Free Two Moons of Sera by Pavarti K. Tyler Page A

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.

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