Page 43 of When the Wicked Sing (The Leruna Sea #1)

When Mariana’s throat turned raw, and the fury in her heart simmered down, she opened her eyes and gasped. The crystal chandelier above her rattled. Papers that had been on the desk were floating back to the ground. The wide-open drapes still billowed in a dying breeze.

“What the …” she murmured in confusion.

She stood on shaky legs and searched for an open door or any other source of the sudden gust of wind, but found none.

Weird .

Clearing her throat, she diverted her attention from the strange wind to thinking of Astra. How would she have found the amulet? Would she have left a clue? Something for Mariana to find? Did she even know Mariana would come after she’d escaped?

Scrubbing her face with her hands, she huffed and glanced around the disheveled space.

She shook her head, ignoring the familiar buzz fading under her skin. She was exhausted, but she had to start searching .

She flipped off the confusing painting of King Stavros, who looked at her mother like she was his whole world, then scanned the papers littering the ground.

When the foyer yielded nothing, she went upstairs, searching for any sign of her sister. Instead, she found traces of her mother’s past life, before the Banishment. It was like opening a door to a world she’d never imagined. It felt like a haunted tomb.

The second floor had four bedchambers; the first two were adequately furnished, and the third one was completely empty. Mariana paused at the fourth door at the end of the hall. It was her mother’s old bedchamber. She could feel it.

Every instinct yelled at her to turn around, that she had no right to enter without permission. But a small part of her nudged her forward, whispering that Cybele would’ve wanted her to go in. Taking a deep breath, she stepped silently onto the plush ivory carpet and entered the forbidden space.

Though the queen was far away within Salus, Mariana hesitated to touch anything, fearing she’d disturb the priceless relics. The armoire beckoned her forward. It was likely filled with colorful dresses sewn with the finest thread by the best seamstresses.

She had never been allowed in her mother’s chambers in Salus without explicit permission—which she’d never received. She had no idea what it looked like. This part of her mother’s life felt strangely intimate, a part of Cybele’s past that had never been revealed to Mariana or Aurora.

Wait …

Were the other bedchambers meant for her and her sisters? Had Cybele planned for a part of their future to be in Aurelia? Mariana hadn’t been born yet, so Cybele would have been trying to have another child. One bedchamber for each daughter … the empty one meant for her heir.

Not sure what to think, she kept exploring. On the vanity, the makeup bottles, brushes, and jars were neatly organized. Colorful glass perfume bottles lined a shelf below a gold-rimmed mirror.

Cybele wore perfume? The idea was strange since sirens didn’t wear scents.

Mariana wondered what they smelled like, wondered what her mother had worn around her lover, but her hands remained firmly by her sides.

She had no right to touch her mother’s personal items and feared disturbing the way they had been left a century ago.

Then, it occurred to her that someone must have been cleaning the wing occasionally. Otherwise, it would’ve been in worse condition.

After leaving the bedroom, she made her way downstairs through a curved doorway into a study.

The musty smell from the lack of fresh air tickled her nose.

Dust coated every surface except the desk, the few pages and books lying about, and the lonely pen, sticky with ink that had bled dry from its tip.

It could’ve been a sign her sister was here, but she had no way of knowing for sure.

With a groan of frustration, she began inspecting the desk.

Her eyes caught on a book with blue swirls and foreign letters on the cover.

She didn’t recognize the language. Picking up the book, she was surprised by its weight.

She’d never held a book before, considering all siren knowledge was stored within the orbs inside the Athenaeum beneath Salus .

Staring at the book, she opened it and flipped through, surprised at how much she enjoyed the smell of the paper and the sound of the pages brushing against each other.

It reminded her of when she and Astra had daydreamed about restoring Sirenia.

She wanted to open up her own public library.

And somehow, Mariana had to find her and allow her to do just that.

Setting the book down, she took a deep breath.

A closed door across the room beckoned her. She walked toward the door, then slowly turned the ornate brass handle, unsure of what she would find on the other side, and swung it open.

Her jaw dropped.

