Her Secret Whispers (The Whispers Series #3)

By Joanna Mazurkiewicz

When Niamh McDonald opened her eyes in the dark cave, she didn’t expect to be a prisoner so far away from home. She didn’t expect to be rescued either.

Niamh was kept in the darkness, not knowing what creature has captured her. Then her life spins out of further control as she discovers her family from California have been lying to her all this time – she’s adopted.

Niamh returns to California, shocked and traumatised. She cannot forget that she is adopted. And then, out of nowhere, a stranger visits her to tell her she isn’t human.

Niamh cannot take any more surprises, so she decides to go back to her place of birth – Wales. She needs her questions answered. Her life transforms further as she finds that Sprites have existed throughout centuries and she is not the only one who can see them.

So why is she connected to Ania, the scrawny Russian girl who rescued her from the dark cave?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Joanna Mazurkiewicz
• Release date: Mar 14, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301221080

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(The Whispers Series #3)

By Joanna Mazurkiewicz

Copyright © 2012 by Joanna Mazurkiewicz

First published in Great Britain in 2012 by Joanna Mazurkiewicz. The right of Joanna Mazurkiewicz to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are product of the author’s imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the author/publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a newspaper, magazine, journal or blog.

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Table of Contents

Chapter one

Chapter two

Chapter three

Chapter four

Chapter five

Chapter six

Chapter seven

Chapter eight

Chapter nine

Chapter ten

Chapter eleven

Chapter twelve

Chapter thirteen

Chapter fourteen

Chapter fifteen

Chapter sixteen

Chapter seventeen

Chapter eighteen

Chapter nineteen

Chapter twenty

1

‘What do you want?’ I yell, glaring at the woman sitting in front of me; she is just a pathetic human being. I am fed up with her endless questions. Her long, thin face makes me sick. She reminds me of a leech that crawls very slowly, sucking into the skin, tearing it apart to search for blood.

‘Don’t talk to your mother like that,’ interrupts Anthony, the person whom I refuse to call my father; he is pathetic too, trying to defend her. She played her role so well during the years.

‘She is not my mother,’ I tell him, clenching my fists.

‘Niamh! Just tell us what happened to you! How can you not remember where have you been for over a year?’ she continues, pursing her lips together.

I’ll call her Shirley from now on, because she doesn’t deserve to be called my mother. She’s just a liar – they both are. We are sitting in our pristine white kitchen, in the place that I called ‘home’ most of my life. California hasn’t changed much during the year that I was away. Shirley is sitting up straight, piercing me with her gaze. I have always found it hard to say what her exact eye colour is – the shade is not exactly green or blue, it’s a mixture. It’s Tuesday and she went to the hairdresser this morning, as usual. Her blonde highlights make her look younger and she uses Botox, but she would die before admitting that. Anthony, on the other hand, is less stuck-up and he doesn’t care what’s going on in the house most of the time. He is more interested in his political career than us.

‘Stop asking me these stupid questions. I don’t remember anything. I woke up in a different country for fuck's sake,’ I shout again, feeling my pulse rising.

Shirley hates it when I use inappropriate language and I am glad that I can annoy her. She closes her eyes for a moment. She has been doing this more often than usual to calm down, trying to drain out the negative emotions. Anthony runs his hand through his silver hair and gives me a sharp look; he exhales slowly and pats Shirley on the back, trying to comfort her.

‘So why did your sister disappear so quickly? We need to know in order to find the person who held you for so long,’ adds Shirley, laying the sarcasm down on the word ‘sister.’ She still doesn’t believe that Ania is my twin sister. I roll my eyes and toss my red hair.

‘She is my sister. She is the exact mirror image of me. You must be blind if you can’t see it. Why didn’t you tell me that I was adopted?’ I ask her, turning the conversation around so I don’t have to make up some more lies about what happened in that cave.

Anthony’s eyes narrow and he glances at Shirley, expecting her to explain. He is wearing a suit and keeps looking at his watch. I forgot that he has a plane to catch. He is flying to another state for the campaign that he is running. I am not surprised that they are married; they are a perfect match. He is calm, handsome and in excellent shape and she is blonde with long eyelashes and full lips; her makeup is always immaculate, exposing her high cheekbones and long, thin face. Shirley raises her eyebrow and a flicker of uncertainty passes over her face.

‘We have already apologised for it. We made a decision a long time ago, just for your own good,’ she pauses. ‘Your father has to be at the airport soon, so please tell us whatever you remember about the filthy man who took you away. The doctor said that you weren’t drugged.’

‘I don’t know, just leave me alone. I’ve got better things to do!’ I shout, getting up abruptly from the stool.

