Page 42 of Hunt Me (The Skulls #1)

Fauna is the only reason I didn ’ t react to the pink-haired luney or Mrs scissorhands.

The realisation hits me that I ’ m on my best behaviour all because I want my little deer ’ s family to like me.

It ’ s not down to Isla, I never even acknowledged her bitchy friends at school.

It is all for my mischievous little deer and her bat-shit-crazy family.

I don ’ t even recognise who I am anymore. Who she has turned me into. But I can ’ t help but like this new side of me that is caring, just for her.

‘ I need to find Fauna. ’ I state, aiming for the doorway.

Isla ’ s palm on my chest halts my steps. I could easily ignore her, but she ’ s still my little sister. I arch a brow in question.

‘ Let me talk to her, ’ my irritation must show because she pushes my chest harder.

‘ No. ’

‘ Just trust me, please. You care about her, right? ’

I nod. Of course, I care about Fauna. I ’ ve spent the whole day tearing myself apart to find her.

Come to think of it, I ’ ve been tearing myself apart since I met her.

Imagine how much she will burrow under my skin when I have her forever, how much my obsession will know no limits, and my love for my little deer will have no bounds.

‘ Yeh, ’ Isla gives a throaty laugh, watching my gaze. ‘ Trust me, Ru. I ’ ll go get your girl. ’

My shoulders don ’ t lose their tension but I let out a defeated exhale. Isla takes it as all the approval she needs and darts off in the same direction my little deer did. I watch her light jog away as she disappears down the shadowy corridor.

‘ So you ’ re the reason Faun ’ s been all weird.

’ The dark-haired one states, breaking the silence.

She ’ s small, but the way she is spinning half a scissor around her finger, the hoop at the end allowing her to gain a steady speed, reminds me not to judge someone by their size alone.

And based on the glint in her eyes, she knows exactly what message she intends to send to me by doing so.

‘ And, ’ the pink-haired lunatic draws my attention. ‘ You ’ re the reason she didn ’ t come home last night. ’

‘ I ’ m…’ clearing my throat, I finish. ‘ Sorry? ’

Why am I apologising like I ’ m getting a scolding from Fauna ’ s parents right now? Fuck I hadn ’ t intended to bring her home at all if I was being honest, but their disapproving looks, the way they are assessing me for every inch as if I ’ m not worthy of having Fauna, has my hackles coming up.

Fauna is mine.

‘ And why was she starving when I found her? ’

The way they all recoil at my words makes me regret the venom I put behind them. Fauna never said anything bad about these women, just that they were all in the same place — one where they try to stay alive. And the one thing that was made clear from the start was how much she cared about them.

‘ Rich coming from the asshole that is wearing her dinner, ’ Luna spits, eyeing up the glob of slime across my jacket.

Right. I bet the globe of slime provided the perfect nutritional diet.

I wonder if it was wise to say that as the one with the scissors palms her knives fiercely in response.

‘ And I ’ m guessing you never asked why that was.

Hmm? Mr I care so much that you didn ’ t bother to ask why she insists on it being that way?

We don ’ t owe you any explanations, especially not when you ’ re the one who wears that mask.

’ She nods to the discarded Skull mask, and my jaw ticks. ‘ Yeh, we know what you are. ’

All three of them turn their back on me, disgust evident in their grumbles as they return to where I assume the rest of their group is.

I curse.

That could have been worse. I try to reassure myself, but who am I kidding? It could have gone a whole lot better as well.

Fauna is more important than winning them over anyway. I need to find my little deer and make sure she is alright. Isla has had enough time with her, she does not need anymore.

A yell has my steps turning in my stride as I hear a commotion coming from the same doorway the crazies exited through.

I let out a frustrated groan, tipping my head back.

I can ’ t exactly leave them to deal with whatever it is.

What if they are in trouble? How would I explain that to Fauna?

‘ Oh, by the way, they were all screaming as I came up here, but I didn ’ t care enough to check on them.

’ If my pissing off the others would not be successful in putting Fauna off me, my not protecting them definitely will.

I ’ ll have a quick look, for Fauna ’ s sake.

I push the double doors open, finding everyone talking over each other. There are a few faces I recognise from moments before, but there are some new ones now.

No one notices my presence.

Something else has their full focus. Or should I say, someone.

If I catch a glimpse of Vish or Liam, I ’ m going to kill them.

‘ Where did he come from? ’

‘ What ’ s going on? ’

‘ Kill him! ’

‘ Are there any others? ’

They all talk over one another, too consumed by the stranger barging in on them.

A red-haired woman smashes something against a countertop, the harsh sound silencing them all. She pulls back the body of her bow, whipping the tip and connecting it with the body slumped on the floor.

