The Stolen Chapters by James Riley

he really should rescue Owen. It wouldn’t do to leave his friend locked up, even if Owen had unwisely given himself up. And who else knew the boring, unmagical, nonfictional world like Owen?
    With new purpose, Kiel set out for the police station, shaking his head at the idea of having to jog the whole way. Magic was just so much easier for getting around!
    Kiel had been without magic before, of course. Both before he’d met the Magister, and then when the Magister had made him forget all of his magic after they’d met Bethany, and his master had gone off the deep end.
    But he’d gotten the magic back . . . somehow. Somewhere in the fog, there was a memory of what he’d done.
    Kiel slowly breathed in and tried to think of something, anything that’d help him remember.
    Bethany’s face came to mind, and he smiled in spite of himself.
    Then Bethany’s face morphed into Charm’s, and he gasped out loud as the memory slammed into his head like a hammer.

MISSING CHAPTER 1
    Two months ago . . .
    â€œSo I’m not real,” Kiel Gnomenfoot said quietly, staring at his hands.
    â€œWhat makes you think that?” the Magister asked, the hints of a smile playing over his face.
    â€œI’m made of science, Magi,” Kiel said, shaking his head. “Dr. Verity formed me from that unnatural—”
    â€œScience is about as natural as you could possibly get ,” Charm said, her robotic eye narrowing in irritation. Kiel glared at her, and she turned away guiltily. “But, um, I understand your point,” she finished.
    â€œHe made me!” Kiel said, shouting now. “I was never meant to exist. All I am is a clown—”
    â€œClone,” Charm pointed out.
    â€œOf the man who’s currently trying to destroy Magisteria.” Kiel sighed. “And Magisteria isn’t even my world, is it? If I’m a clown—”
    â€œClone.”
    â€œThen I’m actually Quanterian .” Kiel grabbed his apprentice spell book, his face contorted in anger, and threw it across the room.
    The spell book froze as soon as it left his hand, then turned in midair to glare at its owner. Kiel ignored it, dropping to the floor to sit cross-legged with his head in his hands.
    â€œI’m not even real ,” he said again.
    The Magister circled around Kiel, then kneeled in front of the boy and pulled Kiel’s chin up to look his apprentice in the eye. “You assume that real is something anyone would want to be.”
    Kiel gave his master a sad look. “Magi, now isn’t the greatest time for a lesson.”
    â€œWhat is magic if not forcing unreality to become real?” the Magister asked. “So Dr. Verity recreated himself, giving us you. Do you want to destroy Magisteria?”
    Kiel shrugged. “Only sometimes. When people annoy me.”
    â€œAnd what could be more real than that!” the Magister said, clapping Kiel on the shoulder.
    Kiel snorted, then shook his head. “I can’t be him, Magi. I can’t ! What if I turn out just like he did? What if I’m destined for evil? And look at him! That’s what I’m going to look like when I’m older?”
    â€œUgh,” Charm groaned, and Kiel could almost feel her rolling her eyes.
    â€œYou will be whatever you decide to be,” the Magister told Kiel gently. “The idea of destiny is something we made up to justify whatever we wanted to do. You are no more destined to become Dr. Verity than I am to turn Alphonse into a dog.”
    Alphonse, Kiel’s cat, stopped licking his wings for a moment to look at the Magister, then shrugged and returned to his important bathing.
    â€œI’m not sure any of this is helping,” Kiel pointed out as he pushed to his feet. “But I suppose I don’t have time to feel sorry for myself. Charm can’t get the last three keys by