by Tania Hutley
Keren’s arm must have healed, because it’s no longer strapped up. She puts out a hand to touch my shoulder, then wrinkles her nose and draws it back. “You’re covered in blood.”
“Only some of it’s mine.”
She runs her gaze over my big form. “You look pretty beaten up. Are you okay?”
“I’m tougher than I look.”
Spade snorts. “You don’t exactly look like a pushover. That Skin’s prettier than the knights, but I still wouldn’t want to get on your bad side.”
“Did Cale tell you there are a lot of food supplies down here? If the Fist can transport it all out, it’ll feed a lot of people.” I start walking the way I’ve just come, leading them down to the Beast’s hidden rooms. “And that’s not all. There are weapons and explosives hidden away down here.”
Keren frowns. “You want us to take those too?”
“There’s something I need you to do with it.” I slow down, swinging my head to catch both their eyes. “I trust both of you, almost as much as I trust Cale. But there are some things I’m going to tell you that are going to be hard for you to believe. Things about Kris Welcon and Edward Morelle, and the corruption that’s so much a part of Triton that it’s embedded into every piece of our city. I want to change it. All of it. And to do that we need to tear it down and start again.”
Spade makes a choking sound. “Don’t tell me you want to blow up Triton?”
“I’ll tell you what I want. But to understand why, you need to hear the whole story.”
As we make our way back down to the lower floors, I tell them everything, including how Sentin killed Edward Morelle, and I became President Morelle and went to Deiterra, and that Kriston Welcon is lying injured on the bottom floor of this part of the building. Then I tell them what I plan to do next.
By the time I’ve finished explaining, we’ve reached the room with all the weapons, and Keren and Spade are gaping wide-eyed at both the racks of guns, and the plan I’ve laid out.
“Shit,” breathes Spade softly. He rubs his bristled chin, and his grimace shows all the gaps in his teeth. “Is this for real? I mean, are you serious?”
“Deadly serious.”
He shakes his head. “Don’t get me wrong, I already thought you had the biggest damn balls of anyone I ever met. But shit, Milla. You’ve reached a boss level of bad-assery.”
A light flashes on Keren’s band and she brings up its control panel with glazed eyes, clearly acting on autopilot with her mind still on what I’ve been telling her.
Then her eyes snap back into focus and she frowns at me. “You said President Morelle was just a Skin, right? And you were the one using it?”
“That’s right.”
“Then how do you explain this?”
She activates her holo display, and an image of President Morelle’s face appears above it.
“What’s this?” I sit back on my haunches. “A recording?
She shakes her head. “It’s live. Breaking news. The president’s making an announcement.”
“What?” The word comes out as a shocked growl. My heart speeds up. How could this be happening? I left Morelle’s Skin locked in the secret room in the private apartment, and after the Beast managed to get up there, I tripled the number of guards in the building.
How could anybody get through all that security, find the secret room, and steal the Skin?
“I’m pleased to announce a formal peace treaty has been signed with Deiterra,” says President Morelle. “We now have the opportunity to trade our goods for theirs. This agreement has opened up exciting opportunities. It will have many benefits for Triton.”
I swallow hard as a horrible suspicion takes root in my mind. Surely I must be mistaken about who’s taken the Skin for themselves. The idea makes my stomach churn. If I’m right about this then I’ve been wrong about everything else. I’ve been betrayed.
President Morelle gazes into the camera, her expression calm and her tone firm. “To fulfil our obligations, I will immediately ban all Skins. I’ve asked our police force to help me enforce this ban. Effective immediately, Skin development will stop, and all existing Skins will be destroyed. Anyone using one will be arrested.”
Keren and Spade both stare at me, wide-eyed, as though a target’s just appeared on my chest. Which is exactly what it feels like.
“They can make your Skin illegal, but I’d like to see them try to arrest a giant leopard,” says Spade.
Keren frowns. “You should be careful. Whoever’s behind this will use this as an excuse to take you down.”
Lifting one paw, I motion for Keren to stop the live stream.
“My human body is in the same secret room as the President’s Skin was,” I tell her. “Whoever took Morelle’s Skin has access to it. They can do whatever they want, including wiping my chip. That’s if they don’t just decide to kill me.”
“What does that mean?” Keren asks.
“It means I probably don’t have much time left. You need to do what I asked. Get everyone in the Fist to help. You have to do it now.”
“But—”
“How quickly can you get it done?”
They exchange a troubled glance, their misgivings clear.
Spade sucks in his breath. “Are you sure this is—?”
My mind is tugged sideways, I feel dizzy, like I’m spinning. I’m not the leopard anymore, and I can’t hear Spade talking. My stomach lurches, and colors blur and spin.
I know exactly what’s happening. I’ve felt this sensation many times, though never when my consciousness has been in a Skin that’s so far away from my physical body.
My consciousness is transferring back to my human self.
The person who’s taken over President Morelle’s Skin must have just wiped my chip.
Chapter Twenty-Two
President Morelle is bending over me.
