Free Story Thieves by James Riley

from Quanterium’s ever been able to do it.” Owen paused for a breath, while inwardly he screamed at himself to just shut up already. “Obviously, you’re from Quanterium, Mr. Magister, and you can do magic, but he didn’t know that part yet. Not that it matters, since Dr. Verity was from Magisteria to begin with anyway. And remember how you originally told Kiel that his parents were killed by a time bomb that Dr. Verity sent, since you didn’t think he was ready to know that he’s a clone of Dr. Verity? You thought that’d turn his life upside down—”
    â€œAnd it did, at the time,” Kiel said quietly.
    â€œEnough!” the Magister shouted, and Owen’s mouth clamped shut. “There is no way you could know these things!”
    â€œNone of this changes anything, as . . . surprising as it might be,” Kiel said. “If you really know what is happening here, why not tell us what Dr. Verity has planned?”
    â€œOh, he’s going to blow up Magisteria using a huge science bomb,” Owen’s mouth said. “That’s what I read on fan sites, at least. Someone went through and pieced it all together from various threats. And somehow, it’s going to be your fault, Kiel. That’s what I read, anyway.”
    â€œ My fault?”
    The Magister gave Kiel a quick glance, then turned back to Owen. “Tell me how you know these secrets. I must know!” He gestured, and the fog became even thicker in Owen’s head.
    â€œI read them!” Owen said. “I told you! There’s a guy who writes all of your books, Jonathan Porterhouse. He made you up. I don’t know how you’re here now, trust me. That’s all Bethany’s thing. Somehow she has the power to jump into books like they’re windows or something. Not that you’d jump into windows usually, but you know what I mean—”
    Kiel tapped the Magister on the shoulder. “Did you hearwhat he said? The part about Dr. Verity blowing up the planet —”
    â€œThis Bethany girl,” the Magister interrupted. “She travels between your world and this one? My world? The one you claim doesn’t exist?”
    â€œYeah, because she’s half-fictional,” Owen said. “I don’t honestly get it at all, but she said that her father was fictional, so, you know, imaginary, and somehow he came out to the real world and married her mom or something, but then he disappeared, so she wants to find him. But she can travel between here and there, yeah. Between fiction and the real world. Nonfiction? Would that be it?”
    â€œShe brought you here the first time,” the Magister said, turning away and rubbing his temples. “She could take me to your world myself, and I could see if these wild statements have any truth to them.”
    â€œDidn’t you bring me here?” Owen asked. “Why don’t you just go back the same way?”
    â€œI borrowed a bit of her power,” the Magister said absently. “When I first met the two of you. I meant no harm by it, and solely wished to learn about her abilities. However, I used up what little I could take, bringing you back. To do more, I would need her at hand, if not taking me herself.”
    â€œI don’t know why you’d ever want to leave here,” Owen said. “You’ve got magic and time machines and dragons and—”
    â€œI would wish to meet this . . . writer ,” the Magister told him. “The man you mentioned, Jonathan Porterhouse. The one who knows my deepest secrets, who has recorded my entire life.”
    â€œHe’s not really recording,” Owen said. “He’s making it up in his head. There’s kind of a difference.” Okay, really? That was the point he had to keep driving home here?
    â€œMagister, we’re all in danger!” Kiel said, but the Magister just waved him off.
    â€œThat