Free Rachel Golden and the Retriever of Sin by Oliver Jackson

screwed up her eyes, thinking she must be concussed.
    Still on the ground from when he’d hit Pig-face, Kel threw his legs back then flipped onto his feet in one impressive kung-fu movement. Despite the pain she was in, Rachel had to admire her friend’s skill. He was facing the two newcomers, who had split up and were approaching him from different sides. And to make matters worse, Pig-face was starting to get up too. That couldn’t be possible, Rachel thought to herself. Kel had hit him like a freight train. They guy should be dead . Was this Altworld rules? And if so, why wasn’t she back on her feet too?
    The guy who looked like Toby seemed to be hanging back, waiting for the rat creature to attack first. Which it did. He swiped at Kel’s face with his claws, leaving four scarlet lines of blood on the Safeguarder’s cheek. Though Kel was much larger and stronger than his opponent, Ratboy was fast. Rachel screwed up her eyes against the pain and staggered to her feet. NO ONE messed with her friend.
    Toby called to Ratboy to warn him, but too late. Rachel caught him in the face with a backward spinning kick, knocking out one of his long yellow incisors. He crumpled to the ground, unconscious. Though Kel had brute strength, Rachel had speed and skill. Together they were unstoppable. The two of them turned to face Toby. And it really was Toby. Rachel had no idea what he was doing in Altworld, but this wasn’t the time to find out. Now their last standing enemy was looking scared, and backed away to the edge of the clearing.
    Rachel was suddenly aware of feeling quite dizzy, and of a warm wetness on the back of her shirt where she’d been hit. When she reached around to touch her back, her hand came away red with blood. Pig-face’s tusk must have impaled her. Oh. So that’s why it took me a while to get up, she thought, dreamily, as her vision began to blacken around the edges. Still, Kel can take this guy no problem…
    Just then her pocket watch ding-ed. Both Kel and Toby turned to look at her, and Toby’s eyes flashed hungrily. And then there was a snort and a whinny from behind Kel. ‘Oh look,’ Rachel said quietly, ‘a unicorn.’ Pig-face had untied one of the beasts and was holding him by his tether just behind Kel. The massive animal reared up on its hind legs and hit him hard in the face with a hoof the size of a church bell. Kel dropped like a sack of bricks and that was the last thing Rachel saw.

Chapter Eight
Ros and AC to the rescue
    RACHEL WAS JIGGLED AWAKE. SHE WAS LYING FACE DOWN OVER THE BACK OF A UNICORN, and felt like her kidney was on fire. Her head was full of blood from being slumped over, but when she tried to right herself discovered that her wrists and ankles were bound. She managed to raise her head slightly, and found herself staring straight at Kel’s butt. He was similarly tied and slung across the back of the second ’corn. He wasn’t moving, and Rachel was terrified that he might be dead. Memories of the massive blow from the unicorn’s hoof came back to her and she felt physically sick.
    Voices were coming from behind her. ‘…don’t know and I don’t care. All that matters is that we have the Retriever and the Golden girl. Hopefully that will make up for us being late.’ It was Toby’s voice. Rachel’s head was pounding and she felt weak and tired. She must have lost a lot of blood from being impaled on that pig thing’s tusk. Every time her ride went over a bump she felt the wound break open fresh, and thick, warm blood oozed from it. She was in trouble.
    She looked up at Kel again, and felt so sorry. It was all her fault that they were in this mess. If only she’d been quicker to react, she could have fought the pig and Kel wouldn’t have been forced to come to her rescue. Stupid stupid stupid. She would never forgive herself if something happened to him because of her. Some Hero she was turning out to be… She fought the urge to cry and vomit at the same