The Books of Magic #5: Lost Places (AER) Chapter One Present Day London Thirteen-year-old Tim Hunter sat on the stoop of the Swan Dance School, enjoying the early spring day. Winter was definitely over, and although his neighborhood tended to stay gray in even the best weather, well, he just didn't care. He was in too good a mood. "Careful there, Hunter," Tim scolded himself. "You nearly started whistling. No one would recognize you in this unusually cheerful state." He stretched out his legs and leaned his elbows on the step behind him. He had good reason to be a mite cheerier these days. No matter that his whole life had been turned upside down ever since those wacky blokes he called the Trenchcoat Brigade had popped into his life and let him in on one big whopping secret: He had the potential to become a powerful magician. Big deal. That was nothing compared to finding out that the man he grew up with wasn't really his father and that his real dad, now dead, lived in another world and could turn himself into a falcon at will. So what? And just because he'd faced Death—actually met her in person—and been chased, attacked, and nearly killed more times than any other thirteen-year-old boy that he knew, well, just another day in the life. Tim still felt as if he could start whistling or bursting into song like they did in the movies his father—er, Mr. Hunter, that is—enjoyed on the telly. And all because of Molly. Molly O'Reilly. "My girlfriend," Tim declared, testing out the words. It was new, this boyfriend-girlfriend thing, and he was still getting used to it. So far, he liked it—liked it a lot. Most important, he now had someone he could share all of his bizarre experiences with, someone he could trust. Someone . . . "For heaven's sake, Tim, you are taking up a lot of space," a familiar voice behind him observed. "How are we supposed to get down the stairs?" Tim tipped back his head and gazed at Molly. She stood above him, hands on her hips, thick dark hair pulled back in a messy ponytail, brown eyes sparkling. Beside her stood their friend Marya, a girl Tim had met when he had saved her world, Free Country, and encountered again after she had decided to stay permanently in London. Marya grinned. "Maybe we should try to jeté over him." Molly hooted. "Be my guest," she told Marya. "You're a lot better than I am at jetés. I don't think I'd clear him." Tim scrambled over to the side of the stairs. "Take all the space you need. I don't want to get caught in the face by your feet. I've heard all about toe shoes." The girls laughed. "You're right to be scared," Molly said, dropping down beside Tim on the step. "Those toe shoes are really hard! I don't know how you can wear them," she said to Marya. Marya leaned against the railing, her long red hair blowing slightly in the breeze. "You get used to them, I guess," she said. "And they make pirouettes so beautiful!" She bounded down to the sidewalk and did a few turns in her sneakers. She made a face at her feet. "You see? Sneakers are no good at all for spinning!" Tall and slim, Marya was a year older than Tim and Molly, but in some ways she seemed quite a bit younger. Tim knew that was because she'd spent so much time in Free Country. She had left his world long before he'd been born, so everything here was brand-new to her. She and Molly had become close friends ever since they'd met at the Swan Dance School, where they both took classes. Marya grabbed her knapsack from where she had plopped it on the sidewalk. "Gotta go. Annie is going to take me to the ballet tonight, and I promised I'd help her at the café so she could leave early!" Annie was the cool waitress who had taken Marya in when the girl had decided to stay in this world rather than return to Free Country. She had helped Marya find Tim in the first place. "Have fun!" Molly called as Marya took off at a run. "I had an idea of something we could do this afternoon," Tim said as Marya disappeared around the corner. "What's that? And don't say I get to watch you skate-board." Molly pretended to yawn. "Because that would be sooo boring." "No, I think this is something even you will find interesting," Tim said, getting to his feet. He slung his backpack over one shoulder. "I thought we'd go on a picnic. I've got some people I'd like you to meet. Only they aren't exactly people." Molly jumped up. She glanced around to make sure no one was nearby who might overhear them. "Magic-type people?" "Exactly." Tim grinned. "It's time I gave you a minitour of my magical life." "Awesome!" They strolled along the pavement. "So where are we having our picnic?" Molly asked. "You'll see," Tim said. Molly rolled her eyes. "Okay, Hunter, don't think that just because you're some kind of magical big shot that you can get away with acting all mysterious." "I'm not," Tim protested. "It's just that if I tell you, it's going to sound dumb, and I promise you that it isn't." "I'll be the judge of that!" Molly declared with a grin. Tim grinned back. "This way." Molly gave him a sidelong glance as they waited for the light to change. "How does it feel to do . . . to be magic?" Tim thought hard about her question. "Mostly confusing," he admitted. "Half the time I don't know what I'm doing, or what I'm expected to be doing, or if I'm supposed to be doing anything at all. But it's also amazing. Especially when I manage to make something happen the way I want to—when I perform the magic on purpose instead of by accident." The Books of Magic #5: Lost Places (AER) . Copyright © by Carla Jablonski. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold. Excerpted from Lost Places by Carla Jablonski All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
