Page 57 of Zero Happily Ever Afters

He explained the academic complexities of being in first grade.

He talked about what subjects in school he was the best at.

He explained math was boring.

He told me how mean his teacher was.

“Ms. Malmay is a bully.Wasa bully.” Benjamin’s eyes stilled, locked onto a placemat, and his thoughts cycled through how he’d never see his mean teacher again, how he’d never see his classmates, his friends, his family. How every single person in his life was gone. Dead. Drowned.

It was a thought Benjamin didn’t like to dwell on, but he did, and we sat in silence for several long minutes as he quietly processed, considered, and pushed those big feelings aside for another day.

“Do you wanna see my video games?” Benjamin hopped up from his chair, then rushed back in carrying a selection of toysthat he fumbled with in his grip. He tried his telekinesis but only managed to drag one doll behind him.

“After you finish your dinner,” Milo said, waving a finger and pulling away all the toys Benjamin intended to show off.

He went back to discussing video games for a minute, then shared a secret about good food. He made sure Milo didn’t hear, whispering loudly to me about the importance of hot sauce and ketchup ratios.

He talked a lot. He talked while chewing his burger. When he paused to sip his water, Milo interjected, telling a silly story I didn’t care about that worked to further fuel Benjamin’s conversation. It was never-ending between these two. When we finished eating, Milo brought me to the living room, where Benjamin talked about the games he played and the things he learned and the stuff he disliked and the things he liked and the places he’d traveled since joining the Global Guild.

“But I’m not actually a part of the guild, just a special member.”

Enchanter Evergreen had told him his part was integral, he even defined the big word, giving examples of all the possible greatness Benjamin’s assistance would offer.

After quite possibly the longest, chattiest night of my life, Ben yawned. He struggled to keep his eyes open during one of Milo’s many stories—he had talked nearly as much as Ben without the excuse of having a developing child brain and no filter. Once Ben had completely dozed off, Milo trailed off into some other story and carried the kid off to his temporary bedroom.

“What’s with the kid?” I sighed, letting out an exasperated exhale since small children were quite exhausting. Vexing. Talkative. Annoying.

“You think everyone’s irritating.” Milo strutted past me, confident that he’d read my mind by studying my face.

Admittedly, he was pretty close. Not that I’d tell him.

“True. Thankfully, my tolerance for things I find aggravating has increased since learning to deal with you on a regular basis.”

“Aw. You grumpy goof,” Milo said, making us drinks and twirling his thoughts into silly songs.

“I get why you dragged him with you,” I said in reference to Benjamin. “Dealing with this True Witch—who I have a lot of questions about—but why’s he here? Still here, I mean. There’s no residual magic leftover.” None that I could sense, even with the kid’s warding branch shielding his mind and body, I didn’t sense the presence of anything else. “And with the threat locked up, surely…”

I waited for Milo to finish my sentence, reassure me, settle the anxious tension that formed at the back of my head.

“We’ve been dragging this kid all over the country, quick stop here, short break there, new hotel, new hotel, new hotel.” Milo handed me a martini I cared nothing for and clinked my glass against his own. “I just thought he could use a real place to crash for a bit. Somewhere not so isolated. I got my acolytes taking shifts to chill with the kid until I find like proper daycare…um…attendants? People, stuff. Baby watchers but for like nonbaby people.”

I frowned, partially perplexed and mostly annoyed. Milo had the perfect ability to bring both out simultaneously. “But can’t the Global Guild take care of the kid?”

Milo’s beautiful blue eyes fluttered, momentarily wrapped in quiet futures I couldn’t gain a read on.

I downed my martini, then went to the half-bar in his kitchen and made myself a real drink. It wasn’t exactly as stocked as the two separate wet bars I’d seen on the tour. Three. Shit. I forgot about the one outside. Who needed that many bars? It was convenient, though. And truthfully, I just needed the vodka and orange juice.

“So, I’m glimpsing the kid’s still around for some whatever loose ends?”

“Yeah, ish.” Milo shrugged, truly looking for the words while diving between unknown potential futures. “It’s complicated. The Global Guild doesn’t really deal with the fallout of survivors. I mean, on paper they do. Their whole helpful cleanup act after those krakens destroyed the oil pipelines and just straight up wrecked the Atlantic. They were there with enchanters posed for every photo op, but when it comes to cases like this…” Milo scrunched his face. “Aside from a few pictures and a really nice interview with Enchanter Wadsworth, the Global Guild didn’t have anything planned to help Ben, uh, matriculate? Is that the word?”

Milo looked everywhere else in the kitchen except for at me, squinting his eyes as he tried to find the right words, believing in his heart there wasn’t a right way to broach the topic.

I sighed, then sipped my screwdriver, sort of wishing I had an actual screwdriver to scramble my head and turn off my unwanted telepathy. “The future’s annoying, huh?”

“You have no idea.” Milo groaned. “But I just see a better possible future letting it play out this way. Ben will maybe adjust better, who knows? Kids are weird. The future’s unknown. A million variables.” Milo shrugged, big grin on his face. “Plus, there are still loose ends with The True Witch,which—hardy har har—I’m certain you’re curious about.”

Wow. Immediately dodged one topic to dive into another where Milo intended to explain how a current open case might play out.

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