by C J Benjamin
“Hey, can we continue our conversation later?” Nova asked, his pleasantness returning.
“Yes. Let’s just find somewhere more private, where we can talk.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
26
We found Eja in a crowd surrounding the altar, where Beto artists were marking people with tribal tattoos. Many of them were lined up waiting their turn. They were cheering and high fiving each other as they came down off the altar. They all had so many tattoos already, I couldn’t tell what was new and what they’d already been adorned with. The air was heavy with the smell of herbs, blended together to make a natural ink used to paint the tribe members. As I watched a group of women mashing the ingredients in stone bowls, I had a thought and turned to Eja, examining his flawless cocoa skin.
“Eja? Why don’t you have any tattoos?”
“Well, you have to earn them,” he said simply.
“And you have to have your family give you your first one, right Talon?” Jovi piped up appearing with Talon and Mali.
“That’s right, light weight,” Talon said, as he picked his sister up and let her perch on his shoulders so she could get a better view over the crowd.
“Talon gave me my first tattoo, look!” Jovi boasted pointing to the thin band that followed the curve of her delicate collarbone.
I looked at her brother and he had the same one. So did Mali, and all the Betos for that matter.
“What does it mean?” I asked.
“Beto!” Jovi said proudly. “We all have them.”
“So I’ve noticed,” I said softly, looking at Eja. He let his eyes fall, ever so slightly, with a hint of shame.
“Check out my newest one,” Mali said grabbing my attention.
When I saw a familiar symbol painted on his shoulder, my mouth fell open in shock.
“Mali!” I almost screamed. “Why did you do that?”
“LVX! It’s your symbol. We’re all getting it,” he said, motioning to the line of Beto’s waiting for tattoos.
“Oh my gods,” I whispered, grabbing Nova’s arm to steady myself.
“I got it too,” Jovi said from atop Talon’s shoulders, pulling up her shirt sleeve to reveal the freshly painted symbol; LVX.
“Lux. It means enlightening, unity and rebirth!” she rattled off proudly.
“That’s not—”
Eja pulled me away before I could finish my sentence.
“Eja, whose idea was this? That’s not what my tattoo means? It doesn’t spell Lux, it’s just a number, a brand the Troian Center gave me because I wasn’t even worthy of a name in their eyes.”
“I know that. And maybe that’s what it means to you, but that’s not what it means to them.”
I searched his eyes, but still felt uneasy about the idea of my number tattooed on all of these people.
“What if someone is mistaken for me because they have my tattoo?” I worried.
Eja smiled warmly at me. “No offense meant, my Eva, but that would never happen,” he said lightly touching a strand of my blonde curls.
“Okay. True,” I agreed. “But I don’t know about this . . . I don’t want them to get the wrong idea about what it means. I don’t want to mislead anyone.”
“Meaning is in the eye of the beholder. Look how proud they are. You have arrived and they are celebrating you the only way they know how. Tattoos are what we do in our culture. Every Beto has the tribe credo painted on them at birth by a family member. Then each family has their own crest. The rest are earned; hero, hunter, provider, protector, healer, seer . . . They’re a badge of honor.”
I heard the pride and longing in Eja’s voice as he spoke, and as I watched the Betos proudly showing off their new LVX tattoos, I realized he was right. It made them feel like they were a part of the resurgence of our island, the rebirth of their civilization. There was such a pure magic and happiness in their hope, that I knew it couldn’t be wrong. I let my heart embrace the emotions that the Betos where sharing in this unique experience.
I could feel the brightness of their faith, shining even more happiness on the festivities in the forest. But I also couldn’t help notice how Eja seemed to be fighting his own despair as we watched groups of Betos our own age, comparing their new ink. There was a sadness and longing in his eyes that he was trying to disguise. I recognized it, because it’s how I looked during my entire existence at the Troian Center. It was hard when you felt like you didn’t fit in. I hated to see my friend suffer.
“Eja, you’ve never really told me anything about your family,” I said softly, hoping he’d open up to me.
