Souls Entwined

by Anne B. Cole

  “Get up. We have no time for nonsense.”

  Sam helped Gretta to her feet. “One thing is consistent,” he whispered, catching his breath, “she despises both me and Lorenzo.”

  “I kind of like her.” Gretta grinned.

  “Katarina, you look as beautiful as ever on this fine morning,” Sam exclaimed to their onlooker. He tipped his head in a slight bow. Katarina stared hard at him. Her eyes narrowed, and her nostrils flared. Beneath the old woman’s bitterness, Gretta could see that Katarina just wanted the curses broken.

  “I know another curse,” Sam mentioned.

  Gretta spun on him with accusing eyes. “What? Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I tried but you had . . . other things on your mind.”

  Gretta gasped, rolling her eyes in disbelief. “Nothing is more important.” She stepped back and looked around. “Where’s Roxana?”

  “On her way.” Katarina spat back, annoyed as ever. She touched a small boulder, and instantly it changed into a wooden chair with a soft green cushion on which she seated herself comfortably. Sam reached out and touched a boulder, but to his dismay it remained a boulder.

  “Nice try.” Still upset that he had not told her what he had learned, Gretta placed her palm on the same boulder. It converted into a small denim couch upon which she sat. She flashed Sam her own killer smile as Roxana appeared behind him.

  “Roxana, Sam knows more about the ring.” Gretta bubbled over with excitement.

  “That’s wonderful news.” Roxana viewed them with a sense of urgency. Sam escorted her to Katarina, who had already converted another boulder into a high-backed chair. “Thank you, Sam, such a gentleman.”

  Gretta laughed out loud at Roxana’s comment, then made a face at him. He winked back.

  “Go on, boy. Tell us what you know,” Katarina impatiently demanded.

  Sam began with his return to Lorenzo, leaving out the part where he fell into the sea. Gretta’s smirk vanished when he told them how Alec roughed him up before entering the store. She squeezed his leg in a silent apology. He took her hand into his before continuing.

  “I sat with Victor as he drank. The more vodka I poured, the more he revealed. Victor was given the ring in exchange for three goats. On the first day of spring, he took a goat to the medicine woman as his family had done every year since he could remember.” Gretta’s eyes darted to Katarina, who nodded eagerly.

  Roxana noted their silent exchange. “Who is this woman?”

  “Luda,” Katarina snapped.

  Sam continued, “Victor told me Luda paid him by telling him to empty his pocket and hold out the contents. In his pocket was the ring. Victor held it out to her, and she placed a spell saying, ‘The one who wears this ring will love one who struggles with a loss. This love will be unconditionally returned.’

  Gretta’s mouth dropped open. Her heart plummeted.

  Sam squeezed her hand before continuing. “Victor gave the ring to Tatiana as payment for a reading. He wanted Tatiana’s love.”

  “Love. The ring is cursed with bad luck and love,” Roxana replied sadly.

  “How can love be bad?” Gretta interjected.

  Roxana faced her with a pained look in her eyes. “Love is a good thing. Unfortunately, when a person is consumed with the love of another, their thoughts and actions may be impaired by their infatuation.”

  “I don’t understand.” Gretta shook her head. Roxana looked at Katarina, who slowly nodded then gazed down to her folded hands.

  Roxana sighed. “Love is very powerful. My husband and I were together for seventy-four years. We met when we were both sixteen, a few months after his sister was tragically killed. We married at seventeen. When he died, I loved him as much as I did when we met. When I buried him, my will to live was buried with him. I entered the PIT three days later.”

  “Humph,” Katarina scoffed. “I lasted a week.”

  “Henry?” Sam asked.

  Gretta instantly recalled Katarina in the church caretaker’s arms. Katarina’s shocked expression confirmed he was correct.

  “Please continue, Sam.” Roxana encouraged. He briefed them on the following two months, ending with their encounter with the Lubber. Gretta followed with her story, disappointed that she could not provide any additional information. Silence fell upon the group.

