Hidden Truths (Intertwined Souls Series Book 3) Read online

  “Lover, best friend, wife, partner.” Eva brought Zoe closer and kissed her. “Uncle Dion will find out how much of a handful you are, and poor Kiriakos Vaskos will just be out of luck.”

  “Don’t you think that’s a problem?”

  “For them, yes.”

  “I don’t know what gives them the right to want to marry me off.”

  “They love you, Zoe.”

  “I don’t love them.”

  “Yes, you do. They just want you to be happy.”

  “Where were they during the war? In safe America, that’s where. The first sign of trouble with the Italians and Uncle Dion gets scared and runs off to America. The coward. He didn’t stay and fight the Italians and he didn’t come back to fight the Germans,” Zoe replied vehemently.

  Eva opened her eyes. “I know how you feel about those who didn’t stay.”

  “Cowards.” Zoe looked up and found Eva’s loving gaze. “They couldn’t stay and defend their home, their countrymen, their way of life. They ran off like scared rabbits, leaving us to defend our town against the invaders. You know how I feel about those miserable cowards. They collaborated with the enemy by running away.”

  “I know.”

  “Larissa’s soil is stained with the blood of the brave souls who did stay, who fled to the mountains to fight in the Resistance, who resisted in the town. Uncle Dion ran and didn’t look back. He’s back in Larissa because of the property law. He has the nerve to want to marry me off? Where was he when Mama died? He didn’t come rushing to help me then. How dare he?” Zoe said bitterly. “To hell with them.”

  “They are still your family, love.”

  “I know, but they have no right to want to meddle in my life.”

  “I think Uncle Dion is going to find out that he can’t tell you what to do.”

  “And Aunty Stella.”

  “Apparently she’s still alive. She’s happy she’s not dead and crazy, I suppose.” Eva chuckled. “I don’t know, love. Let’s wait and find out what Crazy Aunty Stella is like.”

  “Alright.”

  “Can we go to sleep now?”

  Zoe played with the fringe of the blanket. “It’s going to be a long day tomorrow.”

  Eva yawned. “Yes.”

  “I sent Debbie a note thanking her for giving you that flyer, although I don’t like the idea of you working for the four weeks.”

  Eva smiled. “First class cabin, Zo, with a little lounge. We won’t have to travel in a broom closet.”

  Zoe laughed lightly at the description of their journey to Australia. “It was cozy.”

  “It was claustrophobic. Two months’ wages for a first class cabin. I don’t care that I have to work. It’s going to be really comfortable.” Eva yawned. “Zoe, I want to sleep.” She kissed the top of Zoe’s head. “I love you dearly but I’m tired. Need to sleep.”

  “Yes.” Zoe watched Eva's eyes close. “Evy?”

  “Huh?”

  “I love you.”

  Eva smiled. “Yes, love,” she said as she stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray that sat on the bedside table. She wrapped herself around Zoe and dozed off.

  “To hell with them, those silly people,” Zoe mumbled as sleep overtook her.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The noonday sun shone brightly and glistened off the blue-green water of the harbor. The huge ocean liner, The Arcadia, sat docked in the international passenger terminal as passengers and crew boarded her for the four-week journey to Europe. Its white hull was a stark contrast to the colorful display of flags aboard the ship that fluttered in the gentle breeze.

  Zoe smiled at the ship as Earl’s car came to a stop. She didn’t believe in signs, but she hoped that it was going to be a trip that would finally put a few demons to rest.

  Eva was in a very animated conversation with Earl in the front seat. Zoe smiled at Eva’s laugh. Eva’s natural beauty made Zoe’s heart skip a beat, even after five years of their relationship.

  She was a far cry from the teenager that she had been, with so much hatred in her heart that it was the only thing that kept her alive.

  Zoe glanced out the window and her mind went back to Larissa. It was their last day in the Greek village right after they left the Greek church that had become such an important part of their lives.

  As they left the church, the warmth of the day and the brilliant sunshine greeted them. “I miss him,” Zoe said quietly, and looked back at the church.

