Chapter Text
Justinian 9:52 Dragon
It's been over three hundred days since Zara Renata captured him.
Give or take a few dozen. Lucanis doesn't know for sure.
It's difficult to track the passing of time in his underwater prison, but Lucanis keeps track the best he can, marking the days by when he sleeps and wakes. Not the best system, considering that sometimes Lucanis will only sleep for a few hours, and other times, Lucanis sleeps for several days.
That's what Spite tells him anyway.
Spite, the former spirit of Determination, turned demon, now sharing Lucanis's mind and body, thanks to Zara. The goal in feeding Determination to Lucanis is for them to merge, becoming one in the form of Spite, so that Zara could unleash the demon into the unsuspecting world. That's the goal for all spirits and mortals who end up in the Ossuary. Unfortunately for Zara, Spite and Lucanis are her most significant failures to date. Determination morphed, but it doesn't matter how many hours Calivan spends torturing Lucanis: the transformation remains incomplete, because Lucanis and Spite? Well, they're just spiteful enough to work together and resist becoming one.
Still, Lucanis is mortal, and his body is mortal. He can only endure so much before needing rest. That's when Spite manages to take over. Lucanis never knows what Spite does when they're in control, other than continue to count Lucanis's days on the wall and write nonsense on the others. At least Spite can't physically take them anywhere, no matter how much they would like to.
Who is. She?
Unfortunately, when they're both awake, Spite also never stops talking.
Lucanis sighs. "What are you talking about?" He knows that he could respond to Spite in his head, but talking out loud, strangely, makes Lucanis feel sane. It also unnerves the Venatori guards, which is a nice bonus.
The one. You dream about.
The question surprises Lucanis, as it's the first time Spite's prattling has gone beyond their desire to get out, to kill everyone in the prison, and how to do it. All notions Lucanis gave up on achieving a long time ago.
"She's not important," Lucanis replies grimly.
Liar!
He should have guessed that Spite would know if Lucanis told them the truth. Fallon de Riva will always hold a special place in Lucanis' heart. Not that it matters anymore, because he'll never see her again, and that isn't a lie. "She's not important because you will never meet her, so you don't need to know."
Then why tell her? In dreams. That you will come back?
Lucanis knows exactly which of the many dreams about Fallon he's had since his capture that Spite is referring to. It's not so much a dream as it is his mind replaying the memory of his last moments with Fallon before leaving Treviso. "It was a memory. I thought I'd be going back when I said goodbye."
There's an ache in Lucanis's chest as he thinks about the look on Fallon's face when she promised to await his return patiently. Though Lucanis doubts that Fallon has kept that promise, given that he's been gone for a year. Lucanis is sure that everyone he knows, including Fallon, believes him to be dead.
His funeral was probably a spectacle.
Lucanis can practically see it: Caterina, stoic as always, putting on a brave face for the entire organization. Far too many Crows from far too many Houses were probably in attendance for the actual service, putting them all at risk. A wake at The Cantori Diamond. Illario, drunk, inconsolable, and over dramatically telling stories from their youth.
Illario, who brought the Calivan contract to Caterina.
Illario, who told Caterina to give it to Lucanis.
Illario, who picked another fight with Lucanis on the day he left, about who Caterina would choose as her successor.
Illario, who had nothing to lose and everything to gain from Lucanis's death.
Lucanis growls to himself and shakes his head.
No.
Illario wouldn't. Illario couldn't. Lucanis will always be the first person to defend Illario's intelligence and remind people that his cousin is smarter than people give him credit for, but this? Planning something ten steps ahead? Working with the Venatori, with Zara? There's no way Illario could pull off this level of betrayal without getting caught.
Could he?
Spite replies, now sitting beside Lucanis in their cell. Lucanis swears, having momentarily forgotten that the demon can hear his thoughts even when Lucanis isn't speaking to Spite directly. He also doesn't think he'll ever get used to the demon wearing his face when they manifest physically. Though Lucanis supposes that it's appropriate, considering how Spite looks, is how people down here view Lucanis: as an abomination.
"No, he couldn't," Lucanis replies with finality. These intrusive thoughts about Illario are a result of Spite's influence. That's all it is. Even if Illario could fathom betraying Lucanis, he would never. Illario is his family. His blood.
We could. Find out.
Lucanis furrows his brow as he turns to look at Spite. "How?"
Work together. Get out of here. Kill the ones. Who did this? Calivan. Zara. Then find the Betrayer. Kill them, too.
It's certainly an idea. Lucanis overheard some of the Venatori guards talking: Zara is relentless in her pursuit of turning Lucanis, and won't let Calivan just quit. The new strategy is just to wait until Lucanis has mentally and physically deteriorated enough that the next attempt will either kill Lucanis or his self-preservation will kick in and he'll willingly merge with Spite to stay "alive."
"How?" Lucanis asks again as his eyes flick towards the translucent, red barrier wall that acts as his cell door. He can see the table where the Venatori have left his personal effects out in the open for the last year. Calivan likes to torture Lucanis with his own daggers, so the idiot keeps them close by. If Lucanis could just find a way to get to them—
I can help. Make us strong. Use my power. Get. Us. OUT!
The logical part of Lucanis knows that working with the demon to secure his freedom is a risk, especially when his mental and physical strength aren't in peak condition. Spite could use this opportunity to take complete control.
I WON'T!
"Stop listening to my thoughts." Lucanis snaps.
Can't. They're LOUD!!
Lucanis rolls his eyes and runs a hand over his face, weighing his options once more. There's no way he can do this on his own in his current state, no matter how much he'd like to. "If I feel you trying to take over my body permanently, I will kill us both. Do you understand?" Lucanis warns as he stares at the spectral image of the demon sitting beside him.
Yes. We work. Together. Kill Calivan. Kill Zara. Then, we find. Her?
Her. Fallon.
Maker, Lucanis would give for nothing more than to see Fallon again— even if it's one last time, to say goodbye. The last thing Lucanis wants to do is put the woman he loves in danger, and Spite is too unpredictable. Fallon deserves someone whole, not the shell of the man Lucanis used to be. Staying away is the smarter option. "No. We leave her alone. She's better off believing I'm dead." He tells Spite solemnly as he pushes down the aching feeling that letting Fallon go gives him.
WHY! She's NICE. In dreams! I want. To meet. Her!
"Kill Calivan. Kill Zara. Do we have an agreement or not?" Lucanis asks with an exasperated sigh, ignoring Spite's demands.
Spite groans with annoyance at first, but then a feline grin spreads on the demon's face as they stand.
Yes. We have. An agreement.
Lucanis stands as well, and for the first time in a year, he smiles as the demon's spectral form drifts back into Lucanis's body. "Then let's get the hell out of here."