It was also six months of revelation as Zoe and Eva’s often testy relationship started to slowly develop. It began on the night of that first bath when Zoe helped Eva. That night Zoe saw not the cripple or the demon’s spawn, as she described Eva on numerous occasions, but a very broken soul. Zoe placed her hands on her knees and let her back rest against the sofa. She looked up at the lace curtains that were still; not a single breeze blew through the window to ruffle them.
"I hate summer," Zoe muttered as she sealed another envelope.
"You could use my desk," Eva said as she entered the office.
"It’s too hot," Zoe grumbled. "I’m nearly finished anyway."
Eva went over to the desk where Despina had left a jug of lemonade. Her long dark hair was up in a ponytail which made her look much younger than her twenty-four years. Zoe watched Eva pour the lemonade into a glass for her. She looked away at the envelopes when Eva turned her way.
Eva smiled, and offered Zoe the drink. "You might like to drink this."
"Thank you." Zoe smiled and put the envelope down to accept the glass. As she did so, Eva looked down at the envelopes. She sat down on the sofa and picked up one in particular and rose to her feet. She stood in front of Zoe looking down at it. Zoe’s curiosity was piqued as Eva walked over to the window and stood looking out. Something about the envelope had caused her mood to change rapidly. Zoe scanned the envelopes in front of her and the one that was missing made her sigh. "Don’t you want to know what’s in the envelope?" She asked.
"I know what’s in it."
"What?"
"Sometimes it’s best not to ask questions."
"You know me—I always ask because if I don’t ask, how am I going to know what I need to know when I need to know it?" Zoe rambled on purpose, making Eva toss the envelope on the desk and chuckle.
Zoe took a drink from the cool glass of lemonade and surreptitiously watched Eva. Eva wore a white cotton dress with long sleeves that blended with the curtains. Her long black hair ponytail contrasted with the white material. The midnight blue highlights in her hair shimmered in the sunshine as she stood at the window, oblivious to Zoe’s stare. Zoe was completely mesmerized by the sight. Still clutching the drink she closed her eyes and memorized the image. She smiled.
***
Eva turned around and was puzzled at seeing Zoe sitting there with her eyes closed, holding the glass and smiling. "Zoe?"
Zoe opened her eyes immediately. "Um, yes?"
"What were you doing?"
Zoe drank the last of the lemonade and put the glass to one side. "Um, I...I was, um," she stammered. "Nothing," she said weakly, and smiled at the puzzled look on Eva’s face.
"Alright," Eva replied, not quite sure what had transpired. "It’s nearly noon. Do you want to take a break?" The daily noon siesta was a welcome relief from the heat of the day and Eva found she enjoyed the quiet that it brought. It was one Greek custom that she liked. Between noon and 3:00 p.m., the town fell quiet as everyone rested from the heat of the day.
"Yes." Zoe nodded vigorously and stood up. She braced herself against the sofa and fell into it rubbing her legs. "I think I’ve been sitting on the floor too long."
Eva didn’t respond but watched Zoe pick up the envelopes and the fountain pen.
Zoe looked up. "You’re upset."
"No--"
"You’re also a very bad liar," Zoe replied matter-of-factly. She put the envelopes down on the desk. "You have your scrunchy face on."
"My ‘scrunchy’ face on?"
"I’ve seen it many times over the last six months." Zoe shrugged. "You have a little furrow between your eyes that goes all scrunchy when you’re upset or you are not feeling well."
Eva brought her fingers up to massage the area between her eyes. "I didn’t know you paid so much attention to me. Or is that where the imaginary target is located?"
"No, my target was a little higher up," Zoe teased. They looked at each other and then smiled. "Why are you upset?"
"It’s addressed to my uncle," Eva explained and held up the envelope.
"The great Dr. Muller who cured you of your disease?"
"Yes."
"So why are you afraid of him?"
Eva shook her head. "I really don’t want to talk about it, Zoe."
"Alright," Zoe replied. "I think I’ll go now and have a bit of a rest."
"Are you going to your room?"
