Free The Invitation by Carla Jablonski Page A

San Francisco, the happier I’ll be.”
    â€œWhere are we now?” Tim asked, peering into the darkness around him. They seemed to be in the middle of nowhere.
    â€œIn Southern California.”
    Tim’s mouth dropped open. Wow. We seriously booked if we’ve made it all the way across the country in a single night. Then he remembered his geography. San Francisco was in the north. AndCalifornia was a long skinny state. Their destination was still miles and miles away.
    â€œUh, we don’t have a car anymore,” Tim pointed out. “What are we going to do?”
    â€œStick out our thumbs, walk, and hope.”

Chapter Five
    T IM WAS TIRED, COLD, and hungry. His feet hurt. They’d been walking along this highway for ages. He shivered. Wasn’t California supposed to be warm?
    The few cars that passed kept going. Eyeing John’s battered trench coat and dangling cigarette, and his own jeans and grimy T-shirt, it occurred to him that only a stark-raving loony would pick them up. And then where would they be?
    â€œCan’t you do something?” Tim asked.
    â€œLike what?” John replied.
    â€œI dunno…‘magic’ things along.”
    â€œDoesn’t work that way,” John said. “At least, I don’t work that way.”
    â€œThen how does it work?” Tim grumbled. “Aren’t you supposed to be teaching me stuff?”
    â€œYou think you’re not learning?”
    Tim rolled his eyes. That wasn’t an answer. He watched Yo-yo fly ahead and land on a tree branch and thought about the kind of magic that made Yo-yo. Reading cards was all well and good, but it wasn’t the kind of magic that Merlin had. The kind he wanted.
    â€œI want to—” Tim began.
    â€œCatch that ride?” John cut him off.
    Sure enough, a car had pulled to a stop up ahead of them.
    â€œQuick!” Tim said, bounding forward. “Before he changes his mind!” He dashed to the car, Yo-yo flying behind him.
    The driver had rolled down his window. A man in his forties stuck his head out. He was wearing conservative glasses, a long-sleeve shirt, and a sweater vest. “Need a ride?” he asked.
    Tim had been wishing for a ride, but now that there was one in front of him, he felt uncertain. “Only if you aren’t a weirdo trying to kill us,” he blurted.
    The guy laughed. “You’re British, right?” he asked, obviously noting his accent.
    Tim nodded. What did that have to do with anything?
    â€œYou Brits have such an offbeat sense of humor,” he said. “Never fails to crack me up.”
    John had by now joined Tim. “Are we getting in?” he asked.
    â€œUh, yeah,” Tim decided. With John along, he figured it was okay to accept the ride. He lifted his hand and Yo-yo landed on it.
    â€œThe bird too?” the driver asked.
    â€œThe bird too,” Tim replied.
    John sat up front next to the driver, while Tim sprawled across the backseat. Yo-yo perched behind John, balancing on the back of his seat. The car drove off.
    â€œYou tourists?” the driver asked.
    â€œYou might say that. I’m John Constantine.” He jerked his head toward the backseat. “And this is Tim.”
    â€œHi,” Tim said, observing that the man was a much better driver than John. He started to relax. The man reminded him of American professors on television. “And the owl’s name is Yo-yo.” Yo-yo ducked his head as if saying hello.
    â€œI’m Terrence Thirteen,” the man said, introducing himself. “Dr. Terry Thirteen.”
    â€œThe ghost-breaker?” John asked.
    â€œYou’ve heard of me?” Dr. Thirteen smiled.
    â€œYeah,” John replied. “Read your book. Funny meeting you like this.”
    Tim sat up and rested his elbows on the frontseat rest, leaning between the two men. Could John have somehow arranged this meeting? He didn’t think Constantine