Bee's eyes fluttered open. I picked her up and placed her in my lap, cooing at her. She began swatting at the ends of my hair. I turned my head to give her better access to my curls, and I saw Ahi's mother standing in the doorway, her face white. I straightened in alarm. Could she see my weaves? No, of course not. Maybe there really was an emergency on the island?
"El volcán?" I asked.
She didn't respond.
Ahi's face poked into the doorframe. She kept her gaze fixed on me. "Kaitlyn? What happened?"
"You tell me." I narrowed my eyes at her.
"What?"
"Exactly."
She moved her mother away, whispering something in her ear, then turned to me. She approached cautiously. "Why are you in the playpen?"
I relaxed a little – maybe it was simply my behavior putting them on edge.
"I…I…never mind. I'll be out in a minute. Could you please shut the door behind you?"
Ahi didn't budge, but she did cross her arms.
I sighed. "I promise, I'll explain. Just give me a minute."
A minute turned into three hours as I found excuses to busy myself. Bathe Bee, feed Bee, change Bee, take down the drying laundry, shower for myself, put Bee down for the night, and finally dinner preparation. Thankfully it was my night. By my shower I had to release my weaves. I was completely exhausted and the surge was long gone. Either the threat was no longer there, or there was never a threat to begin with. I prayed for the latter.
Dinner brought me face to face with Ahi and her mother. There was no avoiding it anymore. Still, I pretended to ignore their stares.
"Okay, what’s the matter?" Ahi finally spoke, looking at me over her plate of rice and beans.
I leaned back in my chair, finishing my last bite.
Now Bee, I thought. Wake up now!
This time, Bee wasn't playing along.
I finally resigned, "I’m worried."
"About what?"
"Him." I cleared my throat as Ahi raised her eyebrows. "The one I'm running from."
The pair of women sitting across from me exchanged glances. Mama understood English well enough to follow.
I continued, "I covered my tracks very, very carefully. But if he ever did find me, it would be bad. I'm sorry, I don't mean to bring any trouble into your home." I hung my head. "We'll be gone by tomorrow."
"You are not going anywhere," Ahi pointed at me with her fork. I focused on the bean at the end of it.
I turned to look at Mama, seeking her approval as well.
She nodded her head.
I smiled, slightly. "Muchas gracias." There weren't many more words to portray my gratitude.
"Now, help me with the dishes," Ahi said. "I have to go bartend in an hour."
Chapter 10
Jalopies Galore
"Ahi – wait up!" I ran outside, catching her before she started her scooter, the main mode of transportation on the island. I glanced back to make sure her mother wasn't listening. "Can I ask another favor?"
Her eyebrow rose. I cleared my throat and put my hand over hers. "I need someone to keep tabs on the ports, the hotels, and the airport. I can give descriptions of a couple of men to be on the lookout for."
Ahi nodded. "I have connections in the hotels, of course. And I can ask around about the ports and airports."
Lava and waves had created hundreds of sea caves and a treacherous coastline. It made for great scuba diving, but there were very few places safe to anchor. A steady watch on the main port would prove helpful, but if Shawn or Micah were to come looking, they would most likely come in by plane. "Do you know anyone that might have access to flight rosters?"
She removed her hand from mine and put on her helmet. "In case you haven't noticed, Kaitlyn, this is a very, very small island."
I smiled. "When you can get from one end to the other in twenty minutes on this jalopy of yours…"
She punched my shoulder playfully. "My jalopy is better than your jalopy."
I couldn't argue, especially since I didn't have a scooter. She started the small engine and I watched her ride off. I could almost follow her small headlight all the way into town. The main street of Hanga Roi, Avenue Atamu Tekema, was alive with lights and music. Preparations and several preemptive celebrations for the annual Tapata Rapa Nui Festival called to me. For the first time in a long time, I felt the need to socialize. I wanted to be a part of a crowd. I wanted to dance. I needed to drink.
I took a step toward the town, then another, and another until I found myself at the end of Ahi's driveway. One more step and I would be off the property, away from the safe haven and for just a few hours of freedom – away from Bee.
