The Whispers of The Sprite (The Whispers series #1) (10 page)

‘
I need to know everything about this guy that you have been seeing,’ I say, staring at my mother who has changed so much already.

‘
He is from Russia, but there isn’t much to talk about,’ she says, waving it off as if it isn’t such a big deal.

‘
Are you kidding me? I am not going to sit here and pretend that nothing happened. C’mon, tell me now!’

‘
What do you want to know?’

‘
What does he do for a living?’

‘
He runs his own business. He does something with property development. I am not sure; we don’t talk about work much.’

‘
So how many times did you go out?’ I ask, barely restraining my excitement. My mother blushes again and I can tell that she likes him. Maybe that’s why she stopped nagging me all the time.

‘
I don’t want to talk about me. I am more interested to hear about you,’ she chuckles.

‘
No news,’ I snap, ‘C’mon, you've got to tell me everything. What’s he like and do you think that you are going to see him again?’

‘
Oh, I don’t know Ania, it’s just been a few dates, but I feel that he is looking for something serious,’ she finally says, looking slightly irritated.

‘
So when am I going to meet him?’

‘
Will you stop it!’ she says, raising her voice. I laugh; she never was very straightforward about men.

‘
Okay, fine,’ I say, giving up. ‘Let’s talk about me, then.’

‘
Good, but before you start you have to eat something. You probably haven’t had a proper meal since you left!’

I roll my eyes and start talking about university, avoiding the recent rendezvous with George. I don’t want to ruin her good mood and get into another argument. My mother starts preparing food.

Later on as I eat the traditional Russian supper Mum made for us, I wonder if I will ever be as happy as her. I have a few weeks where I can stop thinking about coursework and university and enjoy the Christmas festivities the month has to bring. Tradition being valued in our household, I invite Gosia over for the Christmas feast. When I mentioned the differences of traditional Russian Christmas to my housemates, they didn't understand why we have to wait until the seventh of January to open presents and why we don’t have a turkey for Christmas dinner. They were surprised with the way Russians celebrate Christmas. Later that evening, I go to bed happy that I am at home and that Mum is adapting well to the fact that I am no longer living with her.

When I get upstairs, I have a shower and go to bed straight away. I feel myself falling into a hazy sleep. Gabriel slides into my warm bed, awakening me by kissing my lips. I open my eyes, smiling.

‘
Morning,’ I say, as he wraps his body around mine.

‘
I shouldn't have come here today but I wanted to talk to you.’ He starts kissing my neck gently and the familiar electric current connects us.

‘
I know you belong to someone else, but you can feel the connection between us,’ I say, looking at him. His blue eyes are shining.
 

‘
These feelings that I started to have when I am around you,’ he begins, still looking at me. ‘They scared me at first, but then I realised that’s how humans feel about each other when they have chosen the one they want to be with. You influenced me.’
  

I don't want to help him to label how he feels.
‘
I am sorry, Gabriel, that no other Sprite ever experienced it. It's sad to be pushed to live with someone that you don't love.’

‘
We are here to influence humans and our feelings are not important,’ he says, and he kisses me again more urgently.

During this delightful night, I lose myself to his touch, wanting him to seduce me. His body is so firm as he moves on top of me. He begins to kiss my neck, moving down to my collarbone. He wants to taste me slowly, like a delicious dessert that he doesn't want to finish. As my mind is hesitating to give in, my heart wins instead and my body slowly subjects itself to his gentle movements. He takes off his cotton shirt, revealing a strong chest and I inhale the lust-filled air, trying to lock his perfect body into my memory. His skin is so soft and I can no longer fight with my pleasure. The room is dark but I still notice his light smile when he removes my night T-shirt and stares at my half-naked body underneath. My mind is blank when he begins to kiss my breasts, his soft tongue
tantalising
my nipples, caressing them gently. I close my eyes, unable to take this any longer as my breathing quickens and I know that I am ready to taste him. When he breathes through my underwear I
moan
, feeling the heat that rises inside me. His hands caress my thighs and venture down between my legs, teasing me to the point that I want to beg him to take me. Suddenly he stops and I open my eyes, wondering what's happened.

‘
I need to get rid of this,’ he says smoothly and stands up to take off his trousers. My heart pumps the blood quickly round my body, the pulsating feeling in between my legs deepens in anticipation of seeing him – all of him.

He looks at me with his eyes full of lust; in the darkness his eyes are more intense. As he removes the rest of his clothes, I open my mouth, unable to take my eyes off his naked body, but he doesn’t allow me to stare any longer and begins kissing the side of my thighs, exploring me further.

