The Magic Thief

Connwaer, a pickpocket on the streets of the Twilight, one day picks the pocket of a powerful wizard named Nevery and steals his locus magicalicus, a special stone that helps wizards connect to the magical power of the city. It should kill Conn, but Nevery stops the process by saying a spell using Conn's name. It turns out that Nevery has just returned (or rather, snuck in) after a 20-year exile, to try to save the town from the leaching of its magic, upon which so much, including its economy, depends. Curious about the boy, Nevery takes him on as a servant and then later an apprentice. Although it is the wizard's job to stem the tide of the disappearing magic, he seems unable to do so. Conn believes he knows the answer, but his enemies are closing in.