I raised my knee, and started to extend my foot when a soft but alluring humming made me pause, mid-step. Mama was humming the tune she'd been trying to teach me. It was my favorite, but it was difficult because it was in Pascuan, the Eastern Polynesian language native to the island, and all but lost among the younger generation.
Somehow, after days attempting the words to the song, they were clearer to me. The old woman's harmony penetrated the walls of the thin house and floated down the driveway. In the open air, clarity graced me and I sang the song using my own breath, my own words. I couldn't pinpoint what they meant, or where each word ended and a new one began, but the difficult song came to me as though I'd known it my whole life.
I set my foot down and turned back to the house. Back to Mama and back to Bee.
Chapter 11
The Athame Wielder
Shawn's feet landed with a loud thud. The sound bounced off the barren cave walls and echoed across the still water below. The Shades were not showing themselves, each in a hiding place they had found after Shawn's last visit. All but one, anyway. Arianna stood alone, waiting for Shawn to make his way down the stairs.
Shawn straightened his back and began to descend, studying her. Long black, shiny hair cascaded over her shoulders. Not a strand out of place. A stark contrast to Kaitlyn's wild curls.
How much time did they spend together? How close were they?
There was no doubt the Athame and Shades were under his control, but how to tap into that power, and ensure it didn't backfire, was still a decision he had to make. By force or by friendship?
Arianna didn't blink. Her lips didn't move – there were no telltale signs of what she might be thinking.
A distinct advantage to being non-human, I suppose. Shawn had attempted to absorb the power of other Gaias through a strong friendship and romantic relationship with Sarah, then by force with Kaitlyn. Neither turned out in his favor. And this is why the world is better without Gaias. Too unpredictable.
"Where is Kaitlyn's Shade?" Shawn asked without preamble, as he came to stand on level ground with Arianna.
"Protected, Athame Wielder."
Shawn circled the Shade, then squatted down to the water, dipping his hand into the cool liquid. He peered into the inky black depths. Ripples bounced along the surface, and he saw the shimmery blues and purples of Shades hiding below scurry at his disturbance. He shook his hand dry and stood, facing Arianna again. "Does she even know her Shade exists here?"
"It was never discussed," Arianna said. "To face one's Shade while still of the Earth would be devastating. There was no need to tempt fate."
Shawn tilted his head, sparing a quick glance at Sarah's cave. He wouldn't be pushing his luck with her today, not if he wanted to live to see tomorrow. But he needed to find Kaitlyn's Shade. Perhaps if he could just absorb her power through the Shade, he wouldn't need her corporeal body. Then they could end the manhunt, here and now.
Shawn tapped his lips with his forefinger, studying Arianna. "Kaitlyn is in trouble. She had the baby, and she is alone and scared. We need to find her. Can you help me?"
Arianna's form rippled in a violent shimmer.
So there are telltale gestures, Shawn thought. But what was that? Anger? Worry?
"If Kaitlyn needed your help, she'd find you," Arianna's
voice boomed throughout the cave.
Anger, then. He had to play his cards carefully.
Shawn took a deep breath and forced his face to relax into a half-smile. "I think we all know Kaitlyn better than that. The bull-headed girl that she is; always taking on more than she can handle."
Arianna slowly stopped shimmering. "Are you and Kaitlyn kindred souls?" Her eyes took a solid, human form, revealing their dark brown color; the iris almost indistinguishable from the pupil.
Shawn flinched at the scrutiny. Another glance at Sarah's cave was involuntary. Arianna would've seen that. "No," he answered. "Why?"
"Only her other half would have any luck with her Shade."
Shawn's eyes widened. There was no need to search the cave. He'd let Micah do it for him.
*
"No burns this time," Alex commented.
Shawn stretched like waking from a long nap. The handcuffs clinked. Alex threw Shawn the key before there was another argument. Micah and Shawn argued more than five-year-olds.
Micah opened the door to their small motel room, stamping snow from his boots.
