“You decorated the tables?” I asked.
“We all rotate duties on the island,” Nikandros replied.
“They’re beautiful,” I said.
“Thank you.” Nikandros gestured for me to sit in the empty spot next to Ari.
A small crease formed between Ari’s eyebrows as I sat. He shifted his body and gave me a practiced smile, the kind you give a stranger in the elevator.
Delphina sat on Ari’s other side, between him and his brother, and rested her spear against the table like the others had done.
“What do you think of our island, Chandler?” Nikandros asked.
“It’s… different,” I said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“Of course you haven’t.” Delphina picked up a silver pitcher, poured a glass of red wine, and passed it to me. “There is no other place on earth as beautiful.”
“How do you know that, Delphi?” Ari asked. “We haven’t been anywhere else.”
Delphina cocked her head to the side and turned to me. “Chandler, you have been other places. Is our island the most beautiful place you have seen?”
“Yes,” I said. That seemed like the right thing to say.
“See?” Delphina flashed Ari a smile.
“I am simply saying—” Ari said.
“Please, not this talk again.” Delphina shook her head, her dark hair swaying.
“Ari, when will you release your obsession with traveling?” Nikandros asked, lowering his voice. “You drone on about distant shores, but you will find no place better—”
A gong sounded, interrupting Nikandros. I jumped in my seat.
“The buffet is ready,” Ari explained, with a slight smile. “Do you eat seafood?”
I nodded.
“Good,” Ari said.
He stood and took Delphina’s plate. Nikandros grabbed mine and followed his brother to huge tables brimming with fruits, vegetables, and steaming dishes of fish.
My stomach rumbled at the salty and lemony smells.
“I’m glad you enjoy seafood, Chandler,” Delphina said. “You would have offended every person in the dining hall if you said no. Especially Ari. He killed tonight’s sailfish.”
“Sailfish?” I’d spent enough time on Dad’s boat to know that adult sailfish were massive, ferocious fighters.
“He is the most lethal Hunter on the island,” Delphina said. Her voice warmed with pride. “All the children hope to be in his class.”
“Class?” I asked.
“We all learn how to fight on land and in water,” Delphina said. “After the wars began, families trained their children at younger ages. Now that we’re at peace we don’t teach combat tactics, but we still train in free diving and spear fishing.”
Delphina touched her wheel tattoo. “The strongest are marked with our symbol, the triada. We are Hunters.”
“You leave the island to hunt?” I asked.
“We used to. Our tattoos have a xaris piercing in their centers.”
“But don’t people see when you come and go from the island?” I asked.
Delphina sighed. “There was fear of that, yes. Now we only hunt the waters within our shield. We take great effort to keep the number of fish in balance.”
“Like a fish farm.”
“Like a very well stocked fish farm.”
“What’s the point of xaris in your tattoos then?” I asked, pointing to her tattoo.
“Tradition. For generations, Hunters have earned the privilege to wear xaris. We still wear xaris as a symbol for all that we are.” Delphina smiled, baring her teeth. “We have freedom, you see. But we aren’t permitted to abuse it.”
“There’s no way Ari is the first Hunter to test the whole freedom thing,” I whispered.
Delphina’s lips flattened into a hard line. “There have been others, yes. And they are all dead. We don’t take treason lightly on our island.”
I swallowed.
“We’re a fair people,” Delphina continued. “But we place great priority on our island’s secrecy.” She took a long sip of wine and set down her glass, dabbing her mouth with a napkin. It was such a dainty action, but not when Delphina did it. Everything about the set of her mouth, the swipe of her hand, was fierce.
I thought about Mr. Whit’s talk on the Spartans again. Delphina would have fit in nicely with them.
“I could totally picture you spear fishing,” I said.
Delphina’s eyebrows rose.
“Sorry,” I said. Was that rude?
“It’s all right,” Delphina said. Her mouth lifted in a faint smile. “I like that you speak openly.”