I stare at her for a moment, then sit up in my pod. Her complexion is as flawless as ever, and her silky hair barely moves as she straightens. She’s holding the scanner she used to wipe my chip, and her piercing eyes stay fixed on me as I detach myself from the various tubes that were feeding me and taking away my waste.
I wince and mutter curses as I pull the tubes out, but President Morelle says nothing.
The person using the Skin is waiting to see if I know who they are. If I’ve figured it out.
Once I’m free, I drag in a deep breath, ordering my heart to stop skipping in my chest, and my hands to stop sweating.
“Hello, Sentin.” I make my tone as calm as I can.
President Morelle smiles. Sentin rarely shows emotion, but I can tell he’s pleased I know it’s him.
“Hello, Milla.” His voice sounds like Morelle, just like mine did when I used that Skin.
“You’re not dead,” I say flatly.
“When did you start to suspect I wasn’t?”
I pull myself out of the pod to stand on my own two legs. My body feels stiff and sore, and I’ve got small cuts all over me. Superficial damage, like the wounds suffered by my Leopard Skin. The expensive medical equipment hooked up to the pod was probably already in the process of healing me.
“Not until I saw you on the holo just now,” I tell him. “Until then, I was mourning you. I really thought you were dead.” A surge of anger floods through me, and my tone becomes bitter. “I cried for you.”
Morelle cocks her head just like Sentin used to do in his Reptile Skin. “I’m sorry for putting you through that. Though I must admit to feeling glad that you missed me.”
I put a hand on the pod to steady myself. After all this time using the President’s Skin, and then my Leopard Skin, it feels odd to be in my own human body again. The pod has been keeping my muscles exercised and my body healthy, but my legs feel wobbly because they haven’t been used for so long, and I could do with a shower.
“You had Morelle’s scientists make you a Skin, didn’t you?” I ask. “The idea did occur to me, but you know what convinced
me you were human? That cut on your hand you got from Felicity’s window. It didn’t heal nearly as quickly as my Skin does.”
“When I first cut myself, I was in my human body, and I replicated the wound on the Skin, which was grown from my own DNA. I resisted the urge to have the scientists strengthen the Skin, or use any synthetic materials or specialized nanites in its manufacture. It was identical to my own body in every way. It even smelled like me, didn’t it?” He sounds pleased with himself.
“You planned to blow yourself up?” I ask.
“The imperator was a difficult man. He would never have negotiated in good faith, no matter what we offered. Prince Otho needed to take the throne if we were to have any chance of peace, and the only way to achieve that was to remove his father.”
“Why didn’t you tell me what you were planning?”
The door to the hidden room is open, and I can see out into the library. Sentin’s human body is nowhere in sight, of course. He wouldn’t leave it where it could be found. He’s much too smart for that.
“If I’d told you, Prince Otho would never have believed you were innocent of his father’s murder. You’re not that good a liar.”
I take in a deep, slow breath, fighting to keep my emotions as firmly under control as his always are. Until now, I would have given anything to bring Sentin back from the dead. But now I know the truth, his betrayal stings.
“You always planned to take the President’s Skin for yourself, didn’t you?” I’m relieved my voice doesn’t give away my anger.
“Of course. Thank you for taking on the role until I was ready for it.”
I clench my teeth. “All this time, I’ve never known you to be sarcastic.”
“Sarcastic?” President Morelle gives one of Sentin’s slow blinks. “Not at all. I’m truly grateful for the part you played. It was necessary for me to stay in my human body to get us into Deiterra, but I don’t need that body anymore. You’ve done an admirable job, and have become an impressive leader. But now it’s time for me to take full control in order to lead Triton through our upcoming unification with Deiterra.”
I pinch my lips together for a moment, and when I’m sure I can keep my tone calm, I ask, “Did you arrange for the Beast to kill Felicity?”
His gaze drops and he shakes his head. “I hope you can believe me when I tell you that wasn’t part of the plan. I didn’t think he’d take it that far. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.” He sounds sincere, but it’s hard to believe him. Cogs are whirring in my head as I put together everything that’s happened. It all worked out to his advantage, and I’m pretty sure he planned it that way, manipulating me and everyone else so we did exactly what he wanted.
“So let me guess,” I say. “You’re the one who suggested to the scientists that they should upgrade my Leopard Skin. You wanted the Beast gone and decided I should kill him for you. And you knew that while I was doing that, I’d leave President Morelle’s Skin here for you to transfer into. I practically gift-wrapped it for you.”
“I merely guided you in the direction Triton needed to go. We’re steering both Triton and Deiterra into a better future, and Kriston Welcon and his kind can’t be part of that. I’m sure you and I agree on that?”
“When your Skin was killed in Deiterra, you transferred your consciousness back to your human body in Triton. Then you stayed in hiding until I came back and took out the Beast for you.” I have to force my teeth not to clench. How easy I must have been to manipulate. All this time, I’ve been dancing to his tune.
“Don’t feel upset for doing the things you’ve done. Edward Morelle thought you were unpredictable, but I’ve come to know you better than he did. The one thing I could count on is that you never flinch from doing what you perceive is the right thing. You and Cale are alike that way.” He chuckles. “But you surprised me when you transferred ownership of the Morelle factories to the Fist. It’s fortunate I didn’t delay becoming President Morelle any longer. Thankfully, I still have time to reverse the transfer.”