Shawn snorted, then asked, "Did you find her on the slopes?"
"No." Micah removed his jacket and threw it on the bed.
"She just gave birth; not sure why you thought she'd be snowboarding." Shawn tossed the handcuffs down and stood, sheathing his Athame.
Micah sat down in the chair Shawn had vacated. "There is unprecedented ice melt right now in Greenland."
"So?" Shawn asked.
Alex shifted in his chair. He sensed another argument coming on. It would be so much nicer to be at the Chakra with Susan instead of babysitting.
"So, disasters follow in her wake. If we trail the natural disasters, we might catch up to her."
Shawn snorted again, moving past Micah, toward the coffee machine. "We are going about this all wrong."
Micah stuck out his foot. Shawn stumbled, but before Shawn hit the ground, Micah pounced, shoving his knee into Shawn's back and driving him down the rest of the way. Shawn grunted and tried to pick himself up. Micah held Shawn's head down, grinding his nose into the dirty motel carpet.
They both froze at the click of Alex's gun. Alex turned the safety off, but held the muzzle down, pointed away from them.
"I'm not going to do this anymore," Micah spared a sideways glance at Alex. "I can't chance her in his hands again." Micah removed Shawn's Athame from its sheath.
"Wait! We don't know what will happen," Alex said.
Micah turned the knife over in his hand. "Nothing is happening." He put the knife to Shawn's throat.
"Don't!" Alex cried, gun no longer pointed at the ground. "Please. Don't make me choose between my brothers."
Micah looked straight into the barrel of the gun. "I didn't think the choice would be that hard to make."
The gun didn't waver. Micah removed the knife from Shawn's throat, and took the sheath for himself. He leaned down. "Next time – we visit the Shades together."
"If you insist," Shawn smiled.
Chapter 12
Save the Bees
Mama woke up sick; most likely a combination of dehydration and simply having overworked putting the fence up the previous day. After forcing water down her throat and shooing away whatever minor medical emergencies came calling, I made her morning trip to the store, hoping a grocery shopping excursion would scratch my itch to socialize.
As I secured that night's dinner to the bicycle, Andrés, Ahi's cousin, approached. "Got a list for you to review."
I turned around, frowning. "A list?"
He stuck a few pieces of paper out to me, glancing over his shoulder, then over mine, then down at his feet. I took it, furrowing my eyebrows at the list of names. His foot began tapping as he continued looking for who knew what.
I finally looked back up, "I'm confused."
"I work at the airport. Didn't Ahi tell you?" he held out his hand, eyebrows raised – exasperated, almost.
I shook my head no.
"Oh," he folded his arms across his chest. "I can get registered passengers for all flights in. Doesn't account for last minute changes, of course, but it's the best we can do."
"Oh, yes. Thanks!" I looked at the list again, this time with more interest. "No, I don't recognize anyone."
Andrés took back the list and stuffed it right down the front of his pants, looking over his shoulder again.
Is that where it came from? Ew. I wiped my hands on my skirt.
"If you can meet me here every morning, I'll exchange the list with you."
"I can do that." All I had was the small pedal bike, but it was probably time I did some exercising beyond gardening and house labor. I looked up the hill toward our house, still dreading the ride back, especially with Bee. I adjusted her sling. She was getting heavier. Maybe I could get some sort of infant seat for the bike now that she could support her own head. Ah, the milestones.
I gestured to the basket on his bike. "What are you painting?"
He picked up one of the paint cans. "My beehives. Light colors help prevent the hives from overheating in hot weather."
"You're a beekeeper?"
"This is my first year," Andrés said, laying his paint can down on the ground and putting his hand on his hip with an air of importance. "They are in massive decline on most continents. But you know that."
I furrowed my eyebrows. "They are?"
"I thought you knew." He frowned. "I thought that is why you named your baby…but you are—" He cut off, finally understanding something that I did not.
"I am what?"
"Never mind, not important." Andrés put his arm around my shoulders. "Wanna see the hives?"
I laughed. "Not unless you have an infant bee suite."
