Page 63 of Zero Happily Ever Afters

Okay, admittedly, that piqued my interest, but I kept a sour expression because I refused to allow Chanelle this opportunity to gloat.

“I just finished meeting with the headmaster, and she informed me that the admin team has officially approved my pitch for the preliminary round of the second-year Spring Showcase.”

“Which is?” I asked suspiciously.

“We’ll be releasing fiends during the first round.” Chanelle waved a hand in front of herself like she was unveiling a majestic show for me to watch. “Think of it like our Will-o’-the-Wisp tag but with higher stakes.”

“Life-threatening stakes,” I clarified. “You’re trying to murder our students.”

“Not murder. Just some light scarring. A bit of torture. Trauma builds character.” She cackled, high on her own joke. “The only thing I’m murdering is enchanter interest in visiting other academy showcases because we’re gonna be the talk of the city. Seriously, everyone who misses this performance is gonna be desperate to see how we raise the stakes in the semi-finals and the grand finale.”

I doubted that. Once news hit of the attempted escape from the MDC, the way the Global Guild would move in to confront and contain the situation would be on everyone’s lips. But I buried that nagging thought and frowned at Chanelle.

“And how exactly are you gonna raise the stakes further? You haven’t sent any email updates explaining what horrors you have in store.”

Chanelle strummed her fingers together, a wicked glint in her deep brown eyes and a mischievous smile so big it filled her entire face. “Oh, just you wait, Dorian.”

Ideas flitted out of her head like a monstrous circus filling the hallways meant to engage and entertain all in attendance. It seemed like chaotic carnage, but I honestly loved the distraction from my own thoughts, floating around Chanelle’s mind as she revealed plans on top of plans for future years where she intended to continue outdoing her own performances for years to come.

That said, I still needed to break free from Chanelle and sneak off for a smoke. With the way she rambled, I would end up trapped for our entire planning period. Hell, she was relentless. She might very well keep talking until summer break.

Chapter Eighteen

The time had finally arrived. I’d kept a manifestation of myself latched to Milo all week since my telepathy definitely wouldn’t relent during such a stressful ordeal. But rationally, I knew the entirety of the plan. I understood potential pitfalls. I agreed to stay out of it. And I was. Mostly. Splitting my psyche and sending a manifestation kept the rest of my head out of Enchanter Evergreen’s big case. I wouldn’t actually have to share the events of how today worked out until after work, after the preliminary round of the Spring Showcase.

Even disconnected from myself, the slightest tug of psychic energy held us together, and the anxiety poured from my other half. Being in the know, seeing Milo calm and coolly collected when everything was moments from shattering, kept me less concerned.

He stood outside the Metropolitan Detainment Center with Gladiatrix and Enchanter Diaz, his thoughts stirring to how Enchanter Wadsworth had remained posted in the deepest floors of the jail, stationed outside the solitary cell that contained The True Witch.

Milo checked his phone, then adjusted his tie. “It’s about that time.”

“Finally.” Gladiatrix put on a gold helmet—the type gladiator warriors donned in battle, proving even she deemed this a dangerous mission—then hovered toward the entrance of the MDC, golden cape fluttering behind her with a certain majestic zeal.

That feeling definitely came from Milo, not me. He stared in awe, wondering if the cape ever got in her way during combat.

“You think I could pull off a cape?” Milo turned to Diaz.

“One hundred percent.” Diaz focused on stretching, leaning low to the ground and putting his legs out one at a time as he pressed down on his thighs. “Shouldn’t The Inevitable Future be a bigger trendsetter? Suits are cool but so…meh.”

Diaz shrugged, then stretched his arms high, flexing his bare biceps. The fabric of his gold and black corset vest moved up ever so, revealing his abdomen muscles.

“Hmmm.” Milo studied the curve of Diaz’s back, the way the corset accentuated everything else. “I do have the ass to totally rock those. And the wonders it’d do for my posture.”

He daydreamed how he’d look in different colors and materials, then bubbled with images of me once again in a ridiculous corset before his mind settled and returned to the mission at hand.

I noticed the Global Guild emblem stitched onto the back of Diaz’s corset vest on his shoulder blades with the strings of his outfit pulling their symbol together, similar to Gladiatrix’s cape that flaunted the GGs. Even Milo wore their logo in the form of a gold pin placed on his jacket pocket over his heart.

“I should be heading on in.” Milo paused, taking in Enchanter Diaz as he stood tall and finished stretching. “You sure you’re good out here?”

“A little late to change the plan.” Diaz winked.

“It’s never too late to change things up. Or down. Or sideways. Or no ways.”

“You’re stalling, Enchanter Evergreen,” Diaz said with his southern twang, smiling and confident about the plan to come. “Go kick some ass and save your city. I’ll hold the line here.”

Milo made his way inside, entering the MDC, where I couldn’t follow with all their warding protections. Their enchantment protocol had increased tenfold since my Doppler had slinked through the halls while hiding inside the head of a correctional officer.

Unable to join Enchanter Evergreen, I floated aimlessly around the building and kept close to Diaz as Milo’s voice echoed in the enchanter’s head, replaying the plan, and preparing for a fight.

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