Reversal of Fortune [malexmale]

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

"Tenjin, I implore you to reconsider this."

Tenjin simply ignored Tsukuyomi's words to smile at us, clearly already plotting devious plans in his head as he drummed his fingertips together. Of course, Yiuwa wasn't amused as he glared at the smaller deity.

"If you think a simple barrier spell will contain us, you are sorely mistaken," he said. Tenjin batted his lashes innocently, then dropped the act as quickly as he'd whipped it out, giving Yiuwa a bored stare as he folded his arms over his chest.

"And if you think that I, Tenjin the god of scholars and knowledge, would play with a run-of-the-mill barrier, you are utterly stupid," he announced, "See, my barrier is special. It's not only a magical barrier, but one infused with electricity. You can try and escape as much as you like, but you're going to end up tempura on the other side."

"I don't even know what that is," Yiuwa said under his breath and Tenjin gave him a long, irate stare before looking at Tsukuyomi.

"Fine, you can have him," he said, then looked at me, "But I get to keep that one."

"I'm not leaving without Rowan," Yiuwa warned him. Tenjin shrugged.

"Then welcome to my lair, because your Rowan is staying here."

"Not his," I deadpanned. Tenjin smirked, reaching up to tap his fingertips to his throat to indicate the mark on my neck.

"I'm no fool. I know what that mark means, or at least, the gist of it," he said, making Yiuwa's eyes widen in surprise, "There are certain species in our universe that still use the mating mark. It's rare, but not unheard of. Now, none of ours look like that, but I came to the correct conclusions anyway. You two are mated, and something tells me if that if I were to harm your beloved, you wouldn't be too happy."

"You wouldn't dare," Yiuwa seethed, moving forward and actually getting in front of me to block Tenjin. I glared at Yiuwa, annoyed, then moved around him to look at Tenjin, who appeared all too ready to accept Yiuwa's challenge.

"Enough," I said, making Tenjin glance at me, "Let's make a deal." Tenjin's eyes sparkled at that.

"Oh?"

"You can research us as much as you want in two days. Then we get to look at the tablets and leave," I stated. Tenjin arched a brow.

"Two weeks."

"One week."

"A week and two days."

"One. Week."

Tenjin narrowed his eyes. He clearly didn't like the idea of being given a time limit. He was considering it, though. He wasn't stupid. He knew that Yiuwa and I would destroy his barrier and escape anyway, when it came right down to it. If anything, it appeared more like he was trying to show off his abilities to Tsukuyomi, considering his dark eyes kept glancing off to the side where Tsukuyomi stood in distress.

"Fine," Tenjin agreed after a moment, "But I get to do any tests I want to, from biopsies to blood draws and I want displays of the curses and their details."

"Fine," I responded, making Yiuwa tense, "And we want to read the tablets and have as much time as we wish with them in order to copy the information."

"As long as they remain in my home," Tenjin said. I inclined my head. Tenjin looked pleased with that, but made no move to get rid of the barrier. At our intense stare, he shrugged before tucking his hands into the sleeves of his robe.

"Never said I couldn't protect my home," he answered. Nobody said anything at this point. Tenjin accepted that, then gestured for us to follow him. We obeyed and Tsukuyomi stuck close to my side while Yiuwa stood on the other, both of them basically boxing me in, much to my irritation.