Magickeepers: The Eternal Hourglass by Erica Kirov Read Free Book Online Page A

of speaking, yes,” Theo replied.
    “I don’t need a horse.”
    “Yes, you do,” Isabella said.
    “For what?”
    “For the show,” she said, bored, as if it was the most obvious answer in the world.
    “Wh-what do you mean, for the show?” Nick stammered.
    “Damian thought of it,” Isabella said.
    Theo nodded. “You look like him.”
    “Yeah, so?”
    “So,” Theo said, “in my brother's sheer audacity and genius, he's decided the best way to incorporate you into the show as his apprentice is for you to play a younger version of him on stage.”
    “I don’t get it.”
    “Look,” Isabella said. “You’re going to play Damian. You’ll ride on stage on a horse, do some spectacular magic. The audience will love it.”
    “Audience? Look, I don’t even like it when I’m called on in class and have to read something out loud. I thought I was going to be backstage.”
    Theo shook his head. “Impossible. It is your destiny to be on stage.”
    Nick exhaled loudly. “Look, yesterday, I was a kid with a skateboard, a cheeseburger, and a sense of purpose about summer.”
    “Purpose?” Theo laughed. “What purpose was that?”
    “What every kid in the whole world's purpose is during the summer. Sleep in. Goof off. Don’t you people understand?
    It's like…it's like practically the law. And I come here and you keep talking about destiny and now relics and a magic hourglass, and none of it makes any sense.”
    “You can’t fight destiny,” Theo said softly. “Destiny is a part of who you are, my young cousin.”
    “But I don’t want to be in the show.”
    Isabella stared at him. “You don’t understand. This is what we do. You have to be part of it.”
    Nick shook his head. “I can’t do magic like Damian.”
    “But you’re going to learn,” Theo said calmly.
    “And I can’t ride a horse.”
    “You’ll learn that, too,” Theo replied.
    “And not just any horse.” Isabella grinned. “An Akhal-Teke.”
    “What's that?”
    “They gleam. Their coats look metallic, like real gold. And they can ride across the desert without water. Like a camel,” Isabella said. “Perfect for Las Vegas!”
    “You have the wrong kid. I’ve never ridden a horse in my life.”
    “You will learn, cousin. You will learn,” Theo smiled, nodding. “You and your horse will be a magnificent addition to the show.”
    There was a soft knock on the door, followed by a tall woman entering the classroom.
    “You must be Nicholai,” she said. Her long black hair was woven into a thick braid that fell to the small of her back. Her eyes were pale—but instead of blue, like Nick's, they were flecked with green and gold, which matched her deep green, flowing dress, the collar embroidered with threads that glinted in the light.
    He nodded, and she approached him, leaned down, and kissed him once on each cheek, the way he once saw French tourists greet each other in the hotel.
    “I am Irina,” she said, her accent thick—like Madame B.'s.
    “Am I related to you, too?”
    “Of course, dorogoi. Your mother was my best friend—and my cousin.”
    Nick wondered why he had never met a single person from his extended family before.
    “When you were in a cradle, I came to visit you. While your Papa was out. Such a precious little baby. Your mother…so happy.” Irina's eyes grew wet. “I cannot speak of such things now.” She walked over to Theo's wooden desk, knocked three times, and spat over her left shoulder three times. Nick tried not to stare, but really, he still didn’t understand why they spit over bad news.
    “Now we speak of good. I am grateful you have come home to us.” She turned to Isabella. “Come along, Sister. You and Sascha have rehearsal.”
    Isabella stood. Sascha lifted her immense head, licked one paw, stretched, and then rose. The tiger, her white fur and black stripes luscious and full, immediately fell in step beside Isabella, claws making a scraping noise as they scratched the polished