Tor, on the other hand, crouched and draped an arm over Elgon’s back. His eyes snapped back and forth, scanning the sky for something he couldn’t see.
“He’s gone a little wild, huh?” Lace yelled above the din with a flick of her chin.
Above us, a black rectangle approached, drifting over the trees and down to our location. I forced myself not to gape as the opaque shape hovered above us.
I nodded without looking at Lace. Above me, a woman appeared atop the rectangle. A podium sat before her, and a metal railing around it. She maneuvered down to the ground, the noise sending any lingering birds or animals into hiding. The flat vehicle hovered a few inches above the grass. The woman did not move or acknowledge Lace and Lock.
“It happens,” Lace said. “Don’t worry. They’ll fix him up back at camp.”
“Okay, good,” I said, hoping the trembling in my voice couldn’t be heard over the vibrations of the machine.
Lace touched the railing, and a section slid open. She and Lock climbed aboard the platform and turned to stare down at us.
“Come on!” Lock called over the din.
Tor stood. His lips pursed in a hard line, and his brow darkened as he studied my face. I readjusted my bag and tried to smile. My chest tightened as I forced my steps toward the platform. What was I doing? Was I really going with the very people I’d been hiding from my entire life? I didn’t see any other way to keep myself, or Tor, safe.
I stepped up onto the machine. It reminded me of standing on a hammock as it swayed in the air. I wrapped my fingers around the railing and the nausea within me ebbed. I closed my eyes and heard Lace laugh.
“Been a long time since you’ve been on one of these, I guess,” she said. “Don’t worry—you’ll get your sky legs back soon.”
“Maybe, maybe not,” Tor replied from behind me.
I opened my eyes and saw his tan hand resting next to mine on the bar. Relief coursed through me. Some part of me believed he wouldn’t come. Even though I was willing to go without him, I didn’t want to lose the only person who knew who I really was. No matter what else happened, Tor and I had each other. We had secrets to keep.
The whirring rose in pitch, and the platform lifted skyward—slowly at first, and then the noise increased and pressure built around us.
“Thrrrrrrup!” Elgon howled as he leaped onto the platform, forcing his large frame through an opening in the railing. His front claws dug into the surface of the vehicle as he heaved himself on, ripping the top layer of black to reveal specks of glowing light beneath.
Lace shrieked in surprise as Tor and I reached down and hefted Elgon’s remaining weight onto the platform. The machine accelerated, whipping through the air at a disorienting speed.
BOOK TWO
11
Camp wasn’t exactly the right word for where the vehicle brought us. Buildings loomed along the horizon and grew near; they stacked so high they blocked the distant mountains. I’d never seen anything so tall. How could they not topple from sheer size?
Lock stood at the front, crowding the driver to stay as far away from Elgon as possible, while Lace clenched the railing, her eyes trained on Elgon’s every movement. Kneeling behind me, holding the shaking mountain hound in a protective embrace, was Tor. To be fair, I wasn’t sure who was more frightened.
For me, the whole thing was exhilarating. My heart hammered in my chest and a grin spread wide across my face. Logic told me I should be afraid. Flying through the air on a flat piece of plastic was ludicrous, something out of a storybook. But the wind in my hair and the air washing over me reminded me of swimming; it felt natural.
When the platform slowed, I spotted people milling around between the buildings below us. There were so many of them. From here, they looked small and insignificant, but just one of them finding out about us would be a disaster. So many people to hide from... so many bodies in one space.
The buildings closed in, and I became lightheaded as the compression of mass crowded me. How many lived here, worked here? And if this was a mere camp, how large would the city be?
The driver guided the platform onto a flat area painted bright red. Other rectangular platforms were lined up on the ground, waiting for their chance to soar. The railing lowered and disappeared into the flat platform without a trace, leaving us free to step out onto the ground. The driver descended from the platform and walked toward the nearest building without speaking.
“What the jikmae?” Lace demanded as she jumped down and glared at Tor.
“Lace—” Lock began.