I let go of the pod and stalk to the door, moving stiffly. “In Deiterra I asked you what kind of future you’re creating, and you never answered me. Will you tell me now?”
He follows me through the library. “I’ve already made it clear that I want a unified land. Triton and Deiterra need to become one.”
“One country, with you at the wheel. You want power over it all.” I lead him into the hallway, heading toward the living room.
“Only the strongest leader can forge a path to take a billion people into a better future.”
“Will your version of the future mean more misery for Old Triton?”
“Change must occur slowly to avoid disruption. But eventually, Old Triton will benefit.”
“Slow change won’t help the people who are suffering now.” I reach the middle of the living room and stop, turning to face him. “You know what I think? One person shouldn’t have this much power, no matter how smart they are.”
President Morelle’s face is impassive. “Deiterra and Triton will be safe in my hands. Now the Beast is dead, I’ll take control of his factories. Once the consortium is gone and I run all the factories in Old Triton, I’ll improve conditions globally, rather than piecemeal, the way you attempted to do.”
The stiffness is slowly leaving my body. I flex my muscles, pumping more blood into them and testing how they feel. My human body is still strong. And thanks to my recent use of my improved Leopard Skin, I might have grown even stronger.
I doubt I could win a fight against Sentin now he’s using President Morelle’s Skin, but I need to do something. He’s not the only one with an idea of what the future should be like, and in my version, President Morelle doesn’t become dictator-for-life, or let Old Triton suffer.
“What about me?” I ask.
“You could work with me,” he suggests. “You’re resourceful and clever. I counted on you to negotiate the peace treaty with Otho, and you didn’t let me down.”
I grit my teeth, forcing myself not to say something I’ll regret. He wants me to work with him after tricking me into thinking he was dead? Not going to happen.
But I need to keep him talking, to give Keren and Spade more time. I’m not entirely sure they’ll do what I asked them to, and even if they step up, it’ll take them a while.
“Lay it out for me,” I suggest, walking to the large feature window in the living room, and gazing out at both Triton and Deiterra. “Tell me everything you have planned. Help me see what you see.”
I force my gaze to stay up, so I keep looking out at the Deiterran wall and the green fields beyond it instead of dropping my eyes. Felicity fell from this window, and the image is all too fresh in my mind. I don’t want to glance down at the ground far below.
Sentin joins me at the window, standing beside me. He wobbles a little in President Morelle’s trademark high-heeled shoes. It took me a while to get used to them too.
“Triton’s technology will transform the Deiterran landscape,” he says. “While their land is becoming more productive to feed a greater population, some New Tritoners will find ways to cross the wall. The elite will go first, searching for a lifestyle they can’t have here in Triton, with the means to buy or influence their way into a land that will remain officially off-limits for many years.”
“And then?”
“As more people settle on Deiterran lands, the Deiterran economy will prosper, and population pressures in Triton will eventually ease.”
“In New Triton, you mean?”
“To begin with. I know you’re concerned about the people of Old Triton, but without their efforts, Triton’s economy would grind to a halt. We can improve their conditions, but stability will require an active working class. That will only change once the factories are fully automated, and a new social structure is in place.”
Sentin speaks for some time, laying out his plans. I listen with only half my attention, trying to estimate how long it might take Keren and Spade to
do what I asked.
“What if something happened to all the factories?” I ask when he stops talking. “Say they were all destroyed. What then?”
Sentin frowns. “Hypothetically speaking?”
“If there were no factories, what would it mean for New Triton? Walk me through it.”
As he spells out the terrible consequences, I keep asking questions. Having his plans succeed has made Sentin more talkative than usual, but I doubt it’ll last much longer.
Sure enough, he eventually checks the time on his band. “I have other things to attend to,” he says. “Before I go, I need to know whether you’ve decided to work with me or against me.”
He stares fixedly out at Deiterra while he waits for my answer, as though he’s worried I’ll be able to tell what he’s thinking if he meets my gaze. It almost seems like he’s holding his breath, although I don’t know why he wants me on his side. President Morelle is only a little taller than I am, and her frame is deceptively slight, but I know firsthand how powerful Sentin must be feeling, especially as he stares at the cities and farmland he plans to rule.
“What if I think what you’re doing is wrong?” I ask.
He lets out a breath. “In that case, I would ask you to leave the building, and our paths are unlikely to cross again. But I expect you could find a home with your mother, now that she has one.”
“You wouldn’t try to kill me?”
“I see no benefit in that.” He frowns at me. “Is that your answer? Will you insist we need to be enemies?”
I put my hand on the window, feeling the coldness of the pane. “I need to tell you something.” I let out a long breath. “I did something that’s going to mess up all your plans.”
“What’s that?”
“Down there.” I point to the Deiterran wall. “I asked the Fist to transport the Beast’s cache of explosives to the wall and blow it up.”
“You what?” I’ve never heard Sentin sound more startled. He frowns, his eyes raking the length of the wall, searching for movement.