Personally, his relationship with Asher is at its best in centuries, while Anita appears to have largely accepted her role as his human servant and embraced the ardeur. He and Anita block two challenges Augustine relatively easily and may have bent Augustine to their will by addicting him to their combined ardeur.
The relationship between the characters is at its peak, with Asher and the protagonist having a strong bond while Anita appears to be accepting her role as his servant and embracing the excitement. They easily overcome Augustine's challenges, possibly through manipulation of Augustine using their combined passion.