Awakenings (Intertwined Souls Series Book 4) Read online

  Mary D. Brooks

  Awakenings

  Intertwined Souls Series Book 4

  2nd Edition

  AUSXIP Publishing - Sydney, Australia

  www.ausxippublishing.com

  INTERTWINED SOULS SERIES

  Book 1 – In The Blood of the Greeks

  Book 2 – Where Shadows Linger

  Book 3 – Hidden Truths

  Book 4 – Awakenings

  Book 5 - No Good Deed

  Copyright © 2015 Mary D. Brooks

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  Cover by:

  Jazzy “Aiglon” Trafikowska

  Illustrations by:

  Lucia Nobrega

  Photography by:

  KT Jorgensen

  Models:

  Kat Cavanaugh (Eva Muller)

  Penny Cavanaugh (Zoe Lambros)

  ­­Acknowledgments

  Rosa Alonso. Writing this novel has been a true joy with you by my side. Your encouragement, enthusiasm and unwavering support touches my heart and soul. Without your help, Awakenings would not be the novel it is.

  To my dear friends Jazzy Trafficano and Joy Scavo who have enriched my life, have made me laugh till my head hurt and have given me so much joy. I’m truly blessed to have friends like you.

  To the awesome Cavanaughs! Kat and Penny Cavanaugh – you are forever in my thoughts and my sincerest thanks.

  Prologue

  QUESTIONS. Questions and more questions circulated like an out of control carousel in Eva Haralambos’ mind. She blinked in the semi-darkness of the bedroom. She was trying to get to sleep, but the turmoil in her mind prevented her from attaining that elusive goal.

  Her back. The pain from her back intensified the longer she stayed in bed. No matter which position she tried, she was unable to achieve any respite. The legacy of her stepfather’s brutal beating and mistreatment was a constant reminder of what she had been through. The nightmares had increased, and her dislike for painkillers or drugs of any kind only made the situation worse. There was no relief.

  Eva turned to glance at Zoe, who was sleeping beside her. Eva had met Zoe Lambros in 1942 in Larissa, Greece, and Zoe had saved her life two years later. Zoe, the redheaded whirlwind, whose childhood had been ripped away from her when the Germans invaded her sleepy town, was the love of her life. Zoe had become a courageous member of the Resistance, and together they worked against the Germans to aid the Jews. That was the start of their story—a story that had taken them to Australia to build a new life for themselves.

  They were back where it all began for her and Zoe, back in the village that she despised, and back in the place that almost killed her.

  Larissa had changed Eva’s life in 1944, and now, six years later, once again revealed one unexpected piece of a puzzle that she was not even aware was missing.

  Theresa Rosa. Her aunt Tessa. The woman that her family thought had perished in a fire before Eva was born was alive. This revelation led to more astonishing news. Her aunt was gifted in a way Eva would never have anticipated or thought possible if she hadn’t seen the evidence. Tessa’s gifts were a blessing or a curse depending on how one interpreted them. Being able to see into the future with such clarity was disturbing and frightening.

  How did Tessa cope with knowing the pain and anguish of what was to come for someone who wasn’t even born?

  Was God playing some sort of bitter and twisted game?

  Was Eva cursed as well with these gifts?

  Eva’s life had been one of privilege until the Night of Broken Glass, and then fate threw her into a world where revulsion and torture became her reality. To her horror, she ended up in war-torn little Greek village that became her hell on earth—she was despised by her stepfather and villagers alike.

  She sighed.

  With a grunt, she threw the blanket off her legs and quietly got out of bed. The bed squeaked, but the noise didn’t wake Zoe. She put on her robe and stood at the foot of the bed, watching Zoe sleep for a moment before she turned and slipped out of the room.

  Fate was laughing at her again and she was powerless to stop whatever was heading her way.

  If only she knew what the fates had in store for her.

  Chapter One

  Stella was tired, but sleep was eluding her. It had been a very emotional day, meeting up with Zoe Lambros, her niece, and her new adopted niece, Eva Haralambos. She wasn’t expecting it to be so emotional and thought that Tessa would be affected the most. She turned her head to glance at Tessa, her partner, who was lying on her back, sound asleep, oblivious to the rattling windows and the storm brewing outside. Tessa’s long dark hair fanned out and stood out against the yellow pillowcase. Tessa had also had an emotional day, but sleep came easily to the younger woman. A gentle thump in the hallway made Stella look at the closed bedroom door. Then she heard another softer thump.

  Stella pulled back the covers and got out of bed. She found her robe and put on her slippers. Just as quietly, she opened the door and slipped outside.

  Further down the corridor was an unmistakable tall figure, although at the moment she appeared to be just a little bit shorter. Eva was leaning against the wall with her knees slightly bent. Stella knew that stance intimately, since Tessa often sat like that to ease the pain in her back.

  She padded quietly to Eva’s side. “You know, I think this part of the building won’t fall down,” she whispered, earning her a brief smile. “How much pain are you in? Ten being the world is coming to an end and one being you’re just too relaxed.”

  “Nine.” Eva’s voice sounded as pained as her back looked.

