The Cerulean (Untitled Duology, #1)(53)

“Who is your mother?” she asked, but Boris did not speak the colors, and Sera did not know how to speak the humming tree language. She splayed her hands wide and stared at them, as if she might be able to see through her skin to the magic inside. Mother Sun, but this was frustrating.

“I know your face,” Boris hummed.

“Tree likes you,” Errol said.

“She says she knows me,” Sera said.

“But you only just got here.”

“I know.” She felt as if she was on the brink of understanding something very important, but the answers were just out of her reach, like a butterfly flitting from flower to flower, never settling down. She gazed up at the covered glass ceiling and wished she could see the stars. She had always felt guided by them. But now she was untethered and alone.

More humans came the next day, and this time there were females as well as males.

She was determined to be ready. She would not be stabbed with a needle or captured by a hoop. A change was happening inside her—she could feel it even if she did not truly understand it, and there was no green mother to ask. To be honest, she doubted her green mother would be able to tell her anyway. She had to learn for herself now.

The first to arrive after Francis had given her food and more water and changed the bucket she used to relieve herself was an older male with a tremendous amount of hair on his face. He had it tied in two prongs braided with red and gold ribbons. His skin was wrinkled as a walnut, and he wore two pieces of glass connected with wire over his eyes.

“Let me see her, Francis,” he said, climbing the steps to the stage and rubbing his hands together. He knelt by the crate and peered inside. Sera hated the way he was staring at her, like she wasn’t a person at all.

“In the name of the One True God . . .” he murmured. The green-eyed male James had used the same invocation. Sera didn’t know who this One True God was, but she didn’t like him. “I heard she tried to run yesterday.”

“Yes, sir, but Mr. Kiernan and Mr. Roth caught her.” Francis stared down at his feet as if ashamed.

“I hope they have sorted out some way to transport her for this evening.”

“I believe Mr. McLellan has hired Pemberton men, sir.”

“Ah! A wise decision.”

Transport her? This evening? Sera’s mood lifted. Maybe they would take her out of the crate again. Another chance to escape was presenting itself so soon.

Others filtered in after that—there was a boisterous male with black hair on his upper lip and chin and a large woman with a heavily painted face who shrieked when she saw Sera and clutched at the male.

“Grayson, what is it?”

“My dear Gwendivere, I haven’t the foggiest,” the hairy-lipped male replied. “I barely understand any of this.” He gestured to Boris and then to the pond. “Old Xavier’s gone off his rocker, if you ask me.”

The woman named Gwendivere slapped his arm playfully. “You’re just mad he won’t be casting you in every play he produces anymore.”

“Yes, shockingly, I’ve enjoyed having a steady paycheck,” Grayson said. He called out to the man with the beribboned face hair. “What’s this one do, Martin? Will she turn all our hair blue or make our skin silver as the moon?”

What a ridiculous thing to say, Sera thought. How on earth would she be able to do either of those things?

“James will find out tonight,” the man named Martin replied. “There’s to be a little gathering at the McLellan house.”

“Xavier is throwing a party?” Grayson asked incredulously.

“Good morning, fellow thespians!” James’s voice echoed throughout the room as he strode up the aisle to the stage, taking the steps two at a time and finishing with an elaborate bow.

“Good morning, James,” Gwendivere said in a fluttery voice that made Sera’s nose wrinkle.

“Have you all become acquainted with our newest addition?” he asked. “She’s remarkable. Gave us quite the scare yesterday, didn’t she, Francis?” Francis looked like he’d rather not be included in this conversation.

“But what is she?” the woman demanded.

“Don’t be frightened, Gwen, she’s harmless. And you have no idea what she can do,” he added with a wink. That brought Sera up short. What did James know? Or was he lying to impress this woman? Sera wasn’t sure what to believe on this planet.

“All right, it’s time to get started,” Martin said, clapping his hands. “We’ll do a full run of the first act today. Francis, move her backstage for now, please. I’m not sure what role Xavier has planned for her yet. Everyone else, places for act one! Places!”

Sera did not know what any of that meant, but the humans sprang into action. Francis slid a large metal hook onto the chain around the crate and dragged it away until she was behind one of the red curtains. Other people were back here too, but they gave her a wide berth and she was fine with that.

The day progressed and all Sera could do was sit in her crate and watch. They appeared to be telling a story of some kind, except that instead of one person telling it, like Cerulean storytellers, many people acted out the different characters.

The plot seemed to revolve around Gwendivere and James—Gwendivere was an evil woman from Pelago, Sera gathered, who had hidden Errol and Boris away because they had great power and she wanted to keep it all for herself. James played the hero, who was searching for them to bring them back to Kaolin and save its people from famine and death. The hairy-lipped Grayson appeared to be playing a comedic role, something called a pirate. The other humans behind the curtains would laugh at his antics and silly faces. Sera didn’t find him very funny.