"No, I want to get out of the house and go up to Athena’s Bluff."
"And then what?" Eva continued, not knowing why she was even asking since it was none of her business.
Zoe smiled. "Is this an interrogation?"
"Nein, Fraulein, an interrogation is when we use the feathers," Eva replied in German and did a mock Hitler salute. It had truly been the first time she had shown this much humor and Zoe appeared to be shocked for a moment and then started to laugh.
Eva leaned against the desk and crossed her arms across her chest. Seeing Zoe double up laughing was a nice sight and it made her feel good.
"Oh, that hurt," Zoe said in between bouts of the giggles. "I didn’t think Germans had a sense of humor."
"We hide it well." Eva chuckled at Zoe’s incredulous look. They both smiled at each other and Zoe was the first to break the contact by shyly looking away.
"Um, I’m going to go now."
"Where?"
Zoe looked back and smiled. "Didn’t I say Athena’s Bluff?"
Eva nibbled her lower lip and wondered if she could ask Zoe if she could come along. Despite her better judgment, despite everything that screamed at her to keep Zoe at arm’s length, she found herself wanting to know more about this volatile youngster she had come to care for more than she should. Playing with fire, you’re going to get burnt, a tiny voice echoed in her mind, but she ignored it.
"Do you want to come with me?" Zoe asked from the open doorway.
"Can I?"
"If you want to, yes, you can come with me."
"Only if you’re sure…" Eva continued a little timidly. She was feeling awkward and she hated it, but she really wanted to go and get out of the house.
Zoe rolled her eyes. "I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it."
"Oh, okay." Eva nodded and went to get her hooded cloak.
"It’s boiling hot outside. You don’t want that."
"Yes, I do," Eva replied and put on the cloak. She was feeling very hot with the cloak on, but she pulled up the hood that shielded her face and turned back to Zoe.
"You really don’t need that, Eva." Zoe grumbled. "You look like you’re about to faint away," she admonished, forgetting who Eva was.
"I have to—"
"No, you don’t. Everyone knows what you look like, so you can’t hide."
"Yes, I do, it keeps me feeling safe." Eva stammered. She always wore her cloak, didn’t leave the house without it. She knew it was ridiculous but she felt safe, in a strange kind of way.
"Trust me, if the Resistance wanted you dead, a cloak wouldn’t save you," Zoe mumbled as Eva refused to remove the garment.
Eva was about to join Zoe when she turned back and picked up her handbag.
They silently walked down the stairs and out of the building into bright sunlight and high humidity. Eva nodded to her guards, who marched behind her.
Zoe kicked a stone as if it was a ball as they walked down the cobblestone street, completely unaware of Eva’s fond gaze. The plaza was eerily quiet with only the occasional cat to notice their progress along with the guards.
Zoe glanced at Eva and smiled at Eva, who was bearing up well in the heat. She was moving freely but a little slower than Zoe’s stride. Zoe compensated by going slower, allowing Eva not to exert herself. Before they knew it, they were slowly making their way up the tree-lined slope to the top of Athena’s Bluff.
"Are you alright?" Zoe asked. You don’t look so good."
"I don’t feel so good." Eva grimaced and took out a handkerchief and patted down her face. She looked ba
ck at her two guards, who weren’t looking comfortable either.
"Come on." Zoe took Eva by the hand, much to her surprise, and set off in the opposite direction to the bluff.
"Where are we going?" Eva asked, and stopped, causing Zoe to skid to a stop as well.
"My cabin," Zoe replied and pointed to a log cabin only meters from where they stood. She stood outside the cabin for a moment before she pushed the door in and entered, leaving Eva outside.
"Well, are you coming in?"
"Are we allowed?" Eva asked through the open door, which caused Zoe to start laughing. "I didn’t think that was funny."
"I never thought I would hear a German asking me if they were allowed to do anything." Zoe giggled. "Yes, you can come in."
Eva entered the cabin and was surprised to find it furnished and looking very inviting. The windows had lace curtains hung as limply as she felt. An old sofa dominated the largest area in the cabin with a bed at the side. A table and two chairs were off to the other side. In the middle of the floor was a large flokati rug.
