Chasing Xaris

by Samantha Bennett

  Downstairs, I scribbled Gran a note about my day-long beach trip and left it on the kitchen counter. I had planned tell her in person, but since Gran was avoiding me, I could conveniently write down my cover story instead. I debated signing “Chandler” or “Love, Chandler.” I opted for “Chandler.”

  In the shed out back, Grandpa’s orange kayak and paddle waited on the wall. Like Mom and Dad’s old bicycles—and everything else out there—the kayak and paddle were covered in dust and cobwebs. I hefted them over my head, out of the shed, and into the yellow light of dawn.

  Early mornings usually soothed me, but not today. Every few steps, I glanced over my shoulder but no one was there. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. I picked up my pace. Once I was in the ocean I’d feel better.

  On the shore, I glided the kayak into the water and jumped in. Since the waves were knee-high, I only passed a couple of surfers in the lineup. I keyed the coordinates into my phone and saw I needed to head east-ish for a mile and a half.

  I paddled forward, and my muscles hummed in time with each stroke. A cool breeze met my face and legs, and I was thankful for the long tee shirt. I kept wondering if Ari paddled this whole way to surf every morning.

  Just fifteen yards from the coordinates, I still couldn’t see anything but water. A humming sound rumbled somewhere near, and I glanced to my right. A white speedboat zoomed towards me.

  I could see the silhouettes of two men, one taller than the other. They were heading right for me.

  I tightened my grip on my paddle. I was in a kayak—they were in a speedboat. I so couldn’t outrun them.

  It could be a coincidence they were heading my way. But what if they were after me? Why would they be after me?

  The boat zoomed closer.

  I peered at my phone. I had nearly reached the island, but I still couldn’t see anything.

  The growl of the speedboat’s engine grew louder.

  Heat coursed through me. I tucked my phone into my pocket and grabbed the xaris from the baggie. One blink later, a wall of red stood just before the kayak.

  I screamed and thrust the xaris in front of me, pinching it between my fingers. I squeezed my eyes shut. A roar ripped through my ears. The pressure of thick, heavy waves barreled down on my shoulders, my arms, my knees.

  Then the pressure released me.

  I opened my eyes and saw a shore about three hundred yards away. An actual shore.

  I didn’t paddle. I couldn’t. I stayed motionless in the kayak. Feeling the thump of my heart. Listening for the speedboat’s growl. But all I heard was the sound of waves slapping against that impossible shore.

  I glanced over my shoulder. The speedboat had disappeared, but the translucent red wall was still there. It stretched straight up into the sky, as high as I could see, and hugged the island’s coastline, leaving a stretch of water between the wall and the shore.

  Aletheia Island. That was seriously Aletheia Island.

  A new sensation rushed through me. A wave of joy. Everything Santiago had said was true. I had found Ari’s island.

  I tucked xaris back into my pocket and paddled straight for the pale sand ahead. The beach looked so natural and untamed. Way different than the Fort Lauderdale beaches. Only a faded clump of kayaks disrupted the sands and palms. They rested in a mound of beach grass that had nearly grown over them.

  My kayak slid onto the sand and I jumped to my feet.

  “I’m here,” I whispered. I had to say it out loud. It still seemed unreal. I pulled out the xaris to prove that, yes everything had just happened.

  Up ahead, a line of swaying palms led into the island’s middle. The palms didn’t look like the manicured trees in my grandparents’ lawn—these had brown palm fronds hanging over their trunks. Beside one of those trunks, I noticed a girl.

  I froze.

  The girl had long brown hair and looked about my age. She was small and held a wooden spear with silver prongs that shone like knives. The spear was pointed directly at me.

  Chapter 8

  B

  EFORE I could speak, the girl pounded toward me, radiating a ferocity that sent pricks down my spine.

  “Ari!” I screamed.

  The girl’s brown eyes widened. She came to a sudden halt.

  I swallowed, feeling the hard thump of my heart. “I’m looking for Ari,” I said.

  “You know Ari?” she asked. She spoke with a faint accent, just like Ari. And she had the same wheel tattoo near her temple.

