Syryn was leading a life of hedonism. All day long he ate and slept and then at night he was eaten. Could he live like this forever, please? Alas, Syryn knew he could not allow this soft and pampered lifestyle to go on. There was work to be done, money to be made, a home he had to return to.

The starfish crawled out of its comfortable nook under a blanket that smelled like Rowan. He filched another item of clothing that the anti mage owned, but he also returned to the cupboard the scarf he had stolen not so long ago before leaving to Nua.

---

"You're leaving,

" Rowan was back as per his usual time. Syryn had a feeling the blond had been taking off from his duties earlier than he should have, just to get back home to him.

"Yes, Luci misses his big brother.

" Or rather, Syryn missed Luci.

The blond eased himself into a chair beside Syryn.

"I'll miss having you around.

"

"You're only saying that cause you're a sex fiend. Who are you going to vent out on when I'm not around?

" The mage smirked at the anti mage.

"I know where you live. It's just a matter of showing up to your house, Ryn. Expect my visits no less than thrice a week.

"

"Can we have a threesome?

"

Rowan raised his brows and paused.

"I must have heard wrong.

"

Syryn leaned forward, lips hovering tantalisingly over Rowan's.

"Bring Vincent. I promise it'll be fun,

" he murmured.

The anti mage rolled the request around in his mind, keeping his tightly leased umbrage at bay, deciding if Syryn was jerking his leg or was he really serious about it.

"No.

" He squeezed a hand over Syryn's knee.

"Don't play games that might burn you, Ryn.

"

"What are you going to do? Punish me?

" The mage asked. He appeared far too happy about the prospect of Rowan 'punishing' him.

"Yes,

" the anti mage replied when he quickly realised what was going on.

"You're not leaving this house till I've suitably punished you for daring to suggest I let another man have you in my presence.

"

Rowan noticed the way Syryn's eyes lit up. His little lover was a big pervert. And so was he considering how turned on he was by the situation.

He gripped Syryn's jaw between his thumb and forefinger. His grip was on the painful side but Rowan had learnt - Syryn liked it like that.

"We'll begin by shutting up that rebellious mouth of yours.

"

Rowan's hand strayed to the buckle of his trousers. Blue eyes looking at him through a heavy-lidded gaze, the anti mage said in a low voice,

"On your knees, Ryn.

"

------

The sky had turned dark and it was too late to go home.

Syryn was at Rowan's work desk, stark naked, and going through the anti mage's items.

"Why do you have an invitation from Lillith?

" He dangled the white envelope that he pinched between his fingers.

"It's an invitation to her birthday banquet. I'm not going.

" Rowan was lying on the bed, resting his body after the exertion they'd just undergone.

"Why aren't you going? You should go,

" Syryn slipped the invitation out of the envelope. It smelled like roses.

"Now what, Syryn?

" Rowan asked, exasperated and amused by the changing moods of his mage. He'd dealt with a few of them already when Syryn had decided midway through coitus that he wanted to be choked for pleasure, an activity mentioned in the texts he'd pored over. Syryn had read about the enhanced orgasms that one could get from having the blood supply choked along the sides of his neck.

Rowan had disagreed because of the dangers it posed, and after that, there was an aborted attempt on the mage's part at pushing the anti mage off him. He was just too strong for Syryn to shove at. The blond then proceeded to thoroughly chastise the mage by **ing the protests out of Syryn.

"She's your future wife, isn't she?

" Syryn replied as he glowered at the invitation. Rowan's name was written prettily in black ink. He was betting that the princess herself had written the invitation for Rowan.

"Syryn, put that down and come here.

"

"What are you going to do when she gets chosen as the priestess?

" The mage asked stonily. The invitation was still in his hand, a reminder of Lillith's existence.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there. She's not a threat, Ryn,

" Rowan carefully replied. For all the arguments and disagreements they'd had in their last life as husband and wife, Rowan still cared about Lillith.

Theirs had been a marriage of convenience, an arranged marriage that neither could refuse. In the end, Lillith had wanted it more than Rowan. And she was the one who ended up hurting more because Rowan hadn't fallen in love with her like she'd planned for.

If love wasn't a wild thing that only went where it wanted to go, Rowan would have chosen to fall in love with Lillith, but it hadn't been so. Love could not be forced, and Rowan was anything but a liar. Lillith was never under any delusions that her husband loved her. Still, she had his body if not his heart and that had been enough to satisfy her till Syryn died and Rowan changed.

"Not a threat?

" Syryn put the invitation down. His face got darker.

"Answer me, Windwalker, Who is the champion of Eos?

"

"Rowan Windwalker,

" the anti mage answered in a placating tone.

"Ryn-

"

"Rowan Windwalker, the champion of Eos. And Lillith, the priestess of Eos. They will join in sacred union to vanquish the powers of darkness that overrun the world.

" Syryn said it with a softness that came off menacing.

"Am I wrong, Rowan?

"

"We failed last life. Lillith and I could not save the world. So it doesn't matter, Syryn.

" Rowan was unnaturally calm about it.

"And how exactly did you fail?

" Was Rowan allowed to tell him that much?

The anti mage smiled and it didn't reach his eyes.

"Eos and the other deities had forgotten that humans aren't clay puppets that bend to their every whim and direction.

"

Syryn didn't believe what he was hearing.

"Rowan did you... disobey your goddess?

"