Page 28 of When the Wicked Sing (The Leruna Sea #1)

Dax took a deep breath of the fresh spring air, releasing it slowly as he walked toward his cabin across the bridge. As it came into view, he stopped to stare at the A-frame cabin he had built with his own hands. Memories of the years of hard work it took crossed his mind.

In Kythera, every juvenile had to build their own cabin as a rite of passage into adulthood.

He remembered contemplating the design and layout for weeks before starting the project.

With how many centuries that had passed since the construction, he was amazed that the cabin was still standing after all this time.

Closing his eyes, he tilted his head toward the sky and felt the first few raindrops kiss his face. The droplets cooled his heated skin. The smell of the forest wafting through the air, filling his lungs, was rejuvenating.

A shoulder bumped into his as someone sidled up beside him. He knew who it was just based on the scent. Shifting his gaze, he eyed his sister’s mischievous look.

She leaned on the railing beside him and winked one of her kohl-lined eyes. “Need a knife to shave your head and face? ”

A corner of Dax’s mouth lifted, and he considered it as he ran a hand through his black hair.

The motion was strangely familiar. He tried recalling a vague, blurry memory of a soft, calming touch as fingers gently stroked the longer hair on the top of his head.

But just as quickly, the memory faded. He shook his head. Suddenly, he had no desire to shave.

“I’ll take care of it once we get to Aurelia.”

Kenna lifted an eyebrow at him. “You’ve always kept it so short, you look weird with hair.”

Dax tilted his head at her. “I think you’re just jealous of my gorgeous black locks,” he teased, knowing how much Kenna wished she hadn’t inherited the white streaks in her hair like Spiro.

She punched him in the shoulder and chuckled. “You’re such a jerk. I can’t stand you.”

“There’s a whole forest to be elsewhere, why don’t you find a branch to swing from or a hole to jump into?”

Their serious gazes met before they both began to chuckle.

As children, they had been the epitome of stupid. Running through the forest, jumping off boulders, swinging through the trees, even venturing into a giant snake’s den once in an attempt to steal an egg.

“Remember that time you climbed the Natura Nexus to find an eagle?” Kenna laughed. “Spiro was so mad at you.”

“Mad enough to ban me from leaving my cabin for weeks.”

Natura Nexus was the largest redwood in the center of their village, their Mother Tree. Blessed by General Cornelia herself to bring prosperity to Kythera. And climbing it as a child? Highly frowned upon .

“Ahhh, those were the times. Kinda hard to remember now, though,” Kenna said with a tilt of her head.

“It’s true, you are getting old.”

This time, Kenna pushed him, calling him all sorts of names before stepping away from the railing. “Hey, there’s someone who’s been dying to see you.”

Dax turned to look at her. “Who?”

“You’ll see. C’mon,” she said with a small grin and started walking down the staircase that would lead them to the other levels of the village and eventually the ground.

Dax bit the inside of his cheek, glancing back toward the clinic. Mari was with the person he trusted most in this world; she’d be fine.

With that in mind, he followed Kenna down the winding staircase to the ground level, where she led him to a large wooden barn near the stables.

Kenna unlocked it and swung the barn doors wide open. It was pitch-black inside until she turned a light on, and a soft glow illuminated the giant black and white creature within.

“Leo? Look who it is!” Kenna mewed, and Dax couldn’t believe it when the creature turned to face him.

“You kept him all this time,” Dax said in awe, hands on his hips, standing by the door. Leo’s bright, sunshine eyes stared at him, not as though Dax was the next meal, but instead like they were a shy child scared to approach.

“Of course I did. He’s a magnificent hunter.” Kenna scratched his spotted ears, then moved to his mane, earning a loud purr. “Remember when you found him? ”

Dax stepped forward, then sat down on his haunches to get a closer look. “Yeah, he was so small back then.” The rare leomagnus cub used to fit into the nook of Dax’s elbow, sleeping soundly after a full meal of deer meat.

Dax had found Leo half-starved and desperate, alone, crying out in the forest. There was no way Dax could’ve left the cub out there on its own.

Of course, Spiro strongly objected to keeping the cub, especially since Dax would have to leave it to return to Aurelia. That had been nearly three years ago.

Now, Leo was the size of a large horse, with paws twice the size of Kenna’s head.

“He’s grown up to be a strong, sweet, handsome boy, haven’t you, Leo?” Kenna placed a loud kiss on Leo’s cheek before ushering him toward Dax.

“How did you convince Spiro to let you keep him?” Dax asked as Leo slowly approached him, his head extended to sniff Dax’s hands.

“Well, I kinda gave them no choice,” Kenna replied with a closed-lip, guilty smile.

“By the time Leo was large enough to hunt on his own, he was domesticated. Now we’re stuck with him.

” The way she said it and the soft glow in her cheeks as she stroked Leo’s soft fur made Dax realize how much he missed seeing his family happy.

She lifted her eyes to his. “You know, he’s yours. You found him.”

Dax shook his head but smiled softly when the creature allowed Dax to pet his head. Leo laid down and stared up at him fondly. “He belongs to you now. Besides, Aurelia isn’t a place for a leomagnus. ”

“I meant you don’t have to go back. You can stay here, Dax. Even Mari is welcome.”

“Kenna …” Dax cautioned, instantly irritated.

“No, listen to me,” she ordered firmly. “Spiro and I have been talking. I’ll go with you to Aurelia and work out a deal so you can come home. It isn’t right that you’re trapped under the royal family’s rotten thumb—”

“Stop this, please,” he begged quietly.

“I can’t. You know that. You’re my brother, I can’t just stand by and let you sacrifice yourself for us.”

Dax stood, and Kenna did the same. Leo lifted his head to glance between them, probably sensing the tension.

“Let me come with you to Aurelia,” Kenna urged, but Dax shook his head, growing more and more irritated. “You belong here with your people, Daxon—”

“I belong nowhere!” he shouted.

They both winced, especially when Leo retreated a few steps into his barn.

Dax sighed. “Sorry. I just … You can’t come with me. Mari has to go to Aurelia, and I have to be the one to take her there.”

“Why does she have to go?”

“She’s trying to find her sister.” Dax looked away, hoping to indicate that nothing was left to discuss regarding the siren.

“Dax … please . Let me go with you.”

He shook his head. “There’s nothing but darkness in Aurelia,” he murmured. “Trust me.”

“And who’s going to pull you from that darkness, huh? If you won’t let us, then who? ”

For reasons he couldn’t understand, he thought of Mari. The pull he felt toward her was unlike anything he could describe. But her future didn’t have him anywhere in it. That much was certain.

“I don’t need anyone to help me, Kenna. I’ve survived this long on my own. I’m fine.”

He gave Leo one last stroke on the head, and as he turned away, he heard his sister softly say, “And that’s what scares me.”