had been fuzzy the entire walk along the rooftops of Treviso, but she had chalked it up to it being nighttime and she was just tired from her journey from Minrathous. 

Tired indeed, since she couldn't even recall anything that had happened after finding herself a quiet place to sit and wait for Lucanis.

She sat up quickly, tensing as her muscles screamed for relief. They felt a bit better than when she had arrived In Treviso, but not by much. A cool, wet towel fell from her forehead into her lap.  As her vision focused slowly, she saw that she was in a bedroom of sorts. It was a very lavish bedroom, decorated mostly with black and deep rich wood. The bed itself was the star of the room, with a canopy towering over her head. 

She grunted and crawled to the edge of the bed,  which seemed so far away. Her hearing popped into focus, and she could hear voices beyond the door. 

‘Oh gods… Have I been kidnapped ?’ Rook thought to herself. She was only slightly surprised. If she had truly passed out, even in the Cantori Diamond there could be backstabbers. Illario's supporters might not have fallen back into the woodwork entirely, even after his gracious ruling at the hands of Lucanis.

She slowly stepped off the bed carefully, using all her rogues training to avoid detection by the people outside. The room's door was cracked open, but she couldn't see the people beyond it as her eyes were still adjusting to the room. 

She needed a weapon,  stat. Since it seemed like her captors had absconded with hers. She glanced around what she could see of the room, and settled on a wooden end table that looked light enough to lift. It wouldn't do much damage, of course,  but would be an excellent distraction.

Once she had the table in hand, she watched the door until one of the figures disappeared down the hallway. The perfect time to strike. She tiptoed to the door and raised the table…

“Rook? You snuck up on me! Very good!” 

Her eyes focused slowly on the face that was turning to meet her. Teia. Rook breathed a very loud sigh of relief, dropping down to her knees as the adrenaline flowed out of her. 

“Teia, it's just you.” She rasped out. 

Teia chuckled when she saw the table Rook was clutching. “Yes,  it's me. Judging by the table, you must have thought the worst. But no, you are just back at the Dellamorte estate. Hopefully it will be a more peaceful stay than last time. Though we are off to a bad start, it would seem.” She reached down and helped Rook to her feet. Though she stood wobbly. “How do you feel?” 

“Better than earlier, but not much. How did I get here?” 

helping Rook cross the room back to the bed, Teia clicked her tongue. “You passed out at the Diamond. We couldn't leave you there, so we brought you here to get treated and rest.” She stared at her.  “Doctor said you passed out from exhaustion . How did you get into that state? “

Rook didn't answer. She was embarrassed, to say the least. To pass out and have to be catered to like a damsel in distress…she hated it. 

“Fine, don't answer, but know that I'm not the one you have to answer anyway. I will be back. Someone demanded I tell him the moment you woke up.”

Rook perked up a bit when she said that last part. She watched as Teia stepped out of the door, and listened for her footsteps down the hall. She was certain on who Teia meant. 

Once they disappeared, Rook sat up and searched the room. She was looking for….aha! She pulled a hand Mirror out of a drawer in one of the bedside tables. 

When she glanced in it, she grimaced at her reflection. She did not want Lucanis seeing her like this. She desperately tried to pat down her hair and rub the sleep from her eyes, to no avail. 

She still looked like a mess. 

Rook knew Lucanis wasn't a shallow man, but that didn't prevent her from wanting him to see the best in her. And this was…not that. 

When she heard rapid footsteps approaching , she quickly put down the mirror, casting a cursory glance back at her reflection before returning to her seat on the edge of the bed.

When he entered, it felt like all the air left her lungs. 

He looked just like she had remembered, unlike her. Where Rook’s hair had grown in her neglect, Lucanis had clearly kept his well-trimmed and neat. He also was wearing good clothes, while she was dressed in tattered leathers. One thing they had in common, though, were the dark circles under their eyes. Though Rook thought hers were worse. 

“Rook” he said softly, and she almost melted. 

