Page 39 of When the Wicked Sing (The Leruna Sea #1)

Fog drifted around Mariana’s legs, the fine mist coating her exposed skin.

She expected to shiver, but the sensation never came.

She wrapped her arms around herself and noticed she was still wearing her long-sleeved top, chest armor, and leather pants, but her coat was missing.

What had happened? Where was she? Where was Dax?

Mariana frowned. She was surrounded by a dark forest, with a pond that shimmer before her.

She stepped forward, realizing her boots were gone. The mud squished between her toes as she approached the pond. Something swirled beneath the water, sending gentle ripples across the surface. Kneeling, she gasped as her reflection stared back at her.

She was a siren again—

Her fingers brushed along her throat for the gills she could see in the reflection, but she felt nothing there. Glancing down at her hand, she saw that her skin wasn’t the pale blue color the reflection showed; it was a beige color .

Disappointment flooded through her as she glared down at the pond. It was a trick.

A splash distracted her, but before she could see what caused it, her world swirled, and she was falling. Then, a bright light blinded her, and she felt grass beneath her hands.

She squinted, blinking as she tried to understand where she was.

Sunshine beamed down at her, warming her skin. A cool breeze swept through the trees, brushing along the skirt of her long white cotton dress. Wait—a dress?

She didn’t recognize the gown at all. The gold thread woven at the edge of her sleeves looked like twinkling stars.

The front had a celestial design of the sun emerging from behind clouds at the top, with the moon’s rays of light shining out from below.

The fabric stopped just above her ankles but flowed long behind her.

It was the softest fabric she’d ever felt, and it clung to her every curve as if it had been made just for her.

A bird chirped overhead, drawing her attention high above to see a snow-covered mountain.

She peered at the mountain’s magnificence momentarily before wispy clouds edged in golden light covered it up.

She let her eyes drift down to see a large lake.

Boulders and fallen trees blocked off the edge of it.

What leaked out from the confines of the dam flowed downward past her feet and over the edge of a cliff into the mist below.

The trickle of water was like music to her ears, soothing and freeing, like the sound could carry her away.

Perhaps it already has , she thought distantly. This world felt as natural as the moss beneath her feet, yet she had the odd sensation that she was far from reality .

She couldn’t remember anything from before this moment.

Where was she? Glancing around her, she didn’t recognize the trees with white trunks billowing around her.

Slender, leafy branches swayed in the breeze as they reached up toward the sky.

Tiny indigo flowers sprouted from the grass before her, beckoning her forward.

Mariana reached down to touch one of the petals, being as tender as possible, as she feared breaking the delicate flora. That was when a song whispered in her ears, riding the wind.

Standing, she glanced around, expecting to see someone nearby, but no one was there.

She knew the song. Her breath caught in her chest as she listened. There was a subtle waver as if dancing along the breeze and swirling around her in an enchanting hug.

Then … the song stopped.

Her smile slowly faded. What happened?

Moments ticked by, and Mariana felt her hope slipping away. Then, a crisp breeze swept her dress and hair back from her face, again bringing along the enchanting melody. This time, she walked in the direction it was coming from.

Mariana smiled. Tears glistened in her eyes, and her feet obediently followed the sound.

She still couldn’t make out the words, even as the song grew louder. She wished to understand what it was saying. As the tempo sped up, her footsteps quickened.

She cleared the mass of trees, and the music stopped.

Mariana stared at a shimmering wall. It sparkled and glimmered like a million stars sewn together into a massive mural that spanned as far as she could see .

What in the world could it be? And why had the song led her to it?

She took a few tentative steps toward the wall. It shimmered as if her presence was affecting it somehow, and when she was only an arm’s length away, she stopped.

Unsure of what to do next, she had begun to lift a shaky hand toward the wall when a soft voice spoke from behind her.

“ Listen .”

Mariana spun around, her heart racing against her ribs. But there was nothing.

She huffed a breath and brushed her hair away from her face. As she turned back toward the wall, she heard it again.

“ Wilted hearts spring anew when the stars sing their song over the sea. Listen ,” the ethereal voice whispered beside her, though she knew nothing was there. The words were perplexing. What did it mean?

“Who are you?” she asked breathlessly.

“ High tides wash away scarlet tears staining the forgotten. The crimson sea roars, glittering and gasping as it retreats. Luminaries sing bright like the sun under the cunning moon, guiding the way. Follow carefully. ”

Mariana shook her head in confusion. “Follow it where?”

“ Salvation, ” the voice whispered hot against her ear. Then everything dropped out from under her.