Page 11 of When the Wicked Sing (The Leruna Sea #1)

Darkness wrapped around Mariana like a shroud, muting her senses as whispered words brushed against her ears, barely more than a breath on the wind. She strained to open her eyes, but the voices grew louder, more insistent, as if someone was racing past her, their hot breath grazing her skin.

“ Listen .”

“ Unleash it .”

“ Feel it within you .”

Mariana shook her head, fighting the fog that clung to her thoughts, and forced her eyes open.

A thick, swirling mist clung to her skin, wrapping around her like a living thing.

She struggled to catch her breath, her pulse quickening as a figure slowly emerged from the haze, moving toward her with deliberate steps.

The closer the figure came, the harder it was for her to remain still, her heart thundering in her chest.

“Who are you?” she whispered, her voice trembling with uncertainty.

A strange sense of detachment washed over her, as if she were floating outside her body. Her limbs felt numb, and a chill had seeped into her bones. Was this the afterlife? Was the figure approaching her the Goddess Amphitrite?

Tears welled in her eyes, her throat tightening painfully.

Confusion, anger, and a bittersweet happiness crashed over her, overwhelming her as the figure drew nearer.

Panic clawed at her soul, the thought of never seeing her family again threatening to break her.

But a voice deep within urged her to stay strong, to pull herself together.

She wiped her eyes, trying to focus, but the figure remained blurred, its edges fading into the fog.

“ The time has come. You must listen, ” the figure said, its voice distant yet soothing, a melody she couldn’t place but felt she had heard before.

Mariana struggled to make sense of the words. “Listen?” Her voice echoed strangely into the surrounding mist.

“ Let it guide you. Listen, and you will be free. ”

Suddenly, a blinding white light seared her eyes, forcing them shut as her body began to fall into a vast emptiness.

Then, gradually, the world came back into focus. The cold, damp air filled her lungs as she opened her eyes, blinking up at a canopy of trees. Moonlight filtered through the swaying branches, casting shifting shadows on the forest floor.

What in the blazing sun …?

She tried to lift her hands to shield her eyes, only to find them bound tightly at the wrists. Her pulse quickened, a sharp, suffocating pressure tightening in her chest as she strained against the ropes, her breaths shallow and uneven.

This wasn’t a dream .

She lay on a bed of pine needles and damp moss, the chill of the forest floor seeping into her bones.

She struggled to sit up but found her ankles bound.

A warm hand pressed against her back, helping her rise.

The hooded figure she had seen before she lost consciousness loomed over her, its presence as ominous as the darkness surrounding them.

“What … what did you do to me?” Mariana stammered, her voice weak as nausea roiled in her stomach. She turned away, gagging as she emptied what little was in her stomach onto the ground. When she was finished, she wiped her mouth with the back of her bound hands, grimacing at the mess.

Settling against a tree, she surveyed her surroundings with wary eyes. They were in a forest, that much she was sure. The air carried a slight chill that suggested they were farther north than she had expected. The moon was dipping below the horizon, a sign that she had been unconscious for hours.

Glancing down, she inspected the ropes binding her wrists and ankles as her captor rummaged through a leather bag. She dug her nails into the silky white rope around her ankles, but it held firm, resisting her attempts to loosen it.

“Don’t touch that,” the hooded figure demanded, his deep voice startling her. He held out a waterskin, but his face remained hidden beneath his hood. All she could see was the stubble on his jaw. “Here, drink.”

She hesitated. Her throat was parched, but fear kept her from accepting the offer. The memory of the drug he had used to knock her out was still fresh.

With an irritated sigh, he took a long swig from the waterskin himself, the moonlight briefly illuminating a strong, shadowed jaw, before he held it out to her again. Reluctantly, Mariana snatched it from his hand, drinking deeply until he took it back.

“Who are you?” she asked softly, water dripping from her chin.

He said nothing, pulling a piece of cured meat from his bag and offering it to her.

“I can’t eat that.” She shook her head, frustration bubbling beneath her fear. “I’m a siren. We don’t eat meat— usually ,” she added under her breath.

