Keepers of the Labyrinth (8 page)

11

T
hey reached the trailhead, and Lil wiggled her toes in her shoes. Her legs ached to run and stretch, and she pictured the days when she would run behind Mom, through the fields and into the trees. When she was little, she could never keep up. She would see the soles of her mother's shoes flashing steadily ahead of her. She'd lose her for a while, then around the next bend, spot her again. This path looked different from the wooded one she was used to, climbing up a slight hill and then branching off into four forks that rose ever higher, steeper and rockier.

The girls stopped in front of a sign with four directionals at the top of it, and Lil fought to make out the Greek letters. Some looked so much like the English alphabet, they were easy to identify—the
E
s, the
A
s, and the
K
s—but she got tripped up on the other letters.

“Ah, here,” Sydney said as she rounded the other side of the sign.

They followed and looked up.

The top sign said
POCKET'S GORGE
.

The next said
HIDD
EN WATERS
.

The third said
CAVE PASSA
GE
.

And the fourth said
FUNNEL
S RAVINE
.

“Cave Passage,” Kat said. “It has to be . . . where the Minoans bury their dead. In the caves.”

“That's right,” Charlie said. “Buried high, not low. That's undoubtedly our path.”

Lil followed the arrow that pointed toward Cave Passage. The sun spilled down like melted butter onto the beginning of the path, then wound its way into shadows under the chestnut trees. The breeze picked up, and voices sprang behind them. A moment later Team A appeared. They all wore white shirts and white shorts lined with blue stripes. Their shirts said
THE A-TEAM
across the front.

“You have got to be kidding me,” Sydney muttered. “When did they—how?”

Another group rounded the corner. They were wearing mostly khakis, and each had a red bandanna around her neck. It was Team B. Lil recognized the girl with the complicated braid that ran around her head like a piece of art. Each shirt said the wearer's name. Hers had
HILDA
written across it.

Lastly, Team C came around the corner. They were all wearing long capris and T-shirts—a combination that matched less, but somehow went together. Lil looked down at her running shorts and T-shirt. Then at the others. Kat's hair was pulled into a curly ponytail at the back of her head. She wore a bright, loose top and black pants that flared out in a bell shape just above her ankles, where a colorful, embroidered flower decorated the area above the hem. Charlie had traded her suspenders for a pair of khaki shorts and a collared shirt, and Sydney wore a pair of long shorts with a black shirt displaying the periodic table.

“Ah,” Vivi said loudly so everyone could hear. “Looks like at least one team lacks team leadership
and
team spirit.”

A few of the others giggled, but Lil noticed Team C shift their eyes away, giving Vivi a snide look. Apparently, Team D weren't the only ones who were sick of her attitude. Lil was about to retort when Aestos rounded the bend. He held a clipboard in the crook of his arm, and he surveyed the group and then made a few marks.

“What do you think he's writing?” Sydney said, leaning in. “Do you think he heard that? Do you think they are really going to take off points for fashion?”

“That has nothing to do with team spirit or leadership,” Lil said, rolling her eyes.

“But do you think he's taking points off?” Sydney said again. She looked to Charlie and Kat.

“No.” Charlie shook her head, the studs in her ears catching the sunlight. “She's just trying to get under our skin. She has no clue what the rules are.”

“Attention, everyone!” Aestos hollered. “If you could all gather, I will give you the parameters of your race.”

“Oh, great. Here we go,” Sydney said as they wandered into a circle with the others. “I wish this were a building challenge or—basically anything else.”

“It's going to be fine,” Lil whispered. “There is nothing to running. You just move.”

Aestos placed his foot up on a rock and leaned in. “Your mentors are stationed along the trails. Let's not make them wait.”

The groups fell silent.

“This morning's task is a ropes course with a twist.”

Lil's heart hammered. God, she hoped the challenges looked familiar. If they did—oh, Lil couldn't help but smile. She could do them in the dark. She could do them blindfolded. In fact, she could split the tasks up by skill level for optimum achievement.

“You have each received a clue,” Aestos said, pulling her from her thoughts.

There was a flurry of hands as girls reached into their pockets and took out their note cards. Lil didn't bother to extract theirs. They already knew where they were going.

“This clue, if you have deciphered it correctly, will indicate which path to follow. If you reach the correct mentor, you have chosen the correct trail and may continue. If not, your morning task is over and your team will be disqualified. You will be directed back to the dining hall for other activities.”

There was a murmur among them, and feet stirred. “When and if you reach your mentor, you will be following a series of challenges”—he paused dramatically—“and clues that we hope will test your knowledge of this beautiful island. Those who reach the final challenge have a chance to win the day and be in the lead for the manor scholarship.”

He pulled a stopwatch from his pocket. Lil's legs tensed, and she saw Vivi jump up on the balls of her feet. She examined the other teams. Team B had two very strong-looking girls. One she thought she heard speaking Italian. Team C was definitely the least enthusiastic about what Aestos was saying. And Team A looked to be the most athletic, both with their attire and their long, toned legs. Vivi glanced over at Lil, tucked her tongue in her cheek and leaned forward in a runner's stance.

“Good luck, Team D,” she said. “I hope the little one brought her inhaler.” She jutted her chin toward Sydney.

Lil bristled.

“Don't waste your breath,” Kat said, placing her hand on Lil's shoulder.

“Yeah,” Sydney muttered, crossing her arms. “I stopped using my inhaler in middle school.”

Lil couldn't help but smile. “All right, we can do this.” She dusted her hands off on her shorts. “Besides, it's brains
and
athletics. We have a great team.”

