บท 70: Three is a crowd

"Sebastian, you're just on time. Salem is sealing the phials at the moment so we'll have to wait for that."

An hour spent watching Red command dead animals had taken the worst off of the edge that Syryn was feeling after Lumi's accident. When Sebastian arrived, the alchemist was back to his normal self.

"Syryn? Thats you?" Sebastian's gold eyes were round with surprise.

"Yeah, let me see your arm."

Syryn folded the sleeves on Sebastian's dark green sleeves. The purple was progressing slower. The older mage was silent for a few moments but Syryn could practically see the thoughts churning in his gold eyes.

"Ya know, there's a bettin' pool goin' on at Nunox for who beds Rowan first. The money is growin' but Windwalker ain't bitin'." There was a lazy smirk on Sebastian's face now as he studied Syryn.

"And why are you telling me this?" Syryn calmly asked though he was feeling anything but that.

"Nothin'. I just thought you should know considerin' the fact that half the money was bet on me being Rowan's first."

A dangerous lift of Syryn's lips satisfied the mage who was having fun baiting his healer.

"But Rhiya is hell bent on getting into Rowan's pants. She's a real stunner Syryn."

"So am I Sebastian. What are you getting at?"

The mage grinned at Syryn's vain reply, "ya sure bout that, S'ryn?"

Such foolish questions did not dignify an answer.

"Are you interested in Rowan?" Syryn asked instead.

"Na, Rowan and I aren't each other's types."

"Good to know."

Salem arrived at the moment with a wooden crate. Neatly stacked inside lay the phials that were ready for delivery to Nunox where Rain would be headed to in a day. He had also painstakingly written down explicit instructions on how to brew the poison, including detailed notes on substitute ingredients and their equivalent volume. A dosage table was drawn on another parchment. The half elf had done a fantastic job of it so much so that Syryn felt sorry to let it go to Nunox.

"One drop per day in a cup of water. Drink it for a week," Syryn informed Sebastian. "Your body will adjust to its effects by the end of the week so that's when you increase the dose to three drops per day. Return after two weeks for another evaluation of your symptoms."

"That's it? Aren't ya gonna poke me with needles?"

Syryn gave him a flat look. "Don't tempt me."

"S'ryn don't be like that. I was just askin' because Felix never misses an opportunity to stick needles into me."

The alchemist had a hunch that it had to do with how annoying Sebastian could be.

"Are you leaving with Rain? As your healer, my advice is for you to stay till you've recovered completely."

"How long is that gonna take? I can stay but it'll be so borin'. There's nothin' to do in Elysium."

"I heard Artemus is coming back home soon. You can catch up with your ex best friend, don't you think?" Syryn asked. It was his turn to annoy Sebastian.

The mage spent a few second staring at Syryn like his soul was leaving his body. "Who said he's comin' back?" Sebastian asked in a deceptively calm tone.

"Alka, and he heard it from his mother. Have you paid her a visit yet? I heard you're like her third son." Syryn was laying on the guilt. From the way Sebastian's shoulders drooped, it was working.

"No, I'm too ashamed to visit."

"I don't know what your deal is Sebastian but if you're sorry about something, go apologise to her," Syryn said. It seemed like a cut and dried matter to him.

A haunted look passed through the older mage's eyes. "Not so easy S'ryn but yer right. Warn me if Artemus comes around, will ya? Ya don't want yer patient dyin' on you from a heart attack." Syryn realised that Sebastian's accent got more pronounced when he was stressed.

"Sure," he replied. "You can come here anytime if you feel unwell after taking the poison."

"Felix ought to learn a thing or two from ya."

Sebastian left a hefty sum of gold before he left. It was split evenly between him and Salem because their contributions had been equal.

Syryn tried to pretend that he wasn't bothered by what Sebastian had said about the betting pool. The incident with Lumi was also relegated to a back seat in his mind. The more he tried to push the thought away, the bigger a space it occupied in his conscious stream of thoughts. The teen was tempted to fly to Nunox and burn the entire place down including Rowan and every single person who was involved in the betting pool. Surely, Rowan had to have given away kisses right? Syryn had no right to be jealous about that.