  “We’re friends,” I said. Or something like that.

  The girl’s eyes flashed. She surveyed the beach, to the right and then to the left. An older couple was sprinting toward us. Both the man and woman held spears.

  The girl cursed. She yanked me close.

  “If you value Ari’s life, then say nothing,” she hissed.

  My arm stung from her grip. What was going on? Why did she look so afraid? I tried to free myself, but the girl’s hand was like an iron clamp on my skin.

  “Say nothing,” the girl repeated. Her eyes went to the xaris in my hand. In an instant, she snatched it from me and faced the approaching couple, shoulders stiff. “I’ve captured a foreigner.”

  The older man and woman slowed as they reached us. They both had tanned skin and silver braids down their backs.

  “A foreigner,” the man said. His eyes were wide with shock.

  “How did she find us?” the woman asked.

  “We will determine that together,” the girl replied. “I’m taking her to my father now.”

  “We will accompany you,” the man said.

  “No, I need you to spread word,” the girl said, her voice ringing with authority. “Tell the others to meet in the great hall. I’m relying on you.” She gave them each a nod, and they nodded in turn.

  With a yank of my arm, she marched me into the jungle and onto a dirt path. As soon as we were out of sight, the girl hurried our pace.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “Helping Ari,” she snapped.

  “You know him?”

  “Apparently not.”

  She led us past gardens of fruits and vegetables, through an orange grove, and into a clearing with a sprawling white mansion, five stories high. The great house was a mix between Greek ruins and a Southern plantation home. Fat pillars held up a sloping roof that came to a point in the center, and sea-blue shutters framed every window.

  The clearing buzzed with people. They were all tanned and muscular. Even the older women looked like they could take me in a fight. The Aletheians’ attire was simple: sleeveless shirts, shorts, sundresses. No one wore shoes. Several held spears like the girl’s. Most of the men were shirtless—the kind of shirtless you saw in fitness magazines.

  Everyone paused at the sight of us, but no one approached. They just gawked at me and the girl who was dragging me after her.

  We entered the mansion through an arched doorway on its stucco side. Inside, we made a sharp turn left and followed a tile hall to a deserted back staircase.

  “Are you taking me to Ari,” I asked as we climbed.

  “You’ll see him soon, yes,” the girl said.

  After we’d climbed all the way to the top story, she led me down an empty hallway of midnight-blue tile, straight to a wooden door with an ornate brass knob.

  She pushed it open and gestured for me to enter. “This way,” she said.

  I walked into a bright room with white stucco walls and a gigantic bed with silky pillows. The bay windows were flung open, letting filmy blue curtains flutter in the breeze.

  A click sounded behind me.

  I turned to see the door shut and the girl gone.

  My ears rang. I raced toward the door and tried the brass knob. It was locked.

  “Hey!” I pounded my fist on the door. “I thought you were taking me to Ari.”

  No response.

  “Where’s Ari?” I yelled. I screamed and pounded, but no one came.

&
nbsp; I kept at it for what felt like an hour, hoping that someone else would hear me, but the door remained stubbornly closed. My body finally sagged in defeat. My throat and hands were so raw.

  I felt like such an idiot—I had followed the girl straight here. I could have fought her. I could have tried to find Ari instead of letting the girl lead me around like a dog on a leash.

  Angry tears poured down my cheeks. I wiped them aside and went to the window, seeing if I could escape that way. I was five stories from the ground. Nope. I checked my phone, but the screen was dark and it wouldn’t turn on. Apparently, the misos shield and technology didn’t mix so well.

  I trudged to the bed and fell onto it, arms spread. I so hadn’t seen this coming. I’d been so sure that Ari would greet me and tell me everything I needed to know. In all my planning, I’d never pictured other Aletheians on the island. And I’d definitely never pictured imprisonment.

  Minutes passed, and I rolled onto my side, listening to the steady sound of waves and breathing in the balmy air. I suddenly felt so worn out. My eyes began to droop, and I didn’t fight the sleep. I embraced it.

