Free The Midnight Mercenary by Cerberus Jones

on the left. Before she had time to blink, a huge transparent bubble had engulfed his whole body.
    Her hand shook, still nervously holding the silver tube.
    From her right, a fluid black shape swarmed over her. A tail curled around her legs and pulled against them, spinning her around violently. For a moment she was dizzy and confused, and the next thing she knew she was alone on the stone floor and the tube was gone.
    â€˜Brilliant work, Amelia my love!’ said Krskn. ‘Masterful!’
    She looked up and watched as he shot her point blank.
    The containment field thumped into her, and she fell back, waiting for the pain as she hit the ground with her head. Instead, there was only a warm, rolling sensation of being inside the bubble – as if she’d fallen inside a jumping castle. She was trapped like the rest of them. There they were – Krskn’s seven captives, like ships in bottles. She wanted to be sick, but she knew she’d only have to stand in it, like poor Len in his froth.
    Krskn danced on the chamber floor, gloating over his victory.
    â€˜Oh, Amelia ,’ Krskn sang, his voice melodious, but so hateful and greasy too. And Amelia could hear every word. Although the bubbles muffled any sound made inside, Krskn’s taunting outside was coming through loud and clear.
    â€˜What a perfect, pitiful little fool you are – and I’m so grateful to you! The great Keeper of the Gates and Ways neutralised by an idiot child. It’s so delicious, Amelia, I’m going to make you a promise. Really! I promise,’ he laid a claw over his muscular chest, ‘that when we get to Absin Delta, I’ll make sure I sell you to someone who wants a pet, and not pet food! ’
    He laughed heartily and turned to Leaf Man. ‘You disgraceful invertebrate! You snivelling waste of carbon! If I had even half your powers, do you think I’d –’
    But Leaf Man wasn’t listening. At least, he wasn’t listening to Krskn. But Amelia saw he was concentrating on something. Then she heard it, too – a deep, gargling roll of thunder, like being caught under a giant dumper in the surf, like –
    Leaf Man nodded quietly, and the huge metal door Amelia, Charlie and Lady Naomi had earlier walked through dropped closed, sealing them all in with Krskn. That thundering sound deepened, and then –
    Water blasted into the chamber from all directions – seawater crashing up through the slatted rock floor, and a black torrent rushing down the tunnel from the gateway. It was open .
    Amelia panicked, and saw Charlie and Len thrashing in their bubbles too. Grawk was barking, and when the waters hit, Krskn was thrown to the ground by the sheer force of the onslaught. The water level was rising so quickly, it would be over their heads in less than a second.
    She took in a huge gulp of air, then another, petrified, helpless. Would the bubble hold her underwater while she drowned? And then she looked again at Len’s slime – none of that had leaked out. The containment fields were waterproof. Although the sound could get in, the water was kept out. Better yet, without anyone operating the guiding strings, the bubbles were all fixed in place. Even as Krskn was being dashed against a pillar by the water’s momentum, the seven prisoners were totally safe. It was like being in their own tiny underwater observatories.
    Amelia watched as Krskn recovered from his collision. The water had completely filled the chamber now, so the currents were lessening.
    A crocodile can hold its breath for fifteen minutes. It can stay underwater for up to two hours, if it’s not stressed– how long can Krskn survive before he drowns? She looked around for the containment tube. He has salamander skin – hopefully the saltwater will burn him up, same as it would Len …
    But Krskn showed no signs of distress. His long tail drove him through the water like an eel, and he was