“Hi, Lu-” her voice came out just as hoarse as before. She tried to clear her throat quickly, but the feeling wouldn't go away. “Hi Lucanis…”

His eyes softened upon hearing her. He motioned something to Teia, probably a crow sign. She dipped out of the room quickly. 

Lucanis crossed the room slowly and leaned down so he was face to face with Rook. He touched her chin with equal care, tilting her head left and right as if inspecting her for injuries. 

Rook leaned into his touch, but looked at him with questioning eyes. 

“You're really here. After six months. How did you get into this state?” He pulled himself up to move so he could sit next to her. “You look…”

Rook sighed. “Bad, I know. But hey, I could be worse right? Could be dead!” She chuckled at her own joke, but one quick look at his face told her she shouldn't have made it. 

She felt a pang of guilt. Not just for the joke, but for not coming to visit sooner. If she had, they could've enjoyed their reunion. Instead she inconvenienced the crows and made things more difficult.

“I'm sorry, Lucanis…for everything. It was not my intention to sideline you at all …I just needed a distraction so I didn't fall apart after the attack on Minrathous…and helping clean up seemed to do the job.” She croaked out. 

Lucanis sighed and leaned in close. He peered into her eyes, for some reason. Trying to discern her intentions.  

“I understand. Though I won't pretend I am not hurt you didn't come to see me,  or that you stopped writing letters. It was hard to only hear any news from Neve, especially when it usually boiled down to ‘Rook is running herself ragged’ to some degree. You are impossible sometimes.” 

He pulled her closer, planting a gentle kiss on her forehead. “Mi amor. When I.. when we heard you had collapsed we feared the worst. But Viago insisted you were fine. So I was patient. But seeing you like this, it hurts more than your absence.”

Rook blushed at the contact, her face heating up even more. “Ah yes…I'm sorry you had to see me like this.” She coughed. “I thought I'd be better by the time I got here. The journey seems to have exacerbated my fever.” 

“You had a fever before you came?” Lucanis’ eyes snapped to hers,  looking exasperated and frustrated all at once. His expression itself was controlled, but his eyes betrayed him. 

Fiddling with her fingers, she stared at the floor. “...yes… but Neve told me to take a vacation,  and to come to Treviso. I tried to get here as soon as possible.”

“That's the problem. Even on mandatory rest you could not take your time?” He pushed Rook so she was laying down on the bed,  and moved the pillow to be under her head. “You need rest.”

“I'm not so tired I can't speak with the one person I came to see.” She grabbed his arm, wincing. 

Lucanis gingerly removed her arm. “I'm not leaving, we can sit here and talk while you rest. Teia has gone to get you something to eat and drink. You need food.” He pulled the blanket up over her.

Rook pouted, but she couldn't deny that her body was screaming for relief. It needed….well everything. She didn't think she had eaten in at least three days, let alone slept. She had been nonstop working, working,  working.

“I still can't explain how sorry I am,  Lucanis. I didn't mean to be a nuisance.” She pulled the blanket up further to hide her face. She was still ashamed. 

Lucanis looked at her fondly. He turned to glare at something else in the room,  and then back to her. “You are not a nuisance, mi vida. I…mierda, Spite, please be quiet!” He turned his whole body to stare intensely in the other direction. 

Rook sat up in alarm. “Spite has been acting out again?” 

Groaning, he turned back to her. “Only when it comes to you. He's very excited to see you are back.  He wants to talk with you very bad,  and is throwing a tantrum.” He motioned for her to lay back down, so she did. 

Rook hummed as she pursed her lips. “I don't have time right this second, but you can tell Spite I'll talk to them later one-on-one , okay?” 

“You don't have to do that.”

She chuckled. “No,  I don't. But like I said before, I hate it when my two favorite boys fight. So once I'm all rested…I'll talk to them. They just have to BE PATIENT. “ She called out as loud as her broken voice could into the room. 

Lucanis turned,  assumedly to look at Spite, scoffed, and turned back to Rook. “He says he will not be patient, but he will try. That doesn't surprise me, he's a demon of Spite after all. He's not used to waiting.” 

