“Sure. Probably not. I know nothing anymore. My luck is bad no matter what I do.”
“Don’t say that.”
“It’s true. When I said I was jealous, it wasn’t about Ethan. It’s that I know I’ll never have what you guys have. The other night, I watched a ship pass through Mom’s telescope. That’s where the balloons came from. I watched the people celebrating.”
Chloe nodded, but she wasn’t interested in what went on beyond our shores.
“I think they were getting married. It’s like our Binding except they choose each other. They were happy. But I’ll never have that. Maybe I always knew I wouldn’t, but now it’s sinking in.”
“You can’t know for sure.”
I shrugged. “I don't see how. There’s no one I feel that way towards here, Chloe.”
“There’s Edward.”
“Sure, he’s fine. It’ll be…fine. But not magical. Not thrilling or inspiring. It won’t be…” I grabbed the balloon so hard that it burst in my hand. I jumped. Now I was left with sad pieces of rubber in my hand. Chloe put her arm around my shoulders.
“We’ll still be friends. You, me and Ethan. We’ll do fun things together. Just like always.”
It was nice to hear her say it, but I knew it wasn’t true. Things would change.
“You know why I’m so unlucky?”
“Stop saying that. You’re making it true.”
“It’s because of Daniel.”
“Don’t be crazy.”
“Can you keep a secret?” I asked her.
“Definitely.”
“Promise?”
She crossed her heart.
“I might leave the island.”
Chloe took me by my shoulders. “Everything’s gonna work out somehow, trust me.”
“Yes, maybe, I don’t know.”
“Let’s do something.”
“Like what?”
“We could build sand castles on Sliver Beach, we could swim, collect shells and make a necklace, or…or…so many things,” she smiled.
“You sure look happy suddenly. This morning you were so nervous about The Binding.”
“Marei, if I tell you something, will you promise not to tell anyone?”
“Yeah, of course.”
“No, you need to say it.”
“I swear,” I crossed my heart.
Chloe had been a complete wreck these last few days. Now our Binding was in two days and she seemed calmer than I’d seen her in weeks.
“Whatever it is, you look happy,” I told her. “Serene, considering The Binding happens soon, what’s your secret?.”
Chloe laughed and twirled her purple flower. “Is it that noticeable? Well, it’s true, I figured something out. A solution. Or a Plan B at least.”
“A solution to what?”
“The Binding.”
“You know for certain you and Ethan will be bound?” I asked, curious.
Her face stiffened. “Not exactly.”
“Well, what then?”
“You might get angry.”
“I won’t and I swore not to tell anyone. Quit keeping me in suspense.”
“Okay,” she said. “C’mon, I'll show you. My mom isn’t around. This is the perfect time.”
We walked back past the Assembly Hall and up around past Carlos’ house, avoiding the common square. At the back of Chloe’s house we hid between a giant blue hydrangea and a palm tree.
“Why are we hiding?” I whispered.
She put a finger to her lip. “I need to make sure no one’s here.”
“Carlson’s with Ben at the docks.”
She nodded. “They’re inseparable. And Ben needs to restring his bow thanks to you, so they’ll be occupied. It’s my mom I’m worried about.”
“Well, I saw Arav working on his dad’s roof. He’s so clumsy he went and got himself hurt again. I bet your mom’s at his house stitching him up.”
Chloe nodded. “Okay c’mon.” We slunk through the yard and entered through the side door. Chloe’s home was one of the larger houses. It had three stories although the rooms were small. The kitchen and living room were quiet. Silence from the three bedrooms upstairs. Chloe grabbed a chair and moved it to the sink. Standing on its seat, she felt around the top of the cupboard for a key.
She took me to a door that led to two rooms in the back. These were off-limits. One was a medical room where her mom treated serious injuries. It had a special bed on stainless steel legs in the center with a unit that held surgical instruments. Above the bed was a giant light. I’d never been in this room and hoped I never would be.