  “You returned too soon.” Katarina stood abruptly. “There must be a third curse. Triads are the strongest. Time to go back.”

  Roxana shook her head in disagreement. “It’s too dangerous.”

  “I’ll go.” Gretta’s voice sounded braver than she felt.

  “No, you won’t,” Sam reproached.

  “You cannot tell me what I can or can’t do, Samuel.” Gretta realized she didn’t remember his last name. It became clear to her why he was being protective. “You don’t really love me. It’s the curse on the ring.” Frustrated, she wrenched her hand away from his. “Send me back.”

  “Gretta.” His eyes filled with pain, realization, and then determination. He clenched his fists at his sides then took a deep breath. “It’s not the ring. I do love you. The only safe place for you is home.”

  Gretta struggled to keep from arguing. No one had ever proclaimed love to her. Even if his love was influenced by the ring, it appeared real to him. She hurt him and was sorry, but she knew she would return to Milos with or without Sam. “I’m going back.”

  He shook his head. “In the PIT, Minnie said that the information would be complete upon Lorenzo’s return.” Sam turned to Roxana. “Lorenzo returned to the navy. There is nothing more to find.”

  “The boy did not leave for another week,” Katarina announced.

  “What can happen in a week?” Sam demanded. Katarina shot a nervous glance at Roxana. “What are you not telling us?”

  “I don’t care what happens. I’m going back.” Gretta heard herself nearly scream.

  “Gretta, we’re not supposed to let emotion rule our actions.” She felt Sam’s touch on her arm. She jerked away.

  “No.” Gretta’s eyes darted from person to person then fixed on Sam. “Minnie said that to you. I have to have faith and believe it is possible to overcome evil. I’m going.”

  Roxana took a deep breath then smiled affectionately at Gretta. “You’re correct. We need to speak with Minnie.”

  Gretta felt her body grow rigid. All the courage she had moments ago vanished, sucked away by her memories of the PIT.

  “No.” Sam’s voice rang in her ears. “She’s not going there again. I won’t let her.” Gretta felt his arm slip around her shoulder. She didn’t pull away from him even though she doubted his love.

  Roxana turned to Katarina. “We must know more before we confront the ones who placed the curses.” Katarina agreed and turned to the boulders behind them. Roxana closed her eyes and followed.

  “You stay,” Katarina croaked. “You need your strength. I won’t be long.” She disappeared behind the gigantic stone.

  “Yia Yia,” Gretta whispered as an icy chill ran through her body.

  “She’ll be fine,” Sam insisted, looking at Roxana, who readily nodded. “What do you mean ‘confront the ones who placed the curses’?”

  Roxana met his gaze. “To break a curse, one must locate the person or persons who placed it and ask for permission to remove it.”

  “What if they don’t grant permission?” Sam inquired.

  “It makes it much more difficult,” Roxana stated.

  “But not impossible?”

  “Nothing is impossible if you have faith. Gretta gives me much hope.”

  “I won’t let anyone or anything hurt her,” Sam exclaimed.

  “I place my trust in you, Sam.” Roxana sank deeper into her chair, appearing exhausted.

 
A warm breeze filled the air. Gretta couldn’t stop shivering, so she faced the sun as it peeked out from behind the clouds. It seemed strange to her how, at first, only the birds could move and now there was a slight wind and the clouds were moving. Besides those things, nothing else appeared to be able to move. Focusing on her surroundings, she tried not to think of what could be happening in the PIT, what Katarina could be going through. The memory of her experience burned in her mind. Sam’s warm embrace couldn’t combat the evil she remembered. Suddenly, Katarina bounded out from behind the largest rock. Gretta raced over, reaching her first.

  “I’m fine, child. Nothing happened.” Katarina sat down in her chair, studying Roxana. “Minnie asked about you. She’s concerned.”

  “You assured her I’m well?” Roxana’s eyes widened.

  “I don’t fib, Roxana,” Katarina spouted. “You cannot continue like this.” Her voice softened, reminding Gretta of Yia Yia.

