Page 88 of Two Who Live On

“You think I didn’t account for every demon, every death, every case, each enchanter tracked since you arrived in my home?” Milo’s body vibrated, enraged, but he held a smile all the same because Enchanter Evergreen never showed fear, rage, sadness, or regret. He was a beacon of bright light meant to encourage those all around to move forward into the brightest future they could possibly live.

Every loss, dimming his spirit, offered Milo a chance to save a thousand other lives. He endured the pain of failing those victims, carrying their loss with him forever, but he’d ensured no one would die today. If everything went according to his plans, the guilds would protect everyone.

A memory involving Enchanter—correction, Guild Master—Campbell rose in Milo’s thoughts. Nothing like the memory that haunted him where she couldn’t convince the guilds to collaborate. That was an honest memory, yet Milo had manipulated himself, me, and anyone observing that it still held merit.

“Had to keep my cards close to my chest. Wasn’t sure who knowing what would change factors until today arrived,” Milo thought.

Campbell waltzed into Milo’s office, careful to lock the door behind her, and set the protective wards before uttering a single word. “Threatening the guild masters with failure after some academy brat called everyone out worked as seamlessly as you predicted.”

“Let’s hope the gamble paid off,” Milo had said.

“About half the guild masters you wanted are in final discussions. They weren’t keen on being the greatest guild to a dying city.”

“We’ll need them all. Otherwise, those who stay back will end up fighting for scraps before the National Guard comes in too late to institute order to the carnage.”

“You’ll have them.” Campbell half-smiled, always holding back her enthusiasm. “I didn’t become Guild Master to the strongest guild in the state and one of the safest cities in the world just to lose now.”

The memory faded.

“Did you get the other guilds?” I studied Milo.

The tilted turn of his head, sharp jaw peeking out above his shoulder, suggested a grin which said yes a thousand times over.

I grumbled. He could’ve simply answered me.

“Now that we’re done with the whole speech on how I figured out your master plan, can we skip to the part where I banish you, and we save the city?” Milo hovered above the ground; pavement crackled beneath the weight of his heavily channeled telekinesis.

Regret from past mistakes faded from Milo as he fixated on tens of thousands of futures he would ensure came in clearly once this chimera, this demon, this devil had been banished forever.

“Perhaps what I considered methodic planning was impetuous. Shame. You are truly one of a kind, Enchanter Evergreen.” The chimera used Jamie’s branch to open a whirlpool portal behind him. “As the mortals say, if at first you don’t succeed—”

“Lock. Lock. Lock.” Acolyte Reed soared past, waving her key for support and aim.

The whirlpool portal vanished into droplets. Jamie’s wrists twisted and tightened, and the devil housing itself within him struggled to flex his wrists. His fingers bent like curved, decayed tree branches.

“Can’t have you bolting like that,” Milo said. “Ruins my master plan. And sure, you’ve got hundreds of branches, but I can’t think of one warp portal user whose instant transportation isn’t linked to the muscles in their arms.”

“He’s not casting branches in his arms anytime soon.” Acolyte Reed beamed.

“Give me back my brother.” Acolyte Novak appeared out of nowhere. Bubbles swarmed entirely around her body, making the touch of my telepathy impossible.

Fascinating how her arcane branch obstructed everything in its path. She shouted, unleashing hundreds of tiny bursting bubbles in an onslaught at the chimera possessing her brother. Whether on instinct or a more finely tuned telepathic connection, the devil moved Jamie’s body and spit a purple smog from his mouth.

Once released, it served as a shield from the surprise attack. As something in the entropy branch, even Acolyte Novak’s powerful draining magic struggled to overpower the poisonous decay that devoured anything in its path.

The devil withdrew, distancing himself from the enraged Acolyte Novak.

“Lena.” Milo reeled her back with a wave of his hand, helping her evade the necrotic smog eroding the street. “You have a job to do. Trust me when I say Jamie will be okay, but not if you go off script.”

“Sorry, Enchanter Evergreen, I just—”

“Lock.” Acolyte Reed froze the smog in place, stilling the conversation.

Novak hid her pain and regret as she’d planned when accepting this mission, but I quivered at her hollowed-out heart and her wishes that she hadn’t walked away from the Novak family to pursue her independence. Had she kept contact, had she attempted to understandher younger brother, maybe this wouldn’t have happened. All she wanted was to escape the insurmountable hatred and pressure her family caused, something so suffocating she couldn’t figure out a single thing she wanted. She believed it was selfish to fix her broken heart while leaving her brother to fend for himself in a family she hated. I wanted to call out, to whisper even, that it was okay to walk away and repair your broken mind. Anyone who said otherwise clearly didn’t understand the devastation of a shattered heart.

Unable to warp travel, the chimera flew away. Milo soared after him. I channeled my levitation and telekinesis roots, preparing to follow.

“Stay put,” Milo’s thoughts echoed loudly. “I apologize for dragging you into any part of this investigation, but your role is done. You’re safe here. Your students are safe. Let me finish this battle alone and ensure everyone else in the city remains safe.”

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