“There’s not much to tell, my Eva. Like many others, my family died in the Flood.”
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, feeling his pain. “You must have been very young.”
“About your age, I suppose.”
“Can I ask you why you didn’t get the Beto tattoo that everyone else has?”
“I am told I was very ill when I was born and no one thought I would survive so I wasn’t given the tattoo. Then the Flood struck and my entire family perished.”
“Jovi said your family has to give you your first tattoo?”
“Yes, it is a sacred tradition. Our tattoos hold immense importance and a little bit of magic. They link us and define us. They aren’t given lightly. It is said that your family must be the one to give you your first tattoo, passing with it the continuation of your bloodline. If someone other than your family tries to apply this first tattoo it won’t remain. It will vanish with one full rotation of the sun. And without that first all-important tattoo, no others will stick. So this is why my skin is destined to stay forever desolate.”
Suddenly, I had an idea. I pulled Eja with me and gathered the rest of my friends.
“What’s going on?” Remi asked.
I turned to Eja, and took his hand.
“I just need you to trust me,” I urged.
He looked mildly skeptical.
“Jovi, can you come with me too?”
“Sure!” she squealed, scrambling down from her brother’s shoulders.
“Okay, I need all of you to come with me. There’s something I have to do.”
My friends followed as I pulled Eja up to the altar with me and asked one of the women if I could borrow her bowl of magic herbal ink and a brush. She looked quite shocked, but obliged nonetheless.
“My Eva, what are you doing?” Eja questioned.
“Do you trust me, Eja?”
“Devotedly,” he replied without hesitation.
“Sit here and close your eyes.”
Eja obeyed while the others huddled around me, watching to see what I was up to. I dipped the brush in the inky blackness and was surprised by the thickness of the liquid. I motioned for Jovi to come stand next to Eja and I studied her Beto tattoo, preparing to recreate it on Eja’s narrow collarbone.
The ink was cold and Eja gave an involuntary shiver the first time I touched the brush to his bare skin.
“I need you to be as still as possible,” I urged.
He complied and I worked quickly, mimicking the intricate thatched pattern that wove through bold geometric shapes. When I was finished, I stepped back to admire my work. It looked perfect.
“There,” I said, smiling confidently. “Now you are a proper Beto!”
“My Eva, I appreciate the kind gesture, but this tattoo won’t stick. It has to be performed by family. Only family—”
“We’ll just have to wait and see won’t we, Eja? Besides, I’m not finished just yet,” I said dipping my brush back in the sticky liquid as I eyed a spot that I needed to touch up.
Eja, looked uncomfortable now, with so many eyes watching him.
“My Eva, please. You don’t need to waste any more time on me.”
“Eja, you are my family. All of you are my family!” I said turning to look at my friends. “We’re all orphans, but we found each other and made our own family. We take care of each other and look
out for each other. We’ve found refuge, shelter, comfort, loyalty and trust in each other. We’ve shared loss, joy, love, battles, hardships and triumphs together. If that’s not the definition of family I don’t know what is. What good is being the Eva if I can’t have a family? In my destiny, you are all my family.”
Wild applause broke out when I finished speaking, startling all of us. Apparently, everyone had been listening to my speech to Eja and they approved. Cheers and hollers rose above the clapping and I blushed for a moment, but I stood proudly behind my words. I meant what I said to Eja. He and my friends were the closest thing to family that I’d ever had and I was meant to protect them by being their Eva so I was choosing to start now. Tattooing Eja was a small gesture in the grand scheme of things, but I knew, better than most, how powerful the need to belong could be.
I looked back at Eja who had tears of appreciation in his eyes. I had one more tattoo in mind for him. I whispered to Jovi and she took the paintbrush from my hand and quickly stroked a design on a nearby rock. She handed back the brush and smiled at me admiring her art. I mimicked its design on Eja’s back.
“Brother,” I said.
“Thank you,” he telepathed to me.
“You’re very welcome.”
27
“Master, you have to see this!”