Chloe led me through the room to a door on the far side. She opened it and pulled me in. The room was dark and filled with the pungent scent of antiseptics and medicinal herbs. Chloe struck a match and lit a candle. Yellow light flickered off hundreds of carefully labeled amber bottles and jars arranged along a series of mismatched shelves and drawers that ran from floor to ceiling. She crept to the far side of the room, took another key, opened a small black cabinet and carefully removed a small, black bottle. It had a skull and crossbones emblazoned across a white label.
“What's that for?” I asked, suspicious.
“Heart break,” she sighed. “Just in case.”
“Chloe, no! You wouldn’t do that.”
“I hope I don’t have to. Ethan and I made a pact. If we don’t get Bound together…”
A few minutes later we were back outside in the sunlight.
“Ethan agreed to this?” I asked, incredulous.
“Well, not yet, but he will.”
“You know this is crazy, right?”
Chloe nodded. “But I don’t see there’s any other choice.”
“There are other choices!”
“Like what? Leaving?” she said, eyes fixed on me with anger. Chloe shook her head. “I figured if anyone would understand, it would be you.”
“I hate this island,” I said with sudden vehemence that caught me off guard. “And now you’re going to abandon me.”
For the first time since it began, the annoying tune in my head quieted. Instead all I heard was the pulse in my head beating a rhythm against my temples.
“Me abandoning you? You’re the one who’s planning to leave!”
I opened my mouth to defend myself, but she had a point. But leaving was entirely different from drinking poison.
“And, that’s why I wanted to tell you,” she continued. “There’s enough for all of us. If it worked out that way.”
“Chloe…”
“I’m not abandoning you. I’m just saying. It’s not like it hadn’t crossed my mind.”
“I think it’s the worst idea I’ve ever heard, Chloe. I should tell your—”
She grabbed me by the shoulders hard and stood inches from me.
“You swore you wouldn’t tell, remember?”
“I won’t, but—”
“Anyway, this is only if Ethan and I aren’t bound. If we are, let’s forget we had this conversation.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The day of our Binding arrived gray and overcast with the threat of rain. I wished for a downpour so torrential that they’d post-pone the whole ceremony. But again, my luck was in low supply. Although cloud hung over the ocean promising rain, not so much as a single drop fell. Instead, we stood on the shore in oppressive heat and humidity, sweating despite our thin, light bathing clothes.
Even the water, normally a beautiful aquamarine, today appeared murky and dark. Usually it was easy to see straight to the sandy bottom. But today the bottom lay dark and hidden. Marlow wore a blue bathing tunic. He stood, waist deep in the water, about twenty feet from shore. He waited until we’d arranged ourselves in two neat rows, eleven girls on one side and eleven boys on the other. I wondered what they would have done if it hadn’t equaled out so that there was an equal number of boys and girls. If Daniel had lived.
“Good morning!”
“Good morning,” we responded in a some
what mumbled jumble of voices.
“You can all do better than that!” Marlow smiled. “Today is your Binding! Remember you’re taking part in the revivification of a ceremony that dates back millennium! Let’s try again.”
“Good morning!” We said in something approaching unison and with more vigor. It wasn’t like we’d watched older brothers and sister go through this process. The Binding and Honey Moon Island had seemed more like a legend or some distant fairy tale that would never come true. We’d spent our adolescent years joking about this. It hadn’t seemed like something we’d need to think about one day. But now that day had arrived.
“First, I’d like to acknowledge the hard work of Aya in translating and bringing this ancient ritual back into our tradition.” Mom gave a shy wave. Despite my anxiety around the ceremony itself, I was proud of her. She worked so hard it felt good to see her get appreciation from Marlow for once.
Mom waded into the water and handed Marlow a sheet of paper. Marlow leaned in and asked Mom a question I couldn’t hear from my vantage. Then Marlow read in ancient Lemurian. During assembly, we’d slowly began learning the complex phonetics and vocal sounds that made up the language. However, that wasn’t the challenging part. The most challenging aspect was that portions of the language were sent with direct mind-to-mind, pictorial transmissions.
