Two Moons of Sera (8 page)

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, trying 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.”

Ada left me to change alone.

I yanked on the thin undergarments and loose-fitting blue
skirt. It hung below my knees and had pockets along the sides. The comfortable
gray shirt hugged my body. I stepped into the flat shoes, feeling the soft
lining mold to my soles. My feet were sore and still recovering from last night’s
escape. The forgiving shoes relieved some of the pain.

I slung my grimy bag, containing the last remnants of my
previous life, on my shoulder and stepped out.

The large room on the other side was filled with couches and
tables, but the chamber remained vacant. Paler shades of blue or white covered
the walls and furniture. Ada leaned against the far wall, waiting for me.

“Sera!” she called, waving me over with her tablet. “Tor
will be out in a minute. Can you answer his questions so we can get you settled
in?”

What would be the difference between him lying and me lying
for him? “Sure,” I said.

“How old are you?”

“Sixteen.”

“How old is Tor?”

I thought for a moment. He was tall and muscular, definitely
older than me, but if I made him too old, they might not let us stay together.
I had read the story of “The Huntress and The Elder” and learned my lesson
well.

“He’s eighteen.”

“All right, good. How were you Matched? Medically or
naturally?”

Ada was studying her tablet, speaking in such a nonchalant
voice. She was so at ease. It must be a common question, something so basic to
their lives that the answer should be obvious. But I had no idea what the
implications of either would be.

“Naturally,” I offered.

“Were you medically Matched previously or was it medically
approved afterwards?”

“Umm...,” I stalled.

“You were approved before you went on the mission, weren’t
you?” Her tone changed. The idea of us not being “approved” agitated her.

“Yes... I’m sorry. I’m just tired. We were approved.”

“All right, good. I really don’t want to have to send you
guys down to get tested and approved before you move in. Plus, those Medical
guys don’t always think with the right brain, if you know what I mean.” She
laughed, so I did, too.

“Torkek and Serafay....” Ada studied her tablet as I tried
to melt into the air and draw as little attention to myself as possible. “I
have room in LM Seven—Pod Thirty-Four, which is good, because Lock is in that
pod.”

“Thank you,” I replied, having no idea what she had just
said.

“Tor!” Lock’s voice preceded Tor’s explosion through the men’s
door by only a second.

“Sera?” Tor called before he saw me. His face was smooth,
free of the short hair I was used to, sharpening his features, and he wore a
new outfit of tight-fitting shirt and black pants.

He skidded to a halt, his intensity threatened to consume
me, but I held still.

“Huh,” he sighed when his striking eyes met mine.

A tingling washed over me as he appraised my new clothes and
clean face. His narrow features were hard as he made his way to my feet and
nodded.

“Tor, will you please...?” Lock rushed into the room,
holding a rope tied around Elgon’s neck. The giant creature shook, flinging
water off his fur and soaking Lock.

“Elgon,” I scolded. The hound flopped down and cocked his
head, appraising me with an expression akin to amusement.

“Huh.” Tor gestured with a smile, and Elgon pulled out of
Lock’s hold to stand between us. Tor pulled the rope off him and let it fall to
the ground, forgotten. “You are clean,” he said, his attention back on me. The
intensity of his appraisal made me flush, my clothes too tight. His eyes took
in every curve and plane of my body.

Lock rolled his eyes and wiped the water off his face. “Matched
Pairs.”

“Lock,” Ada said, “they have Room Six in Pod Thirty-four.
Can you take them over?”

“Sure. That’s great. You’ll be in my pod.”

“Yeah,” I agreed, my eyes still locked on Tor’s, our
connection heating the molecules between us. His black shirt clung to the
outline of his body. His long legs were clad in dark pants. More of him was
covered than when we’d been alone, but the tightness of his clothing took my
breath away.

Ada tucked her tablet under her arm and nodded. “All right
then. I’ll be over in the morning to give you your assignments.” And with that,
she walked away.

“Come on,” Lock said, taking Tor’s arm and pulling him
toward a glass door.

We followed him outside in silence, Elgon trotting beside
me. Once in the open air, buildings loomed above us. All were gray and
identical, except in size. We walked past another Erdlander, a man not much
taller than me, with blond hair and round eyes. He nodded at Lock before
continuing on his way.

Eventually, Lock spoke softly, just loud enough for us to
hear. “You weren’t from this camp.”

His stocky frame moved faster than I expected, and I had to
work to keep up with him. Tor’s easy stride matched Lock’s pace.

“You weren’t even from Iaera, were you?”

Tor remained silent as Lock glanced over at us. Before I had
to tell another lie, Lock spoke again.

“It’s all right, I won’t tell anyone. Believe me, I think
about running almost everyday. I’m sorry we dragged you back.”

“Huh,” Tor grunted, his eyes trained in the distance.

“Being a Matched Pair is lucky, otherwise they’d send you to
Medical, and it’s impossible to hide anything from them. For now, you can just
blend in. Don’t start taking the meds again. If you’ve gotten used to living
without them, don’t start.” Lock’s words came in a rush, and I struggled to
keep up.

“Thanks, Lock.”

“What meds?” Tor asked, earning a sideways glance from Lock.

“Just don’t take them. People change when they get here; I’m
out of shape and not Matched, so no one cares that I don’t take them. I’ll
probably be like Ada and stuck at the camp my whole life. But you guys, you’re
Matched, so you have a chance.”

“Lock, what are you—?” I began.

“This is the Medical building,” he stated, as if we hadn’t
spoken at all, his voice louder. “Behind there is the Science quad. If you are
assigned a job over there, you’ll have meals in the underground lounge with all
the camp workers.”

He strode farther and turned left down a path along another
short building.

“This is the testing center. Don’t go in there unless you’re
called. Beyond that is the transport hub for people with jobs off the
campgrounds.”

“Where do you work?” I asked, staying on the topic Lock had
set. I had to trust he would tell us more when he could. I had no way to know
if we were safe from moment to moment, and pushing the only person who appeared
willing to help us seemed unwise.

“I work in Linguistics. I’m guessing you’ll be put there
too, Sera.”

“Why?”

“
Elgon
is a Sualwet word, isn’t it?” He slowed, his
eyes trained on me. His pronunciation of Sualwet was so gruff and alien to my
ears, it almost didn’t sound the same. “It’s okay. Not many people will
understand it, and once you’re in Linguistics, it won’t matter. I’ll mention it
to Ada, and she’ll put you there without asking why. I don’t know how you know
Sualwet and I don’t want to, but be careful.”

Lock picked up his pace and walked ahead of us, the
conversation over.

How much of who I was had I already given away without
realizing it? I thought I’d been so careful. Discovery terrified me, but I hadn’t
really thought it would happen. I had lied and listened, and here we were,
walking through an Erdlander camp without anyone stopping us or tossing me
strange glowers. Hadn’t I succeeded?

If Lock knew I was hiding something, why didn’t Ada suspect
us?

“Sera,” Tor whispered when we were farther behind Lock. “Breathe.”