The Selkie Catchers by Aaron Galvin

Author:Aaron Galvin [Galvin, Aaron]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aames & Abernathy Publishing
Published: 2020-01-23T22:00:00+00:00

7

CHIDI

Chidi sprinted back into the cafeteria. A freak show played out before her, but not the one she envisioned when she had been running down the hall.

Lenny and the mousey man hid beneath the same table. Both fought for control of the mousey man’s canvas backpack. Near them, an eleven-foot long Leopard Seal bared its canines at a lone aquarium security guard.

Chidi knew in an instant her assessment in the hallway had been wrong. The Leopard Seal’s spotted pattern differed from the one that Henry wore. Chidi backed away. But if that Leper isn’t Henry . . . who is it?

The guard’s gun shook in his hand as he fired it. He missed and took woeful aim again.

Don’t shoot! Chidi thought of the guard. Run!

The seal slithered its hind flippers across the waxed floor, then dove for the guard and clamped its eight pairs of teeth upon his arm. The guard screamed as the seal shook him to the ground. He lost ahold of his gun, the firearm skittering across the floor and out of reach. The seal curiously released the guard, confirming Chidi’s assessment the Leopard Seal was not her owner. A second later, the seal’s grey and black-spotted skin loosened and fell away like an oversized robe.

Chidi clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming. How is he doing this? She marveled as the Leper reverted to human form without the need for someone to release him from his Salted form. How is that possible?

Again, she hesitated to move forward, watching as the Leper’s sealskin shrunk until it lay flat against a man’s lean, human body. Where the Leopard Seal had been, there now stood a white man, over seven feet tall. Long, ratty hair streamed across his wild face. He took one long look around the room, then ran headlong at Lenny and the mousey man. With one hand, the Leper flipped the table over that Lenny hid beneath. Then he dragged Lenny out by his hood and sent him flying across the room.

Chidi winced when Lenny landed, three rows over. Her earrings flashed immediately, her message something she never imagined she would say. Henry! She called out to her Selkie crewmates. Someone get Henry in here, now! We’ve got a Leper!

For his part, Lenny wasted no time in waiting for Henry to come to his rescue. He scrambled to his knees and reached into his Selkie pouch. From it, he pulled his own hidden dagger. Small by any other standards, it resembled a broadsword in his hand. He brandished the blade and circled the opponent three times his size. Only then did he call out for help. Cheeds! Flank him!

Chidi obliged, swinging far to the left of the Leper.

Their opponent wheeled to face her and swiped with his yellowed fingernails whenever she drew near, forcing Chidi to backpedal away or risk being caught by him.

The mousey man sputtered nearby. “Wotjek!”

Like a dog called down by its master, the Leper turned instantly passive. He ran to his wan benefactor’s side and pulled him to his feet.

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