"This is nice."
"This is my home." Zoe smiled and looked around the cabin. "This was my middle brother Thieri’s house," she said. "He was building it himself. He was working as a builder, you know."
Eva wasn’t sure what to say to the revelation and decided to stay quiet. She went over to a chair and sat down. She felt faint and tried not to show her discomfort, but Zoe came forward and knelt beside her chair.
"You should not have worn that stupid cloak." Zoe untied the clasp and removed Eva’s cloak and threw it to the other end of the cabin.
"I’ll be fine soon."
"Yes, you will," Zoe replied as she turned and rummaged through some clothing that was stacked against the wall in the unfinished bedroom. She came back with a towel and went outside. Eva could see Zoe walk to a large tin drum that held rain water right next to the door. Zoe dipped the towel in the water, squeezed the excess water, and came back inside.
Kneeling before Eva, Zoe tenderly wiped her face. For a brief moment their eyes met, making them smile. "On the way back you are not wearing that stupid cloak."
"How else would everyone know it’s me?"
"Let’s confuse them for a little while," Zoe responded and got up from the floor.
"What did Thieri look like?" Eva asked, breaking the silence.
"He had big ears." Zoe smiled. "Big ears and a big heart."
"Big ears?"
Zoe put her hands over her own ears and chuckled, which earned her a very puzzled look from Eva. "I used to tease him about his ears," Zoe continued. "I used to say that when he lost all his hair and went as bald as a rock, his ears would stick out like jug handles." She chuckled and then sighed deeply. "I won’t see that happen now."
Eva was once again struck mute and didn’t think she would be able to console Zoe at the loss of her brother and her family.
"Thieri had all the girls after him," Zoe continued her reminiscence. "He would sometimes get so broody he would come up here and just be by himself."
"Is that why he chose this place?"
"I guess so," Zoe replied. "He owned all the land around here, including Athena’s Bluff. He cut the wood himself and built this cabin. He said once he finished it he would ask Katerina to marry him."
"Did he?"
Zoe turned to Eva and shook her head. "He never finished it," she said quietly. "When the Italians invaded, he went to fight and he never came back."
"So all of this is yours now?"
Zoe leaned against the edge of the table and nodded. "I own the farm, the fields on the west of Larissa and the east side near the farm, this cabin, and another house in town."
"How many brothers did you have?"
"Three. Michael, the oldest, then Thieri, and the youngest was Theodore. He was ten years older than me and I was closest to him."
"All redheads like you?"
Zoe grinned and shook her head. "No, Michael and Thieri resembled my father, who had dark hair and brown eyes. My mother was the redhead with green eyes. Theo and I took after her."
Both women fell silent and then Zoe spoke again. "Why don’t you have a bit of a sleep? You’re going to need your strength to go back down again."
"I’m alright."
"No, you’re not." Zoe pushed herself away from the table and once against knelt in front of Eva. Without asking she lifted Eva’s skirt and unhooked the panty hose from the garter belt from Eva’s left leg. Eva shut her eyes and tried to keep calm as Zoe’s soft hands brushed against her thighs. Zoe was completely unaware of what she was doing to Eva emotionally. "I don’t know why you keep wearing these stockings in the middle of summer," she said as she rolled the stocking off Eva’s long leg. She unhooked the panty hose from the garter belt for the right leg, which caused Eva to inhale sharply. Zoe looked up to find Eva was looking more than a little pale.
"You really should have left that stupid cloak back home," Zoe muttered as Eva rose from the chair and went to the bed and lay down. Without another word, Eva closed her eyes. She opened them moments later.
"I’m sorry, I took your bed."
Zoe smiled. "It’s alright. I wanted to draw so you just have a rest while I draw and later I can show you the rest of Athena’s Bluff."
"That sounds nice," Eva smiled and closed her eyes.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Eva woke a little groggy from her extended sleep. She opened her eyes hoping to see Zoe nearby but she was on her own. She sighed heavily as she sat up. She ran her fingers through her long hair and got up from the bed. A large note was sitting on the table. Eva picked it up and smiled on reading the neat writing.
