The Turncoats (The Thirteenth Series #2) (30 page)

“So what’s stopping you having a planet of prisoners, apart from me and the lack of a portal?”

“Delta, she’s been causing problems. She has access to our technology and has been using it. She needs to be stopped, now. Here we are. Meet your little witches.” Excariot pointed to a cage. Inside it she saw Max, Sarah, the girl she had saved from the burning building, Paul, the mute guy from the plane, and Jenny, the girl who she had knocked out with the baseball bat. They were all huddled in the corner, visibly petrified. As soon as they saw her the women started to cry. Sarah broke free and pushed up against the side of the cage.

“Please let us go. I want to go home.” Her fingernails were bleeding and snot and tears were running down her face. Max came up and pulled her back into the corner, shushing her into silent sobs.

Val felt her heart breaking, but she couldn’t let their fear and pain affect her. She would get them out in due course, but for now she was just pleased that he only had four. “So, when you say Delta has our technology, what exactly is it that she’s doing that’s such a problem to you?”

“She knows at all times where we are and what our next move will be. She appears and disappears at will. This isn’t normal. She has returned from the past where you left her, and she threatens to put a stop to my plans. I won’t have that. To my knowledge she also holds you responsible, and wants you dead, which puts us in the same position.”

“Yes, so what are we going to do about her? If I had a plan I would have done something by now.” Val shrugged.

“We need to bring her out into the open. At the moment she’s cloaked. I don’t know how, but she has managed to conceal herself from my informants.”

“Don’t you mean your witch?” Val continued walking around the cage trying to ignore the fact that Excariot had come to a sharp halt.

“How do you know about her?”

Bingo, Val thought, it’s a woman. “I have my sources and I have been told that she’s extremely powerful, but not as powerful as my Wendy.”

“Wendy, your little guardian, powerful?” Excariot let out a full hearty laugh.

“She’s really good; she’s stopped you getting into the bookshop.”

Excariot stopped laughing. “Yes, she has. I will take off my hat to her for that. But my prized possession is far more powerful.”

“So why doesn’t your
prized
possession break the spell over the bookshop, if she is so amazing.” Val knew this could potentially aggravate the situation but she needed to draw the witch out.

“Because you have the power of the portal to back up your magic, the same as I had when it was mine.”

“Ok, so say I agree with you. I get Delta, you give me the witches and I let you into the bookshop. Is that the deal? Then you release all the prisoners on Alchany and they take over Earth where I become a princess over a bunch of villains. Oh yes, and they won’t try to kill you or steal everything from you at the first opportunity?”

“Listen to me!” Excariot was starting to breathe heavily again. Val could see the veins in his neck throbbing. She needed to keep this under control for just a little longer. “With your witch and mine we will be able to control them all as we have today.”

“I’m sorry, but I think you’re wrong. No witch is powerful enough to hold all six point eight billion humans under their control. This plan won’t work, and you sound as nutty as Delta. What about the Warden? Do you really think he’s going to let you get away with this?”

“I have answers to all questions, but I don’t have to answer to you.” He seethed, rubbing his hands together in a nervous manner.

“I’m just trying to be realistic here. If I’m going to risk the lot it’s going to have to work, and I’m sorry, but I don’t think you can pull off something this big, Excariot.”

“No, but I can.” A voice echoed into the huge hanger behind them.

Val turned to see Excariot’s witch.

Val’s mouth dropped open. It was Eva. Eva was Excariot’s witch! It didn’t make sense. She had been in the house, the shop, everywhere. Val had even seen her visibly scared.

“Hello Val, welcome to our humble abode. It’s so lovely to see you again and so soon. Best if you close your mouth though.” Eva placed herself next to Excariot.

Val shut it. “I would love to say the same, but considering I saved your life, I’m not feeling the love here, Eva.” She was definitely in shock.

“May I remind you that you left my child over four hundred years ago with a blonde bimbo who now wants to destroy us all. So the ‘not feeling the love’ issue is mutual.”

“Fair play, I did dump your child. Almost as fast as you did,” Val said. “So the Brazilian accent and the estate agent act, all fake?”

