Timepiece (Hourglass 2)

“I didn’t even know they made those anymore,” Lily said, now obviously holding the Skroll in place with her hands, ready to run.

I pushed down a creeping sense of dread. I didn’t want to tell Lily, but I was starting to worry that we were becoming planted more firmly in the crowd of rips than in reality. I wanted to run, too. Problem was, I didn’t know where to go.

“Trying again.” A teenage girl wearing a sweatshirt with the neck cut out was my next target. I could see a shiny spandex leotard underneath. I didn’t bother speaking to her; I just stepped in front of her and held out my hand. She walked into it and dissolved before she reached my body.

“Thank God,” Lily breathed out.

“Don’t relax yet.”

Poe and Teague stood on the steps by the Ramses statue, scanning the crowd.

“Run.”

Chapter 25

“We’re totally not conspicuous,” Lily said as we raced through the crowd.

“Stop running, but walk fast.”

“That I can do.”

We hurried toward the Mud Island monorail and the riverfront, weaving through parked cars. Some of the cobblestones were crumbling. “Be careful.”

“I should probably give this a little extra protection.” She slid her arms out of my shirt and wrapped the Skroll in it. “Oh no. Duck!”

Call it a stress reaction, but I had the strangest thought she’d gone back to the bird fetish thing. “What—”

“Duck! Poe’s boots.”

She dropped to the ground behind a Honda Accord and shoved the wrapped Skroll underneath it. Then she yanked my arm, pulling me down with her. On top of her.

When things like that happen in movies, they always result in a longing look, or an almost kiss. In real life, it translated to Lily’s eyes squeezed shut in pain. She was the only thing between the cobblestones and me.

“Holy crap. You’re like … a … giant.” She smacked at my biceps as she choked the words out. I rolled onto my back with my hands on her hips, pulling her with me. She took a huge gulp of air, but instead of moving, she lifted her upper body and straddled me, craning her neck to get a glimpse of Poe. “I don’t see anyone. Maybe he wasn’t as close as I thought.”

I clenched my jaw and stared at the thin white clouds in the otherwise blue sky.

This was about to get really uncomfortable.

“Lily.”

“Oh hell. He is close. Teague’s with him.” Dropping back down, she pressed her chest against mine. Her hair tickled my neck.

“Lily.” I exhaled through my teeth. A blush of surprise colored her face, but not before a brief second of recognition passed over it. The second when she realized exactly what she was doing to me.

“Sorry.” She grinned.

“I bet.”

Scrambling to her feet, she squatted down behind the car and looked toward the river.

I took a few seconds to recover, and then crept over to the rear bumper of the Honda and peeked around the side. Teague turned back around and headed toward the Pyramid, while Poe moved to the end of the line forming to board the monorail.

We waited, crouched down. The water lapped against the dock, and hungry seagulls cried out for lunch.

“Too bad I don’t have my camera to hide behind,” Lily said, pulling the Skroll out from under the Honda and into her lap. “We could have pretended to be tourists.”

“How long have you been taking pictures?”