Now this was definitely too much and he could do no more than wordlessly shake his head and feel that his jaw had gone quite slack.
‘It’s just that there is a possibility, you know, that you could find some sort of spell you could do, even a small one. Just a spark of magic is all you need, you know that. You might try your luck applying for the Prospect and officially join the magical world.’
A huge part of Seth wanted it to be true, that it might really be a possibility. ‘I have never done any magic. I’d just be exposed as another of the crackpots out to defraud the magical community,’ he whispered. ‘Wouldn’t I know if I was magic? Inspector Pewter told me that learning magic was one of the most difficult and dangerous skills you could ever undertake. I couldn’t even begin—’
‘But not for everyone, Seth,’ interrupted Angelique. ‘Magic is much more complicated than that. Magic, oh it’s difficult to explain, magic tends to come differently to different people, and sometimes not at all, even if you really, really want it. I was lucky, I come from a magical family and my inherited magic is really strong. Until you are actually brave enough to try, you won’t know if you’ve inherited any actual magic. It might be really strong like mine. But you’ll have to work at it.’
‘Or you might be like Miss Troutbean and have inherited none at all,’ put in Pewter, turning from where he had reached the door.
Seth thought of the sacrifice Dr Thallomius had made fighting to make sure the magical world stayed strong, for new recruits to be welcomed and nurtured and for sorcerers to use magic for good.
Dr Thallomius had truly believed that anyone could learn and that all you needed was a spark of magic – that and then access to the secret Elysee library of magical texts to train up your magic.
If Angelique thought he had a chance to be admitted to the magical community he would do it. He’d find a way. He’d find a way to be magic.
Only, one thing made him shrink from the idea. If they were right about his mother, and that affinity he had with her black book – did that mean he was destined to do only dark magic?
He made a vow. If he found he did have any magic at all, he’d make sure he never used the sort of magic that led to people dying.
He followed Pewter and Angelique out to the front of the hotel. He’d thought it was going to be difficult to say goodbye, but now he had a mission, he was going to experiment on something even more exciting than recipes, he was going to try to do magic.
‘Don’t forget, Mr Bunn has some good basic beginners’ magical textbooks, Seth,’ advised Angelique. ‘Give it a try, you might be one of the lucky ones and find it’s easier than you think.’ She hesitated. ‘Only don’t use that black book, will you Seth? I expect there are a lot of spells in there, but the difficulty for a beginner is knowing which are the good ones.’ She nodded. ‘Goodbye Seth.’
Pewter and Angelique were stepping into a shimmering shaft of light that must be their teleport away from the Last Chance Hotel.
‘If you promise me you’ll try some magic, I promise I’ll come back in a couple of weeks and see how you’re doing,’ shouted Pewter.
‘I will!’ cried Seth. Would a couple of weeks be enough? Everyone kept telling him how hard magic was. But then it came differently to different people. It was difficult to take it in properly that his mother might have been magic, almost impossible to think he might have inherited her skills.
More than ever, he longed for his parents to be here. Where should he even begin? To even attempt to be like his mother and do magic? He reached out his fingers and twiddled them, as if even knowing there was a chance would make them sparkle with magic like Angelique’s cane.
Seth’s heart felt easier knowing he would see Pewter again. And the whole of him felt thrilled at knowing the world truly had magic in it, and there was a possibility it might even apply to him. In fact, he itched to go and try it right away as he watched and waved as Pewter and Angelique disappeared.
Acknowledgements
Any journey towards publication needs some hard work, an injection or two of inspiration, and more than just a sprinkling of luck. But what really makes the difference is the friends you make along the way.
So I am fortunate to have many people to thank who have contributed to this book, not least all the goodwill and support I have had from all my family and friends.
Huge thanks to Sally Poyton and Jo Wyton, the most enormously brilliant writers, writing buddies as well as wonderful friends. The rest of my extraordinary SCBWI Oxford crit group. We are slowly taking over the world. Everyone I have met through the inspiring Golden Egg Academy and the team at BookBound, you have made such a difference at exactly the right time. Patient readers of early drafts, particularly Elspeth Greig, Sandra Simpson, Alex and Tim Thornton.
I owe a huge thank you to the judges of The Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition for choosing my book! And thanks to the whole team at Chicken House who have steered it so expertly through every stage. My book could not have found a happier, talented, more supportive and welcoming home.
Thank you Matt Saunders, illustrator extraordinaire, for making this book such an object of beauty. I really have been extraordinarily lucky.
Thanks to the League of Superheroes, aka the Oxfordshire school librarians – particularly Barbara Hickford and Donna Pocock-Bell – who have shown support, friendship and who tirelessly turn children onto reading, every single day.
And to so many people I know through Mostly Books who made me feel such a complete rock star when I had the news of winning the competition. The greatest bookselling team in the world, Julia Burrows, Sarah Dennis, Catherine Dix, Imogen Hargreaves, Karen Nicholls and Jenna Washington. Not forgetting Graham Jones and other great people in the trade it has been my pleasure to work with. Your support for the book has been incredible.
Finally, none of it would have ever happened without my wonderful and supportive husband, Mark, who has been there the whole journey. Couldn’t have done it without you.
Text © Nicki Thornton 2018
Illustrations © Matt Saunders 2018
First paperback edition published in Great Britain in 2018
This electronic edition published in 2018
Chicken House
2 Palmer Street
Frome, Somerset BA11 1DS
United Kingdom
www.chickenhousebooks.com
Nicki Thornton has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions.
By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this ebook on-screen. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic, mechanical or otherwise, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express prior written permission of the publisher.
Produced in the UK by CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon CR0 4YY
Cover and interior design by Steve Wells
Cover and interior illustrations by Matt Saunders
British Library Cataloguing in Publication data available.
PB ISBN 978-1-911077-67-1
eISBN 978-1-911490-41-8
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The Last Chance Hotel Page 18