The famous library.

Taking a few hesitant steps forward, she glanced around the space, overwhelmed by its sheer size. Two stories of books taunted her with their hidden knowledge.

Her lungs seized, and she speared her fingers through her hair, pulling it back from her eyes. Gazing around the lifeless room housing silk sofas, she scanned the painted walls lined with bookshelves. Cream-colored velvet drapes hung heavy over the windows, keeping most of the light out.

Fear coated her insides like oil. Defeat loomed in the distance with a darkness that threatened to swallow her whole.

How was she supposed to find anything in this immense place? How was she supposed to find her sister or the amulet? It was insane.

She sat down on the polished hardwood floor in the middle of the library.

Leaning her head back, she inspected the room.

Her eyes wandered over a large antique mirror and colorful paintings of the sea, settling on the murals along the walls.

The north, east, and west walls all depicted a forest with white birds flying by, and the southern wall, the only one with windows instead of bookshelves, presented a glittering horizon over the sea.

Mariana recognized the white-barked trees, the slender leaves sprouting from them, the indigo flowers blooming near the white baseboards, the white-feathered birds, and the mountain in the distance.

Standing up, she slowly turned in a circle as her mind reeled. Her heart pounded, filling her ears with its beating rhythm.

She’d seen the place in the mural before—in her strange dream.

Was it near Sirenia? Had the person in her dream been showing her where Astra was? Or was it merely a coincidence that the painted walls of her mother’s library matched her vision?

“Mariana?” a light and soft feminine voice called out distantly. It didn’t sound like Halia.

Mariana quickly moved into the study. Glancing around, she grabbed a candle holder and tested its weight as she silently approached the foyer.

An elegant, dainty fae wrapped in an ivory hooded dress stood in the middle of the room holding a silver tray. Tight golden curls highlighted with lilac streaks spilled from beneath the hood. When the fae glanced up, she spotted Mariana, and her eyes widened.

Mariana kept the candle holder clutched tightly in front of her as she took a few steps forward.

Standing by the door behind the female was an attractive but menacing fae male.

His attention was focused solely on Mariana, and she couldn’t help it when her face heated under his steely gaze.

He appeared every bit the terrifying warrior, ready to kill.

Tousled, short dark hair, a sharp jaw locked tight and covered in stubble.

The hours of training he endured under a blazing sun were evident from his tanned skin and the large muscles straining beneath his polished armor.

“Hi,” the female squeaked and carefully stepped forward, lifting the tray with her gloved hands. “I brought you some food. Can I set it down somewhere?”

Mariana stepped back, not saying anything.

She wasn’t sure what the female had been sent here to do, but she didn’t look like any ordinary servant.

Her clothing looked soft and silky, leather sandals buckled with gold.

Even her makeup appeared skillfully applied.

And the guard behind her looked ready to defend if necessary.

“Who are you?” Mariana was surprised the female didn’t wince at her fierce tone. Instead, her freckled cheeks turned a bright shade of pink as she walked over to the fireplace.

She set the tray down on a small, round table between two dusty chairs and lifted the covering.

“My name is Ophelia. That’s Kosta brooding by the door.

He won’t hurt you.” She set the lid down and presented the steaming food on the plate to Mariana.

“And I certainly am not here to hurt you either. Care to eat?”

Mariana’s eyes shifted between Kosta and Ophelia, desperately trying to keep her stomach from grumbling at the delicious smell drifting from the tray .

Ophelia gave her a hesitant smile and poured a glass of water from a silver pitcher. “I can’t imagine what you’ve been through. I would be frightened too if I were you. I mean, honestly, I probably would be dead by now.” She chuckled, and Kosta shot Ophelia a dark look from the corner of his eye.

Interesting .

Mariana noted all the weapons on the guard, then shifted her gaze to the female now sitting in one of the plush velvet chairs in front of the fireplace.

Mariana then noticed the female’s legs were also covered in tight white leggings that stopped just short of her ankles.

The female’s face and feet were the only parts of her where her pale skin was visible.