Lace’s shrill voice cut him off. “Ada, look at this,” she called out to an approaching figure. “We found some jikmanae lost children and they brought their pet with them.” Her hands bunched into fists on her hips.
“Lace,” the woman soothed as she neared, “will you stop screaming? You’ll wake the night shift.” Her dark hair was cut short and settled around her ears, but she was clearly a woman—her voice and body left no question about that. Tall and lean, she wore slim black pants, and a red shirt hung from her curves.
Tor remained on the platform, still holding Elgon. Neither of them had moved or made a sound since we left the forest.
“There’s a jikmanae mountain hound.” Lace stepped aside and pointed to the platform.
Ada’s breath caught, and she stepped back from the group while reaching for something beneath the hem of her shirt. “How...?”
“They were on the Iaera mission,” Lock said as he moved into Ada’s line of sight.
“Iaera?” Ada’s hand stilled for the moment.
“Who cares?” Lace demanded. “You can talk to them all you want. What about the hound?”
“Hi,” I said.
My voice was soft, but they all turned back toward the platform to face me. Even Tor shifted position, although his posture remained unchanged. I had lived with the overhanging threat of discovery my entire life. I’d dreaded this for so long, but I was determined to survive.
“I’m Sera, and this is Tor. We were on an extended mission with the Iaera team and got lost. We’re so glad you found us.” My lie had no conviction, no strength, but what else could they believe?
Ada looked me over, inspecting my dirty skin and tattered dress. “Where did you get that thing?” She inclined her head toward Elgon.
“He was an orphan. Tor found him, and Elgon followed him to our camp. He’s been with us for a long time. He’s no danger to anyone as long as he’s not scared.”
Lace snorted in disgust while Ada appraised my companions.
“Has he ever killed?”
“Only for food,” I replied, my voice gaining confidence, even though I had no idea if that was even true. Elgon could be a man-eating octopus for all I knew, but each lie I told brought me closer to safety. If they harmed Elgon, Tor would attack. I had no doubt their bond ran deep.
“He’s part of our family,” I insisted, frightened for myself, Tor, and the playful green-eyed monster. “He’s never lived with a pack.”
Ada appeared reserved, but her posture relaxed the longer we remained still. Each moment Elgon went without disemboweling someone seemed to add a point in his favor.
“I think we should get them in and let them wash up, maybe get some sleep,” Lock suggested. He stepped closer to me, marking the lines of acceptance. His broad figure and breathy voice weren’t particularly reassuring, but it was all I had.
“Tor?” I turned toward him.
Tor glared down at Lace and then settled his focus on me. His expression remained tight as he held Elgon. I was no longer sure who reassured whom. He didn’t stand or move, and the tension began rising again.
“He’s been out there for a long time,” I said, smiling apologetically in hopes of appealing to Ada’s compassion. The lies fell easily now, like drops of rain on the back of my hand.
With a nod, Ada appeared to accept what I said without question.
Lace snorted.
“I understand,” Ada said. “It’s ha
ppened before. We’ve seen people go a little wild when they’re separated for long periods of time. Are you a Matched Pair?”
I nodded. She used the same phrase Lock had in the woods. I didn’t know what it meant to them, but if a Matched Pair meant two things that went together, well, that was good enough for me.
“That will at least make finding you a room easier. If you’re already Matched we won’t need to have you go through Medical to register for Matching,” Ada smiled and gestured at Elgon. “Will... it be all right if we tie it somewhere?”
A low, feral sound came from behind me. Too low in the register for their Erdlander ears, but I heard the menacing growl. I couldn’t tell if Tor or Elgon had made it.
“I... it would be better if he could stay with us.” I approached Ada, surprised by the lack of odor coming from her. Mother always said Erdlanders were dirty and foul, but Ada smelled clean, like fresh air. “I don’t know how Tor would handle being separated just yet,” I whispered to her.
“Are you jikmanae kidding?” Lace spoke up, anger woven through her words.
