Two Moons of Sera by Pavarti K. Tyler Page B

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