Leila Vernon

"'Not fate,' Leila said. 'Magic.'"- Leila Vernon, The Magic Misfits

Leila Vernon is one of the protagonists in the Magic Misfits series

Early Life
Leila was born to Alessandra Santos, a member of the Emerald Ring (a magic club). Sandra was convinced by another former member, a mesmerist called Kalagan, to leave her daughter at an orphanage, with nothing but a key and a small note with her name and birthdate on it. Leila grew up in the orphanage and was often bullied for being so happy when others were cheerless. After being locked in a closet (yet again), and knowing there was a magician performing, she managed to escape and saw the last act. After the performance, she went up to the magician, Mr. Vernon, and asked to learn his tricks. Later, she was adopted by him and his husband, known as The Other Mr. Vernon, and Leila's Poppa.

The Magic Misfits
She first met Carter Locke whilst hanging upside down in a straitjacket in the lobby of Mr. Vernon's Magic Shop. (She is an escape artist, like Houdini, her favorite magician) After escaping, she was introduced to Carter (who is actually Mr. Vernon's and her cousin) and they, along with their friends Theo Stein-Meyer and Ridley Larsen, soon discover that circus owner B. B. Bosso (who has just stopped in town) is up to no good. They recruit twins Izzy and Olly to be distractions while they search Bosso's rooms. In the end, Carter leads Bosso into a trap to expose him in the middle of a large performance. Upon getting back to the Magic Shop, Mr. Vernon reveals his relation to Carter and he moves in with Leila and her dads (and their parrot). They also learn about the Emerald Ring, which both Bosso and Mr. Vernon were a part of.

The Second Story
In the second book, Leila's past is revealed and she and the Misfits find out that Bosso wasn't "the big one" but another member of the Emerald Ring was. She also discovers Sandra Santos (also known as Madame Esmeralda) is her mother. During part of the plot to kidnap Leila as a hostage (using the hoax that two of the Frown Clowns are her birth parents), Carter uses Morse code to tell Leila the hoax and all four members of the Vernon/Locke family get caught in the basement. They escape using Leila's key to go through an old tunnel and get to the Magic Shop in time to stop the Frown Clowns and Sandra from taking a precious notebook. With some reinforcements from the rest of the Misfits, the invaders get handcuffed (thanks to Leila). At the end of the book, Leila leaves Sandra, who is in jail, the key that Sandra left her at the orphanage, which she uses to escape.

The Minor Third
In the third book, Leila is the first Misfit to reach out to Emily Meridian. From that all of the Magic Misfits begin to more or less trust her, except Ridley.

Mr. Vernon
Although mysterious at times, Mr. Vernon is loving of Leila and encourages her in her quest to become the next Houdini. He is Leila's Dad.

The Other Mr. Vernon
The Other Mr. Vernon is Leila's Poppa, and the two have a loving relationship. He works at the Grand Oak Resort as a chef. Leila often visits him at work, and enjoys exploring the resort and eating his cooking.

Carter Locke
Leila and Carter have a unique relationship that's a mix of friendship/sibling. When at the fake lawyer's office in Book 2, Carter acts like Leila's stabilizer, keeping her calm until he realizes the whole thing is a hoax by the Frown Clowns. So when the frown clowns capture them they find a bootlegging tunnel to escape. They use Leila's secret key [from Sandra] to unlock the door in which is to get out of the bootleggers tunnels. They are cousins, and when Carter moves in with them, they grow incredibly closer.

Sandra/Madame Esmeralda
Sandra has a weird relationship with Leila. She is her mom but somehow got convinced to leave her on the doorstep of an orphanage. Sandra left her nothing but a small skeleton key and a note that said her name and birth date. [And we all know who made Sandra do this.......wink wink] In the fourth book (spoiler alert!) Sandra reveals that Dante forgave her, and was accepted into Dante's magic circle, to which Leila forgives her.

Theo Stein-Meyer
Theo and Leila are old friends. They get along well. During the second book, when Leila's "parents" were revealed, he assisted Carter in helping Leila up onto the stage.

Ridley Larsen
Ridley and Leila are good friends, though Ridley's coldness can sometimes hurt Leila. Leila understands that Ridley means the best, but usually is the one to call her out when she's acting particularly irritated.

Izzy and Olly
Like the others, Leila finds the twins' antics laughable and groan-worthy.

Trivia

 * Leila likes to collect keys.
 * She is extremely skilled in knot-tying.
 * She loves to escape.
 * She always tries to see the best in everyone.