  Roxana frowned as if she was being reprimanded by her own mother. Katarina touched Roxana’s hand. “She sends her love.”

  “When do we go back?” Gretta boldly interrupted.

  “Soon, child,” Katarina answered without expression.

  “Absolutely not,” Sam shouted, facing Roxana. “You said we could return to our bodies at any time. We want to return now.”

  “I have to go back to Milos,” Gretta begged.

  “There’s nothing more to learn.” The forcefulness in Sam’s voice frightened her.

  Turning to Katarina, Roxana remained calm. “Perhaps it is upon Lorenzo’s return to the Warren or to America. Who will the curse be revealed to?”

  Katarina’s forehead wrinkled. “Minnie didn’t say.”

  “What did she say?” Sam’s patience had expired.

  Gretta watched Katarina look at her then Roxana as if Sam was not present. “Minnie foresaw two things. The first was a vision of thick impenetrable fog surrounding the past. Minnie was quite unnerved by this and begged me to relay the importance of leaving the past intact.”

  “That makes it final. We’re not going back to Milos,” Sam said triumphantly.

  Gretta stormed up to Katarina. “I’m going, with or without him.”

  “You said she foresaw two things,” Roxana redirected.

  Katarina sighed uneasily. “Minnie saw herself being reunited with her granddaughter. After that, she lost her composure.”

  Gretta was trying to figure out who was whose granddaughter. It suddenly came to her. “That’s my grandmother. She’s going to die and go to the PIT. Send me now. We’re wasting time.”

  “Don’t you dare send Gretta,” Sam threatened. Katarina stared at him without the usual look of contempt. Her face remained motionless. Silence filled the air.

  Roxana drew closer, touching the old woman’s arm. No response. Katarina’s eyes glazed over with an indescribable eeriness.

  “What’s going on?” Sam demanded as Gretta inched to his side.

  “I don’t know.” Roxana took Katarina’s hand, visibly concerned.

  The old woman wrenched her hand away from Roxana and held it out to Sam. “Your mother wants a word with you.”

  Fingers tightened around Gretta’s hand. She stumbled over Sam’s feet trying to get in between him and Katarina.

  “Roxana, my mother is dead.” The pain in his eyes nearly split Gretta’s heart in two.

  “Sam, if your mother wants to speak with you, the polite thing to do is listen.” Roxana’s words were tender, full of encouragement.

  Sam shook his head. “Stop her, Katarina.”

  “Stubborn.” Katarina paused then added in a soft voice, “Say ya.”

  Sam dropped Gretta’s hand.

  “Sam?” Gretta shook his arm, terrified when he didn’t respond.

  “I’ll talk to her,” he replied.

  “She wasn’t going to accept ‘no’ for an answer.” Katarina squared her shoulders. “Take my hands, concentrate on your mother. It will be dark. You will meet with her briefly. I will be present although you will not see or hear me, for I am the connection.”

  Katarina held her hands out. Sam placed his under hers.

  “No, Sam. Don’t go,” Gretta cried.

  But it was too late.

  Sam became immersed in total darkness. It took a minute for him to realize he was standing. He put his arms out in front of him reaching for something, anything.

  “Sam.”

  He froze at the sound of her voice, his eyes searched everywhere. “Mom?”

  “Behind you.”

  Sam spun. She stood before him, radiant, beautiful, healthy. “Mom,” he gasped, reaching out.

  She held up a hand in warning, “Not yet. Your touch will send me back.”

  Sam painfully retracted. “I . . . I miss you.”

  “I miss you, too.” She smiled proudly. “You’ve been busy. When I heard you were with Katarina, I had to contact you.”

  “You’re so—” Sam searched for words, “so real. I’m sorry. I didn’t want you to die.”

  “Everything is as it was meant to be.” Sam shook his head at her words. “Don’t try to understand. It’ll be clear when it’s your time.”

  “We moved to Virginia. I had to get Pop away from the city, his drinking—” Sam blurted, wanting to tell her everything but not knowing where to begin.

