Skin Hunter

by Tania Hutley

  “You slimy sewer rat. Who let you in here to train last night? Was it Doctor Gregory?” His eyes are blazing. “You’re friendly with the doctor, aren’t you, rat? Is she the one helping you cheat?”

  His nostrils flare. He’s scenting my blood from last night’s wound and his tongue flicks out to lick his lips. A gesture that makes me shudder.

  “Back off, Brugan.” I put as much force in the words as I can.

  “Leave her alone.” Cale crouches, ears flat and tail swishing.

  “Stay out of it, Cale.” My voice is a warning growl. Brugan’s anger could be just the cover-up I need to disguise how I really got the big gash in my side. All I need is to goad him into a fight. And for Cale to stop trying to protect me.

  Nudging Cale with my shoulder, I push my weight into his flank, then move up so I’m shoulder-to-shoulder with him, staring up at Brugan. Hopefully Cale will get the message.

  “You don’t seriously think you can win, do you Brugan?” My voice is scornful. “You’ll be the last to the top of the tower, if you make it up at all. And after watching you lumber up the never-wall, I doubt you’ll get far.”

  His mouth drops open, showing glistening fangs. He snarls so loud it hurts my ears.

  “Brugan!” Doctor Gregory’s yell makes his eyes flicker sideways.

  I can’t let her distract him now. Growling, I spring forward as though attacking. He swipes at me, but I’m already leaping back out of range.

  I’m faster than you, Brugan. Catch me if you can.

  Slinking close to the floor, I’m careful to keep my injured side to the wall so he can’t see it. Cale’s circling to the side, head and tail low. He knows I don’t want him interfering, but he can’t help himself.

  “Keep away, Cale.” I don’t take my eyes off Brugan. “This isn’t your fight.”

  Brugan’s teeth are bared, his eyes red. He ignores Cale, focusing his hatred on me.

  “Rayne! Brugan!” Doctor Gregory sounds desperate. “Stop—”

  I feint forward. Brugan’s claws are already swinging. This time I make sure to angle my wounded side toward him and jump back in time so his claws rake through my thick fur and barely scratch my skin. Perfect. Except the movement reopens my wound and fresh blood seeps hot and sticky into my fur. The sweet, cloying smell makes my heart race. The scent’s so strong, it fills the room and makes the air thick. Like breathing sweet, hot fire.

  “Keep away from her!” Cales rushes forward, putting his body between us.

  “Dammit, Cale!” Butting my shoulder into his flank, I catch him by surprise. He stumbles and Brugan’s on him at once, stabbing his giant claws at Cale’s face.

  Cale jerks away and Brugan claw grazes the top of his head, catching one ear and ripping it. Cale howls, swiping at his torn ear with one paw.

  Catching the scent of his blood sends a hot flush of anger through me. Hurting me after I goaded him is one thing, but all Cale’s guilty of is trying to protect me. Brugan’s going to pay for that.

  I back up, trying to draw Brugan away and give Cale time to recover. Brugan’s nostrils flare again as he drinks in the warm scent of Cale’s blood. The tiger blinks and shakes his head as blood matts his fur and gums up his eyes. He’s an easy target.

  “You’re the slowest, Brugan. You don’t stand a chance.” I angle my wound toward him to give him my scent. Enticing him to me and away from Cale. “And after all the extra training I’ve been doing, you may as well give up now.”

  His eyes narrow. They’re so red, it’s like the blood smell has filled them. I can sense how fast his heart is racing. The sweet scent of blood is a drug that makes him less human, more animal. I know because I taste it in my throat, feel it pounding in my veins. I want to throw myself at him, tear at him with teeth and claws, show him just how strong I am. I crouch, tail whisking back and forth, sweeping the floor.

  “Stop it, Rayne! Brugan!” Doctor Gregory’s shout makes me jump, because now she’s just behind me. What’s she doing getting so close? We’re twice her size. One swipe from a paw could kill her.

  As my head swings toward her, Brugan’s weight hits me. My legs buckle. I hit the floor hard, grunting as the breath whooshes out of me. He holds me down, impossibly heavy, crushing my body against the floor.

  The stench of devil bear overpowers the scent of blood. He’s panting, his body shaking, his coarse hair puffed out. When he roars, it’s like the room’s being blown apart.

