Jaded: The SilentWhisperer: The Jaded Series, #1

By Hailey Woerner

What if you knew about a plot to kill a national leader?

What if you wanted nothing but to trust, but knew nothing but betrayal?

What if someone could invade your mind and bring your greatest fears to life?
______________

Jade has lived in the same girl's orphanage all her life, where she's shunned by the rest of the girls, and the Mistress never seems pleased with her.
One day, after stealing food from the orphanage one too many times for a starving village, the Mistress banishes Jade from the one place she calls home.

With nowhere to go, and nowhere to live, Jade takes to the streets and stumbles into a mysterious boy on the run. One morning, she's horrified to discover the king's ring in the boy's bag, and learns that he's a part of a rebel plot to start a war and kill the king. Just when things don't look like they can get any worse, something happens that takes Jade's speech away forever, and she has no way to reveal the plot she discovered.

Learn how trust can be shattered in this thrilling tale through deceit and betrayal, and fight with Jade as she battles through terrors she never knew existed....

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hailey Woerner
• Release date: Jun 5, 2015
• ISBN: 9781512388398

Book preview

For those on a journey to trust...

A journey to forgiveness...

And a journey to overcome the past...

•• Prologue

From deep in the heart of the Tallpine forest, murmuring voices could be heard. They rose and fell, but never grew louder than a whisper; and had anyone been in the forest, the voices would not have been loud enough to hear above the rush of the wind.

He must never know, said a man with a graying beard, If he ever finds out, it may very well ruin the plans we have been perfecting all these years.

Another man shook his head. We could have major leverage over this boy if we let him know the truth, he said, disagreeing, "It would give him a reason to do the things we ask, instead of having the risk of his finding out later and deserting us."

"And what if he leaves us because we give him this information?" asked the first man.

The second man stroked his beard, but gave no answer.

The other men and women started to murmur again; their voices rising as a dispute broke out among them, each trying to get the other to see the problem their way.

Finally, the first man stood from his chair, hammering a fist on the table. Enough! he roared, "I have changed my mind. Ostes is right. We could tell the boy, when he's old enough. That way there is a better chance that he stays with us. Only tell him part of it, though. That way he will need us to find out the rest."

We don't know if he will remember his past! shouted one man.

Does it matter? snapped one woman.

We don't know if he will stay loyal. He comes from the king's city. How do we know he won't turn on us and go back to King Räolen? said another.

We should never have picked a child from Gialien; it will only cause us trouble!

The room quieted.

The first man shook his head, You know why we couldn't choose one of our own. he said to the group, This baby, in a few years, might well be our only hope of achieving our goal. He gave the room a sharp look, And all of you know that.

A large man who had been standing in a corner of the room spoke up. This boy is the only way, he rumbled, glancing down at the bundle he held, This child is the only one we found who was the right age to begin training. And he's the only boy we found who was not plagued with the illness our land suffers.

All the people in the room nodded, whispering.

The first man gazed at the man in the corner. You will be responsible for bringing up this child, and teaching him our ways, he said, We will provide his training. Let him know when he reaches the age of understanding, but tell no one else. We cannot fail again, he closed his eyes. If he turns away from us, our cause will be lost forever.

This boy, replied the man holding the child, will bring us to glory. All of our people will praise the name ... of Neco.

•• Chapter 1

The sun had not yet risen from its slumber when Jade slipped on the soft leather boots she had set out the night before.

She knew she must move quickly if she were to succeed.

Sneaking over to where she had hung her satchel and slinging it over her shoulder, she made sure it was empty. She would need it to be for what she was about to do. She crept out into the hallway and paused, listening for any sound that might tell her if anyone was awake.

All was quiet.

She crept through the narrow hallway, halting in her tracks when she heard someone's bed groan as they moved in their sleep. Each time she passed a room, she looked into the open doorway, making sure each bed had feet poking out from the covers.

Jade smiled. No one had woken yet.

The stairs creaked as she placed her weight on them, making Jade freeze, but after a few moments of waiting she continued, grateful no one came out to scold her for waking them.

She reached the bottom of the stairway, and breathed a sigh of relief. She was home free. She strode around the corner, walking into the kitchen. Her heart leapt into her throat as she saw Master Bottsen, the cook, preparing dough at the counter.

She jerked back around the corner, then peered into the kitchen again. She let her breath out; he had not seen her.

She had forgotten that on weekends Master Bottsen woke early to prepare dough for the week's bread. Irritated at her foolishness, Jade realized this might change her plans a bit; she needed to get things from the pantry without Master Bottsen catching her. She watched impatiently as the cook kneaded the bread, and then dusted his hands on his apron. He turned and came her way.