The body lets out a whimper of pain as it begins shifting.

The red-haired woman doesn ’ t so much as blink at the pain she inflicts. ‘ Was snooping outside, ’ is all she says as she notches another arrow and heads back outside.

She must have been one of the people I ’ d spotted when I was scoping around earlier, trying to see where was easiest to enter.

Would either of those pricks I call friends be stupid enough to try and enter through the back — too foolish to check for someone on watch and come barrelling in?

I glance around at the bodies blocking my view of the intruder, but the movement draws attention my way.

‘ Lu behind you, ’ a curly-haired woman shouts as she throws a cup at me.

‘ What is it with you lot and throwing things, ’ I grumble, catching most of the objects flying my way. ‘ Ah, fucking stop it! ’ I shout as something smacks against my forehead.

What is it with these women and throwing shit at me.

‘ He ’ s Isla ’ s brother, leave him. ’ The voice of a lunatic is a pleasantry I did not see coming, nor did I expect her to help end my suffering.

‘ Thanks, ’ I offer a short smile regarding her help.

She rolls her eyes in response. At least she ’ s not threatening to skin me. I think we ’ re getting somewhere.

‘ Okayyy, ’ the one with curly hair says as she turns back to the man I now have a clear view of. ‘ So who is this? And don ’ t say her cousin. ’

The stench is enough to make my blood boil, ‘ he ’ s a sewer rat. ’

‘ Come again? ’ Luna says, and I look around, finding most of their expressions confused.

‘ A group of cannibals live in the sewers. Litt—’ I clear my throat, ‘ Fauna and I bumped into some of them a few days ago. ’

‘ Why ’ s he here? ’

Exactly. Why the fuck is he here.

My steps are the only sound as I make my way until I am towering over the stench-ridden man, cautious not to get too close in case he gives me fleas. I pull out the axe Fauna had left in her room and begin carving into his swollen hand.

The rat lurches backwards with a scream of pain like the pathetic parasite he is.

‘ Why are you here? ’ I demand.

He laughs, showing off his black gums.

I lift my axe, angling it to bring it down upon his ankle.

He screeches, pulling his leg into his stomach.

‘ Do not make me ask again. ’

‘ You thought she wouldn ’ t want revenge, did you? ’ He tuts like a madman. ‘ You took her love, ’ wheezing he shifts position, ‘ The devil took a few out of us, so we take a few of them. It ’ s only fair Skull . ’

‘ What ’ s he on about? ’ Luna whispers next to me.

Realisation dawns on me what he is saying, and I feel my body go cold with fear. I feel the change come over me all at once, the way my body stiffens as if it is becoming unbreakable, how I unsheathe my other axe so that I hold one on either side of me now.

‘ How did you find us? ’

His wheezing turns to short cackles, ‘ She never lost her. ’

I bring my axe down on his neck, cutting straight through it, and turn, sprinting for the corridor.

Chapter Thirty-one

??

Fauna

I t ’ s too dark to see, or maybe my eyes aren ’ t open.

My head pounds, pain so blinding I can ’ t focus.

I try my hardest to think of something, anything, but nothing comes up. It is like my brain is mush, and all its focus is on trying not to be drawn back into the complete darkness, where I don ’ t even see my thoughts.

I ’ m not strong enough.

No matter how hard I try to stay awake, I feel myself drifting off.

The darkness swallows me.

??

I ’ m being dragged; I can feel it on my back. How rough the ground is beneath me.

It burns.

I can see some things now. Different shades of grey are shining against the sky. I see the stars above watching and laughing at me, at how entertaining my life must be to them.

I close my eyes, not able to look at them anymore.

??

The smell is back, one I wish I didn ’ t recognise. I could never forget the stench of rotten flesh.

Stale water and dead carcasses.

It ’ s hard to believe that a place can smell so bad.

In the first few years of the outbreak, cities smelt similar to this; all the dead bodies rotting away in the thousands created a smog of death. But even those did not smell this bad, not from what I can remember anyway.

I know I ’ m in the sewers, the familiar damp concrete floor. The same as the one Ruaridh ’ s big ass boot kicked me down.

I chuckle as the memory rises in me, but I am assaulted by a searing pain at the front of my head.

I groan in pain.

‘ Bitch is awake, Mag. ’

Steps come my way, and I shuffle along the floor.

I look up to see a dirt-covered body, one with long, matted hair and crumpled clothes. The clothing on her stomach is dark brown. Too focused on the stain, I see the pipe too late, my reflexes too delayed.

I feel my body give out, crumpling back to the cold floor.