"Oh – yes. Well, I'll bring you some of my honey then. In ten years, when bees everywhere else have died off, I'll have some of the only honey in the world. I'll become rich and famous."
"From honey?" I couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm.
"Yep. And just think – you will have been one of the first to taste it."
"Can't wait."
"And neither can the rest of the world. They just don't know it yet."
I laughed, moving with him through the morning market. "That makes no sense."
I stopped to look at handmade sandals. Maybe it was time to trade in my sneakers for local footwear. "So why are the bees dying?" I set down the sandals and moved on; maybe another time. The house needed a new refrigerator.
Andrés waved to a tattoo artist, sitting outside his shop, "Hey, cousin!" He turned back to me, "They poison their own ecosystems with pesticides. It's not just affecting bees, it's most pollinators; bats, wasps – all of them. And it won't change; not in time, anyway."
"Ah," I said. "And in rides Andrés on his…beehive, to save the day."
"That…would not be pleasant." He adjusted his crotch. "Come on, Chica – you need to get back home before Ahi has your hide. Plus, I need to burn the evidence."
I rolled my eyes. "Fine - get to your bees."
"With pleasure, my lady." Andrés bowed and was off on his scooter, toting his paint cans in the basket behind him. "See you at the feast tonight!"
The feast? I asked myself as he rode out of sight. Oh, right. Ahi had invited at least fifteen of her 'cousins' over to kick off the Tapata Rapa Nui festival with a feast. I glanced at the large tattoo artist, wondering if he was one of them.
I sighed. "Come on, Bee. We're gonna need more food." That ride up the hill was going to be a helluva workout.
*
The majority of the cousins left soon after the meal. Feeling better with rest and water, Mama had been able to cook. Had it been me cooking they would have left a lot sooner. With well over thirty cousins here, I was beginning to think the entire island was related.
Bee sat in the bouncer one of Ahi’s coworkers had loaned her, next to the sink, while Mama sang songs and cooed at her as she finished washing dishes. After I
was done wrapping leftovers for Ahi's lunches, I sat down, listening to her as intently as Bee, recording her song in my notebook. Picking apart songs helped me learn the language. Mama glanced at me, slowing her words and repeating the song until I had it all down.
Ahi stopped sweeping and sat down next to me, looking over my shoulder.
"Do you want me to translate that for you?"
I shook my head. "Nah. I’ll do it later – helps me learn."
She shrugged. "Suit yourself."
I closed the notebook and smiled at Bee, who was smiling at Mama.
"Now," Ahi clapped her hands together, once. "You need a break tonight. Andrés and his friends offered to take you to the festival for a few hours."
"Oh, um," I hesitated, caught off guard. "I don’t know. I mean – it is almost Bee’s bedtime, she shouldn’t be out too late."
"No, Chica. You go. Bee stays. We’ll watch her." Ahi’s tone said this wasn’t up for discussion.
But it most certainly was. I had never left Bee, not once. "Thank you, but I’m really tired. Woke up early to pick tomatoes for the sauce. Maybe another time."
Mama clicked her tongue and pulled me out of the seat, pushing me toward the bathroom and stuffing what makeup the two had in my hands. Neither one was taking no for an answer. I was outnumbered.
Come on Bee, I thought. Help me out. Cry or something – you need your mommy.
No such luck – she was playing with Ahi’s braids, laughing every time she grabbed hold of one.
Traitor.
"You can feed her before you go, then she’ll be asleep for at least four hours," Ahi called from the kitchen. "You’ll be back before then. You need to learn how to take time for yourself. It begins now."
I peeked out from my room. Ahi picked Bee up. "We’ll go next door and let them know you are coming. Yes, we will, yes we will. Come on, honey bee."
The storm door slammed behind them, cutting Ahi’s buzzing short. My chest felt tight. Mama came in, putting one of Ahi's outfits and a hairbrush in my hands. She patted me on the shoulder, cooing at me that it would be ok in thick Spanish, like she did whenever Bee was upset.
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