‘
Are you going to take off the rest of your clothes?’ he asks as he continues to tease me with his fingers. My hands shake when as I take off my underwear and within seconds I am lying naked underneath him. He eases his fingers inside me and I groan with pleasure. His touch is incredible, gentle, stimulating and desire bursts throughout my body. My body isn’t perfect but he treats it as if it is. He doesn't stop and he continues to caress my body as the blood pumps through me.

‘
Are you ready?’ he whispers, but I am unable to respond, lost in heavenly thoughts.

‘
Mmm
.’

He laughs and then enters me slowly, with his blue eyes piercing into mine. He groans loudly, saying something in a language that I don't understand. I try to keep up with his fast movements but I am slowly losing my mind in the joy and bliss. His hands guide my hips as he picks up the pace; I feel like my heart will tear my chest apart but I don't want him to stop. Ecstasy fills my body and I am trying not to scream, wondering if my Mother will hear me. I cover my mouth with the pillow and my breathing becomes harsher. Within seconds, a blissful orgasm fills both our bodies and I explode underneath him. I open my eyes to look at him. His eye colour is the most intense that I have ever seen. The sight of perfect sapphire blue.

When I open my eyes a few hours later it’s dark outside and Gabriel is still lying next to me. My body feels sore, but I don’t mind feeling this way when he is beside me. He isn't sleeping and I begin to wonder if he needs to rest at all. It's been so long since I slept with a man, but I have never experienced this exhilarating lovemaking with an extraordinary creature.

‘
Thank you,’ he says, noticing that I am not asleep. I smile.

‘
What are you thanking me for? I think that I should be thanking you.’

He doesn't respond at first and just leans in to kiss me gently.
‘
You make me so happy,’ he says. ‘I have never felt this way about anyone. Sex was always just sex before, but now, I finally realise how much I could enjoy it when getting so much pleasure from it. You are the first human that I have shared a bed with.’

‘
Lucky me?’ I say, amused.

‘
You are very lucky, actually, to enjoy the body of a Sprite,’ he says. ‘Most women would kill for me.’

He is as arrogant as usual but it doesn't matter. That’s his character and I can't change it; I don’t want to change it.
   

‘
Tell me more about your life,’ I say, changing the subject. Gabriel is probably not used to small talk. He smiles lightly.

‘
I think I said enough. The council amongst us makes a decision about assigning a particular Sprite to a human, and I feel lucky that I have you. All my life I felt that something was missing. I told my father that I didn’t want to marry Rose but he didn’t want to listen. He said that this is just the way it is.’

‘
What would happen if your father finds out about me?’ I ask, subconsciously knowing the answer. His eyes narrow and he looks out the window, silent for long while.

‘
My father was matched with my mother so she could give birth to more Sprites; Rose was chosen for me so she could give birth to our Sprites. Our population depends on the decision of the higher class and no one from my community knows that I can really feel. If they did, they would do all in their power to make sure I suffer for it and that others don’t end up like me,’ he explains in an uneasy tone. ‘I don’t know what my father would do, he was always difficult to read.’

‘
Who are the council?’

‘
The oldest Sprites that have been living for thousands of years. One of them is particularly important: Lord Alcott. The rules they adhere to aren’t new. It's been that way since anyone can remember so no one can really question them.’

‘
That’s so sad,’ I say, looking at him and wondering why no one has ever rebelled against this convention.

‘
When are you supposed to marry Rose?’ I ask, trying to sound normal, but I know that this conversation will hurt me. He sighs.

‘
The time is not settled yet, but she is expected to have a child before next winter,’ he explains.

‘
What if that doesn't happen?’

‘
There is nothing that I can do to stop it; it's been predestined and we are expected to follow the rules, even if we don't agree with them.’
 

I don't say anything else. What happened between us tonight was so magical and overpowering, and continuing the conversation about him and Rose makes me feel guilty about our actions tonight. Despite the feeling between us, it’s too dangerous for us to repeat it; Gabriel is risking his own life to be with me. I’m allowing myself to become attached to him. I am doubtful that he will ever be able to leave Rose and follow his heart. He leaves in the morning and I am not sure if I want to see him again. We are not meant to be together. We live in two different worlds that are not supposed to meet.

9

My routine has been completely disrupted after the passionate night I spent with Gabriel. Days later I am still smiling, remembering his smooth touch on my skin. I know that he is still engaged and belongs to someone else, but that doesn’t stop me from daydreaming about the night we were together. I am afraid of the consequences and the feelings that I developed for him, but my mind, body and soul have been forever engraved by his touch.

