Nyteria Rising (The Thirteenth Series Book 3) (28 page)

Val followed a few seconds later. Reaching the door, she shoved her arm against it and as Hadwyn had predicted, it opened. She turned, slamming it shut quickly. “Hello, Jason?”

“I’m here. I can see you’re in the office and Hadwyn is still moving down the corridor.”

She looked around the outer office. It surely wouldn’t be here. “I need Enoch.”

“He’s helping teleport Guards. I’ll try to connect you direct. He has one of your ear pieces.”

“Hurry.” She said retracting her helmet. She needed to stop seeing her heart rate, it just made her feel worse. ‘Come on, Val. If you were the Warden, where would you put something you use to communicate with everyone? She moved into the Warden’s office. His desk was just a flat glass screen, holding nothing. Where was the device?

“Val can you hear me?” Enoch’s voice was a welcome interruption.

“Loud and clear. I need you to tell me how the Warden communicates with all the Guards at once through their Dellatrax. What does he use?”

“I’m not sure. I can only surmise he uses a device similar to the Dellatrax. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep looking.” Val was by the wall, checking the shelves. Her hand passed over bare glass.
Then she heard a click and a recess opened in the shelf triggered by the proximity of the Wardens bracelet. She reached into the opening and felt a box. She pulled it out quickly, but as she did so she heard the external door opening. Excariot must be back with the Assistant. She looked desperately for somewhere to hide. There was only one place: under the desk. ‘You came all the way to another galaxy to hide under a desk!’ she thought. Luckily for her the Warden had big legs and so she fittted easily, hiding away just as Excariot entered the office.

“Where are the star charts?!” he bellowed at the poor woman who was with him.

“I... I don’t know. I told you, I’ve never heard of any star charts,” she whimpered.

“You lie.” Val felt the woman being shoved against the desk. She wanted to go and kick his butt back into a cell, but personal revenge would have to wait. Thousands of people were relying on her to do her duty.

“It’s the truth. The only person who dealt with charts is now a prisoner.”

“Who?”

Val spotted his feet coming around the desk. She held her breath and gripped the box she had just acquired.

“The Judge, Sam.” The woman replied through her tears.

“Have him brought to me,” he ordered, sitting down in the Warden’s chair. Val flattened herself against the back of the desk, hoping he wouldn’t stretch his legs out. She was so frightened she thought she was going to be sick. He pulled up the chair and she tensed, but to her relief there was still room for them both.

“Val, I can see another person in the office with you, so I can only guess you’re hiding. You have ten
minutes before the Guard’s return to normal. When that happens, if they don’t know what’s going on, we may lose before we’ve started. We need to get that information out.”

Excariot coughed and shifted position. Val could see his arms moving over the Wardens desk and a glimmer of light appeared. Then came what sounded like touchtones. She took the opportunity to look at the box she was holding. It was made of what looked like smoked glass. She ran her fingers gently over the top. The last thing she needed was for it to make any noise. She heard the door opening. This was it. Sam would be here and she would fight to save him. She tensed up, getting ready to pull out her sword.

“Who are you?” Excariot enquired.

“I am an old friend,” a man replied.

“Of whom? This body? Because I have never seen you before,” His response was curt with annoyance.

“It’s time you came with me,” the man said.

Excariot laughed. “Do you know who I am?”

“Indeed.”

“Then you will know that you should show me more respect if you wish to live.”

“Well Excariot Crow, I’m Slyig oldest of the old ones, and I don’t feel like showing you anything of the sort.”

Val’s ears pricked up, Slyig, oldest of the old. What was going to happen now? “Slyig, such a pleasure to see you, although I do prefer to think of you as Flo. How did you get here?” His tone had now changed; some of the arrogance had gone. Val watched as he reached into a pocket on his trousers and pulled out a handgun, keeping it hidden under the desk. It now pointed at Val’s face. She held her breath.

“A book of tricks brought me here. And now you will pay for four hundred years, but first, Delta and I have a use for you, so I will take you with me now.”

“I don’t think so.” In that moment time seemed to slow down. Excariot went to shoot Flo, but couldn’t because Val had grabbed the weapon. It was an act of desperation, but she wanted Flo to get Excariot off the planet. She pushed on the end of the weapon, forcing it hard down as Excariot tried to raise it. Val heard another weapon go off and Excariot’s body fell limp, his head hitting the table with a thud. Val quickly prised his fingers off the weapon and pulled it away, holding it in her lap.

