Justin beamed. “Good.” He looked around the cell. “How does it work, then? What do I do now that I’m being summoned? I can still feel the pull, and it’s weird. It’s kind of making me queasy.”
“I’ve never been summoned before, but you need to wait until the portal opens. You could also try to resist the summoning, but the pull is going to bother you. If you resist, eventually, the human’s magic won’t be enough to continue, and they’ll have to give up.”
Justin shook his head. “Calyx would never give up. Besides, I’m not planning on resisting.”
Mynor didn’t say anything. It was clear that Justin wouldn’t even consider the possibility that this had nothing to do with his brothers. Mynor understood. He wanted to believe it was them. He’d just have to be careful for both himself and Justin.
Justin clung to Mynor’s hand and stood at the center of the cell, looking around. He was frowning, which was cute. “So, where’s this portal?” he asked.
Mynor couldn’t help but smile. He couldn’t wait to get to know Justin outside of this place.
It felt like something—orsomeone—was pulling Justin along. He was pretty sure that if he didn’t start moving, he’d get dragged, and that wasn’t something he wanted to experience, so he was glad he’d convinced Mynor to come.
He was pretty sure he heard someone say his name. He thought he recognized the voice, but he didn’t want to hope, eventhough there was only one person who could do something like this.
A portal wavered into existence in the cell. Thankfully, it wasn’t on the ceiling, but for some reason, it hovered above the floor, which meant they’d have to climb into it. Justin was pretty sure this was the first portal to the underworld that Calyx opened, so it made sense that he wasn’t quite sure how to do it. Luckily, it had worked, which meant that Justin and Mynor were about to be free.
Justin moved toward the portal, eager to get out of here and see his brothers again, but Mynor grabbed his arm to stop him. Justin didn’t have the time to ask if he’d changed his mind. Mynor pulled him back behind him and moved toward the portal, clearly intent on crossing it before Justin.
Justin got it, even though he was impatient. He was sure this was Calyx’s doing, but Mynor wasn’t, and he didn’t know Justin’s brothers. He didn’t trust them or whatever they’d find on the other side of the portal, and he wanted to protect Justin. It was sweet, albeit unnecessary.
Mynor hesitated only for a moment before sticking his hand through the portal. He looked apprehensive, like he expected something to happen to that hand, but nothing did, and Justin was getting impatient.
He tried moving past Mynor, but Mynor glared at him, which he took as an order to stay where he was. He glanced toward the door, but thankfully, no one seemed to have noticed that a portal had appeared in the dungeons. Pythom and the other guards were going to freak out when they came in and found Justin and Mynor gone without a trace.
Mynor stuck his head into the portal. Justin giggled at the thought of Calyx seeing Mynor’s head come out. Would he be scared? Probably if he’d tried to summon Justin. He didn’t know he’d succeeded yet. Justin knew that Mynor was harmless, atleast to his family, but he could admit that his demon didn’t look like he was. He didn’t want Calyx to do something that would lead to someone getting hurt, especially Mynor. Justin had plans for him, and he needed him in one piece for them.
“Come on, stop wasting time,” he said. He was ready to be home, dammit.
Justin could see the tension in Mynor’s body. He didn’t want to rush Mynor, but he was starting to get worried that one of the guards would notice something was happening, so he was relieved when Mynor turned to him and reached for him. Surprised, too, but maybe he shouldn’t be. Mynor wouldn’t send him ahead because they didn’t know what was waiting for them on the other side of the portal, but he also wouldn’t leave him behind because something could happen.
So of course, he hauled Justin into his arms.
Even though they were both dirty and stinky, Justin was in heaven. He and Mynor were finally about to be free, and they’d be able to shower and sleep in Justin’s bed and do so many more things in it.
Mynor cradled Justin against his chest with one arm, and before Justin would ask if it wouldn’t be easier for them to climb in through the portal one at a time, Mynor reached into the portal. Justin clung to him, more interested in what was on the other side than in how Mynor managed the feat of getting through while holding him. The only thing that mattered was that he did.
As soon as they were out of the cell, Mynor reached down to hook the arm he’d used to climb under Justin’s legs, moving him into a bridal-style carry. Justin felt like he needed it, to be honest. He needed food and rest—real rest, something he didn’t think he’d ever gotten in that cell.
Justin glanced around the room and grinned as he patted Mynor’s chest and tried to get him to put him down. He was tiredand weak, but he was home, and his brothers were all there. He didn’t know who he wanted to hug first. Calyx, probably since he was the one who’d gotten Justin here.
Mynor didn’t let go. He was tense and clearly didn’t trust Justin’s brothers. “I told you,” Justin said. “They’re my brothers. They rescued me from the underworld, and they’re not going to hurt me. Calyx isn’t going to tie me to him. It’s not like that between us.”
“You can’t know that for sure,” Mynor grumbled.
He was scared for Justin, which Justin understood. “Icanknow it for sure. Calyx and I are already linked, but not through magic. He’s my brother, and I’d do pretty much anything he asked, even without a bond. Let me down. I want to hug him and thank him for what he did.”
“What’s happening?” Calyx asked Griffith. For some reason, he was whispering.
“I have no idea,” Griffith answered. “But it looks like you have a full-blown demon in the living room.”
He placed himself between Calyx and Mynor, just like Mynor had placed himself between Justin and the portal earlier. Justin wasn’t really paying attention, though. He was still trying to convince Mynor that no one would attack them. Mynor didn’t look like he believed him, and he was glaring around, showing his fangs, which couldn’t be great for Justin’s brothers.
Griffith’s movement caught Mynor’s attention. He turned to him, so Justin patted his chest again. “I told you that they won’t hurt me,” he repeated. “They’re my brothers.”
“You look nothing like them.”
Justin squinted. They’d talked about this, so why was Mynor making this so complicated? Justin understood that Mynor was trying to keep him safe, and he was grateful, but he didn’t need him to. “We don’t have to look like each other to be brothers.Stop it.” His voice was a little harsh, but he didn’t think Mynor would get offended.