“What? Have you located the book? The girl?”
“No, Master, but look,” the old man said, pointing to a symbol that blazed boldly on the fragile pages of the Book of Gods that lay open before him.
The tall man ran his hand slowly along his shining, black hair, which was neatly pulled back, as he stared at the pages. His reaction, bubbling beneath the surface, was delayed and Kobel pushed to make sure he understood the meaning.
“Master, it’s the symbol from the prophecy. A nation united, under one flag, one true ruler; the Eva.”
“I know what it is Kobel!” he thundered as he upended the table, sending the Book of Gods skittering across the floor. “It changes nothing!”
After a brief silence, in which he composed himself, smoothing his hair back into place, the menacing man said, “I don’t want to hear from you until you’ve located them.”
28
I had Jovi help me tattoo LVX on my friends, along with what I’d come up with as our own family crest. It was a mixture of the golden laurel wreath from Lux’s flag and the thick tribal bands of the Betos. The first time I finished painting the design, it struck me with an eerie sense of déjà vu. I felt certain I had seen the symbol somewhere before, but couldn’t place my finger on where. It danced before me, taunting my failing memory. I shook off the notion and focused on the symmetry of the design. Lux and Betos, Citizens and Locals; my friends and I were the perfect blend of the two, so I thought it was a fitting representation. Journey loved it and was the first to volunteer for his tattoo after I painted it on Eja. I marked it in a crescent shape around his number that the Troian Center had tattooed us with, thus turning their symbol of oppression, into one of hope. The rest of my friends all followed suit, volunteering their numbered shoulders for restoration.
Soon, we were all admiring our tacky ink. Even Jemma was excitedly talking about her new tattoos. Eja was elated to be a part of the discussion, even if he was still a tad bit skeptical that it would remain. I decided to let him ride the high of getting his first tattoo for the rest of the night. I figured my question about sharing powers with Jemma could wait until morning.
The festivities continued well into the heart of the night. There was singing, dancing, feasting and more dancing. I could barely keep the sleep from pulling at my eyelids when I finally decided to call it a night. I promised Nova we’d have our talk, but when I went to find him, he was having a great time playing a gourd guitar with a group of Betos and I didn’t have the heart to interrupt him. I started making my way back to my tent, when Remi caught up to me.
“I’ve been looking for you,” he said. “Well actually, someone else has been looking for you. I just decided to help him.”
Remi pulled a twitchy Niv from behind his back.
“Oh Niv! What are you doing out here, buddy?” I crooned, scratching him under his chin and cradling him in my arms, while I showered him with kisses.
“I think he was lonely.” Remi shrugged.
“Or cold,” I said giving a shiver.
I hadn’t realized how cold it was until we left the torch lit area of the ceremony site. Out in the open, the heavy, night air of the forest had a habit of settling its cold cloak upon me.
“Are you cold?” Remi asked, looking to offer me his shirt by habit. “Oh . . .” he said, sounding puzzled when he realized he wasn’t wearing one.
We both burst into laughter.
“I’ll never get used to how little clothes they wear!” Remi laughed.
“Me either,” I giggled.
We continued laughing and talking about the fun events of the night as we walked toward our tents.
“Well, this is me,” I said pausing beside a particularly sun-bleached tent, in a row of dozens of other identical ones.
“Okay,” Remi said. “I’m in that one if you need me for anything.” He pointed a short distance away.
It was sweet the way Remi worried about me. I doubted he even knew he was doing it. I guess he’d always been that way when I think about it. When we were younger, at the Troian Center, he always made sure we knew each other’s schedule on the rare occasions that we weren’t together. Back then, I’d just thought it was a necessary means of survival, since all we had to rely on was each other. But I think he was looking after me in his own way. And, when I was sneaking off into the forest to practice my powers, he risked everything to follow me, because he could tell something was off and he wanted to make sure I knew he was there to help me. Then, when I tethered my soul to Niv’s, he’d even known me well enough to know he’d have to protect Niv too.