  “Such a charming house. You and your father will fix it up in no time,” she declared.

  “How do you know?” Sam questioned in disbelief.

  “I’m always near you, your brother, and your father.” Her voice sang in his head.

  “Justin stayed in the city, in our apartment. Pop couldn’t live there. It reminded him of you. He became depressed, but now he’s getting better. He wants to paint the kitchen.”

  “Blue,” she added.

  “Oh, you know that.” Sam felt a little embarrassed.

  “I don’t know everything. Tell me about this Purple Shorts.” Sam’s lips parted into a grin. “That’s what I’ve missed. Seeing you smile means everything to me.”

  “Gretta’s amazing. She’s smart, funny, and as stubborn as I am.” Sam paused as his smile faded. “She has this old ring. It was given to her by her grandmother. It’s cursed. That’s how we met Roxana and Katarina. They brought us here to seek information about it. Then they may be able to break the curses.”

  “Where have you been, Sam?” His mother’s voice held an edge of nervousness.

  “Milos, an island in the Aegean Sea, in 1829.”

  “I can’t be with you when you’re in the past. How did they send you back?” she inquired.

  “Roxana said she pulled a few strings.” Sam shrugged. “Katarina doesn’t like me.”

  His mother grinned. “She’ll come around. How can anyone resist your smile?”

  “You don’t know Katarina.”

  They laughed. It was as if the past year had never happened.

  “I always wanted to go to the Greek Islands. What’s it like?” Her eyes sparkled with wonder.

  “Oh, Mom, it’s beautiful but very dangerous during that time. They just declared their independence from the Ottoman Empire, so there is a lot of instability. Pirate activity is fierce. It’s been difficult to keep her safe.”

  “Who safe?”

  “Gretta. I mean Anya, the girl who Gretta is entwined with. I have to keep her safe, both of them, because I . . . care about Gretta. I know I shouldn’t. I can’t get involved with someone right now. I have to make sure Pop—”

  “Care or love?” she interrupted.

  Sam recalled when Anya had asked the same question. He knew the answer, so did his mom.

  “Pop is strong. He doesn’t look like it right now, but he is stronger than I ev
er could be. I don’t know if I could live through losing someone I love,” Sam admitted.

  “It’s a chance you take, one worth taking.” She paused as if she wanted to say more but couldn’t. Her smile slowly vanished. “If Gretta has the ring then—”

  “I know about the PIT,” Sam finished for her. “We’ve been there.”

  “Sam,” she gasped. “You don’t belong there.”

  “I’ve been told.” Taking a deep breath, he continued. “Gretta does, but it’s not her fault. We’re collecting information so Roxana can break the curses.”

  “How many?”

  “At least two with a spell or two to boot,” Sam answered grimly.

  “Sam. What you’re attempting is . . .” She shook her head.

  “Gretta is destined for the PIT. I will do anything to keep her from going there.” Sam longed for some kind of approval in his mother’s eyes. The twinkle returned.

  “Don’t let that be your downfall. You need to be smart, make good decisions. Remember the only thing that can overcome evil is love, but even love can be dangerous.” Sam’s mother closed her eyes for a minute then looked at Sam with tenderness.

  “Tell your father that when he thinks of me I’m with him. That goes for you, too.” She reached out to him, but he stepped back. “It’s okay. I must go. Your father needs me right now.”

  Sam touched her fingertips then took her hand. Warmth, peace, and happiness radiated through him. His mother drew him into a powerful embrace.

  “I love you, Mom.”

  “I love you, Sam. Be careful. Give my love to your brother and father and to Gretta.” Her voice was becoming faint, the warmth dispersing.

  “Mom?” He could no longer see her or feel her. The emptiness returned. Tears streamed down his face as he slumped into the arms of Katarina.

  “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” He was apologizing to her without knowing why. He took a shaky breath. “Thank you.”

  Katarina patted his shoulder. “You’re very welcome.” She stood and left them to speak to Roxana in private.