When Marlow reached one of these sections, his face turned red from concentration.
“He looks constipated,” I dared whisper to Chloe who stood next to me. She covered her mouth and stifled a laugh. But when he opened his eyes, his face relaxed and we all let out a collective intake of air as an image appeared in our minds.
“Eyes closed!” Mrs. Caroline shouted.
I shut my eyes and the image brightened. It was fuzzy at first, but it gained definition. Made of coral and various gems, it was a beautiful ornate symbol with two nude androgynous figures in its center. Their limbs extended and then morphed into part of the pattern of the object itself. A complex, spiraling weave that formed an intricate ruin or symbol of some sort. It rotated in my mind’s eye and the rotation became a tone, a low thrumming in my ears.
Outwardly we were silent, but inside we vibrated. We stood like that for fifteen minutes, maybe longer. The vibration soothed me. The melody in my head disappeared and I floated away into something similar to what I experienced during Assembly. But even more powerful.
With little effort we were carried along by an ancient vibration hidden in those scrolls. It didn’t seem fair that Marlow got to read it instead of my mom. But at least he acknowledged her.
When the image faded, the vibration ceased and I opened my eyes. The sky remained gray, but the air felt different. It had an effervescence that invigorated mind and body.
“Today is your Binding,” Marlow continued. His face was relaxed, and he looked powerful as opposed to his normal menacing self.
“I’ve met with each of your parents and we’ve convened in special Council to consider your requests. After your Binding mate is announced, we’ll schedule times for each couple to visit Honey Moon Island.”
At mention of Honey Moon Island, Chloe and I looked at each other and her apprehension mirrored my own. Ethan glanced over. When I met his gaze, he blinked and turned away. I remembered Chloe’s plan and my body grew cold. I wondered if Ethan had agreed. Next thing I knew, Marlow was just about to read names.
“After each name, couples will enter the water where I’ll perform the first ceremony. Selected couples proceed up over there.” He pointed to a tarp that had been pulled taut between several palm trees. It was decorated with hundreds of purple, white and yellow tropical flowers woven between delicate hanging vines. “When all couples have been announced we’ll go to the central square for a celebration feast.” He hesitated before he said the word feast and there was a collective murmur. With our lack of supplies there was no way it would be much of a feast. Marlow continued.
“Rainier and Eliza!” he called out the first names in a booming voice. Eliza, a tall willowy girl in front of me, blushed and made her way toward the water. Rainier, a short kid with a crew cut followed her and bowed. They stood in the water awkwardly while Marlow took out his ceremonial knife, cut a length of seaweed rope and bound it around their right and left hands. Next Edward and Katrina were called. Several boys looked crestfallen as they watched Katrina stand up with poise and enter the shimmering water. Admittedly, she was pretty with her long trusses of wavy auburn hair and thick eyelashes, but not overly smart. Despite the relative speed that this was happening, it was torture. Edward was one of the boys I wouldn’t have minded being paired with.
“Chloe and Ben,” Marlow called out. Beside me, Chloe gasped. A few moments later she stumbled down to the water. Ethan’s mouth hung open in shock. Ben looked happy, a small smile on his face as he waited for Chloe and held his hand out dramatically when she arrived. Blinking back tears I watched Marlow bind seaweed around their wrists. Ben held their hands up high as salt water dripped from their wrists. They walked to join the other paired couples under the canopy.
I turned back to look at Chloe and Ben. She had her head down so no one would see her crying. Meanwhile, Ethan stood stiff, looking out at the ocean. Marlow called two other couples, but I barely heard their names. Chloe and Ben were a terrible match. If it had been anyone else I might have hoped Chloe would forget her crazy plan. But now it seemed all too possible.
“Marei and Ethan.” Certain I’d heard wrong, I looked at Ethan and then back at Chloe. Ethan’s face burned bright red. Chloe’s head shot up, pale white. Ethan stumbled out from amongst the other boys.