This kitchen is too damn perfect. The sink is never filled with dishes; the tiles on the floor are too white, reminding me of an institution for mentally unstable people. I open the large, expensive, silver fridge and take out the orange juice. I drink straight from the carton. Another point against me; Shirley hates when I don’t use a glass.

‘Okay. I have to go. I’ll be speaking to the police tomorrow. They still haven’t got anything else and the police in Wales are useless,’ states Anthony, brushing his suit with his right hand. He kisses Shirley on the cheek and he leaves the kitchen. For a moment I think that he is going to kiss me as well, but he changes his mind instantly, knowing that right now I am in a bad mood.

‘Just think about this Niamh, we are very worried about you. I know it’s hard for you to understand why we haven’t told you the truth, but you will understand this in the future. I want us to get back to our normal life…’

She keeps talking, but I can’t listen to this any longer so I leave the kitchen, passing through the large hall. The wooden floor makes this house looks bigger and emptier. The living room is clean thanks to our maid, Valentina, who cleans everything with great precision. She starts work early in the morning and leaves in the afternoon. Valentina’s greatest efforts make it so I always smell bleach everywhere, but this is just a minor detail.

I know what Shirley is going to do next. She will look through the papers, aggressively flicking through the pages, looking for information about me, about Anthony. She spends at least an hour a day, trying to find out what the media are writing about our family. My brother is the only person that I can talk to. He’s studying most of the time, while I try to deal with the creatures that I have started seeing ever since I opened my eyes for the first time in that dark, wet cave.

I didn’t understand anything when that girl, who apparently is my sister, made me drink some magical water. It was supposed to help me to get back on my feet. She had to leave to save someone’s life. I didn’t understand any of that, but the water certainly worked its magic. A new and unexpected energy rushed through me, and I was able to walk again. I still don’t remember what happened last July, early on a bright and sunny morning. A Sprite came to the house and he took me away; that’s what I have been told. I only remember that I was getting ready to take a shower that morning. After that it feels like there’s a black hole in my head. I am glad that I haven’t got any recollection of what happened to me when I was with him. When I finally opened my eyes in that cave, I was confused, dizzy, thinking that I was still dreaming.

After Ania left me I was in a state of shock. The police arrived hours later and I was taken to the hospital in a helicopter. I was still puzzled about what really happened in that cave, confused how I even ended up in Wales, the United Kingdom – a country I had never even intended to visit. Everyone kept asking me if I knew who I was, but I wasn’t able to explain what had happened. I shut myself down; images of the Sprite’s dead body next to me were playing on my mind. The dead body of the one who abducted me.

I spent a week in a hospital in Wrexham, making a slow but painful recovery and getting used to seeing Sprites. Ania visited me a few days later; she clearly hadn’t forgotten me, even though I wondered if she might. She looked exhausted but she explained everything. She had to fight to see me because at first Anthony and Shirley didn’t want to let her in to see me, but I have my ways; I told them that I wouldn’t be coming back to the States unless they let me see her. No one believed that she was my sister until they saw her. She then explained everything going back to her first year in university – her first experience with a Sprite. She talked for over an hour, going through her life story and soon I began to understand. The last part of her story didn’t make much sense but I listened. I was always very cynical when it came to love.

‘He is alive, but he is not the same. He doesn’t know what happened between us, he only remembers his life before I started seeing him – before we fell in love,’ she explained. Her eyes were empty and it was obvious that her heart was broken. I have never been in love, so I couldn’t empathise with her, especially since I couldn’t understand why she even slept with this guy who no one else was able to see.

‘Maybe his memory will come back and one day he will run to you, realising how hot you really are,’ I told her then. It worked because she smiled.

I still couldn’t believe that she is my twin sister; she has the same eyes and the same annoyingly red hair. I have always dyed my hair because I couldn’t stand to be called ginger. I was hoping to see Shirley’s face when Ania arrived, but I was chained to the bed so I missed it. Apparently, she almost fainted.

‘Gabriel has a fiancée. Before I was able to see Sprites, they all were forbidden to reveal themselves to humans; he broke that rule for me,’ Ania said.

‘You will get over him. I will help you,’ I assured her.

Ania’s story was overly complicated. She then explained that Gabriel saved her life when some other Sprite tried to kill her over two years ago. Her lover made a shield out of his own body and he ended up with knife in his chest. This sounded pretty dramatic and I continued to listen to how she spent the year trying to find the cure to help him to recover.