“Well I’m from Brazil, and I did work as an estate agent once, but yes, I’m sorry it was all an act, although my ancestors were part of your mother’s coven. That’s how I came to belong to Excariot.” She looked at him with the eyes of a loyal Labrador.

“Sorry, did you just say belong?”

Eva ignored Val’s comment and carried on. “From what I hear, you don’t think I can control a world full of criminals with magic.”

“I have my doubts, Eva.” Val needed to keep them talking just a little longer. She expected the guys would have her co-ordinates by now, and she would be able to come back with them to get the prisoners out, as soon as she had told the others who the witch was. They were never going to believe this one.

“Well, let me comfort you with the knowledge that I can.” Eva beamed at Excariot.

“But you can’t get Excariot into my little old bookshop. Is that why you came in? To see if you could crack the spell from the inside and
oh no you couldn’t
,” Val said proudly.

“Do not mock my witch.” Excariot stormed towards her, his real nature exploding through every pore.

Val had what she needed: a name. Now she wanted out. She grabbed her wrist to teleport.

“Stop her!” Excariot ordered. Eva recited a few simple words and Val’s escape was instantly halted. She found herself falling flat on the floor. Val grabbed her bracelet again, but this time she didn’t even start to teleport. She realised that she was in serious trouble, and so were the others.

“Pathetic creature! Did you think we would trust you? Now you will all pay for your mistakes. You see Val, when Eva was with me before and you went back in time, she was a potent witch, but since you saved her ancestors you made her lineage so much more powerful. You helped me once again.” Excariot let out a laugh. “And now you will stay here like a good little guard and wait for the end, and maybe pray for it to be swifter than last time.”

Excariot grabbed Val by the throat, lifted her clean off the ground and flung her like a doll against the hanger wall. Her body smashed violently into the concrete and she was knocked unconscious.

“Something’s going on out there,” Wendy said. She and Daniel were still standing guard when the crowd started to part. She looked to her mum who was standing at the counter, mirror in hand. “Mum, I’m getting a bad feeling about this.”

“So am I, but if Val has gone, then it’s down to us to keep the portal and our people safe.” Belinda stood straight. Her heritage had taught her to never back down. “Call the others; it’s time.”

Wendy ran to the back of the shop. “Shane they’re here, and it’s not Val.” He nodded and together they all left the cupboard. Jason closed the door behind him, grabbing Fran’s hand and holding it tightly. They were all scared. Surely no one walks towards their end without fear in their hearts he thought. “I love you,” he whispered into Fran’s ear and she turned to kiss him on the cheek.

“I know.”

“I love you son, and you Fran,” Shane said, rubbing Jason’s hair as he placed a kiss on Fran’s head. “Remember that whatever happens here son, your mum and I will always be with you.”

Jason shook his head, unable to speak. As they reached the bookshop window the scale of the problem was apparent. The four hundred had more or less all arrived at once.

“Please let me teleport you out of here,” Zac pleaded with Shane.

“Zac, the portal needs us and if Val has given herself then we owe it to her and everyone else to at least try.”

“It has been a true honour serving with you,” Zac said.

“Son, it’s been fun.” Shane’s huge arm pulled Zac in as he allowed the emotion to flow though him. “Looks like our Val hasn’t made it, so we do what she would have done. We defend the bookshop the best we can until we can’t anymore.” They all chorused their agreement with Shane’s words. “We are the last defence on this planet from that nasty little worm Excariot and his so called witch, no offence ladies.” He raised his hand at Belinda and Wendy, who acknowledged him. “I think Val would be proud of our decision, so let’s kick some alien butts.” They all chorused a war cry. This was it, time for battle.

“Forgive me Wendy,” Daniel turned to her.

“What’s wrong?” She searched his face, but before he could answer there was no more Daniel. A red spark flashed and he was gone.

Wendy didn’t even have time to deal with the shock. As the light from Daniel’s spark faded, the front door cracked under the weight of bodies pilling thuggishly against it. They were in.

“Don’t kill them. We will use them later!” a women voice called over the rabble.

“Eva?” Wendy looked over in confusion.