Oh no! She thought.

He would find her in just a few moments if she did not hide somewhere quickly. She glanced around for something, anything, that would conceal her. The only option she spotted was the rafters, several feet above her head.

Better those than nothing....

She jumped as high as she could, reaching far above her head. Her hands caught on a beam and she hauled herself on top of it, bringing her feet up just before the cook walked around the corner.

Jade grinned, letting out a sigh of relief. The cook was headed for the basement door. He would most certainly be awhile, she knew, because one of her tricks was waiting for him.

The cook closed the door behind him as he went, and Jade smiled when she heard the lock click. But still she waited until she heard the cook's muffled shouts and curses before leaping down from the beam she was on. Then she strolled into the kitchen. She opened the pantry and pulled out a few hunks of old cheese, a loaf of stale bread, and a few meat pies; placing them all in her satchel.

Then without another thought for the cook, who was still screaming curses at her from behind the basement door, she left the orphanage.

She ran through the streets, nodding politely to the other men and women who were just starting to leave their houses and getting ready to start the day. She was headed for the city gates; she was not at all interested in the people inside Gialien, protected by walls of stone. No, she was going to a village that was outside the city wall. One that was struggling to survive. One that was shunned by King Räolen and the people who lived in Gialien. One that needed her help.

The walk was not long, since the orphanage was fairly close to the edge of the city. More people started filing out of their shops and houses, walking this way and that across her path. It took a small portion of time to weave between the people, but it was not long before she arrived at the gates, which were slowly rising now that a new day had begun.

Jade passed under the gates, and slid through the small village that lay outside, comfortable now that she had left the city behind. She smiled at the small children who ran and laughed as they played, and they responded with short waves as they passed.

After a while she left the road, making a sharp turn and leaving the village behind. She continued to walk even as the ground grew rough under her feet; it was un-even and rocky, just the way she liked it. Dust flew around her feet as she went, and grit made its way into her boots, but Jade did not care. What she was doing made it all worthwhile. She smiled as trees started to thicken around her. She would soon reach her destination.

It wasn't a short walk, but since she had traveled this way many times, she was there before she knew it, looking down at her destination. A small village, made up of about ten to twelve houses, lay below her. A tiny pigpen was at the back of the village, holding two scrawny goats and a sorry excuse for a duck. Chickens could be heard clucking from behind one of the houses, and every now and then the cry of a weak rooster rang out. A man dressed in rags was working at a small garden beside his house, his eyes dull and lifeless. Two children were drawing in the dirt, trying to find some way to amuse themselves.

Weak coughs could be heard from some of the open windows, making Jade's heart swell. Sickness had broken out in the village. Again.

The man working in the garden looked up as Jade walked down the hill and into their village, and his lifeless black eyes lit up when he saw her.

Everyone, he called, Jade is here; she has come again! The only one who has not deserted us is here!

His calls brought out the people of the village, and they crowded around her expectation alight in their eyes. The two children left their drawings and stood, gazing out from behind their mothers' skirts. The whole village only consisted of about fifteen people, not including the children, and Jade felt the familiar feeling of despair when she saw them.

I only have a little, she said to them, but if we break it into small portions, there might be enough for all of you. She took the cheese, bread, and meat pies from her satchel, doling them out carefully so each person had a bit of each. They ate their portions ravenously, then looked at her satchel as if expecting more. Only the children savored their portions, eating each bite slowly and carefully until it was all gone. With adoring eyes they stared up at her, before rushing to her and wrapping their arms around her legs.

She hugged them back, looking from the girl to the boy, gazing sadly at their skinny bodies. Stay strong, she whispered to the boy, make sure your mother eats enough, and that your sister is safe. She turned to the girl, Never be afraid, and stick close to your brother, and always look for ways to help. She looked into the little girl's ice blue eyes, You are only as small as you feel. You can do anything if you set your mind to it.

Jade glanced up at the other villagers. I will come back, she said, Keep hope. I will help you, whenever I can. Then she turned, walking back up the way she had come, feeling the eyes of the villagers follow her as she went. She gave one last glance at the village before it disappeared from view. The way back seemed longer than when she had come, and her heart felt heavier with every step. She wished she could do more for those people! All she did was give them measly portions of food as often as she could. For Jade that was not enough, she knew somehow, in some way, she could do something more for them.