Excariot’s body was lifted from the chair. And then they were gone. Val took a deep and much needed breath. “One down, one to go,” she muttered.

“Have you found it, Val?” Jason was in her ear again, sounding tense. “They’re about to get their powers back.”

“Just one second.” She fumbled with the box. The top slid open and out dropped a watch, like the Guards’ Dellatrax only Red. She didn’t have time to give it to the Warden so she was going to have to try and do this herself. Tentatively she put it on. Nothing happened. She looked at the screen, but it remained dark. “Please do something,” she pleaded with it. As she spoke the screen lit up, along with the Warden’s bracelet. “This is a message for all Guards. Your powers are restored. We’ll be launching an assault in the next few minutes. You should support the assault, but only engage Nyterian soldiers. NOT, I repeat, not anyone who has wheels or metal limbs. They’re on our side.” Val placed her head onto her knees and took a moment to hope that somehow she’d got it right.

Then the pain began, it started in her tattoo then ran the full length of her arm, hitting where the Warden’s watch rested with a sharp pain, like poison running into her veins. She tried to get it off, but it was too late. Her body jolted so hard it hit both sides of the underside of the table. She shook violently, her hearing gone, nothing but static running through her head. Her body jolted once more, this time enough to throw the table over and leave her suspended in the air.

The door to the office opened and in walked the Assistant with Sam. “Dear me,” the woman exclaimed finding not Excariot, but a girl suspended in mid-air.

“Get out of my way.” Sam moved forward. Val was unconscious and had clearly entered into what he recognised as a transformation. But how? This only happened to higher beings. What had she done? He looked all over her body for a symbol. There on her arm, through her uniform he could see the tattoo was changing, burning bright, right in front of his eyes. “I need to help her.”

“But Excariot was here, he wanted some charts, Sam,” the Assistant dithered.

“Well, he’s not here now. I don’t know what’s happened, but let’s hope she’s going to be ok.” He looked out the window of the office to see Guards beginning to move purposefully. “She may well have just saved us all.”

Sam reached out to touch Val’s body, but a bolt of light shot out of her and struck him. He was thrown back several feet and had to grab the upturned desk to keep on his feet. “This is crazy.” The Guards were back to normal and pandemonium had broken out. Shots were being fired and he knew Val would be needed. Then he spotted the watch on her wrist. He knew it was the Warden’s and that with his bracelet and the watch together she had caused her very own transformation.

“Get out.” He ordered the Assistant who made a hasty retreat. “Val Saunders, I’m sorry for what I’m going to do, but it’s the only way.” He checked her tattoo had stopped changing then pulled out his sword. Taking aim he touched her sharply, directly over her heart. Her stillness was broken and suddenly her body was jolting. There was a noise like cracking bones and her eyes snapped open. Val let out a scream, as though the pain was overwhelming her. “Val, come back to me.” Sam shouted at her. “Please, we need you. Now.”

She stopped screaming. Her eyes closed and she breathed, deep and slow. Then her body tilted as her feet lowered to the floor. She turned to Sam and the corner of her mouth lifted. “Hello, I missed you,” she said. “Where have you been?”

Sam grabbed her, holding her close. “It doesn’t matter.” He kissed her cheek. “The Prison is under attack and we need to move.”

“It’s ok, I know what I have to do,” she said calmly.

“Glad someone does,” Sam replied as they headed out into the battle. They approached the melee. Soldiers were running, Guards were attacking and their friends from the Space were causing havoc among the Nyterians, spinning across the walls to launch attacks from unexpected directions. Val gazed around in wonder, why wouldn’t they want a Guard who could ride the ceiling she thought to herself as Sam fought off the soldiers that dared to cross his path. Extending her sword she struck two soldiers down with ease. “Sam, I need to get to Nathan.”

“I thought we were heading in the opposite direction?” he replied, confusion in his response.

“I can stop all this. Help me get to him. Listen to me Guards; you must help me get to Nathan.” Her watch buzzed as three Guards quickly surrounded her. Together they moved with speed along the corridors. “Jason do you know where Nathan is?” she asked

“Not sure, but we have another problem. Wendy’s on the move.”