I’m outside at the lookout; just come on over, Sleeping Beauty
Z
Eva pocketed the note and ran her fingers through her hair again. She looked around the cabin for a mirror but there wasn’t one anywhere in sight. She straightened her skirt and shirt and put on her shoes. She looked around for her stockings but she couldn’t see them. With a slight shrug she forgot about them and opened the door.
Henry and the other guard whose name she couldn’t remember but thought was Kurt Barkow, were sitting under the shade of a tree looking very relaxed and playing cards.
Henry looked her way and smiled. He pointed to the outcrop and went back to his card game.
Eva closed the cabin door and made her way to the outcrop which was only meters away from the cabin. She stood in the clearing and admired the view. In front of her was the grand vista of Mount Ossa, tufts of white clouds ringing the summit and an expanse of blue surrounding the majestic mountain. It was the vision sitting on a blanket at the outcrop that made her catch her breath. Zoe had laid out a blanket that covered most of the rocky surface and had taken several pillows and positioned them so she could lie down. She was using one as a pillow and her legs were drawn up and were being used as a brace for her sketchpad.
Oh my god, she is so beautiful. Eva watched Zoe stop what she was doing and raise her hand. She couldn’t see what she was looking at but Zoe brought her hand up close to her eyes for a moment before she smiled.
Stop it. You know where this will lead. Stop it now. Stop. Don’t do anything; she is not worth the pain. My god, she has a beautiful smile, and those eyes… Eva’s internal conversation with herself continued as she moved forward towards Zoe. She reached Zoe to find her talking to her hand.
"What are you doing?"
"I’m telling Lilly that I’m going to put her down somewhere other than on my hand," Zoe replied and picked up the ladybug and put her on the rock. She looked up at Eva and shielded her eyes with her hand. "Good afternoon, sleepyhead. Have a seat."
Zoe sat down cross-legged on the edge of the lookout, which was shaded by a huge overhanging tree. She beckoned Eva to sit next to her, but Eva was hesitant about getting close to the edge.
"I promise I won’t throw you off," Zoe teased and patted the blanket-covered ground.
Eva sat down and to
ok the pillow that Zoe had given her and braced her back against the boulder. She let her long legs dangle from the edge. "Wish I had brought my camera."
"You have a camera?"
Eva nodded. "I have a Super Ikonata. I’m surprised I haven’t shown it to you before now."
"Interesting." Zoe nodded.
Eva smiled. "You don’t know what I’m talking about, right?"
Zoe shook her head. "Sounds German."
"That’s because it is." Eva chuckled. "I’ll show it to you when we get back."
"I don’t know much about cameras. I just like to draw. I memorize things and then I draw them."
"What do you like to draw?"
"Things that touch me," Zoe replied. "I let my heart decide what to draw and my hand creates it."
Eva had never asked any artist that question even though she had spoken to quite a few when she’d visited galleries with her mother in Germany. Zoe’s response wasn’t what she had expected. In fact she wasn’t even sure what she expected to hear. "So you draw what’s in your heart?"
"Yes." Zoe nodded. "I draw my family and my friends. I love to draw landscapes. What kind of photos do you like taking?"
Eva smiled. "The sea."
"Why the sea?"
Eva looked out over to the mountain and tracked a small tuft of cloud as it lazily drifted before she answered. "I can see the power of the sea and its gentleness. Underneath its tranquil surface, there are thousands of things going on we can’t see."
"That’s very poetic."
"I like poetry." Eva smiled. "I write some as well."
"They say that good poets need to be really high in order to write," Zoe replied. "My brother Michael told me that, but I couldn’t figure out why they needed to get high up a mountain to write."
Eva thought Zoe was pulling her leg but Zoe wasn’t smiling. She just had the most puzzled expression on her face. Eva didn’t laugh, even though she wanted to, at her naiveté. "I think they mean they were on drugs."
In The Blood Of The Greeks (Intertwined Souls Series Book 1) Page 19