Within the next hour or so, Jade passed beneath the city gates, walked down the perfectly smooth streets, and found herself standing at the door of the orphanage. She sighed, knowing perfectly well that trouble would be waiting for her inside. Knocking on the door, she tried to come up with some reasonable excuse for what she had done, but she could think of nothing that would be believed by Master Bottsen or the Mistress.

She knew she could walk around the side of the building and climb the way to her window, but even if she did she knew at some point they would realize she was there. Better to get things over with from the beginning.

The door swung open.

Master Bottsen stood there, still bearing traces of egg yolks, glaring down at her. Expecting him to roar at her any second, she braced herself for his angry outburst. When none came, and he only moved aside for her to come in, Jade knew his silence meant her punishment would be much worse.

He continued to glare at her.

She walked inside, not flinching when Master Bottsen took her roughly by the shoulders and steered her over to the Mistress' office. The cook pushed open the door and shoved her inside, slamming the door behind them.

The interior of the office screamed neatness, with papers and quills lined in rows on a desk in the corner of the room; and almost at once Jade noticed all surfaces that were visible were entirely spotless. A sofa was pressed close to the wall under a crystal clear window, completely white and without spot or stain. Behind the desk was a large leather-looking chair with its back facing her, and it too looked spotlessly clean, matching the rest of the room. The Mistress’ bun could be seen peeking over the back of the chair, woven into a seamless knob on the top of her head, just as perfectly and carefully taken care of as everything else that filled her office.

Master Bottsen cleared his throat. Mistress Alorea, she's finally arrived.

Of course, of course, said the Mistress in her silky voice.

She turned her chair around, and Jade almost couldn't hold back the giggle that threatened to burst from her. The Mistress, in her clean room, was the only thing that had even the slightest blemish, for she too had bits of egg yolk clinging to her front, and a nasty scowl marred her face.

"I'm sure you have a very good reason for dumping rotten egg yolks on the cook, her voice was deceptively calm, And for making the basement door lock itself once it was closed."

Jade forced her face into an ashamed look, and smothered another giggle with a fake cough. Err...no, but I, um, well.... she trailed off. It was pointless. There was no excuse for what she had done, and she was not going to make up a ridiculous story, that would only get her in more trouble. There was no way she would tell them about the people in the forgotten village. They would just tell her it was not her problem.

The cook cleared his throat. "And she's been stealing food again. Three things were missing from the kitchen when I finally got up here, and that's the third time this week! He scowled at Jade. She's stolen so much food this month I've had to go to the market for ingredients seven times. This month. I can't take much more of this!"

Master Bottsen's anger made Jade smile slightly. She didn't know why, but ever since she had been small she had always found it funny seeing his, and only his, angry explosions.

The cook caught her smile. See the little monster? She thinks this whole thing is a joke. Just look at the smirk on her little face!

Jade quickly hid her grin, hanging her head in what she hoped was a downtrodden expression.

The Mistress got up from her chair, coming to stand in front of her. Hand.

Jade held out her hand, knowing what was about to happen. She bit her tongue to quiet the cry that rose to her lips as the Mistress' switch bit into the soft flesh of her palm. She was bearing this for the villagers. She would not fail them. Three times the Mistress lashed her before putting the switch away and bending down to Jade's level.

Jade, she said, her voice much softer now. "Do not steal food, or anything else, ever again. If you do, you will not be permitted to live here anymore. Don't make me have to kick you out. I love all you orphans as if you were my own children."

Yeah right...would you hit your children with a switch? Kick them out if they annoyed you? I don't think so.

That's it? snarled the cook, No punishment?

I suppose you view her lashing as no punishment? answered the Mistress.

Well, no.

And would you prefer to come up with a punishment yourself?

Actually, yes.

And what punishment would you purpose?

I—

That is what I thought. The Mistress sniffed, cutting him off. She turned sharply on her heal, returning to her chair. You are both dismissed, she said, swiveling her chair so her back was turned to them.

Jade shrugged as she and the cook moved toward the door, she smiling, and he scowling.

Oh, and Jade, called the Mistress from behind her, Don't let me, or the cook, catch you at this again.

Jade stopped, clenching her fists. Of course not, Miss Alorea, she said, then added under her breath, "I won't let you catch me." Then she left the room, slamming the door behind her.

Master Bottsen glowered at her outside the office. She smiled at him before flouncing up the stairs to her room.

The cook's outraged snarl rang out after her. Oh, yes! You think you're really something, don't you!

Yes, she sang back, Yes I do. Then she slid into her room and shut the door with a soft thud behind her, grinning as she heard the cook's angry bellows from the bottom of the stairs.

She did not exactly hate the cook, but she did not enjoy his company either. She reflected briefly on how her first true