Sun Catch Her (Book 1: Three Rivers Deep series) COMPLETE

Chapter Thirty-Nine

With my spectral sight still in place, I ran along a brick path as a strobe light pulsed. It took me a moment to realize I must have tripped a silent alarm. Good, because that meant somebody should be coming soon.

I put the inner peach tree chamber between myself and the entrance, skidding to a stop as I crouched to hide among the calla lilies. A bee buzzed close by my ear, making me cringe as the white blossoms bumped against my shoulders. I gazed up at the chamber's surface before me, knowing for certain it was made of glass and should be clear, but I was taken aback when I discovered my spectral sight couldn't see through to the trees inside. It made me wonder if the glass was infused with dark matter.

Speaking of which... I positioned the book bag between my knees and fumbled with the zipper. I needed to stall for time, stay hidden, and wait for someone to investigate the tripped alarm. With any luck, they would come down here to check on things and not simply reset the security system from a main control panel at the estate. And damn it, where were those patrolling wind devvis? Painting each other's see-through toenails?

Hastily undoing buttons, I let Alex's coat slip from me, and I pulled my aura cloak out and threw it over my head. I couldn't see the umbra—what with the opaque chamber blocking my view of the front entrance—yet I shouldn't assume it hadn't ghosted its way inside, as anything physical meant squat to it. It would be able to pass through any object that didn't project an image onto the astral plane, something like the very manmade glass and steel greenhouse for example.

The blanket framed my face like a hood as I scanned the space from left to right. Inhaling, I blew at the close buzz of another bee as it slowly hummed past, its legs caked with yellow pollen. The only sight umbrae had was spectral. If the chamber's glass appeared solid to me, the umbra couldn't see through it either. Comforting thought, that. Must be a "deteriorating type," since its presence had caused the earth to erode.

Great, an erosion umbra. Shivering, I waited, heartbeat racing. The scarf covering my burn marks felt tight on my throat as I forced myself to hold still and keep my respirations slow and steady. I had to remain calm. Apparently, the more excited I got, the brighter and tastier my aura became.

An electronic beeping filled the space. I waited for a moment, then rose from my crouch expectantly when the security lights ceased flashing. Moving cautiously, I left my book bag and Alex's coat among the flowers as I started forward to see if somebody was there. The aura cloak slid down to catch in two big folds on my shoulders, exposing the top of my head with my one hand gripping it closed at my throat. I walked up to the tree chamber and set a hand against the milky glass. Slowly, I crept along the outside, following its curiously hot surface with tiptoeing caution. Nothing else followed after the pulsing light ceased, not the click of a handle or the snick of a door swinging open. With sinking unease, I peeked around the last few feet to view the entrance.

Oh not good. I grimaced at the yellow fog methodically drifting between the portico's stone pillars, weaving in and out with a fitful, stalking speed. Still outside, but also still there. The closed doors remained silent. Crap, they'd reset the alarm from the main estate. Now what was I supposed to do? Stay huddled among the flowers, trying not to get stung until eleven o'clock rolled around and Micah started to miss me?

Past the portico the forest stood silent, trees unmoving. Where were those blasted wind devvis? With anxiety-laced impatience, I eyed the domed ceiling, the clear glass above me painted dark by the night. The few red glass panels were an odd mixture of blood and sulfur as they bounced back the yellow of the sunshine orb, and I wondered what time it was. I didn't wear a watch, as I always had my phone.

My phone! I spun around to stare dumbfounded back in the direction I'd come. Holy cheddar, were my thoughts so thick with panic I had totally forgotten the darn thing was in my bag? I could text Micah to let him know where I was.