“I agree,” Nikandros said, walking up to the table. Ari stood beside him with heaping plates in each hand and one resting on his arm.
Delphina rolled her eyes. “Nick, you don’t even know what we’re talking about.”
“Then I’ll shamelessly insert myself into the conversation,” he said, handing a plate to me. “What do they say of us on the mainland, Chandler? Are we as renowned as Hercules?”
I laughed. “Not exactly.”
“We are still unknown?” Nikandros asked, sitting.
“Pretty much,” I replied. “There’s a little information out there, but you have to dig.”
“Good,” Delphina said, as Ari placed a plate in front of her. He sat and scooted his chair closer to the table.
I leaned toward him.
“When can we talk?” I whispered, bringing my wine glass to my lips.
A muscle in Ari’s jaw flinched. At first I thought he was angry, but then I noticed his eyes crinkling in a smile.
“Are you laughing?” I asked.
“Your whisper is hardly quiet,” he replied.
“What are you two saying?” Delphina asked. “Ari, you can’t steal Chandler from the rest of us. I want to know more about her.” She then fired off a ton of questions—about my grandparents, school, surfing—one right after the other.
“And what’s it like to surf?” Delphina asked.
“It’s… freeing.” I thought about my board, and my fingers drifted to my band-aid.
“Is that a surfing wound?” Delphina asked.
“Yeah,” I replied, fighting the urge to look at Ari.
“And did you have a boyfriend before you came here?” Delphina asked.
“No.”
“What about Jordan?” Ari asked, frowning.
My cheeks warmed, and I stared at my plate. Was it that obvious? How did someone like Ari know about the two of us?
“How do you know about Jordan?” Nikandros whispered. He glanced around to see who was listening.
Ari’s face blanched. His mouth parted but no words came out.
“I told Ariston about Jordan earlier today,” I said.
Ari’s posture softened, and he gave me a slight nod.
With a smile, I popped a piece of lemony cheese into my mouth. It felt good to have the upper hand for once.
“But Jordan’s not my boyfriend,” I said. “He’s just a good friend.” The words sounded false, even as I said them, but I was telling the truth.
“But you’ve had boyfriends?” Delphina asked. “Yes?”
Ari shifted in his chair. “Can we change the subject? This is obviously uncomfortable for Chandler.”
“You’re the only one who looks uncomfortable,” Delphina said.
“I am perfectly comfortable,” Ari said.
“Then let Chandler answer the question.” Delphina glanced at me with a raised eyebrow.
“I did have a boyfriend in middle school,” I said. “Another surfer. We didn’t date long, though. His family moved away.” We’d basically been friends who’d kissed approximately three times.
“Do you miss him?” Delphina asked.
Ari tossed his napkin onto the table. “I am retiring.”
“Why? It’s still early,” Delphina said.
Ari grabbed his spear. “I’m not feeling well. I will see all of you tomorrow. Yia sas.
” He bowed briefly before striding away from the table.
As I watched him go, I really hoped he wouldn’t blow off meeting me later. I couldn’t leave without answers, and I needed to leave tonight.
“Are you attracted to him?” Delphina asked.
I turned to her, eyes wide. “To Ari? Definitely not.”
“I thought you spoke plainly,” Delphina said, frowning over her wine glass. “Plenty of girls feel the same as you do. I’ve grown quite accustomed to it.” Her gaze darted to Nikandros, but he was staring into his wine glass with a rigid jaw.
I was seriously confused. Were Delphina and Ari together? If so, they definitely didn’t act all that into each other. If anything, it seemed like Nikandros and Delphina were closer.
“Delphina, I swear that I’m not interested in Ari,” I said. “Honestly.”
She took a long sip of wine. “I believe you,” she said finally.
“Thanks.” I debated asking her about Ari. After all, she had put me on the spot with all those boyfriend questions, and apparently she loved open conversation as much as Jordan did. But I couldn’t picture actually getting the words out. I barely knew the girl.
