Page 43 of Zero Happily Ever Afters

“I’ll be back soon. I promise.” Milo nodded to Ben as the nurses checked him over.

“Okay.” The trepidation in Ben’s eyes didn’t lessen despite Milo’s best efforts to offer him a friendly smile and kind words.

It gutted Milo, but he needed to speak with the other Global Guild witches about what he’d seen, about what lined up for him, about how to prevent this from ever happening again.

Milo stepped outside where Enchanter Wadsworth stood perched against the railing of the porch, smoking a cigarette.Gladiatrix levitated in the front yard, cape flowing from the touch of her telekinesis, offering the perfect heroic aesthetic for an audience of no one. I guessed the best of the best were always performing for the watchful world.

“The kid’s awake.”

“Finally. Now you can focus less on one little life and more on the entire world.” Wadsworth sucked down a deep puff of his cigarette and tossed the butt. “Because Enchanter Predicts the Future Sort of Kind of but Not Really definitely needs to prove his clairvoyance is real and not some parlor trick for the Tweeter Face Click Clockers.”

I rolled my eyes at his attitude and the way his lack of knowledge had smashed together every social app he’d ever heard referenced.

“I have a plan, a way for us to stop this witch.” Milo unraveled the potential futures, eyes fluttering at the continuously shifting subtleties, at the bright light of possibility.

The True Witch’s threads of fate presented themselves in the most bizarre fashion, unlike anything Milo had ever encountered. Not from witches, warlocks, demons, or devils. This veiled woman was something entirely different and he considered her frightening arcane branch played a role in how he perceived her possibilities.

“I’m taking every possible calculation into account. Some steps will involve us steering her onto a different course and away from other objectives that might cross her mind.”

“What does that mean?” Gladiatrix asked.

“It means he doesn’t know what the fuck he’s doing.” Wadsworth huffed.

“I know you’re after the quickest resolution,” Milo said, fighting off a frown that tugged at his cheeks. “I can’t offer you that.”

“You can’t offer much of anything.” Wadsworth scoffed.

“The result in stopping her sooner is… There’s too much carnage in it. I won’t be a part of a path that leads to such certainty.” Milo wanted to ensure no other towns were laid siege to in the same way as Harmony Valley. He wanted to make sure no one was left orphaned like Benjamin Oxland. He wanted to offer everyone the best possible future, the happiest ever that ever aftered.

“So what are you proposing?” Gladiatrix asked.

Milo had genuine joy on his face, eager to divulge the many facets of his plan that involved intercepting The True Witch in various places, drawing her attention to locations that hadn’t fully occurred to her, and luring her to a spot at the precise time that’d all but guarantee a future Milo could take pride in.“It’s a big plan with lots of variables that might take a bit—or a lot—longer than the Global Guild wants.”

“The Global Guild merely wishes for an end to this witch,” Gladiatrix said, looking over at Wadsworth. “No matter what pressures for faster results certain members try to apply.”

“Fine.” He waved a dismissive hand at Gladiatrix and then turned to Milo. “What’s your damn plan?”

“Well, for one thing, we’re gonna have to take Ben with us.”

“Who?” Wadsworth asked.

“The kid who…” Milo pointed a thumb back toward the house, baffled Enchanter Wadsworth hadn’t bothered learning Ben’s name, having the horror seared into his mind, or any sort of empathy in his expression when the realization dawned on the old man.

“Oh. Why exactly?”

“Once we start moving forward with our objectives, things will shift. The True Witch may attempt to pivot, change course, and I don’t have a strong read on her.” Milo gestured to the house again, where Benjamin Oxland recovered. “Traceamounts of her interaction and magic still linger in the child, which will allow me to maintain a connection to our target.”

Milo averted his gaze from the aggravated Wadsworth and stared out into the empty neighborhood. No trace of possibility nearby. Every fate in this town had been snuffed out once everyone had been killed. This barren town saddened Milo, but he maintained his composure and focused on his goal of putting an end to The True Witch.

“Fine. Take the kid, leave the kid, what do I care?” Wadsworth lit a cigarette. “Can we just get a move on already?”

“Almost,” Milo said with a minxy grin. The type of playful bullshit he used on me but quickly realized Enchanter Wadsworth had no patience or care for. Cute didn’t work on the old man. “We’re gonna need a professional tracker.”

“You’re our tracker for this mission,” Gladiatrix said.

“Yeah, for pinpointing where The True Witch will be,” Milo explained. “Once we get to her location, we’re gonna want a witch that specializes in hunting.”

“I’ll see who the Global Guild can offer.” Gladiatrix reached for her phone.

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