'But he's going to end up with Lillith so what's the point of working yourself up into a jealous rage?' his sensible brain cell asked. "Because I have to be his first! No one else is allowed to take that away from me, not even Lillith. She already had her turn."

'So that's all you want from Rowan? To be his short term friend with benefits?' Syryn let that question die a quick death in the graveyard of questions that made him uncomfortable. Rowan was destined for greatness, and so was Syryn, but their paths would diverge once Traxdart was defeated. There was no room for sappy feelings in it.

The mage hunters had been successful in their search for the horns. It was setting back Traxdart's plans for their world, and it in turn changed the timeline for major events that had taken place in his first life. If it all went according to plan, Syryn would have no role to play in saving the world. For a brief moment, he toyed with the idea of leaving it all behind like Sebastian did. Of running away and travelling with milky like the way it had started.

"Syryn," he was pulled out of his thoughts by a voice that irritated him when he was already so agitated.

"The hell do you want Lumi?" He rudely replied. The avian was doing his best impression of timidity, an act that Syryn was seeing through more easily after the stunt that Lumi had pulled infront of Magnus.

"I- sorry, I'm sorry. I'll go bother someone else." Lumi turned and rushed off like wind.

"What's up with you?"

"I'm in a bad mood," Syryn informed the redhead that had arrived.

"I don't appreciate his constant presence around Magnus. Can we kick him out?"

"They're both shapeshifters Red. He's just sticking to what's familiar," Syryn grumbled.

"I don't think so. The yellow hussy spent some years imprisoned with the selkie. As far as familiarity goes, Riha is the safest bet for Lumi. Something tells me he's upto no good." Red's crimson eyes were narrowed to slits. "I'm going to keep an eye on him."

While the brothers talked, Lumi and Magnus were having their own conversation. The avian had hidden himself behind a shrub, miserable, and wiping away tears when Magnus bumped into him. If Red was witness to the scene, he would have alleged that Lumi had placed himself along a route that Magnus often walked in the evenings. The fire mage had earned a thick purse of gold after a successful task at the guild. He had taken the week off for rest and was found home often.

"What's wrong?" Magnus asked the avian who was hastily wiping his cheeks like he was erasing evidence of the teary eyed moment that had taken place. The fire mage kept a cautious distance from the easily rattled avian, a point he had noted during the broken glass incident.

"Nothing, I misunderstood Syryn. I thought he had forgiven me but I was wrong. How do I make it upto him?" Lumi's reply was a rush of words with no break between. He seemed eager to please.

"What makes you think Syryn hasn't forgiven you?" The fire mage knew Syryn was the type to hold grudges but he wasn't this petty. Syryn wouldn't grief someone over a broken item that was so easily replaced.

Lumi rapidly blinked and looked away from the fire mage's intense stare. "You're right. I keep misunderstanding things. I'm stupid so forgive me. Excuse me, I've wasted your time." Lumi made to leave but Magnus caught his arm.

"Explain," he gently asked the avian. "Misunderstandings between friends cannot be allowed to fester. What's going on between you and Syryn?"

A look of joy suddenly replaced Lumi's overcast face. "We're friends?" He asked in a whisper.

"Yes," Magnus thought about how easy it was to make him happy. Such a small matter and the avian was smiling like he had recieved a present.

"There's nothing to explain," Lumi's tiny voice said, sadness back on his countenance. "Do friends snap at each other?"

Magnus raised his brows. "Sometimes."

"Then there isn't a problem. I understand, he didn't mean it." Lumi softly breathed out. "Thank you, Magnus. I'll try to talk to Syryn again."

Magnus nodded, a faint smile on his face. "Syryn is hot headed but he means well."

The avian blinked and licked his lip, a blush on his cheek warming the creamy skin on his cheekbones. "I'm not doing anything right now.. so.. can I walk with you?"

"Eh? Sure. You don't have to ask, Lumi. I'll be glad to have someone to talk to."

"Great! I saw fireflies near the lake. Its getting dark and they'll be out soon so can we go there?" Lumi looked so excited that Magnus did not have the heart to refuse. The lake was far away but he thought they had just enough time to make it back for dinner.

"Huh? Where's Magnus?" Red asked. Alka was away from home, Salem, Riha, and Syryn were in the kitchen but two shapeshifters were conspicuously absent.