Val remembered that Wendy looked like her. “Jason, she’ll be with Nathan. He’s going to try and use me as a bargaining chip. Where is she?”

“Four corridors to your left and she’s just gone static. Be careful, Val.”

“I will. Tell Belinda she’ll be fine. Four corridors to the left,” she shouted her orders. The groups moved together as wheeled fighters made short work of the Nyterians. It seemed like the biggest bar brawl in the
galaxy. Val was moving at speed when Sam grabbed her. They all stopped, “What’s wrong?”

“Look up.” Sam pointed to a screen that had appeared in mid-air in the middle of the main Prison hall. On it was Nathan. He had Wendy by the throat.

Nathan glared out at them from the screen. “Listen to me. Stop fighting now or I will let your precious freak unleash her powers on you. She will teleport you all to the Interspace. Anyone want to test and see if she can do it?”

“Stop now! Let him think you’re surrendering,” Val ordered. There was a moment of buzzed conversation and the Guards came to a standstill. “Sam, get me closer to him.” Her helmet flipped over her face. The Guards closed around her and Sam.

“Let’s go,” Sam ordered.

“Val, you have one corridor and you’re there,” Jason said into her ear.

“What’s your plan?” Sam asked her.

“When I put on the Warden’s watch it seems that I downloaded all the rules and regulations of the Prison. I’m like a walking encyclopaedia.”

“So you’re going to throw the rule book at him? That doesn’t seem like a good plan. He has Wendy.”

“Just trust me.” Val signalled for the Guards to wait. They were close to the balcony on which Nathan had held her only hours earlier. There were soldiers hanging onto the doors. “You there Hadwyn? You have my permission to let loose.” He shimmered three feet in front of Val and took out the soldiers with ease.

“How did you know where Hadwyn was?” Sam asked.

“He’s my brother.” She moved past Sam and towards the door. Hadwyn pulled it open and there they found
another group of soldiers protecting Nathan and his hostage.

“Stop!” he yelled at them. “I have the power in my hands.” Val could see Wendy was scared, but holding up.

“Are you sure about that?” she asked through her helmet.

“Don’t take another step, Magrafe.”

“Really? Do you? Helmet off.” It retracted revealing her face. Nathan stepped backwards. Clearly shocked by what he saw.

“How? This is a trick!” he bellowed as his followers looked on.

“Nope, she’s the trick. I’m the real deal, look.” She lit a blue flame on her hand.

Nathan threw Wendy at Sam and reached out to grab Val. Hadwyn moved in to protect her, but Val held up her hand.

“We are going to release Excariot’s virus if you don’t stop this right now.” Nathan threatened.

“Do you know something?” she smiled at him.

“What?” he spat at her “That I will have what I want?”

“I agree,” she grabbed his hands. “You should have what you want. I agree to be connected and forever belong as Nathan Akar’s soul possession.” His face filled with fear. “You see, when you start a union with a Guard, unless the Guard refuses, the union can still be finalised.” She pushed forward and kissed Nathan on the lips. He struggled to push her off. “I do,” she said softly, stepping away from him with a smile.

He fell backwards looking terrified at what she had done. No one dared to stand near him. He looked frantically for support. “It’s not true! You’re just trying to scare me!” he screamed.

“Shame, I saw a great future for us.” Val saw a dark figure appear behind Nathan, coming towards him. It walked in mid-air over the watching soldiers and Guards. Everyone shrank back. A palpable shiver of fear ran through the room. “Think we broke the rules lover,” Val said.

“No, I don’t want a union with you.” Nathan screamed, launching himself at her. A small hand came between them and Val saw her Collector holding him in place.

“Nice to see you Val. I see you have someone for me.” She raised him high up in the air. Unable to escape, he yelled and kicked at the atmosphere, his skin turning through all the shades of the rainbow.

The dark figure continued its slow approach.

The room fell into deep silence, broken only by Nathan’s ragged breathing. Then a familiar voice delivered the sentence. Zac was standing at Val’s side, reading solemnly from his watch.

“Nathan Akar, you have broken protocol. You will now be sentenced for all your crimes. As one of the most dangerous dictators in the galaxy, with no thought for the life of others, and for breaking an inviolable rule, you are sentenced to life imprisonment on Alchany. Your designated number is 301329.”