The Stolen Chapters by James Riley Page B

finding Bethany, not rescuing me! Get out of here and go find her!”
    â€œFind her where?” Kiel said, using Owen’s shoulders to steady himself. “I had no idea where to even look, Owen. I need your help. You’re from around here. Where do we start?”
    â€œWe don’t start anywhere , not now!” Owen said, shouting again. “We’re both locked up in the police station, meaning neither of us is saving Bethany!”
    â€œI thought you said this was the right thing to do,” Kiel said, giving Owen a half-annoyed, half-still-dazed look. “Isn’t this what you wanted?”
    â€œNo. Yes . I thought so, but they won’t listen to me. They keep saying she doesn’t exist.” Owen dropped into his seat in frustration. “They think we did it. I have no idea what else to say. How could Bethany not be in their records? I don’t get it!”
    â€œForget about the police,” Kiel said, sitting down thankfully in the seat across from Owen. “Focus on the enemy . If we find Doyle, we find Bethany. Have you figured out his clues?”
    â€œClues?” Owen said. “You mean how he said he did this by the book? All that means is he did things the official way, according to the rules. What does that even mean? There aren’t any rules for kidnapping someone and setting fire to a library. And if there are, then I feel like that’s really messed up!”
    â€œHe also said we’d understand if we knew where we were,” Kiel pointed out.
    Owen’s eyes widened. “I think I’ve made it pretty clear! We’re in the police station, and we’re not getting out!”
    â€œCalm down,” Kiel said, forcing a shaky grin. “You’re with Kiel Gnomenfoot , remember? I’ve got this. I’ll get us out of here in no time.” He winced. “Assuming I don’t have another stupid memory come back.”
    Owen’s eyes widened. “You got those too? I’ve had two memories, one of you getting your spell book back—”
    â€œAnd the other of us using the finder spell,” Kiel finished, giving him a confused look. “Hmm. I must have modified the forget spell I used on us somehow so our memories would return.” He grinned for real this time. “I’m amazing!”
    â€œThere has to be a reason Doyle made us forget everything,” Owen said. “There has to be something important that we’ve forgotten. Like how he got out of his book, or where Bethany is. Or how he knows who we are in the first place.”
    â€œWell, I’m not just sitting here until I remember,” Kiel said. “And neither are you. We’re going to escape, and then you and I are going to find Bethany, memories or no.”
    Owen just shook his head. “Don’t you get it? If I leave now, I’ll be a fugitive. They won’t stop until they find me, and then I’ll go to a juvenile detention center or something. For the rest of my life , Kiel. I can’t leave. You’ll have to go.”
    Kiel frowned. “Bethany’s life is in danger, remember? Nothing else matters.”
    â€œBut you’re going to save her. That’s what you do!”
    Kiel shrugged. “Of course I do. And now you will too. You saved Charm, and you basically defeated Dr. Verity—”
    â€œNo, you did that. I messed everything up.” Owen shook his head. “It’s okay, you don’t need to pep-talk me. I know I’m sort of the sidekick here. You have magic, and Bethany has her half-fictional powers, and all I have is that I’ve read a lot of books. Not exactly a superpower, you know?”
    Kiel gave him a long look, then shook his head. “You’re coming. And you’re going to be a hero, just like I am. And then I’m going to wink, and it’s going to be amazing.” And he winked, and Owen couldn’t help but smile.
    â€œKiel, this is