Page 18 of When the Wicked Sing (The Leruna Sea #1)

Mariana breathed the cool air deep into her lungs as she navigated toward the river. She could feel it calling to her. Its sweet song lured her toward its welcoming embrace, teasing her with the promise of relief.

Dax was silent behind her, somehow making far less noise than she did as they stepped through the remnants of autumn and winter. The dried leaves crunched beneath her bare feet, and she curled her toes against the cold bite of the ground.

She’d been stupid for saying she didn’t need the dagger to kill him.

She was supposed to be earning his trust, not putting his guard up!

But she couldn’t take back the words now.

He had to have known she was a worthy opponent already, so why did he ask for the dagger? Was it some kind of test? Or maybe …

Biting the inside of her cheeks, she realized the answer. Trust goes both ways.

Her legs ached painfully, ready to transform the second she was in the water.

Her whole body itched to let her tail free, to feel the rush of water through her hair and saturate her scales.

They felt dry and flaky, frantic for hydration that drinking water couldn’t fix.

The gnawing sensation overwhelmed her the moment her eyes landed on the flowing river.

Moss-covered rocks interrupted the heavy current farther upstream, allowing the river to calm substantially into an easy, steady flow. The sight of it made her sigh in relief. Almost there.

Glancing back at Dax, she caught him eyeing the river cautiously, like it might swallow him whole if he dared step into it.

She knew what she had to do. She’d insisted he come with her because she needed to gain the upper hand.

Trust was her goal. Control was her weapon.

And he had no idea what she was capable of.

She let her coat fall to the ground, then with deliberate slowness, she lifted her hands to the knot at her neck and untied her dress.

“Do you have to undress before you transform?” Dax asked, his expression tight and unyielding.

“No,” she muttered, not offering anything else. It was true she could slip her clothing into the fold , making it disappear as she transformed, but that took energy she didn’t want to waste.

Turning toward the river with her back to Dax, she let the dress fall to her feet and stepped into the water. Her tail splashed through the rippling waves, and she smiled, letting out a deep sigh. Tilting her head back, she floated. Her tail moved slowly, keeping her from going downstream.

She gazed up at the sky. The sun was approaching the horizon, casting long, dark shadows through the trees. Turning her head toward Dax, she found him still clothed, his hood covering his head and shrouding his eyes in darkness .

“What are you waiting for?” she asked, spreading her arms wide. “It’s not that cold.”

“It’s not that warm either.”

She slapped her tail, splashing water at him, and he quickly sidestepped.

“Oh, come on, get in! You’ll get used to it.”

The fae continued staring at her. Good. Let him look. Let him think I trust him. The closer he gets, the more careless he’ll be.

“Your tattoos …” he said carefully, “they’re glowing.”

Mariana glanced down at her arms and saw the pale glow from the tattoos embedded in her skin. “They are,” she said, tilting her gaze back at him, unable to see his shadowed eyes. “It tells me that this river connects to the sea.”

Dax remained silent for a long moment, and she began to worry. “Mari,” he started softly, “I need to ask you something.”

His serious tone sobered her, her euphoria fading as her body grew tense. Shifting so she was facing him, she gave him an equally concerned look. “What?”

“If I enter that river, am I in danger?”

He was as tense as a coiled snake, believing she was dangerous. Good.

She forced her gaze to soften. “No, Dax. I just saved your life, why would I hurt you now?”

It was the truth. Mariana didn’t plan on killing him, but she wanted him to understand that she could if he crossed her. Power needed to stay on her side.

“Just this morning, you tried ripping my throat out with your teeth. ”

Mariana smiled faintly at the memory. “That was all in good fun. Besides, watching you fight earlier, the way you killed those fae, it reminded me that I need an ally. My only concern is finding my sister. I think you can help me save her.”

A long, drawn-out moment of silence made her doubt everything she’d revealed. But then Dax lifted his hands and pushed back his hood, revealing his cautious gaze.

“You’re telling the truth.”

She rolled her eyes. “Just get in the water, Dax.”

He sighed before dropping his cloak. As he lifted his shirt over his head, her eyes trailed his toned chest and abs, and she quickly glanced away as soon as he began taking off his pants.

Focus on anything else. Not the naked fae just a short distance away.

Mariana’s cheeks burned with shame. Her core tightened, and something inside her began to ache. It was a sensation she’d never felt before. She shoved it aside. This isn’t about him.