  ”I do too, love,” Eva replied as she took off her scarf and replaced it with the black hood of her cloak. Eva and her cloak were a very familiar sight in Larissa.

  Zoe passionately hated that cloak. There was something about it that unsettled her. “You know you stick out wearing that.”

  Eva glanced at her and pulled the cloak around her. “I stick out no matter what I’m wearing.”

  They walked along the cobbled street. Their footsteps echoed down the narrow streets.

  “Are you alright?” Zoe asked.

  “I’m tired.”

  Zoe nodded, and they continued to Athena’s Bluff, the tiny outcropping where Zoe had realized how much Eva meant to her.

  Eva led her down the tree-lined path and into the clearing. Mount Ossa stood majestically in the horizon.

  “Where do we go from here?” Zoe asked, hoping Eva didn’t want to go back to Germany. That was the last place she wanted to be.

  “I can’t stand it anymore to be in Larissa. I feel like I’ve been battered from all sides and I just can’t stand another day.”

  “Do you want to go home?” Zoe asked a little apprehensively.

  “No, there isn’t anything there I want. I don’t ever want to go back to Germany.”

  Zoe gazed up at Eva and put her arms around her waist. “Then we go somewhere else.”

  “We can travel to Egypt and get on a refugee ship to Australia. Do you still want to go there?”

  “If we can. It’s far away from here, from Germany. From everything.”

  “Australia it is.”

  “You’re still not fully recovered.”

  “I am feeling better. I need to get away from here,” Eva replied in German. She looked down sheepishly at Zoe. “Sorry.” She looked down at her hands.

  “What are you sorry about? German is your language, your heritage.” Zoe took Eva’s hand and kissed it.

  “I don’t want to remind you.”

  “You don’t have to speak Greek to me if you don’t want to. I know how to speak German.”

  Eva tenderly stroked Zoe’s cheek. She bent down to gently kiss Zoe. “I speak Greek because I want to, love. You are Greek.”

  “You are German. It doesn’t matter what language you speak in and it doesn’t matter what language you use to tell me you love me,” Zoe reminded her.

  Eva smiled and looked out at the mountains. “My heart is German, and my mind is German,” she replied with a shrug. “I don’t want to speak German to you. I know what it means for you.”

  Zoe looked up at Eva and smiled. “I will seriously ‘heavy like’ you no matter what language you speak to me.”

  Eva put her arms around her. “Let’s leave tonight.”

  “Tonight?”

  “Yes. We can catch the train tonight. I just don’t want to stay here. I can’t stand to stay here any longer. Please, let’s just leave.”

  “We leave tonight.”

  “Zoe?”

  Zoe turned around to find Eva watching her from the front seat.

  “Are you alright?” Eva asked. “You looked like you were miles away.”

  Zoe smiled. “Years away. I will seriously ‘heavy like’ you no matter what language you speak to me,” she whispered in German in Eva’s ear and saw the look in Eva’s eyes as she remembered that day.

  “Our last day in Larissa,” Eva said.

  The car stopped and Zoe and Eva got out on the same side. Zoe looked around quickly, finding that no one was really paying attention since they were blo
cked by a large tree. She turned to Eva and pulled her down for a quick kiss on the lips.

  “My, aren’t we romantic today.” Earl came up from behind them and wrapped his arms around them. “Is that kiss number 4891 today?”

  “You’re just jealous, and that was kiss number 5482,” Eva said.

  Earl gave her a quick kiss.

  “Hey.” Zoe lightly slapped Earl’s shoulder in mock outrage.

  “You can kiss her later, Stretch,” Earl said and walked away towards the nearest crewmember.

  “So do we find out where we are going to live for the next month, Miss Eva?”

  “That would be a good idea, Miss Zoe,” Eva replied, tweaking Zoe’s nose.

  “Will the two of you stop making gooey eyes at each other?” Earl teased, making them laugh.

  They caught the attention of a porter who came over with his cart and placed their luggage on it. They walked silently to the ship and stopped at the passenger terminal.

  “This is where I leave you, girls, to fend for yourselves.” Earl put his arms around them.

