City of Magic: The Complete Series Helen Harper (fox in socks read aloud TXT) 📖

CITY OF MAGICTHE COMPLETE SERIES

HELEN HARPER

Contents

SHRILL DUSK

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

BRITTLE MIDNIGHT

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Epilogue

FURTIVE DAWN

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Epilogue

About the Author

Also by HELEN HARPER

SHRILL DUSK

BOOK ONE

Prologue

2007

If there was only one thing I knew for sure, it was that I was the luckiest girl in the world. Every single moment of my life had been leading up to this and I couldn’t imagine how anything could ever beat it.

I stared into Matthew Thomas Dwight’s chocolate-brown eyes and inhaled deeply, his Lynx-scented aftershave permeating the brief scrap of air between us. I leaned forward. So did he. He was going to kiss me. The most popular boy in school was actually going to put his lips on mine and it was going to be everything I’d ever dreamed of and we’d get married in a pretty church and we’d have beautiful children and…

‘Charlotte!’

Every part of me winced. Even my eyebrows seemed to retract in embarrassment.

‘Isn’t that your brother calling?’ Matthew Thomas Dwight asked.

‘No.’ I blushed so hard it was a miracle I didn’t singe his perfect, unblemished skin.

Amusement tugged at his mouth. ‘It’s okay,’ he whispered. ‘I can wait.’

That was all very well but I wasn’t sure I could.

‘Charl … otte!’

I squirmed and sighed. I knew Joshua. He’d keep yelling until I gave in and went to see what he wanted. His stupid Action Man doll had probably fallen under the bed or something. I yielded to the inevitable. ‘I won’t be long,’ I said. Then, because it seemed important to say it, ‘Don’t go anywhere.’

I got up, smoothed my skirt and walked down the garden path towards the back door. About halfway along, it occurred to me that Matthew Thomas Dwight was probably watching me and that I should make more of an effort. I injected an extra hip swing. It felt uncomfortable, and I was desperate to glance over my shoulder to see if it was working, but I managed to resist. Treat ’em mean, I told myself firmly. It worked for Louise and she’d already snogged half of the boys in our year group. So she said, anyway.

As soon as I was inside and out of sight, I dropped the awkward sashay in favour of thumping loudly up the stairs, more fairy elephant than fairy princess.

‘Charlotte! I neeeeeeed you!’

I gritted my teeth, pushed open Joshua’s bedroom door and glared. He was sitting up in bed in his favourite Superman pyjamas, his hair tousled and his eyes bleary. ‘What?’ I snapped.

Registering my tone despite his sleepiness, his bottom lip jutted out. ‘You promised Mum and Dad that you’d look after me.’

‘And you promised me that you’d let me have some peace.’

He scratched his head, apparently remembering that particular little fact. ‘Have you kissed him yet? Was it all squishy and wet?’

I rolled my eyes. ‘No. I’m not likely to get to kiss him either if you keep shouting for me. What’s the problem?’

He raised one small, pudgy arm and pointed. ‘My night light. S’not working.’

I glanced down. With the light from the hallway sending a shaft of brightness into Joshua’s room, I’d not noticed that his green star-shaped lamp was off. I sighed and knelt down, checking the plug and socket. I jiggled it, as if I could encourage electricity by giving it nothing more than a shimmy. When that didn’t work, I checked the inside of the lamp itself.

‘The bulb’s gone,’ I said. ‘You’ll have to wait till tomorrow, Jo Bug. I know for a fact there aren’t any spares in the cupboard.’

Joshua sniffed loudly. ‘I can’t sleep if I don’t have my night light.’

‘You’re seven already. You don’t need a night light.’

‘I do!’

‘Jo Bug,’ I began. Then I sighed. This was stupid; he was more stubborn than I was. ‘Alright. If I leave your bedroom door open and the hall light on, you’ll be fine.’

‘I don’t want my door open. The spiders will get in.’

I drew in a long breath. ‘There aren’t any spiders.’

‘That’s not what you said yesterday.’ The light in his eyes was sharp and accusing. I cursed myself for idly teasing him at breakfast and wrinkled my nose.

‘I can get the lamp from my room.’

‘It’s pink.’

‘The blue one from the spare room then? The one in dining room? Or from Mum and Dad’s room?’

He shook his head to every suggestion, his jaw set. ‘No. I want my night light.’

‘Your night light isn’t going to work.’ Anxiety clawed at me. Matthew Thomas Dwight wasn’t going to wait outside for me forever. ‘A candle,’ I burst out. ‘You like candles, right? You liked the ones Mum put out at Christmas? Why don’t I get you one of those?’

Joshua opened his mouth to refuse.

‘There are still some of the red ones left,’ I told him. ‘They smell nice.’ I crossed my fingers. ‘Remember?’

The fact that he didn’t answer immediately meant I’d won. ‘Wait here,’ I said. ‘I’ll go grab one.’

Even more quickly now, I threw myself back down the stairs and into the dining room, fumbling with the drawer on the Welsh dresser and scrabbling around for the candles that I knew were still there. I took one, along with a large box of kitchen matches, and a candle holder almost as an afterthought. Then I ran back up.

Joshua watched me with wide eyes as I set the candle up on the little desk in the corner of his room, far enough away that he couldn’t knock it over inadvertently in his sleep. The wick caught on my first try and I stepped back, briefly admiring