“Okay, so the biggest curiosity I have about the recent changes involve a certain psychic witch who played a role in holding off the top ten enchanters,” Beverly said, showing snippets of Milo’s battle.
Some of the footage was shaky, grainy, and choppy, but it seemed lots of people recorded the attack. My chest warmed, partly from pride in Milo’s valor, and partly in aggravation from the dumbasses who stayed in striking distance so they could film the fight. Seriously, those fucking morons should’ve run away. They could’ve gotten Milo injured protecting them.
“Now, I know what he did was amazing,” Beverly said with a wistful edge in her voice. “But I have to ask the obvious question. If he predicted this happening, why didn’t he just stop the vampires before they possessed anyone?”
“That’s not how clairvoyance works,” Gladiatrix explained. “You saw the snippets of that battle. Now imagine cutting those seconds down even more. Chop them up and rearrange them. Heck, add a couple unrelated images to other visions in the mix.”
“Wow.” Beverly’s expression tightened to something more serious. “I’m getting a headache just thinking about it.”
She had no fucking clue. Hell, I had more insight into Milo’s branch than any other person in the world, and I still struggled to make sense of how he kept it organized.
“Okay, so what he did was clearly impressive.” Beverly conceded with a shrug to her audience. “But is his new ranking really appropriate?”
I glared. Just when I was starting to not hate this woman, she had the audacity to question Milo’s capabilities.
“Not many people make a ranking jump from one-hundredth to fifth, but I assure you, Enchanter Evergreen is more than qualified for this leap.”
Gladiatrix’s statement sent a shiver of excitement through me. Milo had joined the top ten Global Guild members. I knew it already, since he received the news privately before the public announcements. Still, it hadn’t truly sunk in that Milo was now recognized as one of the best-ranked witches in the world.
He was officially an international rock star. Milo would soar higher than any of us ever dreamed of as children. My heart fluttered. I wondered how Finn would feel about this. What would he think? Would he be surprised? Unlikely. All I knew was that Finn would be proud of where Milo had risen.
I was proud of him, too. But I still worried. After his battle with the top ten enchanters, I imagined he’d enter into morebattles with even more dangerous foes. But what else could I expect from Milo? He sought to offer everyone the best possible outcome, which often meant facing off against insurmountable odds.
“Okay, let’s meet this mysterious Enchanter Evergreen,” Beverly announced, making way for the music cue as Milo stepped out onto the talk show.
Ugh. He wore the silliest orange suit. It was bright and cheery and made him pop out as he took a seat on the couch beside Gladiatrix.
“It’s an honor to have you here,” Beverly said.
“My first official interview now that I’m sitting among the top ten,” Milo said. “I should be the one who’s honored. Beverly Cleverly wanted to have me here. That’s something to write home about.”
Beverly smiled, pausing for a moment, and making sure she didn’t blush or lose her composure from a little flattery. After all, this was a woman who interviewed thousands of celebrities. Whether they were enchanters, musicians, actors, pop stars, ordivas, anyone who was anyone appeared on Beverly Cleverly Live.
“How are you feeling since your battle?” she asked.
“Sore,” Milo jested. “Have you seen my face?”
He pointed to the scars running along his face, smiling so proudly that it practically washed away the injuries. Seriously, his joy was enigmatic. I could see it in Beverly’s eyes, the way Milo’s infectious happiness reeled her in. It pulled at the hearts of the audience, too. Their expressions said as much.
Minds all across Chicago soared with delight as they locked in on the show to watch their enchanter, too. Milo belonged to this city first and foremost. He’d always remain a hero of Chicago, a beacon of pride. Even if now, he’d stepped onto a global platform.
“But I’ll wear these with honor,” Milo said. “I went a round with one of America’s best enchanters and have lived to tell the tale. Enchanter Kingston has been an idol of mine for years, so it was an absolute honor to play a role in helping him. Even a small one like mine.”
“Well, I’d hardly call your role small.” How quickly Beverly’s tune had shifted. “What I find most astounding about this incident is you managed to hold your own with just your roots.”
“They’re the most important part of any witch’s repertoire.” Milo smirked. “Anyone who says otherwise doesn’t have respect or understanding for their fundamentals, and that’s just a pity.”
“Yes, but your roots are above and beyond. Perfected, they say.”
“True, but that doesn’t mean I can use perfected roots all the time. It’s something to keep in the reserves. It expels a lot of energy. Plus, just because the roots are perfected, doesn’t meanthe witch using them is perfect. I’m just as flawed as the next person.”
With that, he’d won over everyone. God, how people loved a humble, charming man.
I sank into the couch, watching Milo’s interview continue. He was funny and sweet and silly. A total goofball. The three of them ended up doing some cooking bit after the next commercial, then they played some guessing game where Milo and Gladiatrix had to name magics based on ingredient clues.
For the life of me, I would never understand the joy people got in silly little talk shows like this, but seeing Milo beam ear to ear made my heart patter. He’d grown into an amazing man over the years, and to see his star shine so high and bright…
I was absolutely honored to have him in my life, and more than anything, grateful he never gave up on me being in his life.
