Read Online Story Thieves by James Riley - Free Book Online

move, and all that came out was a weirdsort of “hunnnnnh.” Why couldn’t he move his lips? He tried to bring his hands up to touch his mouth, but now his hands decided to play the same lip game and not move either.
    Arms, legs, toes . . . nothing worked.
    And that’s when Owen noticed that his bedroom seemed quite a bit brighter than it had a minute ago.
    â€œI’d just like a minute of your time, if it’s all the same to you,” said a voice from behind him. Owen’s body froze from disbelief, along with whatever it was that had already frozen him a few seconds ago.
    That was the Magister’s voice.
    The Magister shouldn’t even have a voice, because books don’t have voices, unless they’re audiobooks, and really, that wasn’t the character’s voice so much as the person who read the audiobook. And yet, there it was in Owen’s house, all polite and magical and Magistery!
    â€œI apologize for such treatment,” said the Magister, and Owen’s legs turned the rest of him around like some kind of puppet. There, behind him, was a doorway made from brightness, lighting his entire room.
    And inside the doorway stood a fictional character.
    Um. This had to be a mistake, right? Sure, the Magisterexisted in the book, but this was the real, actual, nonfictional world. Wasn’t it?
    The magician raised a hand, and Owen’s body jerked forward, walking like some kind of zombie toward the doorway.
    â€œIt’s just that you disappeared in such a hurry,” the Magister said, beckoning Owen forward with one finger. “And after riling up my curiosity in such a way! We can’t have that, now, can we? I promise this won’t hurt a bit.” He frowned. “Well, I shouldn’t think, at least.”
    Well, that didn’t bode well. Owen tried to shout again for Bethany, hoping she’d hear and rush back upstairs to shut down this doorway made of light and save him, but his lips still wouldn’t move. His legs kept jerking him forward, though, and soon he was just inches from the doorway.
    And that’s when he saw the one thing in the world that would cheer him up.
    â€œAre you taking on a new apprentice without asking me?” said a younger voice, and Kiel Gnomenfoot—KIEL GNOMENFOOT—stepped into view behind the Magister.
    Just like in the books, Kiel was dressed in black pants, shirt, and cloak, the better for sneaking in and sabotaging Quanterium labs. A rope belt weighed down by poucheshung around his waist, and two different knife-wands were holstered at his side like pistols.
    All in all, he looked like the coolest thing Owen had ever seen in his entire life.
    â€œAh, Kiel,” the Magister said. He gestured toward Owen. “This is the boy who saved me from Dr. Verity. And somehow knew that I would need saving.”
    â€œYou fought Dr. Verity?” Kiel Gnomenfoot, the actual real, live (sort of) Kiel Gnomenfoot, said to Owen. “With what  ?” He grinned. “I’m just kidding. Nice job, buddy! I owe you one. Doesn’t matter when or where. You just tell me what you want done. The more dangerous, the better. In fact, if it’s world-being-destroyed dangerous, that’s the most fun, so really, you’d be doing me a favor.” His grin widened, and he winked.
    Owen fanboy-giggled in response, only since he couldn’t move, it came out like a weird moaning ghost. Kiel winked  ! That was just so Kiel!
    Kiel’s grin faded and he gave Owen an odd look, then turned to the Magister. “So the Seventh Key’s location is in the Original Computer? You know how much I hate going to Quanterium.”
    â€œThat will have to wait for just a moment, apprentice. This might be of greater importance.”
    â€œBut even if you captured Dr. Verity, there’s an infinite army of Science Soldiers waiting in orbit around Magisteria, ready to attack! We still have