The stranger grunted in response, returning to his bag and pulling out a piece of bread. She reached out, taking the offering from his outstretched hand, her fingers brushing against his. He watched her for a long moment, his hooded face inscrutable.

As she tore off small chunks of bread, eating slowly, she kept a cautious eye on him.

His silence was unnerving, and the chill in the air crept deeper into her bones, making her shiver despite herself.

The thin dress she wore did little to protect her from the cold, but it was the one Celeste had made for her, a small comfort.

She couldn’t let her thoughts drift to Celeste, not now.

She needed to stay present and figure out who this male was and why he had taken her.

His large size alone suggested he was fae.

She couldn’t sense any magic emanating from her captor, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t Blessed .

The fae who wielded power were at the top of their society, their immortality making them nearly impossible to kill by conventional means.

Her eyes darted to the dagger at his waist, catching the glint of metal in the dim light. She noticed the faint etchings of a royal seal on the hilt—a symbol she recognized all too well .

“Did King Stavros send you?”

She noticed the fae still for a split second.

“If the king wants to negotiate—”

The fae raised a hand. “I’m not here for diplomacy.” His voice was deep and smooth, gliding over her skin like a soft touch of his fingertips.

Shivering, she glared at him. “Then why are you here? Why have you taken me?”

He continued eating, his silence making her jaw clench and her eyes narrow on the dagger at his waist once more.

If she could grab it and cut the ropes at her ankles, then she might have a chance of escaping him.

Or if she could fight her way out of this, she could get to the coast and call for help.

The fae wouldn’t kill her. If that had been his objective, he would’ve done so by now.

She suspected his orders were to bring her to the king.

But why? Was it to discuss Astra’s mission or negotiate for her life? Or something else entirely?

Either way, she couldn’t let the fae king control whether she lived or died.

She had to escape before they reached the fae realm.

Once there, she would lose her connection to the sea and her ability to call for help.

Fae lands were mountainous and frigid in winter, and though spring was on its way, the chill in the air was a constant reminder of how far from home she was.

Her captor closed his bag and stood, his full height towering above her.

Mariana’s breath caught as she realized how tall he was, his broad shoulders filling her vision.

He wore a dark shirt beneath leather armor, a long black leather cloak, and mud-splattered boots.

The bow and arrows on his back glinted gently under the moonlight, and she wondered how trained he was with them.

If she ran, would one of those arrows find its way into her back?

As he turned to survey their surroundings, his back briefly facing her, she didn’t waste time with the what-ifs. This was her chance.

Thrusting out her feet, she kicked the back of his knees. The fae shouted as she snatched the dagger at his waist as he fell.

Slicing through the ropes around her ankles, she scrambled to her feet and bolted into the trees, the smell of the sea guiding her.

Her heart pounded in her chest, each beat echoing in her ears as she ran, her eyes locked on the barely visible trail ahead.

She leaped over a large branch, her bare feet landing on a pile of broken twigs, making her stumble.

Cursing under her breath, she pushed herself up, the sounds of the fae crashing through the underbrush behind her.

Damn, he’s fast.

She pushed herself harder, her legs burning with the effort, but the weight of gravity dragged her down, slowing her with every step. Just as she thought she might outrun him, a powerful arm wrapped around her waist, lifting her off the ground.

Mariana screamed, kicking with all her might, catching a glimpse of the shimmering sea through the trees before he spun her back toward the forest and threw her to the ground.

The impact knocked the wind from her lungs, and she lost her grip on the dagger. The fae was on her, turning her over and pinning her wrists to the ground above her head.

“Stop!” he shouted as she struggled, trying to claw at his face. “Stop this now! I don’t want to hurt you! ”

His words drew a bitter laugh from her. She leaned closer, her breath mingling with his. “You’re abducting me! Taking me away from my home! Don’t act like you’re not hurting me!” she hissed, snapping her teeth at his face, forcing him to jerk his head back.

Breathless and spent, Mariana went still, her head resting against the cool, damp moss beneath her.

For the first time, she could see his face clearly, and she was immediately repulsed by the instinctive attraction she felt.

His features were handsome but held a menacing edge, his dark eyes promising retaliation for her defiance.

His strong jaw, covered in stubble, clenched tight as he held her down.