“Lace,” Ada said calmly without turning to acknowledge her. “You don’t have a Match. When you do, you’ll understand how important it is to trust their connection.”
“Like you would know,” Lace spat. “And thanks for the reminder. Come on, Lock.”
“I’m going to stay here, see if I can help Tor in the men’s section since Sera can’t go in,” Lock said, his voice unsure.
“What?” Lace whipped around and stormed toward him.
He looked down at the ground. “I’m... I’m staying here.”
“Thank you, Lock,” Ada interrupted before Lace could say anything else.
Lace’s hands clenched at her sides, anger and frustration pulsing from her in rhythmic waves. “Fine!” she spat, then stormed off past the row of platforms.
“Lock’s right,” Ada said to me. “You must be tired. Let’s get you cleaned up and assigned to a room. We can talk more once you’ve rested. What are your names?” Ada pulled a small black object from her pocket. With a touch, it opened into a rectangle the size of a small, thin book. She looked down at it and tapped it a few times before looking back up at me.
“Your names?”
I peeked over at the object but couldn’t see anything beyond more black. “I’m Serafay and this is Torkek. And, that’s Elgon.”
“Elgon....” She raised an eyebrow at the foreign sound of his Sualwet name. “Afraid I don’t know that word.”
“Tor,” Lock murmured from next to me, pulling attention away from our names. Stepping forward, he leaned down, making himself smaller. His posture changed into that of a child, someone nonthreatening. Elgon did not growl when Lock neared the platform.
Ada went back to her object and tapped it a few more times.
“Tor.” Lock said. “Elgon can come with us, but we should go get cleaned up. I’ll take you to the men’s area to wash and change into some fresh clothes, and then we’ll meet up with Sera again, okay?”
Tor faced me. The innocent fear in his eyes broke me. Was this the same man who had rescued me from my grief, who had saved my life by forcing me to climb a mountain and run from the Erdlanders who had killed my mother? The same terrifying man who could start a fire out of nothing? My fear of discovery was shadowed next to his.
“Come on.” I held out my hand for him—the offer of contact, something he knew I didn’t offer lightly, might help.
Lock stood and returned to Ada’s side, giving us a moment alone.
“Huh,” Tor whispered, patting Elgon’s head.
He rose and nodded to Lock before both wild males came to stand at my side. Tor’s shoulders hunched, shortening him, but even so, I could see how he towered over Lock and Ada. I was the same height as Lock and a little taller than Ada. I hadn’t noticed their size until it contrasted against Tor.
“Let’s go. We could use some rest, don’t you think?” I encouraged.
“Huh,” he replied, slipping his warm, rough hand into mine.
12
Ada led us to a short building with gray and black walls. Inside the front door was a small room leading to two more doors. One was labeled “MEN,” the other “WOMEN.”
After some encouragement, Tor and Elgon went with Lock, while I entered the women’s area. It had been difficult to assure Tor I would be safe alone. I didn’t want to let him out of my sight, either. In this foreign place, he was the only thing grounding me. But we had to fit in, slip through undetected.
“Here are the tubs and shower stalls. Towels, robes, and slippers are stacked against this wall,” Ada explained.
I clutched my bag, trying to memorize everything Ada said. The walls were bright blue and everything else gleamed white. The sharp contrast made the room feel bright. Benches and shelves lined the room, and high hooks meant for hanging towels and clothes away from the damp floor.
No semblance of privacy, though. I was supposed to bathe here, presumably with others. At home, with my mother, I didn’t care. I hadn’t been raised to think clothing was particularly necessary. Here, my nudity could betray my genetics. My pale, semitranslucent skin might go largely unnoticed even if I was naked, but my webbed toes would certainly draw attention.
How could I walk around and not have anyone notice my feet?
I fidgeted with my dress while Ada showed me how to turn on the water for washing as I stood. A shower. It looked like a waterfall and might be lovely to stand beneath, but my eyes were on the pool.
