Two Moons of Sera (7 page)

“Elgon!” I burst through the tree line and screamed as the
animal crouched and prepared to pounce. “Don’t!”

He whipped his attention toward me, a snarl distorting his
features into something monstrous. Hair stuck out at sharp and menacing angles.

“Elgon, you know me,” I soothed in Erdlander, taking a step
toward him. “Calm down.”

“Sera!” Tor entered the clearing by the cave and skidded to
a halt. Elgon’s body quivered when he saw Tor, his eyes jumping from me, to
Tor, to his captive.

Whoever she was, she appeared about my age and height, but
her muscles were far more defined than mine. Light-colored hair gathered behind
her head, and her short-sleeved shirt and long pants were littered with
pockets.

Tor sank to one knee and held out a hand. “Huh.”

“What the
jikmae
?” the cornered woman said.

Another growl vibrated through Elgon, but he didn’t attack
her. Instead, his body tensed and he glanced from me to Tor before lowering his
head. Sharp eyes trained on the woman until he eased down next to Tor and
snorted.

“Lace!” a wheezing man called from the woods behind us. “Are
you okay?”

“I don’t know,” she replied. Her eyes were dilated and her
hands shook.

“It’s all right now. He won’t attack.” Tor placed a hand on
Elgon’s head before standing, and the animal’s fur flattened.

“How do you know that?” Her voice trembled when she spoke,
giving her the sound of someone much older.

“He’s our friend,” I said.

“You can’t be friends with a mountain hound,” she snapped.

“Lace?”

A heavyset man strode into the clearing. His clothes were
similar to the woman’s, but his hair was dark.

“Lace, are you okay?” he wheezed, his breath ragged.

The woman pointed behind him to Tor, Elgon, and me.

He jumped back, joining the woman against the cliff wall.

We all waited for someone else to speak first. Elgon grunted
and lay down, bored with our dramas.

“Are you all right?” I asked the woman—Lace.

“I’m... I don’t know.” She backed away from me and I stopped
moving.

“Did you get scratched or anything?”

“No.”

“Then calm down. You aren’t in any danger.”

Tor shifted, relaxing his stance. The woman straightened and
studied me before turning her scrutiny on Tor. While she studied us, the man
with her sat down, breathing hard.

“Are you injured?” I asked, hoping he was just out of breath
so they could go away. Then Tor and I could find somewhere else to hunt. The
excitement of the moment was dying down, and the gravity of having met two
Erdlanders closed in on me.

“Ignore him,” the woman said, still staring at Tor. “It’s
his own fault he doesn’t take his medicine or do his exercises.”

Despite his strange appearance, he didn’t seem threatening.
His breathing was shallow and his color faded, like someone had turned off the
pigment and allowed him to drift away. I crouched. His stout features lacked
definition, blending from one to the next.

“I’m Serafay,” I said.

With gray-blue eyes, he looked up and offered a weak smile. “Hi,
I’m Lock. That’s Lace.” He sucked in a deep breath. “She’s right you know—it’s
my own fault. I know I should take the meds. I just hate the taste.”

“I’m just worried about you,” I said.

“Don’t. It’ll pass and the shuttle will be here soon.”

“You called them?” Lace asked, returning to her companion. “Good.
They’re going to want to know there are mountain hounds in this area.”

“No,” Tor said. The darkness of worry shadowed his face.
When he strode across the opening toward the cliff wall, Elgon followed, never
more than a pace behind. “No one needs to know he’s here. You are safe. We’ll
go.”

“What? Are you insane?” Lace demanded. “We have to report
everything we find, including you two.”

Everything stopped and the oxygen seeped out of the sky into
space, leaving me breathless. She studied our clothes, looking from Tor’s bare
feet to my flimsy dress. I was covered in mud and grime. Another second and we
would be sucked into the void above, our lives and everything we knew would be
shattered.

Elgon must have sensed the tension, because he growled and
Tor’s face tightened under Lace’s examination.

“They’re just on an extended mission, Lace. Look at them.
They must be a Matched Pair from that Iaera survival expedition last year,”
Lock said.

“That’s right,” I agreed, quickly moving in front of Tor to
block him from their view. “We’ve been learning how to survive out here.”

“Where are the others?” Lace demanded.

“We... we got separated. Haven’t seen them in a long time.”

“You two have been out here all year?”

“Yes,” Tor responded from behind me. The warmth of his body
reached out, protecting me. I knew he wanted to run, but we couldn’t: they’d
report finding us either way. If we ran now, they’d know was something wrong
and tell everyone about it.

“All right.” Lace glared at Tor. “The shuttle will be here
when?”

“Any minute now,” Lock said.

“Good. You’ll come back to the camp with us.”

“
No
.” Tor’s voice was thick, the word seeping out
like venom.

Lace glared and squared her shoulders. She looked dangerous
standing like that.. What would happen if they forced us to go, or if we
escaped and they hunted us down? I looked like an Erdlander, but I couldn’t
risk casting any doubt on my parentage.

“Tor,” I said, feigning playfulness, “we’ve been out here a
long time. We’ve gotten used to being alone, but we need to go back to the
camp. We have to check in. All right?”

I placed a hand on Tor’s arm as I spoke. My fingers tingled
from the contact. Was the electric feeling his skin sent through me normal for
everyone? Or was it him?

At the touch, he twitched and scanned my eyes. “Elgon” he
said.

“Will stay here.” I kept my hand on his arm, hoping the
contact would soothe the pain he likely felt at leaving his friend behind. “The
camp won’t be safe for him.”

Tor nodded and stepped away, bowing his head. Elgon rose and
pushed against his leg until Tor scratched the animal’s head.

“I don’t get how you control him,” Lock said, his breath
finally evening out.

“I don’t,” Tor said.

“Tor and Elgon just understand each other. They have a
connection, I guess. Elgon won’t hurt you. He’s just protecting us.”

A disruption above shattered the peaceful sky. Its
reverberation was deafening. My mind screamed, warning me a whine like that
wasn’t safe: I had to run, had to escape. Lace and Lock seemed undisturbed by
the sound, so to keep from being a curiosity, I tried to swallow my fear and
mimic their casual behavior as best I could.

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.

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 happened 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.