“I’m going to head to bed,” I said, scooting my chair back. “Thanks for letting me sit with you guys.”
“Of course. It’s was Ari’s wish,” Delphina murmured.
Nikandros frowned at her and then rose to address me. “It was our pleasure,” he said. “Yia sou.”
I raised an eyebrow, wondering at the phrase I’d heard several times.
“It’s our hello and goodbye,” Nikandros explained.
“Got it. Thanks.” I gave him a smile and then hurried through the dining hall. I passed a group of musicians who had just started playing clarinets and drums. The music had an uneven beat that reminded me of some exotic land.
I lingered for a few minutes, feeling the music’s pull, but then forced myself forward. I had to meet Ari.
In my room, I changed back into my swimsuit, shirt, and running shorts, making sure my phone was still in the pocket. I didn’t want to explain the new dress to Gran.
My stomach knotted more with each passing minute. Gran must have thought something horrible had happened to me. Daughter gone, and now granddaughter, too. She was probably reliving those awful days all over again.
“Yia sou,” Ari said.
I jumped to my feet, stifling a scream.
Ari had appeared at the open windows like a floating ghost.
“Can I come in?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I said, “but a warning would’ve been nice.”
“Sorry.” He heaved himself over the windowsill with one arm. In his other, he held his spear. He was still wearing his formal clothes from dinner.
“So what do you know about my dad?” I asked.
“He was a good man,” Ari said.
“Did he come here?” I asked. “Is that how you met?”
“No.” Ari gave a hard laugh. “I would never bring an outsider to this prison.”
Ari told me that he’d begun breaking Hunter rules a few years ago. It had begun with short hunts outside the shield, but had escalated into full-blown trips to the mainland.
“Didn’t people see you?” I asked.
“I was extremely careful,” Ari said. “Not careful enough, though. Delphi and Nick learned about my trips, and they tried to put a stop to them.” His eyes flashed with something like guilt. “They’ve kept my secret, which is also considered traitorous.”
“Have they ever come with you?” I asked.
“No, but they ask about the mainland often. I tell them how the fear of communism has ebbed, how our people could benefit greatly from your resources. There is so much world out there, and so little my people know of it.” Ari shook his head.
“Nick and Delphi never listen,” he said. “But then, I didn’t listen to them. I kept coming to shore and exploring places like the marina. That’s where I met your father. Captain Tye struck up a conversation with me and we became fast friends.” He paused. “Did you know your father wanted to boat around the world?”
I nodded. Everyone knew that. We’d taken some longer boating vacations as a family, but never that big trip.
Ari rubbed his bare foot against the tile. “I have the same dream. I have always wanted to see distant shores and meet new people.” He glanced up, measuring my reaction. “Captain Tye said I should do it, but I told him I couldn’t. When he asked why, I explained.”
My eyes widened. That guy had broken every rule in the Aletheian law.
“Your father was my friend,” Ari said. “I trusted him to keep my secret.”
“Well, he never told me.” And I wondered why. Hadn’t Dad trusted me?
“So what all do you know about the car accident?” I asked.
Ari’s jaw tightened.
“Can I show you something first?” he asked.
“My grandma is probably having a mental breakdown, Ari. I have to leave, like now.”
“Of course. What I want to show you is on our way, though. We must leave from the east beach, or we’ll be caught. I already have your kayak waiting for you there.”
“Oh. Okay. But then you’ll tell me everything?”
Ari nodded. His lips parted, like he wanted to say more, but then he gestured to the windows.
“This way,” he said.
“Why?”
Ari pointed to the closed bedroom door with his spear. “You are being guarded.”
“Since when?”
“Since you arrived.”
I thought of all the time I’d spent banging and screaming at the door. Someone had stood on the other side of that door, listening and doing nothing. Then I thought of the bread and oil someone had left.
“Were you ever my guard?” I asked.
