Free The Turncoats (The Thirteenth Series #2) by G.L. Twynham Page B

face. “We have been sent to destroy you, guard, and the fact that you are a female and the daughter of Gabrielle has made the price on your head even greater.” She flicked her tongue out, tasting the air and Val could smell her rancid breath. The two women then proceeded to brush against each other’s arms in celebration, almost like cats. Val felt completely repulsed.
    “Wait,” Zac called from behind.
    “What do you want, hunter?” They looked at him in disgust.
    “I have something greater than money or the life of this pathetic guard for you.” Zac reached into his pocket and pulled out a bracelet.
    “You would give us a portal key for the life of this thing?” The dark haired women asked, kicking at Val with the edge corner of their boots.
    “It’s no good to me now, but it would be to you.” Zac waved it at them and they seemed hypnotised by it. Turning towards him they moved as one in his direction.
    “How can we trust that it will work?” The leader of the two women held out her arm towards it, but not quite reaching it, scared to touch it.
    “You have my word as a hunter.” Zac stepped forward, holding it closer to them as they recoiled nervously.
    “Then the deal is done.” The woman snatched the bracelet and they huddled quickly together in the corner of the room examining their prize.
    “Zac, what are you doing?” Val grabbed his hand as he pulled her to her feet.
    “Making sure you live to fight another day.” The blue spark passed between them and they disappeared.
    Zac arrived back at the door to Alchany to find Val had landed upside down on the bed. “Move. We need to get ready,” he said. “And remind me that we must work on your landing; you come across as childlike when you arrive in such a manner.” He held out his hand to help her rise.
    “I’m trying!” she snapped pushing him away.
    They entered the bookshop to find Fran holding a glass of water for Wendy. Relief flooded her face when she saw they were safe. “You had me worried, guys. Wendy had to go all psycho to find what you wanted.”
    “Psychic, not psycho.” Wendy lifted her head and beamed at Val.
    “Val has no time to talk. Show me where her things are and the page with the Chellemi on it,” Zac said.
    “Excuse me. I can speak for myself. So, what’s going on?” Val rummaged in her bag and retrieved all her gadgets. She flicked out her sword to check it was still working then shoved it into her pocket.
    “They will come as soon as they find out the portal is here,” Zac warned them, scanning the information in the book. “Then they will attempt to kill us all. They have amazing strength and give no value to our lives. We only escaped because I gave them a key to our universal doorways, all over the galaxy. Aha...” Zac was now tapping his finger on the page. “This is how we can stop them.”
    Val looked over Zac’s shoulder to see a hideous image of a slimy looking, half-human half fish creature. “Is that what they really look like?”
    Zac nodded.
    “Wow, gross. So what do we need to do?” Val asked.
    “It says that the original guard who captured them used a trap. He and his hunter cornered them and used a slig-lock to take them back.”
    “I’m sorry, a slig-what?” Fran asked as Wendy finally stood up.
    “A slig-lock is a powerful force field. You see, the Chellemi are very clever, cunning and hard to catch and, as I said, they put no value on life, so they will kill us all unless we can make a trade of sufficient value.”
    “I think we get the ‘they will kill us’ part now, Zac.” Val needed him to stop talking for Fran and Wendy’s sake. “Does the book tell us how to create this slig-lock thing or not?”
    “We need a conductor of energy and a supply. They seem to have a problem with the thing you call electricity. I presume that is because in their original form they are 96.8% fluid.”
    “That’s not good news because we Earth people also have a problem with that thing