When Dax stepped into the river, his cautious gaze inspected her like he was trying to solve a riddle.

“Why were you crying the morning I found you?”

The question made her heart skip a beat. “You mean the morning you drugged me?”

He shrugged, and Mariana tilted her head back, letting the water cascade through her hair. She tried to steady herself as the pain of that morning came rushing back—Celeste’s face, the sound of her voice, the crushing emptiness left in her absence.

“Are you asking or demanding to know?” she said softly, silently begging him to let the matter drop.

“I’ll listen, but only if you wish to tell me. ”

With an aching heart, she sank into the water briefly, taking a few steadying moments before resurfacing. Wiping the water—and the tears—from her eyes, she wrapped her arms around herself.

“Someone I care about died. She …” Mariana paused, gathering her composure. “She was like a mother to me.”

“She was mortal,” he stated.

“Yes. And despite how you fae feel about them, they are an intelligent, caring species. They may not have electricity or much care for proper hygiene,” she said with a faint smirk at his expression, “but at least they take care of each other.”

Dax tilted his head, his gaze steady. “Not all fae hate mortals.”

“And yet, for all I’ve seen of your kind, the lot of you have proven to be selfish, hostile brutes.”

A corner of his mouth lifted. “Your mouth is going to get you killed someday.”

“Or it’ll save my life.” Her eyes roamed his face. “Why did you take me, Dax? Why bring me back to a king who wants to destroy my people? You don’t seem like the sadistic type.”

His smirk faded. “Just following orders.”

“That’s it?”

He shrugged. “You have all the power to kill me. Right now. And yet, all you do is cut me with your sharp tongue. So, why did you save my life?”

“Because you’re the only hope I have of finding my sister.”

Dax didn’t respond, yet his eyes never left hers.

“Do you have any siblings?” she asked suddenly, the question slipping out before she could stop it .

His silence unnerved her until he muttered, “I have a younger sister.”

“What’s her name?”

“Kenna,” he said, his tone flat, distant.

Mariana frowned. “Do you miss her?”

Dax’s jaw tightened. His answer came a moment too late. “Always.”

Her heart clenched at the truth she saw in his expression.

“Is she in Aurelia?”

His glare made any lingering questions die on her lips.

She stopped before him, suddenly taken back by the painful look he was trying to hide behind a mask of indifference.

This fae, with his dark shadowed eyes and silent demeanor … was haunted. By what, Mariana couldn’t tell, but it clearly had something to do with his family.

Her heart seized as she lifted an unsteady hand to his cheek. When he sharply pulled back, she swallowed hard. What am I doing? I don’t need to touch him to get answers. But her hand moved anyway, almost against her will.

His cheek was prickly to the touch, and strangely, she liked it. Dax only stared at her with mistrust in his darkening eyes.

“It’s alright to miss those you love, Dax. I miss my sister more than I can tell you,” she whispered.

He snatched her wrist, pulling it away from his cheek, startling her. His grip was tight and unrelenting—a warning.

His gaze traveled to her lips, then back to her eyes. Their breath mingled, and she wondered if he’d close the distance.

The idea was like ice sliding down her spine, and she tried to yank her arm back, but Dax held her wrist firm .

“I know what you’re doing,” he growled.

“You know nothing,” she said, trying to sound strong, but the shake in her voice gave her away.

Pulling her closer, he put a firm hand on her lower back, and she shivered despite her body growing warm. Her free hand landed on his chest, pushing him back slightly with her nails digging into his gray skin.

Her breath came out in short pants, fear slithering through her insides. But it wasn’t him she feared, it was what she’d do if he came any closer.

His brows lowered. “You want me to open up, reveal all my secrets.”

Her voice shook despite herself. “Wouldn’t you do everything you could if your sister was in danger?”

His grip loosened. “Without a doubt.”

“Then tell me she’s alive. Tell me why you came after me. Did Astra send you? No one else would’ve known about my presence at Egan Village. So I know she told you something.”

Dax closed his eyes briefly, his face tightening as if in pain. When he opened them, his resolve was clear.

He dropped his hands and waded slowly toward the edge of the river. “Your sister’s alive. But don’t think for a second that I’m your ally. ”

Mariana watched in stunned silence as he moved toward the edge of the river, put on his clothes, and disappeared into the darkened forest.