“Briefly,” Ari said. He nodded toward the windows. “Are you ready?”
“Yeah.” I moved past him and leaned outside to survey a wooden lattice woven with jasmine vines. Their sweet perfume drifted up toward me.
Ari offered me his hand and I took it.
His skin was warmer than I expected, and so callused. I glanced up at his face, peering right into his gray eyes. They were the kind of gray that made you sad and happy at the same time.
Ari cleared his throat, and I returned my gaze to the windows. I swung my legs, one at a time, over the sill and onto the lattice.
As I climbed down, the stucco walls scraped my knuckles. Ari caught up with me quickly—even while carrying his spear. I kept glancing around as I climbed. If someone saw us, we’d be sunk. But we made it the rest of the way down, across the deserted clearing, and into a blanket of lush mangroves.
We ran on in silence, heading east, and my muscles warmed. My breathing grew steady. As the minutes passed, the trees turned to palms, then pines, oaks, and palmettos. Pathways had been cut through the leafy maze, criss-crossing at random. Thankfully, Ari seemed to know the paths well.
“You guys only use the two beaches—the east and the west?” I asked, when he slowed our pace to a walk. “Isn’t the whole coast one big beach?”
“Yes, but the south and north beaches are much rockier. We scarcely visit those ends of the island. I stash my surfboard on the north beach—that’s where I come and go for surfing. In the south, we have our vault and our Triada.”
Ari moved a vine from our path.
“The vault?”
“It protects our misos stone underground. My people don’t know it, but my father and Delphina’s mother wear the only keys that open it.”
“Oh. And the Triada? Isn’t that your symbol?”
“Yes, and my ancestors used xaris to make a giant sculpture depicting it. The whole wheel is made from xaris.”
“How do you sculpt something like xaris?” I asked.
“You can cut xaris with xaris,” he replied.
“Well, it sounds incredible.”
“It is. I only wish that more people could see it.”
“We hoard xaris like dragons guarding their gold. That doesn’t seem… right,” he said, shrugging. “The Triada is beautiful, though. I could show you.” He gave me a tentative glance. “It would take a bit longer.”
I hesitated, thinking of Gran.
“I have to get back,” I said.
Ari nodded and we walked on, with only the sounds of frogs and owls filling the silence.
“Will you get in trouble for helping me escape?” I asked him. “Will the guard at my door?”
“Your guard changes throughout the night,” Ari replied. “Blame will spread among many—no one will face punishment. And we still find xaris in the jungle often enough. Everyone will assume that’s how you left.”
“So you won’t face a trial or anything?”
Ari smiled faintly. “No. The only people who will know the truth are Delphi and Nick.”
“You’ll tell them?”
“I won’t need to. The three of us always meet up after dinner. They’ll come looking for me even though I claimed to be unwell.” Ari shook his head. “Delphi can be persistent.”
I heard the fondness in his voice and was glad for Delphina. But Ari didn’t say anything more about her as he led me deeper into the jungle. He used his spear to beat back palmetto bushes, and I wondered what he wanted to show me all the way out here. It was pretty and all, but I was officially ready to talk about the hit-and-run.
He turned off one path and onto another. Here, the palmetto brush grew less dense. Then the brush disappeared completely, revealing a rectangular clearing. Rows upon rows of trees, at least thirty feet tall, stretched across the opening. Their silvery green leaves shimmered and swayed in the moonlight, reminding me of bells at Christmas.
Ari walked to one of the trees and pointed to the lowest branch, maybe eight feet tall.
“Do you recognize the fruit?” he asked.
I joined him and peered up. Hidden among the lush branches were a few black bulbs.
“Olives?” I asked
Ari nodded. “My ancestors brought young trees with them from Greece to begin this orchard. They wanted to carry some of their heritage with them. You just missed our harvest.”
“It’s beautiful,” I said, gazing up at the canopy of leaves.
“It’s my favorite place on our island.”
Chasing Xaris Page 8