“Yes me.” She glared at her. “You and I need a little chat.” She pulled at Wendy’s cheek like she was a five year old. Belinda launched herself at Eva but she didn’t even get close. Two body-builders pulled her away, leaving Wendy standing face to face with Eva, still trying to come to terms with the fact that Daniel had just vanished into thin air. Not that things like that should surprise her any more.

Eva called out over the noise. “Mr Walker, if you would stand still I’m sure you would love to be reunited with your little friend, Val, very soon. We promise to keep you all alive if you stop fighting.”

Shane knew they were totally outnumbered, so he called to the others to stop. Fran was holding a very large book over some odd looking man’s head; Jason had a woman by the neck.

“Good choice. Now take them to the others.” Wendy watched helplessly as they were all dragged out of the bookshop. “Wendy, Wendy, Wendy,” Eva patted her cheek. “Where’s my dellatrax? I have been waiting so patiently for it.”

“Forget it! I’m not telling you anything.” Wendy stood proudly in front of Eva.

“Torture her mother!” Eva called. Within seconds Wendy could hear her mum’s screams from the street.

“Fine. Here. Just stop it.” She pointed to the other side of the counter.

“Emotions make you weak every time. Pity you can’t be on my side, you would have been amazing. Is there anyone else we need to know about?” she asked. Wendy shook her head. “No? Ok, leave a few guards around the place; we’re taking the bookshop back. It’s time to go to your new home.”

Val opened her eyes to find Max looking into them, and he was far too close for Val’s liking. She pulled herself backwards and he mimicked her, also pulling away.

“Are you ok?” he asked from his now safe distance.

“Where am I?” She looked around, realising all too quickly that she was in the cage with them. She raised her hand pulling what seemed to be a ball of fire out of the air.

“Don’t move.” Sarah held up her hand to Val.

“Don’t you want to get out?” Val asked.

“Yes I do, but in one piece. The witch has done something to the cage. We can’t do any type of magic. If we do we get these pleasant little shocks.”

“Fine.” Val let her hand go out. “So what’s the plan? Do you have one?” She searched the empty, tired faces and realised they were in deep trouble. She sat back against the edge of the cage and started to think about what was happening to the others. Had they found her location?

“Get them in, but leave her and her out here with us.” Excariot’s voice echoed out.

“Yes master,” a woman responded. Val turned to look. To her dismay the gang was being led towards her.

Fran spotted Val first and broke free from the woman who was pulling her by the arm. “Val, you’re alive.” She ran at the cage throwing her arms through the gaps and grabbing Val. “We thought you had been killed for definite,” she sobbed.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Miss Tickle.” Val returned the complicated embrace.

“Get up!” The woman was angry that Fran had escaped and pulled her back onto her feet.

“Just do as you’re told. The cage is under a spell, so I can’t help,” Val said and Fran nodded her understanding. Then the cage door was opened and Jason, Shane, Zac and Fran were forced in. They all fell onto Val, hugging her, even Zac.

“I know you thought I was dead, thanks.” Val pulled herself in close to Shane who put one arm around her and the other around Fran.

“Well, what a cosy picture. Don’t you just look like the happy family?” Eva mocked from the other side of the bars.

“Eva, we don’t have time to play. Come and do what you need to with this thing.” Excariot threw Wendy to the ground with one hand and sent Belinda tumbling after with the other.

Wendy was still holding tight onto one of the volumes of the dellatrax. A strange looking figure who had been following her, deposited the other volumes in a pile on the floor next to her. She looked up, tears and dirt streaming down her face. When she spotted Val, the corners of her mouth lifted. “Hi,” she whispered.

“Excariot, if you harm her I swear...” Val screamed across at him.

“What? Will you kill me? Will you send me to prison? They’ve tried all that. So what are you going to do to me?” Excariot made his way to the cage.

“I will make you wish that you had never been born.” Val was up with her face pressed against the metal.

“Pathetic. Next!” he shouted at the others in with her. “No, no one’s got a better threat for me. Bored now. Let’s get this world domination started.” He walked away.

Val needed to stall him. “You can’t; you don’t have all the witches,” she called.

“We don’t need any witches. If you had taken the time to learn anything from your troubled hunter you would know that all I needed was Wendy.”