  When I woke later, a light breeze whispered against my face. The smell of fresh bread swirled under my nose, sweet like honeysuckle. Where was I?

  As I opened my eyes and took in the bright room, I remembered it all. But I still didn’t understand why the girl had imprisoned me. Did Ari know I was here yet? I needed to find him. Once he vouched for me, the other Aletheians would leave me alone.

  Sitting up, I saw a loaf of bread, a dish of olive oil, and a glass resting on a small table by the bed.

  Someone had come while I was sleeping. That girl? Probably.

  I picked up the glass and took a sip. Yuck. Wine. I sat the cup down and picked up the loaf of bread instead. It still felt warm to the touch. I tore off a small chunk and took a bite. The bread dissolved in my mouth, leaving a hint of honey on my tongue. I ripped off another piece, dipped it in the olive oil, and swallowed. The oil tasted fruity with a tangy spice.

  As I chewed, my thoughts went to the two speedboat men. Had they been chasing me? It had felt like it, but when I replayed the scene, I wasn’t so sure. They had never gotten close enough to prove they meant me harm. Maybe I had just freaked out in the moment.

  A loud rap hit my door and it flung open to reveal the girl with brown hair. She was holding her wooden spear. Its barbed prongs looked just as sharp as I remembered.

  “Yia sou,” she said. Her gaze flitted to the bread and oil on the small table. “I’m glad you made yourself comfortable,” she added with a frown.

  “You tricked me,” I said.

  “How?”

  “You said you’d take me to Ari.”

  The girl’s lips twitched. “I didn’t think that would be wise.”

  “But he knows I’m here, right?”

  The girl said nothing.

  “Where is he?” I asked.

  “Who are you?” the girl asked. “Where did you get xaris?”

  “Why should I tell you? You won’t tell me anything.”

  The girl approached me with the grace of dancer. “Fine. Let us do introductions. I am Delphina daughter of Theseus.” She raised an eyebrow at me, and I noticed a faint scar running through it.

  “I’m Chandler Bloom,” I said. Daughter of Tye, I added mentally. “Now will you take me to Ari?”

  Delphina sighed. “Yes. He is waiting for you along with every Aletheian who’s of age.” She looked me straight in the eye. “If you care about Ari at all, you will not mention your friendship with him during your trial.”

  “Trial? What trial?”

  “It’s considered an act of trespassing for any foreigner to come to our island. You must be tried in our court.” She placed a strong hand on my arm and pulled me off of the bed, toward the door. “Follow me. Now.”

  My legs obeyed, carrying me into the hall and down the staircase. Fighting an Aletheian seemed pointless. Still, I knew I should try. I was headed to trial, an actual trial. Re-runs of Winnie’s legal thrillers played through my mind. And then, images of a dark cell…

  I swallowed. I so needed to run. But Delphina was already stopping before a set of double doors.

  “Through here,” she said, opening one of the wooden doors. On the other side waited a packed room full of people, at least three hundred, who were all staring at me.

  I froze, but Delphina pulled me into the giant ballroom. It looked like the setting for one of Gran’s old-time movies—only way more Mediterranean. Columns protruded from the stucco walls, stretching from the tile floor to the vaulted ceiling.

  Taking my arm, Delphina led me through the throng of people. Most of the older Aletheians glowered at me, like they wanted to stone me on the spot. They all wore their hair in long braids. Everyone else looked mostly shocked, and a little shy even. I searched for Ari but couldn’t find him in the crowd.

  My stomach churned. Oh no. What if he was away surfing, or shark slaying, or something? I hadn’t even considered that.

  Delphina stopped walking, and I saw a raised podium directly in front of me.

  Ari. He stood on the podium with a handful of others.

  Relief flooded me. I had never been so thrilled to see his long hair and solemn face.

  I thought of Delphina’s warning but pushed it away. I didn’t understand why she wanted to keep my friendship with Ari a secret. Our friendship had to be the one thing that would save me. Once Ari explained who I was, everyone would quit treating me like a criminal.

  “Stay here,” Delphina ordered. She released my arm and marched up the stairs, joining the others on the platform.

