Free The Lightning Catcher: The Secrets of the Storm Vortex by Anne Cameron

and what it means for your mum and dad. In the meantime, we must assume that they are as safe and well as can be expected. Try not to worry. Your parents are both true survivors,” he said, gripping Angus by the shoulders. “Did I ever tell you about the time your dad got trapped in a storm full of dark snow and got lost on a mountain in Peru? It took him three days to find his way out again.”
    Angus smiled sadly, wondering if any of the stories Jeremius had told him about his parents were true. Or were they simply more tales retold from the Weathervane , an attempt to lift his spirits?
    â€œThis is where I must leave you,” Jeremius said as they entered the poster-ridden entrance hall once again.
    â€œOh, right, yeah. I-I’ll see you later, then,” Angus said, still feeling shaken.
    â€œI’m afraid it will be a bit longer than that. I’m leaving Perilous.”
    â€œWhat? No way!” Angus burst out. “Why?”
    â€œThere is important business that I must attend to,” Jeremius said, checking his weather watch and tightening the buckles on his leather satchel.
    â€œHas it got something to do with the weather vortex?” Angus asked, determined to find out something before his uncle left.
    â€œI’m afraid I can’t tell you any details, but there is nothing more important at the moment than working out what’s going on at Castle Dankhart. I will return as soon as I can, I promise.”
    â€œWhen?” Angus asked.
    â€œIn a month or two, possibly, if all goes well. In the meantime, if you have any worries or problems, you can go straight to Rogwood or Gudgeon. I have asked both of them to keep a special eye on you in my absence. So be warned,” he added with a grin. “If you, Dougal, and Indigo go chasing off after monsoon mongrels again, I will hear about it!”
    Angus smiled glumly. He’d got used to having Jeremius around over the summer. Perilous wouldn’t be the same without him striding about the stone tunnels and passageways in his snow boots and furs. It had also been very comforting indeed to have another member of the McFangus family to talk to. Almost like having his dad back again.
    â€œRight, I’d better be on my way. Dirigible weather stations and rogue storms wait for no one!” Jeremius pulled him into a brief tight hug. Then he swept through the front doors without a backward glance.
    Angus stood for several moments watching the space where his uncle had disappeared. Then he walked slowly into the kitchens, feeling dazed. The kitchens at Perilous were vast, with long serving tables set against the far wall, groaning under the weight of freshly baked cookies and sandwiches. A gaggle of cooks was busy baking potatoes and slicing bread next to the roaring open fires.
    The tables were already buzzing with the excited chatter of returning trainees. Angus dodged quickly past Jonathon Hake and Nigel Ridgely, two lightning cubs from his own year, without stopping to hear what they’d done in the holidays.
    He found Dougal sitting at their usual table under one of the large fake palm trees that stretched all the way up to the vaulted ceiling, the scare-me-not puzzle lying on the table in front of him. Dougal, however, was not alone.
    â€œAngus!” Indigo jumped to her feet as he approached, looking deeply concerned.
    Indigo was private, fiercely loyal, and painfully shy at times, and Angus was extremely pleased to see her again. Her horse-chestnut–colored hair was pulled back off her face, revealing a strong resemblance to her older brother, Geronimo Midnight. Germ, as he preferred to be called, was training to be a doctor in the sanatorium. Unfortunately, Indigo also looked like her uncle, Scabious Dankhart.
    â€œI’ve just told Indigo about Creepy Crevice and his stinking shop,” Dougal said, explaining the shocked look on her face.
    â€œI can’t believe you went into the bone