  “We will write to let you know how everything is going,” Eva said. “Keep Henry updated in Melbourne. The poor boy is stuck there for a few more weeks.”

  “I will let Henry know. I suspect by the time your letter arrives, you will be back here.”

  “I’ll send a telegram.” Eva kissed Earl on the cheek. “Look after Ourania, and when Henry gets back you two can fix the back shed.”

  “I’m sure the cat and I will be the best of friends if she doesn’t scratch me to death.”

  Zoe giggled as she stood on her toes to kiss Earl on the cheek. “Goodbye, Wiggy.”

  “Farewell, my lovelies.”

  Earl gave them a final hug and walked away from the line. He turned and waved to them before he left the area.

  “Well, it’s just the two of us again, love,” Eva said.

  Zoe looked up at the giant liner. “Just the two of us back on a ship.” She looked back at Eva. “Come on, let’s go find that super first class cabin.”

  Zoe took Eva’s hand, and they made their way up the walkway.

  “Hello, can you help us find our cabin?” Zoe asked the first person she saw in what looked like a uniform.

  The man greeted her with a huge smile. “Most certainly, bella.” He half bowed. “Alas, I am not ship’s crew. I am Dr. Vito Salvatore. I am pleased to meet you, Miss?”

  “Zoe Lambros, and this is my friend Eva Haralambos.”

  Dr. Salvatore smiled and kissed Zoe’s hand.

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I thought you were the purser.” Zoe took her hand back and gave Eva a glance.

  “No, I’m not, but for this one moment I wish I were,” Dr. Salvatore replied, getting a smile from Zoe. “I am a doctor here.”

  “Are you a crew member?” Eva asked. “I thought you said you were not.”

  Dr. Salvatore turned and looked up, and Eva smiled.

  “I’m Dr. Salvatore.” He extended his hand and Eva took it.

  “Eva Haralambos,” Eva replied.

  Dr. Salvatore’s eyes never left Zoe. “Your surname is Greek but you have a German accent?”

  Eva tilted her head. “Yes.”

  “Can you show us the way to a crew member who can help us?” Zoe asked, a little perplexed at Eva’s behavior.

  “Certainly, just go to that young man over there.” Dr. Salvatore pointed to a crewmember. “He’ll help you out.”

  “Thank you.” Eva took Zoe’s hand, and they walked away.

  “Be seeing you again, little one.” Dr. Salvatore chuckled.

  “He was nice.” Zoe bumped Eva as they walked along.

  “I don’t like him,” Eva replied.

  “Why?”

  “Humph.” Eva screwed up her face and shrugged.

  A crewmember approached them. “Welcome aboard the Arcadia,” he greeted with a smile. “Can I have your names, please?”

  “Eva Haralambos and Zoe Lambros,” Eva responded.

  “You are on deck B, cabin 51.” The young man showed Eva a chart to find her way.

  They followed the porter to their cabin.

  “So why were you rude to the doctor?” Zoe asked.

  “I wasn’t rude,” Eva replied under her breath. “Italian men are so...”

  “He was nice,” Zoe commented, not understanding why Eva disliked the man. It was quite surprising for her partner to pass judgment so quickly.

  She glanced up at Eva, who didn’t look at all happy.

  Their porter stopped in front of a cabin. He opened the door and led them inside.

  Zoe looked around at the cabin in astonishment. “This is not a cabin,” she said in Greek.

  They were standing in a tiny lobby, which led off into two rooms. Zoe walked into the bedroom. “Mary, mother of God, Evy,” she called out.

  The room was beautifully decorated and spacious, with two single beds in their own nooks with a dressing table and mirror in between. They had enough space for a small round table and a chair.

  Zoe leaned over the bed and pulled the curtain to the side to look outside. “Evy, come and have a look at this.”

  Zoe heard Eva talking to the porter before the door shut.

  She heard a gasp and turned to find Eva’s face was ashen.

  Zoe scrambled down from the bed and rushed to Eva’s side just as Eva grabbed the chair and sat herself down.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Zoe fell to her knees in front of Eva, who sat with her head bowed.