The police interrogated me for over three days; I couldn’t give them anything because I couldn’t tell them who exactly kidnapped me. The story about the invisible people wouldn’t work unless I wanted to be locked up in a mental institution. So I ignored the Sprites. Ania mentioned that my life would never be the same if I told anyone that I can see fairies all around me, so I chose to hide the truth. I was reunited with my twin sister for only a few days because Shirley took me back to California as soon as I was fit to travel. Ania had to get back to London. She had missed her exams and she had to think about what she was going to do next. I, on the other hand, didn’t have any plans. I followed everything that my false mother told me to do, still pretty shaken up by past events. Anthony spoke to the press, telling them that I had finally been reunited with my family, but he failed to mention my adoption. After all, he needed to keep his good profile for Congress.

‘What are you doing?’ asks my brother, walking into my bedroom.

My lips split into a smile; I am glad that he is here.

‘I am thinking about what I am going to do next,’ I tell him. He puts his bag on the floor and sits in the chair in front of me.

‘Maybe you should chill out and stop thinking about what you don’t remember,’ he says cheerfully. ‘Anyway, when am I going to meet that sister of yours?’

I laugh. My brother, Charlie, always knows what to say. He is younger than me, and he is Shirley and Anthony’s real son. He has Anthony’s pointed nose and mousy hair. He is handsome, always with a tall blonde girl by his side. He looks around my room that is set in its usual rebel way. There is a voodoo doll on the window and posters of a skateboard crew on the walls. I am twenty-three, but I still can’t let go of my skateboard. There is a bookcase on my right, but I don’t have any books, mostly comics.

‘She’s in the UK and she promised to visit me next month. I would love to travel to Wales, but Shirley would probably freak out.’

‘They are just worried, Niamh. I think you are a bit too hard on them. I know that Mom can be a pain in the ass sometimes, but just take it easy.’

‘I just can’t stand that they were lying to me all those years. I bet she made a decision and he just agreed with it,’ I say furiously, narrowing my eyes.

‘Maybe, but you don’t know that. Besides, what are you going to do about college?’

I make a face, staring into my brother’s olive eyes. Mine are also green but his always reminds me more of freshly cut grass in the summer. I don’t know why I was so stupid and never wondered why I didn't look like anyone in my family. Surely my ugly red hair should have raised suspicion.

‘I suppose that I have to start over. I think that there is still time to enrol.’

‘Are you going to carry on with the sports management?’

‘I suppose so. I don’t know what else to do,’ I shrug.

Charlie is studying art; he fought for his way with Anthony and Shirley after they were disappointed with my choice. Soon, everyone realised that no one in the family would follow Anthony’s aspirations; he always wanted me to study law. After Charlie announced that he was going to do art, Anthony lost his temper. Charlie moved out, and he is still doing art. His paintings are pretty good; he’s sold a few, making a good income on the side. In the end, Anthony agreed to finance his studies because Shirley insisted that the press would talk.

‘So are you going to tell me exactly what happened in Wales?’ he asks.

I look at his tense face, pursing my lips. I thought he didn’t care at first, but I guess he is curious. I hesitate; I should explain things to him. Technically, he is not my brother, but I still think that he is the closest person to me and I love him.

‘I really don’t know who took me away. I woke up in the cave thinking that I had been sleep walking.’

He can’t help but smile, and at that exact moment, he reminds me of Shirley when she is truly happy; most of the time she fakes it, hiding her emotions. I think she is afraid that people will notice her true self.

He suddenly stops smiling. ‘This isn’t funny, Niamh. I know you and you haven’t been yourself since you came back,’ Charlie points out, waiting for my answer.

‘Would you be yourself if you couldn’t remember anything? Give me some time here. I’ve lost a year of my life.’

‘Okay, I’m sorry; I am just trying to help you out. Do you want to go out to the beach with me?’

‘No. I promised Rebecca that I would see her later.’ I pause. ‘I know what you're doing; you’re trying to babysit me. You’re afraid that I am going to hang myself or something if I’m left alone.’

I think I have gone too far, because Charlie’s expression shifts; there is hesitation and fear in his green eyes. Does he really think that I am being serious? I may be lying to him about seeing Rebecca, but it’s not because I am suicidal; the truth is, I am afraid to go out. If I leave the house, I would have to face the Sprites that are everywhere. I can’t stand their fascinatingly intense eyes and the way that they are all stunning. I just don’t want Charlie to worry about me.

‘Okay, whatever. I will be back tomorrow to check on you. Mom is organising this charity event in a few days. Get busy and help her out,’ he insists, getting up.

My mouth drops open and I stare at him with disbelief.

‘Charity event? Thanks for letting me know; I won’t be here then.’

‘Niamh, don’t be so stubborn. At least you will have something to do.’

‘I have got stuff to do!’