Rook sighed,  but seemed pleased with herself. “Well, he'll have to be. I don't really have it in me to play with a Demon right now.” 

He leaned forward,  starting to speak,  but the words caught and died in his throat when Teia re-entered ,  holding a tray with various fruits and cheeses, along with a pitcher of water. 

“I hope this is enough for you, Rook. I didn't know what to grab, since we don't have many chefs on hand yet to make food at three o'clock in the morning.”

Rook smiled and sat up again, slower as to not tense anything. “Thank you,  Teia. I'm starving, I guess.” Lucanis shot her another look that said ‘stop the jokes’ but she just stuck her tongue out. It felt dry. The first thing she reached for was the water. 

______________________________

It took Rook about a week to recover fully.  She still wasn't completely back to herself, but Lucanis could see she was doing better.  

He juggled seeing her and completing his duties as First Talon. It was a rough balance, but he forced himself to have the time to see her. That's what she was here for, after all. And he was happy to have her. 

He waited until she was fully recovered before even hugging her, worried about her strained muscles causing more damage. 

Her voice had recovered quicker than her muscles had, and she was back to being chatty, if a little morose. 

Just being around her seemed to calm Spite a little,  which Lucanis was thankful for. He was no longer howling or hissing at Lucanis. 

When she was fully recovered, and not a moment sooner, Teia finally let her out of the bedroom

Lucanis often caught her wandering the halls of the manor, just looking around. She seemed intrigued by the historical aspects of the place. And Lucanis was all too happy to oblige in telling her about them. 

One day,  she came to visit his office while he was still working. It had been a particularly long day, and he hadn't caught up with her at all. She wasn't wandering, and she wasn't in her room. Lucanis would have been worried if Viago hadn't insisted she was in the manor.

“ Mmm…smell her! ” Spite said,  looking at the door with an excited expression.

And just like clockwork, the door quietly opened, and Rook stepped in. She was finally out of her clothes she had come in and was wearing some antivan getup Teia had probably found for her. She was also holding a tray. 

“I thought…” She looked sheepish, but came further into the room. “You could use some fresher coffee.” she glanced at the forgotten pot sitting on his desk.

The scent of coffee permeated in his office. And the telltale smell of chicory, though there was something more this time. She had clearly been experimenting.

“Thank you.” Lucanis said fondly. He stood up and walked over to her. He leaned in, but paused.  “How are you feeling?” 

She smiled and leaned up to meet him the rest of the way with a light kiss. “I'm feeling fine now,  Lucanis. Much better.” She flexed her arm. Her muscles looked better, not as inflamed as before. 

She turned and sat the tray on the side table before sinking into the armchair. She glanced around with a unreadable expression. He was about to ask why,  but she answered his question quickly.

“How has Spite been? Has he been causing problems?” She tilted the pot to gracefully pour into the coffee cups. Unlike the ones at the lighthouse, these  matched with one another. 

Lucanis grunted and crossed his arms. “He's always a problem. But he has been behaving better now that you're here.” 

She smirked. “Is that so?” She reached up to hand him one of the cups, but he didn't take it, so she sat it back down on the table. “Our one-on-one talk went well.”

Curious and maybe just a little annoyed, Lucanis searched his memory for a time recently that Spite had taken control,  but couldn't find one. “When was this?”

“Oh a night or two ago. I couldn't sleep…so I went for a walk on the terrace. You, no…Spite came to visit. We spoke a bit, but I urged him to let you sleep more.” She reached up and laced her fingers through Lucanis’ hair affectionately. “You looked like you needed it.”

He leaned into her touch heavily, allowing her to massage his scalp with her fingers. “Mierda, I'm sorry, Rook. I haven't sleepwalked in a while.”

“Don't worry about it. I promised Spite a talk, so I did.” She reluctantly let go of his hair, patting it down for good measure. 

He knew Rook was affectionate, but she was acting more so than usual. He suspected it had something to do with their time apart, but also something else. 