  Cale snarls. With my head pushed against the floor, I can just make out Cale crouching, ready to spring. Blood runs down his snout and his long fangs glisten red.

  I struggle, desperate to get free, but Brugan pushes into me with his whole weight. Doctor Gregory’s still yelling, but it sounds distant and muffled. Cale lunges at Brugan. The weight on top of me shifts so I can’t see what’s happening. Brugan gets even heavier and I yelp as my shoulder grinds into the floor.

  The weight eases. There’s a thud, and a grunt of pain. It’s Cale, he’s on the ground. He must be injured. Brugan reaches down and grabs my head, wrenching it around, forcing me to look at him. Pain lances through my neck and shoulders. It feels like he’s going to twist my head right off.

  He brings his face close to mine, panting. His hot, foul breath gusts over me. The stench of devil bear makes me want to throw up. His eyes bore into me, his pupils bulging, bloated with power. He’s crazy with it. Drunk with his own strength.

  I know that look. I’ve seen it before, in the shelter. A cruel glee that glinted in the eyes of the man whose big hand pressed against my mouth to hold in my screams.

  I can’t move.

  Brugan’s mouth sinks so close it feels like he’s about to kiss me. “Too good for you.” He’s as much snarling as talking, so it’s hard to understand the words. “This Skin’s not ugly enough, sewer rat.” He brings one hand up, running one sharp claw up my muzzle.

  My eye squeezes shut as his claw runs over it, and my heart freezes when I realize what he intends to do.

  I won’t let him rip out my eye.

  My body jerks and spasms. I fight with everything I’ve got.

  He curses, and stabs. His claw misses its mark. It sinks into the lower edge of my eye and tears downwards.

  Pain sears through me. My face is on fire. I’m screaming. The weight comes off and suddenly I can roll over. I paw at my muzzle, at the searing pain.

  “Rayne!” Human hands grab me. “Rayne, it’s all right. It’s Doctor Gregory.” The hands grip my face, steadying me. “Sentin, get my medical bag from the lab. Over there. Quickly! Cale, move back and let me take care of this. Brugan, transfer out of your Skin. NOW. In fact, all of you transfer.” Then quieter, to me. “It’s okay, Rayne. The cut’s deep, but you’ll be fine. As soon as you go back into your own body it’ll stop hurting.”

  Go into my human body? I can’t think how to do that. The pain’s too strong.

  There’s a thump and Doctor Gregory says, “That’s it. Thank you.” Her steadying hands lift off me, and I hear the sounds of a case being opened. A moment later, a needle slides into my side. Right away, the pain’s easier to take.

  “Better, Rayne?” Her hands stroke my fur and her voice is soothing. “Can you make it back to your lab room before you transfer? If not, transfer here and I’ll have your Skin moved and taken care of.”

  I blink away the blood in my eyes, trying to peer through the red mist. Cale’s shifting from paw to paw behind Doctor Gregory, his head down and nose reaching toward me. He’s got cuts on his front legs, and blood all over his face.

  “I’m okay,” I manage. But am I?

  I’m not sure I can transfer back into my body. Even in pain, my leopard feels like my natural body. To transfer is to wrench free of it. It gets harder each time.

  If I go to my lab room, maybe the technicians will be able to fix my Skin more quickly. With an effort, I push myself up onto my paws. Whatever the doctor gave me has all but taken away the pain.

  “Wait!” Aza’s cry i
s shocked. “Look.”

  Doctor Gregory turns. “Rayne...” The word chokes off.

  I turn to look, blinking away the red haze that’s clouding my vision.

  My human body is in its pod. Blood covers my face. What’s happened to my cheek? It’s a mess of welling blood that’s dripping into my hair and soaking through the bandage over my eye.

  Shit, my eye. My new eye. Is it okay? Please let it be okay. I need to know my eye’s not damaged.

  “Rayne, wait. Let me attend to your body.” Doctor Gregory runs toward the pod, calling as she goes. “Max, get help! Hurry!”

  I rip my mind out of the leopard and into my human body, like pulling my thoughts out of glue.