"No idea," came Syryn's reply. The alchemist was still antsy about Rowan's vulnerable virtue. He had no brain capacity to spare for anything else.

"Riha, where's Lumi?" Red sharply asked the selkie.

Riha was sampling a spoonful of Salem's concoction. He paused to answer before tasting the orange colored liquid. "I'm afraid I have no idea."

"Aren't you his friend or something? I never see the two of you spending time together. You're always with Salem when you aren't reading books like a recluse in your room."

"What's this about, Lucien?" Salem's raised his brows at the red head.

"Lumi is missing. Magnus is missing. What does that tell you?" Red crossed his arms and glared at the kitchen door like it was at fault.

Salem and Riha made eye contact. Red had a point.

"I'll go out and look for them," Riha offered.

"No, there's no need. Where's dinner?" Red huffed.

"You sure?" Salem asked.

"Of course I'm sure. Do I look like I care?"

The others decided to let Red maintain some of his dignity. They quietly piled food onto their plates and acted like nothing was wrong.

"Sorry we're late," Magnus walked into the kitchen, a happy avian trailing at his heels. Syryn, done with his meal, was washing his plate at the sink.

"Where did you guys go to?" Salem asked in a conversational tone. It was Lumi that answered.

"We went to look at the fireflies near the lake. Magnus was so kind and helped me catch a few for my night jar. I'll release them after making a wish tonight." The avian sounded breathless from their invigorating walk. The happy grin on his face was a counter point to the crease that marred Lucien's forehead.

"You really believe that? How naive." Syryn's remark was offhanded but it came off condescending.

Lumi's smile slipped off of his face and Magnus noticed it. The fire mage turned back to Syryn but he refrained from voicing his objection to the alchemist's rude words. It hadn't escaped him how neither Salem nor Riha had said anything either. Lumi was all alone.

"We should eat and clean up since we arrived last," Magnus softly told the avian who was visibly disquieted. Lumi's lips were quivering and he bit down on them, drawing the fire mage's eyes to it.

After dinner, Magnus went back to his room but Lucien was not in bed. The red head routinely bathed after dinner and fell asleep before Magnus arrived but today was an exception. Where had the child gone to?

Magnus knocked on Syryn's door because it was the only other place he could think of where Red would be. When the door was opened, Syryn stood there dressed in his pyjamas.

"Is Lucien with you?" Magnus asked the alchemist.

"Yeah, he fell asleep already so leave him here tonight."

"Is something wrong with Lucien?" Magnus asked with concern. For Luci to disappear to Syryn's room without telling him, it was strange.

"No, he's fine. I'm his big brother so it's natural that he comes looking for me sometimes right?"

Magnus looked at the bed where a red colored patch of hair was all that could see of what was hidden under a blue quilt. "Alright, goodnight Syryn. Give him a goodnight kiss from me."

"Like hell I will," Syryn snorted. Lucien and Syryn didn't do Goodnight kisses. "Night Magnus."

The alchemist shut the door and turned back to the bed. Red peeked out from under the quilt. "Gimme a goodnight kiss big brother," he simpered, making a kissy face.

Syryn jumped onto the bed and smacked Red right on his lips and laughed when the red head made a gagging face. "You're disgusting Syryn! That's Luci's first kiss!"

"It doesn't count. That was a brotherly kiss."

"Still a kiss!"

"Intentions matter you nitwit. Don't be weird! ugh! gross!"

"I'm going to sleep!"

"Whatever."

"I can't believe I have to tolerate your attitude right before bed."

"You're the one that crawled in here pathetically. You're such a loser."

"That's it. I'm leaving!!"

"Don't come back!"

"I won't!"

The door slammed shut and Syryn settled into bed. As much as he wanted Red to give him company, he hoped that the boy would go back to Magnus. The fire mage was a balm that took the edge off Red's more demonic impulses. Syryn had never seen Red so mellow, and he knew it was because of Magnus. But his thoughts inevitably drifted back to Rowan and the cursed betting pool.

"I'm going to Nunox."

'Idiot.'

"Fine, I'm not going to Nunox."

It was after hours of restlessness that sleep finally claimed the tired teen. He dreamt of Rhiya but she wore the face of Lillith.