  “I’ve been developing a new technique—”

  “No.”

  “You haven’t heard it yet.”

  “I don’t like doctors. Is it the Salvatore Technique?”

  “The Salvatore Technique… I’ve never heard of that.” Stella mimicked Eva’s stance on the wall.

  Eva turned her head and scowled at Stella. “Are you making fun of me?”

  “Of course I’m not. What I’m doing is trying to see how this helps ease the pain because Tessa does the same thing. As you said, you don’t like doctors, so I’m not here as your doctor but as your aunt. I know you haven’t had an aunt before, but now you have two. I’m just keeping you company, since Tessa is asleep and I’m guessing Zoe is as well.”

  Eva glanced at Stella before she looked away.

  For a few minutes Stella kept silent, but she wasn’t very good at staying that way for any length of time. “Do you want some painkillers?”

  Eva shifted her position on the wall and shook her head. “No. I don’t like taking any drugs.”

  “Hmm,” Stella mused. “You are just being asinine.”

  Outraged blue eyes glared back at her, making Stella rather pleased with herself.

  “Not taking medication when you need it is foolish.”

  “I don’t take drugs.”

  “So you keep saying. I know you don’t like doctors, but did you at least speak to one about pain relief?”

  Eva sighed. “I’ve seen many doctors and they all prescribe pain medication, and I don’t want to take drugs. I’m never going to be free of pain and it would get worse, so I’m learning to deal with the pain and not rely on narcotics.” She stuck her hand inside her robe pocket and took out her cigarette case and a box of matches. She rolled a cigarette between her fingers.

  Eva intrigued Stella. There was no doubt she was going to have a lot of work to do to get her to open up. Goddess, Zoe mu
st be extremely patient with this one.

  Eva lit the cigarette and took a drag.

  “You don’t make it easy for people to get to know you. Actually, you make it very difficult.” Stella didn’t miss the half smile that creased Eva’s face. “I’d say you rather enjoy people not knowing you.”

  “I would rather people not bother to try to get to know me. You are just too...” Eva stopped and took a drag of her cigarette.

  “Nosy is the word you are looking for and too polite to use,” Stella said and smiled broadly. “I like you. You are trying to make me walk away from you. You want me to think that you are too much hard work and that I should leave you alone.”

  “If you think that’s what I’m doing, then that’s what I’m doing.”

  “It’s not going to work. Tessa did the same thing when we first met. I know all about the Mitsos technique. I’m not sure if it’s the same as the Salvatore Technique, but I can tell you that it didn’t work for Tessa, and it certainly won’t work for you.”

  “Why are you so interested in getting to know me?”

  “You are married to my niece and I’m married to your aunt. That makes us family.”

  Eva glanced at Stella. “You are very direct.”

  “Yes, I am. So tell me something about yourself that I don’t know.”

  “How do I know you don’t know it?”

  Stella smiled. Progress. Slow, slow progress. “I will tell you if I don’t know about it.”

  Eva paused for a moment as she stared at Stella. “Have you heard of AEMullerStahl?”

  “Yes, very large German steel manufacturers.”

  “That’s an odd thing to know.”

  “Is it? I tend to remember things I read. It’s called a photo—”

  “Photographic memory. Zoe has that ability.”

  “Yes. Her father also had that ability. It’s an inherited gift.”

  Eva watched the smoke rise from her cigarette as she kept her eyes lowered and stared at the floor. “AEMullerStahl was run by my grandfather, Alexander Muller. When he passed away, my grandmother, Beatriz Muller, ran the company with the help of her sons Wilbur, Hans, and Dieter. My stepfather, Hans, was an officer in the army, and my uncle Dieter ran a hospital and research facility in Aiden.”

  Wow. I didn’t think it was going to be that easy, Stella thought as she watched Eva find a position against the wall that she liked. She had not anticipated that revelation so soon. “You are one of those Mullers.”

  Eva smiled. “Yes, one of those Mullers, but you already knew that.”

  “Did you say your uncle ran a hospital? In Aiden?”

  “Aiden is on the border between Germany and Austria. It’s a steel making town that the Mullers owned. There’s a hospital there. My grandfather also built a research facility on the grounds to find a cure for dementia and other mental illnesses,” Eva recounted in a monotone as if she was reciting a memorized play. “In 1938 my stepfather attacked me after he found out I was a lesbian,” she added, her voice devoid of any emotion.

  “That’s where the damage was done to your back?”

  “Yes. I was taken to the hospital in Aiden so as not to embarrass the family name. We wouldn’t want the Muller name scandalized,” Eva bitterly replied. “I spent a few weeks there recovering from the beating. I was then moved to another part of the hospital where I was…” She took a deep breath and released it. “You saw what happened.”

  “Without a proper examination I can only guess here, but I would say the attack damaged your spine. What did he use to beat you with?”

  “A fireplace poker, a leather belt, and his fists,” Eva responded, her voice almost a whisper.

  “That’s brutal,” Stella said softly, knowing it was far worse than the word implied. “You were then tortured with the aversion treatments even though your spine had been damaged in the attack. The after-effects of the electric shocks caused convulsions which fractured the already injured areas.”