  My human face hurts as much as the leopard’s did. Doctor Gregory grabs my shoulder, but I struggle away from her, launching myself out of the pod. My fingers slip through the blood on my cheek, searching for the edge of the bandage that covers my eye.

  “Don’t remove the dressing!” Doctor Gregory shouts.

  Too late. I’ve yanked it off. Keeping my eye closed, I stumble over to stare into one of the blank, dark computer screens. Not much of a mirror, but good enough. My scarred cheek’s a mess. Through the gore I can make out four deep slashes cutting through my scars. Claw marks. I press the bandage against my cheek to try to stop the bleeding. The cuts have ripped through the flesh right under my eye, and with all the blood it’s hard to tell, but I think my closed eyelid might be unharmed.

  I have to check my eye. I need to be sure.

  The blood’s sticky, so it’s an effort to open my eyelid. When it comes unstuck, it’s coated in red gunk. I blink madly, then stare into the screen.

  My heart stops.

  Two eyes.

  I have two beautiful eyes.

  Even with the gore covering my face, and my hideous scars, I almost look like a normal person.

  My eye’s okay. Better than okay. It’s perfect. Beautiful. Look at me, I’m not a freak.

  The screen blurs and I blink hard to drive tears away. I’m afraid to lose sight of my new eye in case it’s not there when I look back.

  Someone touches my arm. Doctor Gregory. I hadn’t noticed she was standing next to me. Her arm goes around my shoulders and she hugs me tight. The movement hurts the wound on my side, but the pain is easy to ignore.

  “Rayne?” Cale’s voice comes from just behind me. It’s about the only thing that could drag me from my own reflection.

  Doctor Gregory lets me go and I turn to face him. I meet his golden tiger eyes. They’re wide open, as bright as though they’re reflecting the sun. His muzzle stretches toward me as his scent wraps around me, warm and welcoming. His face comes close enough for his tiger nose to brush against my human one. He’s smiling, not just with his mouth, but with his whole body.

  “You’re lovely,” he whispers. “Even more so, I mean. You were lovely before, but... Hell, Rayne. I’m making a fool of myself, aren’t I?” He gives a throaty, entirely unembarrassed chuckle and I feel my own smile come surging up. My joy is so fierce it feels like something too big to be inside me. Like an animal released from a cage.

  Doctor Gregory clears her throat. “Rayne, we must get that cheek cleaned up. I don’t know what could have happened to it, but I must say, I’m worried.”

  I lower the bandage from my check. It’s soaked red and dripping. And my T-shirt is sticking to me, the blood soaking through my makeshift bandage. Thankfully nobody’s noticed I have a wound on my side as well.

  “They’re deep cuts.” The doctor peers at my face. “They’ll need to be cleaned and sealed.”

  Cale steps back to give her some room, and I see the others. They’re in their human bodies now, staring curiously. I meet their stares, lifting my chin.

  Go ahead and look. For the first time, I want them to look.

  Aza cocks her head as she studies me. She’s judging me fresh, I guess, not looking away this time. Perhaps now I’m worthy of her notice. Sentin gives me a nod, though his expression is unreadable.

  It’s only Brugan who sneers. “Still ugly, sewer rat,” he mutters.

  Cale’s anger comes flooding back, his scent so strong I flinch. It’s as though I’m still in my leopard, able to read his feelings as easily as my own.

  He growls, low and dangerous. “I’m warning you, Brugan. One more word...”

  Brugan turns on him. Though his human body is a lot smaller than the tiger, his fists are raised. “What you going to do, little kitty?”

  “Cale,” snaps Doctor Gregory. “Didn’t I tell you to get out of your Skin?”

  “Ignore him,” I say, touching the soft fur on Cale’s flank.

  Cale’s sleek body is close to the ground, his shoulders jutting up. His tail whisks back and forth. He’s fighting his anger. I feel his rage warring against his control.

  Brugan unclenches one fist and holds it up with his fingers stiff and splayed, as though it’s a devil bear claw. With a horrible smile he stabs the air in front of him. “Meant to aim a little higher, carve out that eye,” he snarls. “Next time, I won’t miss.”

  “No, Cale, don’t!”

  Too late.

  Cale’s lunges faster than any human could. His claws flash and Brugan staggers back, clutching his chest. Brugan’s shirt is slashed and hanging open. Blood wells through his fingers.