Mum arranged a dinner with Dmitry and I am finally going to meet the man who stole her heart. He suggested it, so he might be thinking seriously about Mum. Despite the festive period, Mum still has a few shifts in the hospital, so I try to keep myself occupied with Christmas shopping.
 

Later on in the evening my mother comes back looking shattered; she had a long day in the hospital. The dinner date is today, so she has to get some sleep beforehand. I read and make lunch, trying not to think about Gabriel until we are rushing to leave the house on time.

‘I am nervous,’ I say, getting into the taxi.

I breathe deeply, trying to think about meeting my mother's new man. I think it might be too soon but it's too late to change my mind now.

‘He is very polite, you don't have to be nervous around him,’ she replies, after telling the taxi driver the directions. ‘What about Swansea – any boys that you met while you have been there?’ she asks and I shift uncomfortably, trying to think of how to approach this subject. I am tempted to tell her about George but I don't want to ruin her night.
 

‘No, I haven't met anyone yet, Mum. I’ve got too much coursework to concentrate on.’ I smile awkwardly. She doesn't say anything else until we get to the restaurant and I wonder if George has mentioned anything to her about what happened when he came to see me in Swansea. I have a suspicion that they talk behind my back, but I can't deal with this right now.

The restaurant that Dmitry has chosen is Russian, which doesn't surprise me at all. I can’t help but notice a few Sprites outside. We walk inside and the young, dark-haired waiter escorts us to the right table. Dmitry is already there and he stands as we approach him. He is a short man, about mid-forties and is wearing a grey suit. He isn’t terribly good looking, but I decide he seems pleasant enough.

‘Oh, darling,’ he says in a thick Russian accent. He kisses my Mother gently on the cheek and smiles as he looks at me. He has light brown eyes and a long nose with typical Eastern European features. ‘You must be Ania.’

‘Yes, nice to meet you,’ I answer, not knowing how to react, but he leans over and kisses me on the cheek. He pulls out a chair each for Mum and me and asks the waiter to bring the best wine.

‘So, how is Wales?’ he asks, glancing at me.

‘It's great. I love the university,’ I answer.

We talk a bit about my time in Swansea and then the conversation moves to Dmitry's business. I can see why my Mother fell for him; he is very charming and polite. She behaves completely differently when she is around him. I am struggling to maintain my focus on the conversation as my mind begins to wander off to the night in my bedroom when Gabriel made love to me. I notice a few Sprites in the restaurant, trying to blend themselves into unfamiliar surroundings.

Mum is busily engaged in the conversation with Dmitry, telling him about her day in the hospital. As I look around for the toilet, I see the restaurant isn’t very busy. There are a few couples dotted around; there is a group of men in their thirties, looking bored and slightly drunk. Then in the far corner of the room, I notice an older lady that looks familiar; she has short silver hair and a lot of gold
jewellery
around her neck. I try to remember where I may have seen her before when all of a sudden she looks at me. I quickly look at my menu, realising why she looks so familiar. The night in London when I was going back home after meeting my friend Gosia for drinks, she was on my street in the middle of the night. Then in Swansea, she was standing outside my house, staring at my window. I begin to wonder if this woman is following me or if it's all a coincidence. After a few minutes, I glance back at her again but she isn't looking at me anymore. She is reading a book perhaps, but I can't see from my table.
 

'Are you ready to order?’ asks the young waiter, breaking off my thoughts about the woman. I look at the menu, trying to remember what I wanted. After a few seconds, I choose a traditional Russian soup,
okroshka
, which I haven’t eaten for a long time. Then a Sprite comes to our table towards my Mother. He is tall and handsome with bright red hair. I try not to look at him, but I can't help it. He passes by me and leans in to whisper something in my Mother's ear while she takes a sip of her wine. A cold shiver travels through my spine when his skin slightly brushes against my arm. Standing upright, the Sprite looks pleased with himself and walks off, and my Mother looks lost for a few seconds.
 

‘We should visit Russia together,’ she says unexpectedly.

‘That's a great idea,’ responds Dmitry. I stare at my Mother without saying anything, but I know what her Sprite is trying to do; I know that matching humans is their main priority. I wonder if I lost my ability of seeing Gabriel, would he ever try to connect me with a different man?
 

After the main courses, the waiter brings vodka. I refuse to drink any more as I have already had two glasses of wine and don't want to mix my drinks. Mum's face is purple and she is giggling. I excuse myself and go in search of the toilet. I feel dizzy as I get up. I wonder if I will see Gabriel any time soon.