The others nodded, half confident.

“On your marks,” Aestos began. “Get set.”

They turned toward the Cave Passage trail, and Lil took a deep, full, delicious breath.

“GO!” Aestos shouted.

Lil sprang forward, digging up the dirt to rockier terrain. Her legs stretched out, working on their own, and she felt the breeze blow through her hair as they headed into the shadows of the chestnut trees.

Several yards in, they slowed. The terrain was pure rock, and they had to climb to stay on the path. Lil led the way, trying to see around the bend, wondering if the trail would flatten out again or if it would just rise this way, higher and higher.

“This seems extremely dangerous,” Sydney huffed from behind her. “Shouldn't we be wearing ropes or something?”

“It's not that steep,” Lil said. “Just keep your belly to it if you're nervous.”

“Easy for you to say,” Sydney panted. “You move like a lizard—a
hemidact
ylus turcicus
, to be precise.”

Lil jumped higher and pulled herself to the last visible edge, peering down the path. It was still rocky, but it was also a steady grade. And off in the distance she could see someone standing, waiting. Someone wearing a brown shirt. She could swear she saw some slivers of silver in the person's hair across the distance.

“It evens out,” Lil shouted, “right here. And I think I see Bente.”

Kat crawled up next to her and Lil pointed. “I think you're right,” Kat said, taking a deep breath and placing a hand on her shoulder. They pulled themselves over the edge and turned to help Charlie and Sydney up onto the trail.

Sydney stood, lurching onward.

“Do you want to rest for a minute?” Lil asked.

Charlie leaned her arm on an outlying tree root and pushed her forehead against it. “I should work out more.”

“We don't have time for a break,” Sydney said. “Team . . .” Her chest heaved. “Team A probably isn't taking a break.”

“We'll be faster if we're fresh,” Lil said. “Besides, we have no idea how long this will take.” She took a quick sip from her water bottle and then handed it around. “It's better to go slow and steady than to waste all your energy up front and have none to push through to the end.”

Charlie took a sip of the water, swished it around her mouth and spat it on the ground. Then she passed the water bottle to Sydney.

“I don't think so,” Sydney said, waving her hand. She pulled a small water bottle from her pocket and took a sip. Charlie handed the other to Kat, who took a small drink, then handed it back to Lil.

“Okay,” Sydney said. “Let's go.”

Lil turned back to the trail. She surveyed the area, but didn't see Bente anymore. Maybe she had taken the time to sit down. Maybe she had moved. Maybe she was coming to them?

Lil hit the trail. She jumped from one rock to the other. It was just like running up Killies River. She and Mom had played this game dozens of times. Mom would time her to see how fast she could get across without getting her foot in the water. She would hop on one rock, then the other, waving her arms as she reached the ones that were unsteady and tried to buck her.

“Aim for the big ones,” Mom would say. “Keep your movement fast. Even if you're on one that's unsteady, you won't disrupt it from its spot. Stay light. Let your feet fly.”

The key was barely touching the surface, Lil thought. Just tapping it to know it was there and then moving away again. The gray rocks blurred as she ran, and she could see Mom just at the other end, coaxing her on, just like when she was five and six and seven. She jumped quickly, pulling herself forward like there was a line between them. Mom was always running out in front or standing at the other end. Lil was always following behind, trying to understand better, trying to figure out the mystery, seeing only the flickering soles of her shoes as she dodged around the next bend. Mom, both alive and dead, was always out of reach.

Lil took a wrong step and slid and twisted, letting out a shout as she careened into a rock. The sound of blood rushed to her ears for a moment, silencing the birds in the treetops. She pulled herself up, feeling her breath automatically slow as she surveyed the area. She had run across the rocks and had ended up on a dirt trail. Her ears cleared, and she could hear a brook. She turned and spotted the runoff, which was making the trail messy. She felt something drip down the back of her leg and turned to look. Mud. Up and down her calves.

Just like in the picture.

She could see her mother's legs, boots and leggings covered in mud. She reached toward her pocket, then stopped, peering behind her. She hadn't meant to leave everyone in the dust. She could see Sydney and Charlie and Kat teetering over the rocky terrain, arms out like scarecrows. All concentration. She had a minute. She yanked the picture from her pocket. Looked from the picture to the area. Mom and Bente were in a clearing. They had come out at the top of a mountain, a rocky vista behind them. The labrys was on the rock just to their right. Would she find the vista and the labrys at the end of this trail? She heard footsteps and breath behind her, and she folded the picture, replacing it in her pocket, making sure not to get it muddy. She shook her head clear. They were on a trail in the woods. Probably all of the trails were like this. She could hear Sydney's logical voice telling her not to jump to conclusions. Still, she peered down the path, wondering.

Charlie, Kat and Sydney huffed up to her, sweat streaming down their faces. Lil wiped sweat from her brow, too. She had to admit, the Cretan sun was hot, even this early in the day.

“You okay?” Kat asked. “I saw you fall.”

“I'm okay,” Lil said. “Do you need—”

They waved her on.

“Keep going,” Sydney said. “We're almost there anyway.”

Lil didn't need to be told twice. They charged ahead, twisting around a few more bends until they came face-to-face with Bente. Lil surveyed the scene. She was sitting on a large flat rock, and trees filled in the area behind her. No vista, no double-headed ax, just Bente. They ran up to her. Lil noticed the cord peeking out from her collared shirt as their feet pounded to a halt in front of her. She still wore the key.

“Well done,” she said. “You chose the right trail, which means you will move forward to the next step.”