  “Evy, what’s wrong?”

  “Give me a moment, love.”

  Zoe exhaled and sat back on her heels, her eyes riveted to Eva, who was looking better than a few moments ago. She took Eva’s hands and waited.

  Eva swallowed and shook her head. “I’m sorry.”

  Zoe rose from the floor and went in search for some water. She found a glass in the small kitchenette and filled it with water, then brought it back, and put it in Eva’s hands.

  Eva’s hands shook as she drank.

  Zoe waited. Over the past six years, she had learned to be patient with Eva. Being patient was not in her makeup, but when it came to Eva, she had infinite patience.

  Zoe rifled through Eva’s handbag and found her cigarettes. She took one out of the case and lit it with Eva’s lighter. She gave it to Eva, who accepted it with a wry smile.

  “I’m not sure where to start. I’m sorry I scared you.” Eva leaned forward.

  “I’m still scared,” Zoe said quietly.

  “Um...it was something I just saw.”

  “What?” Zoe got up and held out her hand.

  Eva took it, and Zoe led her to the bed, took off Eva’s shoes, and gently pushed her down. She took Eva’s cigarette and held it until she found an ashtray. She then shucked off her own shoes, got into bed, and faced Eva.

  She rested her hand on Eva’s hip. “Tell me.”

  “I’ve had this dream. I’ve had this dream since Aiden.”

  “What dream?”

  “This is going to sound crazy.” Eva took a drag of her cigarette and watched the smoke billow up. “I came into the bedroom and you were there, and your silhouette...and it was the same, and...” She frowned in confusion. “It’s not making any sense, is it?”

  “Not much.”

  “The first time it happened was in Aiden. I had just had my first treatment and my mind was so fuzzy. I never knew what was real and what wasn’t. You could have convinced me I was living with Santa Claus and I would have believed you.”

  “What happened?”

  “I had a vision.”

  “A vision? Like a ghost vision?” Zoe looked around.

  “Not a ghost vision.”

  “What?”

  “I saw the silhouette of a woman with a bright light behind her.”

  “Wow. How many times did you see this woman?”

  “Every time I had a treatment.”

  “You saw a woman? Are you sure it wasn’t all those dru
gs they gave you?”

  “No, it wasn’t the drugs, Zo. I’m not on drugs now. I can still remember what she said.”

  “She talked? What did she sound like?”

  “I don’t remember. All I remember is what she said and what she looked like.”

  “Alright. Let’s start with what she said.”

  Eva closed her eyes for a long moment. “Have faith.”

  “Have faith? What does that mean? Have faith in what? You were being tortured and she said ‘have faith’?”

  “That’s what she said. Have faith,” Eva whispered. “To keep my faith in God that He would see me through it.”

  “Oh.” Zoe was stunned into silence. “But who was she? Was she your guardian angel? She wasn’t doing a very good job if that is what she was.”

  “It helped, Zo. I knew that someone cared about me and knew what was happening to me.”

  “It’s why you have such a strong faith in God.”

  Eva gazed at Zoe and nodded. “I had to believe that it was from Him. That’s what kept me going. I wasn’t alone.”

  “What did she look like?”

  “I couldn’t see her face. All I could see was the silhouette and the bright light.”

  “Was she tall or short?”

  Eva shook her head. “She was as tall as me with long hair. I don’t know the color, but her hair was long.”

  “You can’t remember her voice?”

  “No. Just her message and what she looked like.”

  “What made you think of this today?”

  “I saw her again,” Eva said.

  “When?”

  “When you were standing near the window, and when I walked in...she was standing next to you.”

  “She was standing next to me?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did you see this woman again after Aiden?”

  “Yes.”

  “You did?”

  “Yes.”

  “When?”

  Eva blinked. “In Larissa. The day I arrived in Larissa.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.” Eva nodded. “I was in the car with my father as we drove into town. I looked out the window. She was standing out in the fields next to the bodies of three Greek men that had been shot.”

  “That’s the day you drove into town for the first time. The Germans executed three men that they caught.”