“Marei and Ethan!” Marlow said again, loudly. There was no doubting his words now.
Everyone looked at me, waiting. The entire island knew Ethan and Chloe were my best friends. Not only that, everyone knew Ethan and Chloe were together. And Marlow knew it. I didn’t understand why this was happening. Ethan stood in the water, looking out into the distance, then back at me.
“Well, come on!” Marlow said. Ethan held out his hand.
“Marei!” Marlow shouted. “You’re delaying the ceremony. What. Are. You. Doing?”
I turned and moved past the girls to my right. Again, I looked at Chloe. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She broke from Ben and ran from beneath the canopy.
“Marei, Chloe!” Mrs. Caroline shouted as I took off after my friend.
As I pursued, I thought of the many times I’d played counselor through various small arguments between Ethan and Chloe. We’d fallen into a somewhat odd but comfortable three-way relationship. I was a sister to both of them at one time or another. Now, no matter what, I needed to make sure nothing happened to her.
“Wait!” I was a much faster runner than Chloe, and easily caught up to her at the back door that led to her mom’s apothecary. When I grabbed her she fell the ground sobbing.
“Chloe, don’t. You can’t. You can’t do this.”
Chloe glared up at me, eyes red and bleary. “Did you plan this?”
“Of course not! How could I have?”
“Did you put down Ethan’s name? All this time, you pretended to be my friend and…”
“Stop. No, I didn’t put in his name, I swear. Believe me. I mean, he’s like my brother. Are you crazy?”
“Who’s name did you put in?”
I hesitated, then told the truth. “No one.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“I left the paper blank and dropped it in.”
“Why would you do that?”
“I…couldn’t decide. There was no one. Except maybe the boy on the boat. But I didn’t even know his name.”
“Boy on the boat?” she shouted. “Who cares what his name is? He doesn't live here. We do.”
“Why does it have to be like this?” I said.
“Because that’s how it is,” Chloe stood up. “Now see what your fantasies have done? You always have to have everything, don’t you? Just like with Daniel.”
&
nbsp; “You’re being cruel,” I said. “You said it had nothing to do with Daniel.” What she said had perhaps a tiny grain of truth, but it was unfair.
“What is going on, Chloe?” Chloe’s mom said as she marched around the corner.
“Please, I need to talk to Marei,” Chloe said dragging me out of earshot.
“I thought you were my friend,” Chloe hissed in my ear. “But it doesn’t matter. None of this matters. You promised you wouldn’t tell anyone. And if you do…I’ll, I’ll do it anyway and haunt you for the rest of your life.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Mom, Dad and I clustered around a few candles at the kitchen table. Our solar batteries were low and without the supply plane coming in, we’d run out of generator fuel.
“We did what we could,” Dad said. “But it was Marlow who made the final decision. He thought you’d be happy with Ethan. Marlow told us you left your paper blank…”
Mom hummed while she chopped mangoes to make chutney. I’d started to help, but she grabbed the knife away when I nicked my pinkie finger. My hands still shook with emotion.
“Happy? Why would he say that? I didn’t put down anyone because there is no one!”
“You and Ethan have been friends since you were kids. There were no other boys you’ve mentioned,” Mom said.
“And you agreed?”
Mom shook her head. “Not entirely. I realize how you feel about Ethan. But this is done by Council. We each have a say, but Marlow had the final decision. We argued against Marlow’s first choice. Ethan seemed the best compromise.” She popped a ripe piece of mango in her mouth.
“Who was his first choice?” I went to the counter and poured myself a glass of water. My stomach burned with worry. “Who did he want to pair me with?”
“Ben,” Mom said.
“Ben?” Everyone knew Ben and I had fought each other since we learned how to walk. “Marlow wanted to pair me with Ben with Ethan as a second choice? Marlow hates me.”
“No, I wouldn't say that. He insisted Ben was the appropriate match. Ethan was the only other boy he'd consider, and we hoped you’d be at least somewhat happier.”
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