  Cale crouches back on his haunches. He puts his head down, his ears plastered back against his skull. The stink of blood has made him stop, made him realize what he’s done.

  My heart is hammering, my stomach churning.

  “Cale, get away!” yells Doctor Gregory.

  I didn’t notice the door opening, but suddenly Director Morelle’s in the room. “What’s going on here?” Her voice makes everyone freeze. Nobody answers, but she glares at Cale. Her finger extends to point at him. “Get out of that Skin.”

  “Rayne’s cheek—,” starts Doctor Gregory, but the director cuts her off.

  “It appears both Rayne and Brugan need medical attention. Please take them to be cleaned up.”

  “But you must know what—”

  “Thank you, Susan. We’ll talk about it later.”

  The doctor leads me to the door. She waves me through, but I hesitate. First I need to see if Cale’s okay, make sure his human body wasn’t hurt when his Skin was cut. He gets out of his pod slowly, but I can’t see any wounds.

  Director Morelle motions at me impatiently. “Go,” she says. Then she turns to Cale, her face cold and set. “Cale, by attacking a weaker human opponent while in your Skin, you’ve broken the rules. You’re disqualified. Go and pack your things. You’ll be leaving today.”

  23

  The surgeon pulls the scanner away from my eye and frowns.

  My heart contracts. “What’s wrong?”

  “Your new eye is functioning exceptionally well.” His frown deepens. “If I hadn’t implanted it myself, I’d have thought you’d had the operation weeks or months ago. And it’s not just the fast pace of your healing that’s surprising. The scores from your vision tests show 20/10 or better.”

  “That’s bad?”

  “It’s well above the normal range.”

  I don’t get why he’s frowning. Shouldn’t he be happy he made me such a good eye?

  “I need to run more tests, but I’m due in surgery. Could you book another appointment on your way out?”

  I nod, but I’m lying. I don’t have time to make more appointments, I need to get out of here. They wouldn’t let me see Cale, and I have to make it back to the Morelle Corporation before they force him to leave.

  Doctor Gregory’s waiting for me outside. The surgeon let me leave the bandage off my new eye so I’m struck speechless as I gaze around at the New Triton street. My vision’s so sharp I can pick out tiny details of people and buildings. I can see every detail of the leaves on a plant in the window of an apartment building down the street. There are no black spots or blurring, and no pain at all.

  Is this how eve
rything looked before I lost my eye? I don’t remember being so transfixed by the world, so absorbed by every detail.

  I follow Doctor Gregory into a cab, and once inside, I start to ask about Cale, but she holds up one hand to stop me.

  “I’m sorry, Rayne. If I could do something I would, but letting him go is the director’s decision.”

  I press my lips together. Good thing Brugan wasn’t hurt badly enough to need a hospital visit. If I’d had to ride in the cab with him, he might not have survived the trip.

  The doctor’s expression softens. “Please, let’s talk about what happened to your face. I’m convinced your cuts were caused by a severe somatoform disorder.”

  “A what?”

  “It’s when physical symptoms manifest from an entirely emotional cause.” In answer to my puzzled look she says, “Injuries inflicted on your Skin appear on your real body.”

  “How can that happen?” I shift a little, conscious of the ache in my side. A nurse bandaged the wound without asking how I got it, and I’m thankful Doctor Gregory still hasn’t found out about it. She’s worried enough about the cuts in my face.

  “I wish I could be certain.” Her frown’s deeper than the surgeon’s was, and worry lines have dug in around her eyes. Wisps of hair are escaping from her messy bun, and when she scratches the side of her head, more strands are released. “Cale and Brugan’s Skins both had wounds, yet their human bodies were unhurt.”

  “So it’s just me? Great.” That means the others have a huge advantage. For them the contest will be a game. For me it could be deadly.

  “I suspect it’s to do with the intense level of attachment you have to your Skin. Your mind is unable to separate the two bodies. You’re injured in one body, therefore a corresponding wound appears in the other.” She reaches over and takes my hand. “It’s obvious how much you love your Skin. More than any of the others, you’re absorbed by it. I think you need it, Rayne. Your mind is escaping into the Skin, using it to flee bad memories.”