Chapter 13
After telling Milo and the Global Guild everything I’d learned, they assembled a meeting with their top members.
It was clear they’d be making a move on Chicago soon, and as such, Milo wanted to convince the Global Guild to send their best to assist. I had access to the facility, but not the virtual meeting itself.
Gladiatrix stood outside the meeting room, staring at her buzzing phone.
“Pompous Prince?” Milo asked, peering over her shoulder at the incoming call. “Is he actually one of the princes, or is that just a fun name?”
Gladiatrix shut off her phone and stuffed it into her bag.
It was clear she didn’t want to talk to King Liberty even if she desperately craved his company.
And she certainly didn’t want to disclose her feelings to the ever-annoying and bubbly Enchanter Evergreen.
I couldn’t blame her there. Milo’s cheer could get nauseating.
“I use Grump-a-Saurus for that one.” Milo pointed at me, then pulled out his phone. “See.”
“Seriously?” I glared.
“What?” Milo shrugged. “Where’s the lie?”
I huffed.
“See, grumpy.” Milo smiled. “And dinosaur-like.”
I rolled my eyes.
“So,” Milo said, turning back to Gladiatrix. “Is he the prince? Everyone suspects the third son, but I have money on the second. Or, more likely that duke from…ah, what’s it called…”
Following Gladiatrix into the meeting, Milo went on and on about his theories behind the masked King Liberty.
Like many of the vigilante’s fans, Milo followed all the trending theories and even a few of the fandom forums. King Liberty’s identity was a big deal.
Bigger than most of the masked vigilantes in the United Kingdom.
His unmasking even came with a seven-figure reward from multiple news outlets.
The moniker of King Liberty always remained among the nobles in England, though that was mostly speculation, as only a handful of those who donned the mask had come out publicly after retiring.
It was suspected that those in the royal family or of high nobility were meant to carry on King Liberty’s cause as penance.
A way to offer respect to the original prince who was executed for wearing the mask as the first incarnation of King Liberty, and a constant reminder that the wealthiest in the nation were meant to serve the people, not the other way around.
I sat outside the meeting, uninterested in completing any of my own work, and far too wound up from my brief encounter with Theodore Whitlock to focus.
Of course, the meeting itself was completely sealed off from outsiders.
Wadsworth stepped up the security measures, locking my telepathy out of earshot.
Ironic since he thought so little of psychics.
After the meeting, Milo kept close to Gladiatrix. No smile or joy, just a very calm demeanor. It seemed that attending a meeting with the top ten Global Guild members had washed away Milo’s usual charm.
“It’d be nice if you could encourage your international contacts to assist.”
“You want me to call King Liberty for a case?” She grimaced.
“Just thinking about the best possible outcome.” Milo feigned surrender, raising his hands up. “Not trying to interfere with anyone’s love life.”
Gladiatrix scoffed. “I have no idea what you mean.”
“Of course, of course.” Milo grinned. “I’m just a silly clairvoyant asking a magnificent enchanter if she’ll do this one teensy favor.”
“Go away.” Gladiatrix pouted, then retrieved her phone as Milo stepped away.
I let my telepathy wander close to her as I stepped away with Milo.
“Wonderful to hear from you, love.” King Liberty answered his phone on the first ring.
“This isn’t a social call.”
“In our line of work, it never is,” he replied. “How can I be of service?”
“Do you think you can see if any of your fellow masked witches would be willing to cross the sea?”
“Hmm. Shocking to see the Global Guild actually accepting assistance from their global allies.”
“Is that a yes or not?”
“I know a few witches who’d love to shake things up in your little guild. What’s the mission?”
“The vampire problem seems to be escalating here as well.”
As Milo and I made our way further through the facility, we bumped into Diaz and his familiar. She obviously had better things to do as she growled at Diaz and kept strolling by us.
“She’s hangry,” Diaz said with a chuckle. “But how are you hanging?”
“Fine.” Milo shrugged.
“Fine? Pssht. Come on, you just had a meeting with the top ten enchanters of the Global Guild. You gotta be better than fine.”
“It wasn’t that big of a deal.” Milo scratched the back of his head nervously.
“Not that big of a deal?” Diaz slapped his thighs in protest. “You been here less than a year, and you’re meeting with top brass. Meanwhile, I’ve got a decade under my belt, and they still make me get special clearance to bring Priscilla into Global Guild facilities.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah, they don’t believe in accommodating pets.” Diaz rolled his eyes.
“Well, the meeting was mostly just me being told my theories weren’t warranted, and just because I think I saw a possibility, they firmly assure me that I’ve misdiagnosed the potential futures.”
“Did they try to explain to you how your own branch works?” Diaz asked. “Please tell me they tried it at least once.”
The pair laughed.
Diaz slapped a hand on Milo’s shoulder. It sent a shiver through Milo that spread to me like a furious flame.
While Milo did well burying his arousal for Diaz, it surfaced fast and bright in his thoughts.
And quite frankly, it didn’t bother me. Attraction happened a lot, sometimes without the mind fully registering the thought.
I’d remind Milo he could stare or fantasize.
It wasn’t like my eyes didn’t wander on occasion.
What mattered was that my heart and body stayed with Milo and that Milo’s heart and body stayed with me, too.
“How are you liking the city?” Milo asked, putting on a silly southern accent not at all similar to Diaz’s. “I know it’s a big ole change from big ole Texas.”
“Vanessa and the kids are still adjusting to the move.”
“Sorry I made you drag your whole family up here.”
“It does ‘em good to get a little change in scenery. Plus, I can be with them day-to-day on this long-term mission as opposed to the constant traveling for casework and blowing back to the house once or twice a month.” Diaz tipped his hat. “You did me a favor, friend.”
“Well, glad to hear it.”
“You know, it’d be an even bigger favor if you considered joining us for a date night.”
“Oh?”
“Absolutely not.” I shot Milo a look.
He simply gave me a minxy grin. “What’d you have in mind?”
“Maybe a family night.” Diaz shrugged. “Maybe get a sitter and hit the town. Vanessa and I haven’t explored much since we got here.”
“We’ll think about it,” I said.
Milo nodded, and we stared at Diaz silently for the longest thirty seconds.
“Thanks, babe,” Milo said randomly. “So, we talked it over, and we’d love to hang out.”
“Wait, really?” Diaz cocked his head.
“Telepathy,” Milo replied.
“Gotta love that trick,” Diaz said, turning on his heel. “I’ll text you the details.”
“See you soon.” Milo waved.
“I hate you.”
“I love you, too, sweetie.”