It had been three years, and little Nadia was growing into a beautiful child. Her mother paused every once in awhile to admire her daughter's round, pink cheeks, dark eyes surrounded with thick, dark lashes, and wavy dark locks.

"Certainly she couldn't get her looks from her father," thought Miss Nadia, shuddering at the thought of old Captain Blackwell, whose teeth were rotted and whose cheeks were covered in pockmarks.

One evening, Miss Nadia took her two children by the hands and stooped down to speak with them.

"Jack, darling boy, I have already given you your piece of the puzzle," said Miss Nadia. "But you, little Nadia, have yet to receive yours." She pulled the second ruby necklace from her own throat and fastened it around her daughter's. "There, now! Let me look at you." Miss Nadia smiled at her children. She touched both of their cheeks. "These necklaces belong together, Nadia. So let them always connect you to your brother. If you should lose him, or, Jack, if you should lose Nadia, the power of these gems shall pull you together again. Know this."

At that very moment there was a hard pounding on their door. "Oh, children! To bed with you!" whispered Miss Nadia as she hurried down the flight of steps to answer the call.

As she opened the door, Captain Roberto Blackwell stepped inside and slammed it. "Where are those rubies?" he howled. "I know ye stole me other one! Where ye keeping' 'em, wench?"

"I--I don't know what you're talking about, Roberto," stammered Miss Nadia, fervently regretting that she had given her children these cursed jewels.

"Ya bloody wench! I know ye stole 'em from me!" bellowed the captain, who grabbed Miss Nadia by the shoulders and shook her until her teeth clattered together.

Miss Nadia was trembling. The captain had gone mad--his eyes were fierce and red, his voice was urgent. "Give 'em back!" he roared.

Miss Nadia said nothing. There was nothing she could do. The captain smacked her for her muteness and dragged her up the stairs. "Hand 'em over and I'll spare ye!"

Jack and little Nadia's bedroom door creaked. Captain Blackwell noticed. Dropping their mother to the ground, he stomped into their room. Twelve-year-old Jack clung to his sister, attempting to keep her of harm's way.

"Leave us alone!" screamed Jack. "Get out of our house!"

Captain Blackwell let out a deranged cry of laughter. "And ye think I'll let some mousy little boy scare me?" He brought out a flask and took a swig. "Well, I won't." It was then that the captain saw the two necklaces, secure about the children's necks. His eyes widened further.

"Gimme those!" spat the captain, lunging wildly.

Jack pulled Nadia closer and dove out of the way. "Never, you drunken lunatic!" Little Nadia was stiff with fear. They ran out of the room to their mother, whose frightened face was bruised. The captain staggered out of the bedroom.

"Ye had yer chances! Girl, hand over me gems!" growled Captain Blackwell. Nadia quivered in her brother's arms, but grasped the necklace tighter. "Not such a wise choice," hissed the captain, staring at her though eyes like slits. He turned to Jack. "Ye, boy, gimme those jewels and you'll stay alive."



"Never. They were a gift. You shall never have them back," sobbed Jack.

"Very well," said the captain, smugly.

In one swift movement it was done. A cry of pain, and then nothing. The floorboards were overtaken by thick, red blood--one by one. Jack was steeped in his mother's warm blood from head to toe. The captain had gone, and Jack cried out in anger, mourning, and revenge as he watched his mother, Miss Nadia, writhing in excruciating affliction upon the floor. His sister wept beside him, with a small knife wound to her cheek. It wouldn't be until later that he noticed his own.

"I'm here for you, Mother," said Jack, as tears began to blind him. Little Nadia was in such shock that she couldn't breathe a word.

Jack grasped his mother's hand and watched the light recede from her eyes. They slowly became blank slates. She stopped twisting about, and her gasps for breath ended. Miss Nadia was dead.