He walks out without another word, shutting the door behind him. I throw a magazine at the door as it shuts. He knows me too well. I don’t know why I am in such a bad mood today. I can’t hide in the house forever; I need to get back to my life, my friends. I may have lost a year, but I am determined to get everything back on track. Deep down, I want to know what was happening to me when that Sprite, Adam, took me away. I could have been raped and tortured for all I know. I shudder. This is messing with my mind and I feel like I’m on a roller coaster that will never stop. I do the easiest thing; I push my emotions away, trying to be tough, pretending that I don’t care.

***

Anthony is still away in New York and Shirley stays out of the house most of the time, visiting spas and working out in the gym. If she’s not doing that, she meets her girlfriends for lunch to discuss the latest gossip around the neighbourhood. Some days she tries to make an effort with me by coming to my room, asking about my day, as though the last year never happened. I tell her to get lost. Then she starts shouting, and then we have quiet days. I haven’t been out since I came back. I ignore Rebecca’s phone calls, and I just text her to say I am unwell. I know that I can’t carry on like this. I used to be tough, not weak. I was never afraid of anyone, especially not of beautiful shadows that I didn’t even know existed.

Ania phones the house; I argue with Shirley over my right to talk to my sister. She is not accepting her, still refusing to believe that Ania is real. My pathetic ‘mother’ thinks that she is trying to use me for our money.

My twin sister mentions that she is hoping to visit me in September, before her studies commence. She has to repeat the year because all of her modules were cancelled out when she didn’t take the exams. She couldn’t tell them that she was held prisoner by a fairy, as this wouldn’t really help her case – it’s too unbelievable. I feel for her because I am in a similar situation. She also tells me that she got attached to another Sprite during the time that Gabriel was unconscious. I keep quiet, wanting to ask her how she could be so stupid; I know that they are better looking than ordinary people, but she has made the same mistake twice. Even I don’t do that, but I don’t tell her what I really think, as she already has a lot on her plate. Her other extraordinary boyfriend doesn’t want to see her; he is furious that she helped Gabriel and humiliated him in front of others. We can’t talk for long, as Shirley is doubtlessly eavesdropping in the other room. I hang up, wondering if I should just travel to the UK again and forget about my so-called family over here.

After Charlie mentioned the charity evening that Shirley is organising, I was planning to skip the party and go to the cinema with Rebecca, but it turns out that she has other plans. Shirley demanded that I stay and show everyone that I am doing fine, getting back to normality. I continue to be rude to her, but she surprises me, ignoring my sarcasm and abrupt comments. I wonder how long she is going to tolerate my behaviour.

On the day of the party, our back garden gets transformed. The long buffet tables are placed at the back. A number of caterers are waiting for the guests to arrive before they place the food out. Shirley looks good in her silver silk dress and her glossy blonde hair has been styled into a tight bun. She is standing outside waiting for the people to arrive. She has forced me to stand next to her.

‘Just stand straight and lift your shoulders,’ she keeps barking at me every five minutes.

I hate wearing dresses, especially when my back is exposed. I have cut my hair short. I decided to go against dying it again; since the kidnapping, I was left with long and unkempt hair with red roots, so I decided to cut it all and allow my natural hair colour to come through.

Shirley eyes widened with horror when she saw me this morning. She then closed her eyes for a moment, trying to calm down before she walked away. Now I am standing by the door, smiling like an idiot, and pretending to be happy this evening with my new short haircut.

Most people that arrive for this charity event are rich. They are politicians, bankers and businessmen with their wives and daughters. We live in one of the prime locations in San Francisco; my ‘parents’ spent a small fortune on this five-bedroom house and filled it up with overpriced furniture, not worrying about the taste. They just wanted to be like others: rich, and to feel important in the community. Anthony is still in New York so Shirley is hosting the evening all by herself, whilst Charlie is managing to avoid it, pretending that he has to study for exams.

‘Niamh, tell us, where have you been all this time?’ says Mary, Shirley’s best friend, sipping her champagne. She leaves a mark on the glass from her red lipstick. Her face is like a mask with the layer of makeup that covers her wrinkles. Next to her is her perfect daughter, Elisabeth; she just has been awarded a scholarship to the most prestigious schools in the country. I know this because my ‘mother’ has been ranting about this all morning.

‘Haven’t you read the papers?’ I ask her abruptly. ‘I don’t remember.’

I give her a light smile and walk away; it’s priceless to see her stunned expression. She will probably tell Shirley that I was rude but I don’t care. I have to get drunk in order to get through this party. It’s obvious that I am going to be quizzed by more and more people. I walk around, hoping not to suffocate in the mixed scent of all the perfumes that the women have used today. At least I can’t smell bleach around the house any longer. Everyone is waiting for the auction to start in the garden, so I sit down on the creamy sofa in the living room, drinking champagne, staring at the fireplace and all the pictures from