I notice the mysterious woman isn't at her table as I try to locate the toilet. I glance at the time, surprised that it’s already close to 10pm. The restaurant is quiet at this point and the drunken men have left. After directions from the waitress, I walk upstairs to the bathroom. I feel bloated and uncomfortable, having had way too much food. At the top of the stairs, I spot the mysterious woman. I try to avoid her, but she grabs my hand unexpectedly. I can smell lavender again; it’s so intense and overpowering. She glances around furiously as she is afraid that someone will hear us, and then she focuses her gaze on me.
 

‘Danger is approaching. Be careful and protect yourself,’ she says, squeezing my arm.
 
She is petrified
.
For a long moment she is staring directly into my eyes.

I blink rapidly, feeling her cold hand.

‘Excuse me?’

‘Use iron, child. Iron will protect you!’ she whispers in a fearful voice.
 

I exhale, trying to understand what’s going on, but someone else walks past and distracts me from this weird and scary woman and her words of warning. She releases my hand as the passerby looks over and then she stares at me as though seeing me for the first time in her life; as though she didn’t just grab my hand and scare the life out of me.
 
As she reaches the bottom of the stairs, she looks up at me again and then disappears around the corner. Her words run through my mind and I don't understand why she mentioned iron. What would iron have to do with me?

I run down to see if I can ask her what she meant, but as I reach her table I find it empty. I look around the restaurant but she’s gone. I stand there, confused and sober, scratching my head. I wonder if I have just imagined the entire thing when an unknown Sprite looks over at me, but I ignore her, having more pressing matters in my head.

As I walk back to my table, Mum is drunk and so is Dmitry. Her face is still purple and she is mumbling, mixing her words in Russian and English. I wave to the waiter for the bill and ask Dmitry to get us a taxi home. He nods with acknowledgment, as he is heading to Liverpool in the morning and needs to wake up early himself. I help my Mother to get to the taxi, thanking Dmitry for dinner. As we head home, my mind is
analysing
what the strange woman told me on the stairs: 'Use iron, child. Iron will protect you.'

The next few days are peaceful and I stay at home watching TV and read a few novels. I hope to see Gabriel later at some point; I miss him already. Just before 7pm on a gloomy Sunday night I get a phone call from Mum, who tells me she will be at work longer than expected, as there has been an accident.

Around ten o’clock I decide to go to bed early. Gabriel isn’t going to show up so I don’t see the point in staying up waiting for him. However, I see that he is already in my room.

‘How long have you been standing here?’ I ask, closing the door. He turns around to look at me.

‘Only for a few minutes.’

I place my hands on my hips. I can’t read anything from his expression.

‘Why didn’t you appear in the living room?’ I ask, sucking the corner of my lips.

‘Because I was thinking.’

‘Thinking? In my room?’

‘Yes, I had something in my mind.’ He pauses. ‘We need to talk.’

My heart skips a beat, then races triple time.
W
e need to talk.
That sentence starts ringing in my head.
 
I blink rapidly, afraid to say anything. He moves closer to me but I step away.

‘Talk? About what?’

He avoids my gaze; this doesn’t feel right. Men don’t just say that they want to talk unless it’s important.
 

‘I won’t be around for a while.’ He shrugs, shifting his weigh uncomfortably. My throat goes dry.

‘Why are you not going to be around?’

‘I have to take care of something,’ he responds, then he is beside me closer than he should be. He wraps his arms around me.

‘Something?’ I repeat, but my voice dies in my throat when he starts kissing my neck.

‘You make me crazy,’ he murmurs.

I can barely control myself when he slips his hand underneath my blouse, running his fingers across my back. My heart compresses in my chest. My breathing is heavy and more laboured, but I find strength and pull away from him.

‘What do you mean you have to take care of something?’ I repeat.

His smile fades away. ‘I can’t talk about it, I just need to disappear for a while,’ he adds, stroking his black hair. ‘But we will be together again before you even know it.’

‘So you used me to have sex with me and now you are going to vanish without explaining anything to me?’ I ask, feeling like a bucket of ice has just cascaded into my stomach.

He scowls at me, wrinkling his forehead with effort.

‘It’s not about you, Ania. I just have to take care of a few things,’ he presses, but I just shake my head.

‘Of course it’s about me!’ I roar. ‘You got what you wanted and now you are just going to leave. I can’t believe that I was so stupid!’

He narrows his blue eyes and exhales sharply. ‘You need to calm down.’

‘I am not going to calm down. Get the hell out of here!’

This is it, I am not controlling myself any more. He shoots me an angry look and then he is gone.

I stare at the empty space wondering what I’ve just done. I didn’t mean to behave like a lunatic. I throw myself on the bed and start crying like a little child. My
behaviour
was unacceptable. Obviously he had to leave, but he could at least explain where he was going. I hate that I acted so impulsively stupid.