Another thought struck Jo. If Snow had rebooted the world, then perhapsshedidn’t exist because she should’ve never existed—because she was never meant to be from this time. But the other members of the Society?
“I need you to look up another name.”
“Go ahead,” Charlie said, pulling up the browser once more.
“Wayne Davis. . . He should be in New York City.”
Charlie looked at her dumbly. “New York City? Another one of your alternate dimension cities?”
“Pull up the map again?” The moment it filled the screen Jo pointed to where New York City was in her time. “About here, big city.”
“Oh, you mean Yorkton City.”
“Sure, try that.” It sounded close enough that Jo wondered what alteration in the time line had led to such a similar but different name.
A few names pulled up, but Jo didn’t have to go very far down the list. She thrust out her finger, pointing to the headline right at the top of the page: “Mogul Wayne Davis Finds Big Payday With Risky Bet”.
“This one.”
Charlie clicked and Jo’s eyes didn’t even have a chance to skim the article before they fell on the photograph of a familiar face, hair slicked so far back it had passed the point of ridiculousness. Wayne stood out like a sore thumb, wearing clothes that he had no doubt had to request custom, since no others in the lineup of businessmen he was with wore anything like it.
“Wait. . . I recognize him.”
“You do?” Jo turned, surprised.
“Yeah, he made 1.46 billion kernits overnight.”
“Kernits?”
“Money?”
“Oh.” There was going to be a significant learning curve to this world.Everything in due time.She would roll with it like she rolled with joining the Society, like she rolled with every job before that. The only thing that mattered was her goal, and right now, that goal was to get to Wayne, then the rest of the team. It would be far more effective to discuss the differences between this world and her own with someone else from the Society.
That was, if he remembered at all.
The thought nearly stopped her heart. What if this was Wayne, but notherWayne? Like Yuusuke was still Yuusuke after her wish, but had never known Josephina.
“I need to get there.”
“Okay . . .”
“Can you make that happen for me?”
“I see . . . And what do I get out of all this help?”
“You met a real live demigod and received an answer you were looking for your whole life.” Jo should’ve known that wasn’t going to be enough for Charlie.
“Fascinating? Yes. Explains something I’ve always wondered about? Also yes. Though, looked for my whole life sounds a bit dramatic. . . But you’re asking me to spend actual money on booking you travel.” He tapped his hands on the desk, as if impatiently waiting for her to connect the dots. “I’m giving you my own funds to get you where you want to go. I’m going to need something more than a fun party story.”
She could see it on his face. “Tell me, why are you killing them?”
“I don’t have to tell you that.”
“You should, though.”
“Is that a threat?” Charlie’s face couldn’t seem to decide if it wanted to look amused or nonplussed.
“I hope it doesn’t have to be.” Jo tipped her head back, looking down at him. “Tell me why.”
