Apprentice Needed — Obert Skye

In book one of the series, Ozzy saw the classified ad in his local paper for a Wizard for Hire and discovered there was a wizard right in Portland, Oregon. Ozzy was relieved when the wizard, Rin, agreed to help him find his kidnapped scientist parents, though the search was a wild series of close calls the closer they got to the truth. And although Rin had plenty of wise sayings, Ozzy doubted that Rin was an actual wizard.

Now, on one dark and windy night, Ozzy steps out of bed, jumps out his window, and walks straight into the ocean. It's as if someone is controlling Ozzy's mind. He's saved by Sigi Rin's daughter and Clark, a mechanical robot bird. More than ever, Ozzy could really use the services of Rin, the Wizard for Hire.

When a mysterious package arrives in the mail containing a plane ticket and a thumb drive, Ozzy is certain it's from Rin. But when Ozzy, Sigi, and Clark arrive in New York, Rin isn't there. Instead they are met by the man who was the money behind the mind-controlling discipline serum created by Ozzy's parents. Ozzy was the final test case and is now the key to discovering the serum's secret. He is a very valuable boy. Once again, he's on the run.
 
As fate would have it, Rin appears just in time. But Rin's goal is more than a rescue mission. He needs an apprentice to cement his status and notoriety in the magical realm of Quarfelt assuming the place even exists. As Rin's apprentice, Ozzy must complete five tasks to receive the Gift of Wonder. Ozzy is willing to help, but is now really the best time to enter a contest for wizards when something is controlling his mind? Especially when someone is out to destroy the people he loves?