“Kosta, is there any chance you can request the fireplace to be lit? It’s chilly in here,” Ophelia said to the guard, rubbing her hands over her arms.

Kosta glared at Mariana for a long moment before slightly opening one of the double doors and whispering to the person outside. A few silent minutes later, a servant arrived, quickly built a fire, then disappeared again.

Mariana grew irritated by the guard’s hateful gaze. His eyes were like molten silver. She set down the candle holder before cautiously approaching the tray, where Ophelia sat patiently.

She believed the fae wasn’t here to hurt her, considering she appeared and sounded harmless. Keeping her breathing steady, Mariana sat in the chair across from Ophelia, who smiled brightly.

“Dax let me know what you would enjoy. I hope it’s to your liking,” Ophelia said as she gestured to the plate filled with different types of roasted vegetables and fresh fruit .

Flavor exploded over Mariana’s tongue, and she had to stop herself from moaning.

Once the plate was empty, Ophelia again covered the tray with a satisfied grin.

“There, I’m sure that will make the search easier. Want some help?”

Mariana stared at the female in confusion as she wiped her mouth with a cloth napkin. “Help?”

“Yes, with finding out where your sister went.”

“Why?”

Ophelia shrugged. “I’ve got nothing better to do at the moment, and I enjoy a good mystery.”

Mariana shook her head. “No, why would I want you to help me?”

“I imagine you want to find her quickly, and in that case, you need help.” The female stood and strode with purpose toward the study, leaving Mariana gaping after her.

The guard’s dark eyes never left Mariana, who suddenly wanted to follow the strange female.

“Looks like you’ve already searched the study. Let’s look in the library.” Ophelia turned from the messy desk. Mariana trailed behind her.

“This library is amazing!” Ophelia shouted up toward the arched two-story ceiling of painted clouds. “It always takes my breath away when I walk in.”

“You’ve been allowed in here before?”

Ophelia averted her gaze and tugged on a loose curl. “No one is supposed to be in here, but …” She sw ung her arms out and spun in a circle, “Look at all this! How anyone can keep this locked away for no one to enjoy is beyond me.”

Mariana glanced around the room and wondered the same. “I can only imagine the king hates this place. I’m surprised he didn’t have it destroyed.”

“Oh, he would never .” Ophelia scoffed, but her eyes widened. She peeked an eye at Kosta quickly before turning away and strolling down the length of the library toward the impressive windows at the end.

Mariana stared after her. Was she not supposed to have said that? Why wouldn’t the king want it destroyed? Didn’t he hate sirens and Cybele?

With furrowed brows and eyes watching every detail, Mariana studied how Ophelia easily navigated the library. She knew this place well. Clearly, she had an ulterior motive for being here, and Mariana had a feeling it was because Halia had sent her in to find the amulet’s location.

“So, your sister was very intrigued by siren history and always seemed to be in this section here.” Ophelia stopped in front of a bookshelf that had a wooden ladder directly beside it. Mariana approached her and stared at the books.

“How do you know?”

“Because I was helping with her research,” she replied, setting her hands on her hips and inspecting the shelves. “Huh, that’s odd. Everything is out of place. None of the books on these shelves are where they should be. They’re all out of order.”

If Mariana knew anything about Astra, it was that she hated disorder. She loved organizing so much that she had the habit of straightening up all of her sisters’ rooms, despite their protesting. If what Ophelia said was true, then this was a sign her sister wanted her to find something.

“Uh—Ophelia,” Mariana started, and the fae turned to her with a hesitant smile. “I’d like to search on my own, please. I appreciate the help, but—”

Ophelia lifted her hands. “Say no more. I’m happy to let you have your time alone.

If you ever need me, though, just say my name out loud, and I’ll hear you.

” Mariana squinted and tilted her head, unsure how she would just hear her.

But before she could ask, Ophelia gave her a little wave and walked out, Kosta following her.

As soon as they were gone, Mariana took a deep breath and began pulling books from the shelf that she hoped held the answers she so desperately needed.