  I studied Ari. He was shirtless like all the Aletheian men and wore white pants, accenting his tanned torso. He held a spear in his right hand and stared at the podium’s wooden floor. I waited for him to glance my way, but he didn’t.

  “So this is the foreigner,” said a woman from the podium. She had long white braids and luminous dark eyes.

  “Yes, this is Chandler Bloom,” Delphina said.

  “It would be in our island’s best interest if we executed her,” a man with silver-black braids said.

  The blood drained from my face.

  “Seriously?” I asked. The death sentence for trespassing?

  Delphina gave me a curt nod. “Let me explain our court. We are two of the oldest families on the island.” She gestured to the woman with the white braids. “This is my mother, Helena daughter of Heraclius. Together, we are the heads of the Chronis family.”

  That was nice and everything, but I wasn’t really in the mood for introductions. Were these people seriously going to kill me?

  Delphina nodded to the other three people on the platform. “They are heads of the Galanis family. Prytanis son of Alexandros, is father to Ariston and Nikandros. Together, the Chronis and Galanis families act as officials on behalf of our people.”

  Ariston.

  I peered at him, but he wouldn’t look at me. Fantastic. These people wanted to kill me, and the one guy I knew was ignoring me.

  “You don’t belong here, girl,” Prytanis said, his gray eyes like stones. He opened his palm to reveal Santiago’s xaris.

  My eyes flew to Delphina. She’d totally betrayed me. Not that she owed me anything.

  “This intruder violated our shore with stolen xaris,” Prytanis announced. His eyes were so cold and so gray. Just like his son’s. “She is a parabatis,” he added.

  The crowd burst into shouts.

  “Let her defend herself, Father,” Ari said, banging his spear to be heard. “We are supposed to act as a just court. It’s only fair we let her speak.”

  “Ohi.” Prytanis shook his head. Silver-black braids slapped across his broad back. “Foreigners bring nothing but malice. For centuries, we rescued them from the sea, only to have them pollute our island with their languages and ways. They tricked us into wars.”

  Several of the older Aletheians shouted their agreement.

/>   “Many of you lost family in those wars, like I did,” Prytanis said, softer. The crowd leaned forward, captivated by their leader. “You know why we created a law forbidding foreigners from our home—and why the punishment carries death. We must never let foreigners spew venom into our midst again.”

  The crowd erupted in applause, hollering and yelling like an animal with many voices.

  My ears rang with the pulsing sound, and I hugged my arms across my middle. I had the strongest sensation of sinking.

  “Let her speak,” Ari said. He banged his spear against the podium and finally looked at me. For a moment, the noise of the crowd dimmed for me. All I sensed was Ari, speaking directly to me. “She returned lost xaris to us. Maybe that was her aim.”

  Helena eyed Ari. “Ariston has a point,” she said, turning her weathered face to me. “Is that why you came to us, girl?”

  I wanted to tell them the truth, the whole story. But Ari was still watching me with that intense look.

  “Yes,” I said.

  “Of course it is.” Delphina marched to the edge of the platform. “Come here, girl.” She waved me toward the platform with her spear.

  I glanced at Ari, who had decided to ignore me again. Fantastic.

  With a shaky breath, I uncrossed my arms and climbed the stairs to the warrioress.

  Delphina lifted my hands, pretending to assess me. “She doesn’t look very dangerous to me, Mother.”

  In the crowd some of the younger Aletheians laughed quietly.

  “Do you have any plans to start a civil war, Chandler Bloom?” Delphina asked.

  “Of course not. I know how messed up the Civil War was for America, so yeah, I’m really anti-civil wars.”

  Several people in the crowd had stopped scowling at me. People murmured, pointing up at me.

  “How did you come to possess our xaris?” Delphina asked.

  “I found it on Santiago’s journal,” I said.

  The crowd suddenly hushed.

  “Parabatis,” someone shouted. Others joined in.

  Delphina banged her spear, undaunted. “How did you come by this journal?” she asked.

  “My teacher is a local historian,” I said. “He had the journal, and the xaris was on its cover.”