Free Nyteria Rising (The Thirteenth Series Book 3) by G L Twynham Page A

down and started to rise out of his seat.
    “Are you serious?” Val looked back; the Hunter was still making his way down the aisle, clearly trying to avoid physical contact with the kids, who were recording Val with their phones whilst screaming. “You know what, I don’t have time. I need to save my real Hunter.” She touched him with the tip of her sword, stunning him. He dropped instantly, slumping onto the steering wheel.
    The Hunter arrived. “Prisoner 248185, you are hereby returned to the hands of the Prison. You will come with us into holding until such time as we can return you to Alchany. Do you understand?”
    “Are you mad? He’s out cold.” Val felt bemused.
    “Protocol.” He defended his actions.
    “Crazy.” She shrugged. Now she needed to work out the best way to end this situation quickly and without too much damage. “You,” she pointed at one of the adults. “Do you have a rope or something?”
    “I have a bungee.” The man nodded, reaching up nervously to his bag and pulling down a thick, elasticated rope.
    “We need to get out of here. These kids are having a field day and we will be all over the news by tomorrow morning.” Val turned around holding both hands high in the air. “Listen to me. I must inform you all that this is a military exercise and we have all your addresses, so think seriously about the consequences if you use those pictures.” She tried to look as stern as possible, not sure it was working.
    Val spoke to two women sitting in the second row who looked more petrified than the kids. “Take all of their phones and delete those images, or it will be on your heads.” The adults nodded nervously.
    Val wrapped the bungee around the unconscious driver’s hands. Then she and the Hunter hauled him off the bus. They got out into the fresh night air. A genuine reprieve from the stench the driver had been letting off in such a confined space. She spotted the teacher over in the lay-by trying to help their new friend Elliot, who was still pretending to be ill. “Elliot it’s ok, were finished.” She called, retracted her sword as they moved the body into the bushes. “Now let’s go get Zac.”

C HAPTER 7
The Novelia
    Val knew that after their little meeting with the bus driver, the aliens were going to be a problem. There was no portal to take them back to the Prison, and now that Lailah was actively looking for her, she would have to move quickly. She held her wrist and prayed that she would get to her friend in time.
    The landing was rougher than she expected. Being squashed against a rubbish bin by the body of the still unconscious bus driver was rather uncomfortable. Kicking him off her, she allowed him to drop to the ground as she surveyed her surroundings. It was a wooded area, trees high on each side of a simple mud and pebble track. It smelt clean and fresh after the Prison’s closed environment.
    The Hunter landed perfectly. If the Judges from Strictly Come Dancing had been there, he would have received four straight tens. He pointed at his watch, frowning. “Your Hunter and my Guard have a serious problem.”
    “What?”
    “This code is for the Novelia.” He was rapidly losing the little colour he had in his face. “There are three of them here.”
    “I’ve heard of them, but I thought they were in the Interspace. How can they be here?” This was bad, very bad.
    The Hunter shook his head. “I don’t know.”
    “Can you pick up Zac’s signal?”
    “No.”
    “Ok, so we need to find them fast and we don’t know how big an area this is.” Val and the Hunter dragged the bus driver behind a bush. “We can come back for him later.”
    Everything looked the same, trees, trees and more trees. Her instinct told her she should call out Zac’s name, but after the grim description of the Novelia that Sam had given her, she was frightened that they would hear her first. She came to an opening in the bushes, and unexpectedly, a car park. It was empty, but