A Question of Magic Read Online Free PDF

to do!
    Serafina had never felt so desolate, so lost, so
alone
before. She had always had her family or Alek to turn to, and now there was no one but a weird, oversized cat and some squabbling skulls. From the way the cottage was still moving, she doubted that she was anywhere near Mala Kapusta. For all she knew, the cottage might have carried her to another kingdom.
    She moved her feet and nudged the cat with her heel. He growled, so she moved her foot away again. “Sorry,” she said, her breath catching in her throat with a sob.
    Serafina was on the verge of sleep when a soft voice replied, “That’s quite all right.” She was sure she was dreaming already.

Chapter 5
    The scents of candle wax and cat and the mustiness of an old house reminded Serafina where she was before she even opened her eyes, but she knew right away that something had changed. She couldn’t think of what it might be, except—Her eyes flew open when she realized that the cottage was no longer moving. She sat up and tossed back the covers, which landed on the cat. The animal grumbled but didn’t move, even after Serafina wiggled off the bed. Without a backward glance, Serafina stumbled toward the door and threw it open. Sunshine and fresh air flooded into the cottage.
    The trees that surrounded the cottage looked older and taller than the forest that enclosed the town of Mala Kapusta. The air outside smelled of damp earth andgrowing things, but there wasn’t even a hint of wood smoke or any of the other odors that betrayed the presence of a town or village. She was surprised to see that there was a fence around the cottage, just as there had been the night before. What she hadn’t realized then was that the fence was made of bones—leg bones, arm bones, and finger bones, with a skull topping every other post. Serafina thought that they were probably the very same bones and skulls that she’d found in the trunk. It occurred to her that Sylanna might have had her come at night so she wouldn’t see the fence. “I probably wouldn’t have come into the yard if I’d seen that,” she murmured to herself.
    Serafina had no idea where she was or how to get home, but now that she could get the door open, she wasn’t about to stay in Sylanna’s cottage a moment longer. This wasn’t an inheritance. It was a kidnapping! Viktor had said that he wanted part of whatever Si-who-a gave her. Serafina would have been delighted to give him the whole thing!
    Although Serafina didn’t want to touch the fence, she couldn’t think of any way to avoid it, unless … She had the bag she’d brought with her, but it held only a single change of clothes and a hairbrush—nothing that she could use for what she had in mind. Taking one lastlook at the cottage, she spotted the shawl she’d left draped across the foot of the bed. “That will do,” she muttered, and stepped back into the room to fetch it. After closing the cottage door behind her, she hurried toward the gate while wrapping the shawl around her hand.
    She had just reached for the finger-bone latch when the skull on the gatepost cried out, “Where do you think you’re going?” Its jaw made a creaking sound when it moved, like the bones of an old man getting out of bed. Serafina thought it might be Boris, the skull who had first spoken to her the night before.
    â€œAs far away from here as I can get!” Serafina said, tugging on the gate. “Now open up!”
    â€œShe’s trying to leave!” said the one she thought might be Yure.
    â€œWe can see that,” the skull called Krany cried. “Someone has to stop her!”
    The skulls all began to shout at her at once. Serafina let go of the latch and took a step back; the racket stopped immediately. It started up again as soon as she put her hand back on the finger bone. Serafina shook her head. “You can’t keep me here with a