“What did you and Spite talk about?” 

Rook grinned mischievously. “Mmm… Nothing in particular. Just chatting.” Her face was beaming. She sat back down and took one of the other coffee cups for herself. Sipping innocently,  she looked up at him. “Don't worry” she said suddenly. “It was nothing salacious. Just, it's between me and Spite.”

“Did you think me jealous, Rook?” Lucanis’ eyebrows shot up. 

Rook giggled. Giggled. The sound was high and melodious. 

“Not necessarily. I just know you get into your own head sometimes. No pun intended. I get the feeling, though.” She motioned to the remaining coffee. “But I digress. Please, try the coffee. It's a new blend. It still has chicory, but I tried something herbal, for headaches. Teia told me about them.” 

He was skeptical. Herbal infusions had never tasted good to him. But he didn't want to dismiss her wholeheartedly when she had gone to the trouble of making it for him. She couldn't have known. 

“Thank you.” He took the cup.it smelled good, nutty and woody. He couldn't detect any of the usual leafy, dirt clod smell he was accustomed to with herbal coffee. “What did you add?” 

“Hazelnut.” She said confidently. “It's good for headaches, and inflammation. And I drank a lot of hazelnut mixtures back in Minrathous for my own headaches these last six months. I thought it would pair well with the chicory.” 

Lucanis took a sip,  savoring the taste as it burst on his tongue. It was full of flavor, and the nutty taste was welcome after the sub-par coffee from the Dellamorte kitchens.

“I know it's not as good as Cafe Pietra's coffee.” Rook looked down at her hands. “But it tastes better than before,  right?” 

She was right. Nothing could beat Cafe Pietra, in Lucanis’ mind. But her blends were always welcome, as was she. He looked at her slowly. 

“It is excellent, mi amor. Though, you could probably stand to add less of the chicory flavor.”

She blushed, and Lucanis relished her expression. Spite seemed to be enjoying the moment , in the back of his mind. He was awake, but not raging or even interfering. He seemed calmed, At least for the moment. 

“Thank you. I will keep that in mind for the next attempt. Though my next attempt may be for me. I've been craving something with Vanilla.” She explained,  fidgeting with her own cup. 

“Rook. I would like to take you somewhere, now that we have time.” 

She perked up. “Oh yea? Where?”

Lucanis unexpectedly grinned. “ You should get dressed in something more athletic.” 

“What?”

“Just…fulfilling a promise.” He said,  and leaned down to kiss her. It was much deeper than their earlier kiss. He lingered for longer then he should have, cupping her face to get a better angle. When he pulled away, he was delighted to see that Rook was absolutely as red as could be. 

She sputtered, and he could practically see the gears turning in her head. 

“I…will go change my clothes.” She said simply, standing up to meet him face to face. “I'm interested in seeing this place you want to take me.” still red, she pecked at his cheek, trying to not show she was caught off guard. 

Lucanis watched as she turned to walk out the door to his office, pausing to look back at him with a reverent smile on her face. 

“I love you, you know that? I don't think I've said it as of yet…but I do.” 

It was Lucanis’ turn to be surprised, though he was more experienced than Rook was with hiding emotions. He chuckled. “Is that so? I…” He struggled with himself to get the words out, not because it was untrue, but because he was unaccustomed to them. “I shall see you in a bit. Meet me in the main hall.”

He watched until she disappeared around the corner, then listened until the click of the heels she was wearing faded. He smiled and turned, to see Spite standing there. His smile faded. 

“What do you want, Spite.”

“ When will you say it? We need to say it! ” 

Lucanis groaned. “When I am ready.” 

“ When?! ”

‘Hopefully soon…’ He thought to himself,  knowing Spite would hear it too. “The time will come, Spite. We just need to say it right.”

He meandered his way out of his office towards the main hall. Thinking about all the things he would show Rook of Treviso. Of things she hadn't gotten to see during their adventure. 

It would take a while. But he would show her everything he could, and one day the words would flow from his mouth much easier than now.