“Yes, I’d rather sleep with the rats than with you.”
Justin grinned. Just like Mynor, he was filthy. They both smelled, but that didn’t stop Mynor from wanting to reach over and kiss Justin. He didn’t. He was pretty sure that Justin would be fine with it from the way he watched him sometimes, but he couldn’t give this kind of ammunition to Pythom and Anya. They were waiting for Justin and Mynor to do something wrong, to reveal a weakness, and that was what this would be. If they showed their jailers that they cared about each other, they’d be separated.
No, it was better to keep their distance as much as they could. Maybe one day, in another life, they could be more than cellmates, but for now, they couldn’t afford for anything to change.
It was one more thing that Anya was taking from them. Mynorreallyhated her.
Chapter Ten
Something weird was happening to Justin. Mynor had noticed it, but he hadn’t said anything about it yet. He didn’t want it to catch the guards’ attention, even though most days, it felt like they’d forgotten about them.
Mynor didn’t know how long it had been. He’d been here longer than Justin, and by now, it felt like forever. His hair had grown, he desperately needed a bath, and he’d lost quite a bit of muscle. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to fight his way out of this place even if he had the opportunity to.
But that didn’t matter. What mattered was Justin, and Mynor kept peeking at him, waiting for him to explain what was going on. There was no way he hadn’t noticed.
Mynor glanced at the main room behind him. These days, it was usually empty. It was as if everyone considered Mynor and Justin part of the furniture. They still got fed regularly, but people had grown used to seeing them in the cell and had let their guard down. Mynor wished he could do something about it, use it to their advantage, but no matter how many times he tried to think of a way, the only possible outcome put him and Justin in danger.
That was one thing Mynor couldn’t do. He needed to protect Justin, and apparently, the only way to do that was for both of them to stay in the cell.
“You keep staring at me,” Justin said.
“There’s a good reason for that,” Mynor told him.
Justin had changed, too. His hair was longer and messier, and his clothes hung on him a bit too much. Mynor kept giving him more food, but Justin was smart. He knew what Mynor was doing, and most of the time, he refused. At least they were fed a little more and a little better now that Justin was here. Mynor could only imagine how much more complicated things would have been if Pythom’s plan of giving them only one meal had been permanent.
Justin sighed and glanced down at his chest. The shirt he’d been wearing when he’d arrived was tattered now, exposing part of his chest. That was the only reason Mynor could see the colors on his skin.
They hadn’t been there before. Mynor was sure of that. There wasn’t much to do in the cell except watch each other, and he’d memorized what Justin looked like. When he’d first arrived, his chest had been normal.
It wasn’t anymore.
“My brother always loved Christmas,” Justin eventually said.
Mynor frowned. “What do you mean?”
“You know. Christmas.”
“I know what Christmas is. I’m just not sure what it has to do with this.”
“Well, Calyx’s a mage. I’m slowly turning into a Christmas decoration, so I’m pretty sure it has something to do with him.” He pulled down the collar of his shirt. “See. That’s a Christmas tree.”
He pointed at his chest, and Mynor had to move closer to see what he was talking about. Sure enough, there was a green treeon his chest, like a tattoo. Tattoos didn’t appear spontaneously, though.
“This is your brother’s magic?” Mynor asked as he touched the skin. The tree wasn’t the only design there. There was a red hat, and even a snowman, something Mynor had never seen in real life.
Justin shivered, and Mynor snatched his hand back. For a moment, they stared at each other. Mynor wanted to reach for Justin again, and he was pretty sure that Justin wanted him to do that, too.
They couldn’t risk it.
Mynor leaned back. “So what’s your brother doing?”
“I have no idea. The fact that I’m like this means he’s thinking of me. He’s going to find me.”
Mynor wanted to believe that, but Justin had been convinced of it for a while now, and nothing had happened. Well, nothing beyond the designs on his skin. Maybe he was right, and Calyx would find them, or maybe this was just him pranking Justin. Mynor didn’t want to allow himself to hope.
Besides, even if Calyx came to rescue Justin, what were the odds that he’d rescue Mynor, too? Mynor was a demon, and he didn’t know Calyx. He didn’t think that Justin would leave without him, but he couldn’t be sure, and there was no way for him to tell if Calyx would be able to get both of them out in the first place. No, it was best for him to think that he’d stay here for the rest of his life unless Alphan finally came up with a plan that worked.
Mynor and Justin weren’t told anything about what was happening outside the palace—or inside of it, for that matter—but they could hear the guards talking. Alphan had tried repeatedly to get into the palace. He’d never given up, not even when most people would have. Mynor wasn’t sure he ever would, and he was grateful, but at the same time, it felt useless.It wasn’t helping him, and it certainly wasn’t helping Alphan. His time would be better spent helping people he could do something for.
