As Rowan was getting ready to leave the next day, Syryn wrote a letter addressed to Artemus and stuffed it in the anti mage's hands.

"Another letter for Artemus?" Rowan glanced at his lover.

"It's about work," Syryn replied. "He needed my help with a murder case but when I ran off to Nua, I neglected it. And now I'm sort of curious as to how much progress they've made."

"The caravan murders?"

"How did you know?"

"Just a lucky guess." Rowan slid the envelope into the wide pocket of his coat. Placing a hand on the door handle, the anti mage turned around.

"Ryn, will you be okay today?"

He wanted to know if Syryn would turn into a demon accidentally, or attack Riha again.

"I satisfied its urges yesterday. I think we'll be fine for a little while longer," he replied though unsure of it. Rowan hadn't forbidden him from any further bloodletting but Syryn wasn't taking his silence as tacit approval. It was a conundrum that neither could solve for the moment. 

"I'll see you soon, Ryn."

-----

That evening, Syryn stretched his sore body and yawned. The entire day had been spent brewing a single type of potion. The repetitiveness of the activity had sucked all the fun out of potion-making.

To keep up with the growing demands of their business, Salem had procured 6 more cauldrons and they were split between him and Syryn. The alchemy room had become just a tiny bit more cramped.

Sounds of bubbling and hissing came out from the cauldron while the smell of peppermint and sulphur permeated the air. The alchemists had opened the windows and their door to air the smells out when it got too much for them. But then Alka had complained they were stinking up the house. The plant mage had refused to let them air out the smells through the door.

"The house smells like rotting eggs," had been the last words heard by the alchemists before their door was shut.

"Alka is harsh. It doesn't smell like rotting eggs," Salem had declared after the plant mage left.

Syryn snickered at the half-elf. "Say it to his face, Salem."

"I'd rather not. And remind me to make a note about buying a few blocks of air fresheners. The stench of sulphur might never leave this room."

"That and some fabrics for the ceiling. Look at what your experimental fumes have done to the wood," Syryn pointed up.

The wooden ceiling directly above Salem's cauldron had changed colour. It displayed an almost circular shaped patch of grey like the wood was sick and old.

"Noted."

-----

Night fell and Rowan was yet to return home. When Syryn caught sight of the hound coach, he was pleasantly surprised though it wasn't Rowan's carriage. The alchemist watched Artemus step down and head towards the manor.

"Syryn, please pour me a cup of tea," the anti mage said as he made himself comfortable on a chair in their kitchen. Salem's tea was the special rice tea that the half-elf procured from some source only he was privy to. Every third month, he would receive a package of it. Artemus had become very fond of the fragrant tea and asked for a cup every time he came to visit.

Syryn lifted the lid of a dark clay jar and spooned out a small amount of the infused tea leaves. He then set a kettle over the stove.

While this happened, Artemus and Alka made conversation about the plant mage's supply business. Alka was still an active member of the adventurer's guild but he also spent a great deal of time and money on growing special flowers and other plants that had great value in auction houses.

Syryn found a lull in their conversation and chose to interject. "Artemus, how was your date with Sebastian?"

Alka's head swivelled towards Syryn. "A date with Sebastian?" He asked the mage then turned back to elegantly 'gawk' at his brother. "You and Sebastian? Since when?" Alka's soft voice had risen in volume.

"We aren't seeing each other, Alka. There was a plan for one date but it was postponed because neither of us has much free time to spare for an evening out," the anti mage explained.

"You clearly had time for Sasha, Connor, Dun-" Alka had raised both hands up and was bending a finger every time he called out someone's name.

"Alka, that's enough," Artemus abruptly interrupted him. His calm facade betrayed a hint of alarm. "How do you even know who I've been with?"

The plant mage sighed dramatically.

"They always fall in love with you before you rudely dump their sad pathetic selves. What do you think they try to do next, big brother?" Alka acidly replied to Artemus. "Take a guess."

"They move on." 

Alka let out a delicate sound of laughter. "No. They reach out to me and try to suck up to Arty's little brother because they think that if I like them enough, you might do more than fuck and dump them, Mister I treat my dates like holes."

The kettle in Syryn's hand shook. Alka was a savage even to his elder brother. Who knew?

"I do not treat my dates like holes," Artemus replied with indignation.

"But that's your mode of operation. Fuck and dump. Sure, you're not as prolific as Sebastian but the body count is still longer than my list of people I've kissed!"

"Body count?" Syryn slid into the conversation. "Is Artemus a serial dater then?"

Alka's brows drew together in disappointment. "No, I can't even call it dating. It's just the same if he has one night stands. My brother is allergic to commitment."

Alka had had hopes and dreams for Artemus settling with one person at last when the anti mage had expressed interest for Syryn. But that connection had been severed by Syryn himself. And now he was back to square one. But if Sebastian was making a move, he was not letting Artemus sabotage it. Alka had seen how in love his brother had been with the mage back when they were younger.

"Enough about me," Artemus declared severely. "Alka, take a hike. I have something to discuss with Syryn."

"I'm telling mom about this," Alka replied with a grin. "She's going to be so happy that Bas and A-mu are friends again," the plant mage singsonged. "Such dumb names. Only you losers could have come up with them."

Syryn had flashbacks to all the times Red had bullied him. Were all younger brothers so mean to their older brothers?

"Leave before I physically haul your ass out of the kitchen," Artemus warned the plant mage.