Remi had always been there to save me in many different ways and it seemed that I was taking notice of it more lately. Maybe it was that kiss in the cave that really opened my eyes to truly see him recently. Whatever it was, I was finding my heart swelling gratefully to have Remi in my life and to have the privilege of calling him my best friend.
He was about to turn away and head to his tent, when I quickly hugged him.
“What was that for?” he asked with a big smile, when I finally let him go.
“Just for being such a great friend.”
“It’s nothing,” he shrugged.
“Well it’s something to me, Remi. We’ve been through a lot. Even before all of this,” I said, gesturing to the sleepy forest surrounding us. “I’m just really lucky to have someone that knows me so well in my life. You’ve been by my side since the very beginning.”
“Thick as thieves,” he said with a sly smile.
“Thick as thieves!” I laughed and hugged Remi again.
We hadn’t used that phrase in ages! One of our favorite professors said it to us once and it stuck. We used to call ourselves the ‘little thieves’ and sometimes Jemma and her friends would refer to us as such, thinking they were being rude and funny, but we just grinned at each other, secretly loving our nickname.
I let go of Remi, but he caught my hands as they slid off of his bare chest and my breath caught in my throat for a moment. I wasn’t used to Remi making me feel nervous. I was so comfortable with our friendship, that sometimes I forgot he wanted more.
“Remi . . .”
“I was just going to say that I’m really proud of you, Geneva. I know you’re nervous about this whole Eva thing, but you did an incredible job on your first official day.”
“Thanks, Remi,” I said positively grinning.
“And, it doesn’t hurt that you look beautiful tonight,” he added bashfully, making my cheeks burn and blush.
“Thanks.”
“Goodnight, little thief.” He smiled, kissing my cheek and giving my hands a squeeze before letting go.
They fe
lt suddenly cold without his warm hands surrounding them and it made me shiver, as I watched him disappear into his tent.
I turned to duck into my own, when I saw Nova standing a short distance away, staring at me. My heart plummeted. I knew he’d probably just seen Remi and I, and would read more into it than he should. He had a bad habit of that. I guess we both did. We’d had such a great night that I didn’t want it to end on a bad note.
“Nova!” I called and started toward him, but he turned away from me and retreated back toward the party.
I sighed deeply, trying to calm the panic in my heart. For once I decided not to go after Nova. I wanted to take a more mature approach. I was hoping by giving Nova the night to cool off, we could avoid an argument. It was a gamble, but I shook off my fears and returned to my tent. I was beginning to learn that Nova and I had the same stubborn streak, and the best thing to do was to give us our space when we were in the middle of a jealous row. When I didn’t, it always ended in a fight and I was much too exhausted for that tonight. Not to mention, I didn’t want getting in a fight with the boy I liked to be my first act as the official Eva. Instead, I settled into my hammock and grabbed my journal, hoping that writing would calm my nerves.
Dear Diary,
Today was one for the history books. I made a lot of sisterly progress with Jemma. I shared powers with her and I was officially inducted as the Eva at the most beautiful ceremony I ever could have imagined. It was so beautiful that for a moment, I found myself daydreaming that I was at my own wedding, marrying Nova, of course. I know, no surprise there, right?
Nova and I actually had a really great time and the start of a pretty serious moment on the dance floor, but with her effortless flare, Jemma, the queen of bad timing, interrupted us before I could actually get the nerve up to say how I feel about him. On one hand, I’m relieved, because it wasn’t really the time or place for that kind of discussion—surrounded by hundreds of Betos and all of our friends. Her intrusion also saved me from admitting that I’m madly in love with him, because once I do that, there’s no going back. He’ll either laugh at me and I’ll feel ashamed and awkward forever, or we’ll actually give us a try . . . I know, I know . . . I’ve been scribbling about how much I love him in these pages since I got this diary, but tonight, I came so close to telling him how I feel and that frightens me because it makes it so real. Maybe, preserving the fantasy of Nova and what we could be, is better than taking a chance.