  “They broke my back?”

  “Yes, you can say that.”

  “After I was cured,” Eva stopped for a moment and took a deep breath, “I was also given electric shock therapy for my melancholy once they finished with me at the research facility.”

  “One was a valid treatment and the other was torture. Repeated treatments would have caused more damage. That’s what the aim of the shocks was—they cause the brain to spasm and produce convulsions. These are very severe, and your spine bore the brunt. What is astonishing to me is that they would do this while knowing how damaged your back was already.”

  “I don’t know. I don’t think they cared about my back.” Eva took a drag of her cigarette. “In 1941 I went with my stepfather to Paris. He wanted me to be with him so he could keep an eye on me. That’s where I got caught up in a bomb explosion.”

  “The Resistance bombed the house where you were staying?”

  “Hmm. The ceiling fell on top of me. The bombing further damaged my back. I wasn’t able to walk for a long time, and by the time we went to Larissa, I was just barely back on my feet.”

  “In addition to your damaged spine, you also sustained damage during the bombing? That is quite an ordeal.”

  “Yes. I was an emotional and physical cripple in the middle of a war-zone.”

  “You have been through a lot. If you let me, I can show you and Zoe how to temporarily relieve the pain through manipulating the muscles in your back. It won’t make it go away, but it can help. Do you want me to help you?”

  “I’ve had doctors try to help me, but nothing helps my problem. If you want to be yet another doctor who tries yet another technique, sure. As long as you don’t want me to take drugs.” Eva closed her eyes and nodded. “Zoe has wanted to take me to chiropractors, but most of them just haven’t got any idea. She was shown a technique on the ship by a Dr. Salvatore. I think he took a liking to her and he gave her lessons.”

  “Chiropractors don’t know how to treat someone like you. You are a special case, and not many chiropractors have seen the kind of damage done to your spine. I have a very different technique that I have used with my patients for many years. The other thing you can do is to strengthen your back, legs, and stomach muscles. Do you do any exercise?”

  Eva’s head dropped. “No.”

  “In the morning I’m going to go through the exercises you need to do. As your doctor—”

  “Who said you’re my doctor?” Eva asked.

  “I just appointed myself,” Stella replied and noted Eva’s dubious look. “We are family. Now, bend your knees more, like you are sitting on a chair.”

  Eva hesitated for a moment before she lowered herself down.

  Stella nodded. “This will strengthen your back, your bottom, thighs, and your stomach muscles.” She lightly patted Eva’s middle. “You need to build strength so your spine will be supported more easily.”

  “No one told me that before.”

  “Of course they didn’t; that would make too much sense. Now, stand,” Stella instructed. “Now wait a moment before doing that again. No one told you about that because they don’t think. Alright?”

  Eva nodded and stood up to her full height again.

  “Come with me.” Stella took Eva’s hand and began to walk off only to have to stop again when Eva didn’t move. “I’m going to give you a massage. It will help you,” she added and waited for Eva as she pushed herself from the wall. She led her to an empty bedroom.

  “Can you take off your robe, please, while I go and get some oil?”

  Eva blinked in the lamplight and hesitated. “Trust me, you don’t have anything I haven’t seen before, and that includes your scars,” Stella said softly and watched as Eva shyly looked away. “Do you want me to give you a massage and help you with the pain?”

  Eva nodded. Stella smiled, turned her back, and left the room.

  Stella entered her bedroom and very quietly went to her dressing table and opened the drawer.

  “Angel, you
are making a racket,” Tessa mumbled.

  “Did I wake you, my love?” Stella sat on the bed and smiled down at her lover. Tessa was lying on her side and sleepy grey eyes stared back at her.

  “No,” Tessa replied softly. “I woke up after hearing voices. It’s three in the morning.”

  “You’re not having a vision because those gorgeous gray eyes are still gray?”

  Tessa smiled. “Your voice, Angel. You were trying to whisper but I could hear you, and that robe…I need sunglasses this early in the morning.”

  “Ha Ha. At least you won’t ever lose me in the dark.”

  “Heavens, we wouldn’t want that.” Tessa chuckled.

  “I think I made some progress, but baby steps. I finally got her talking about Beatriz and that research facility. I didn’t think it would be that easy, but I asked and she answered.”

  Tessa yawned. “Beatriz Muller, one of the most powerful women in Europe. Well, she used to be before the war. What a horrible woman. So much damage was done to my niece. Those bastards should rot in hell.”

  Stella was not surprised by the vehemence coming from her normally calm spouse. “Hell is too good for them even though I don’t believe in hell. I’ll make an exception for the Mullers.”

  “How much damage has been done? Did she ask you how you knew about the shock treatments?”

  “I don’t know the extent of the damage until I examine her, but from what she described, it’s not good. She didn’t ask how I knew.”

  “She will. What are you doing now?”

  “Giving her a massage.”

  Tessa grinned. “Oh, I like those.”

  Stella chuckled and tenderly kissed Tessa on the lips. “Go back to sleep. If I can get her to open up to me tonight, it may be some time before I come to bed.”