She followed my gaze to the shallow water. “You’re welcome to bathe in the wading pond, if you’d like,” she offered.
“Pond?”
“That’s just what we call it. It’s filtered water just like the shower, but we keep it running all day so the water is always warm and clean. You should take advantage of being the only one in here.”
“I will. Thank you.”
I stood before her, not sure what to do next. I wasn’t about to start undressing with her there, and getting in the pond with my makeshift shoes still on would probably draw attention.
“I’ll let you enjoy the water alone,” Ada said. “It’s such a luxury to have a chance to soak. Out the back door is a lounge. I’ll be there when you’re done.”
“Thank you.”
“Besides, I have to find you a placement! I bet you can’t wait to be in a real bed again.” Ada smiled amicably and turned away. It took every ounce of strength I had not to cry with relief as she left.
Alone at last, I stepped out of my clothes and waded into the shallow bath. The pool wasn’t deep, but the water came up to my waist.
The warm liquid wrapped around my body like home. My eyes drifted shut, and I sank to the bottom, completely submerging my head. I opened my senses and listened to the water circulating around me. No salt peppered the bath, which gave it a strange, oily feeling against my skin, but the warmth soothed me and stilled my mind.
I drifted into a thoughtless peace and absorbed the water through my skin. My lungs closed and my muscles lost their tension as I remembered the peace of the ocean. Allowing my eyes to open, I let the moisture replenish me.
I soaked underwater, not wanting to emerge. Being submerged was the closest thing I’d ever experienced to being held. When I cried, I always retreated beneath the surface, where my tears became one of the millions shed. In the ocean, loneliness could not claim my heart.
Before long, I worried Ada might return. I stood, letting the water run off my hair and down my back.
My feet slid into the slippers, hiding all evidence of my genetic difference. I dried my hair as best I could before tying it up on itself and slipping on a robe.
As tired as I was, and as kind as Ada seemed so far, I could never let my Sualwet lineage be discovered. It wasn’t possible to expect anyone here to accept me, yet there was so much I forced myself to accept. Tor could start fires with his mind, and Erdlanders had flying platforms. I was right in the middle of them, tryin
g to navigate my identity, my secret, and who I wanted to be. There was nowhere left for me to go, and as much as I knew Tor longed to retreat to the forest, I couldn’t see how that was an option. They would only chase us.
Once, I’d lived a world where I had only ever known my mother. Now, people wandered everywhere. They had their own secrets and desires. Lace was volatile, and I didn’t trust the way she looked at Tor. Lock seemed soft and kind and didn’t fit any of my expectations of Erdlanders. And Ada... she reminded me of my mother, focused and direct but not without some kindness. How many other personalities would I have to navigate? How many more lies would I have to tell?
“Sera?” Ada called, opening a door beyond a row of sinks.
“I’m here.”
“I brought you some clothes. It’s not much, but they’re clean.”
“Thank you.” I took the pile from her arms.
“Get dressed and come out. Lock says Tor is anxious to see you.”
“Is he all right?” The sound of Tor’s name pulled me back to the cold tile beneath my slipper-shod feet and the danger smiling at me with warm eyes.
“He’s fine,” Ada reassured me. “Apparently even that dog of yours took a shower.” She laughed; her official duties fell away, and I saw the woman beneath. She wasn’t much older than I, though the hard set of her mouth and crinkled eyes gave her the appearance of maturity.
“Thank you, Ada. I... we really appreciate everything you’ve done for us.”
“Nothing any other Life Supervisor wouldn’t do.”
I itched to ask what she meant but held my curiosity in check.
“I’ll... I’ll get dressed then.” Looking around, I couldn’t find an enclosure to change in. “Is there somewhere...?”
“Oh! Sorry, I’m... we’re all so used to just changing together. Here.” Ada led me around the pool and back to the front of the room. A stall with walls that came all the way to the floor stood in the corner. “This is where some of the shyer girls change when they first get here. Take your time. I’ll wait in the back room.”
Two Moons of Sera Page 7
