Page 46 of When the Wicked Sing (The Leruna Sea #1)

Mariana tucked her hair behind her pointed ears before taking a bite of an apple and grabbing another book from the never-ending bookcase. Two days of searching every book in the area Ophelia mentioned with nothing to show for it—yet. She just had to keep looking.

Ophelia continued bringing her meals and ate with her, chatting about nothing important in that carefree, lighthearted way she had about her. She even started bringing her chamomile tea when Mariana let it slip that it was her favorite.

Eventually, Mariana began enjoying the disrupted silence that came with Ophelia’s visits.

She hadn’t asked to assist with the search since the first time; instead, she just sat in the library until Mariana politely asked her to leave.

It wasn’t that Mariana wouldn’t have appreciated the help.

She just couldn’t risk the information getting into Halia’s clutches.

And Mariana knew that if Ophelia found something, she would report it back to Halia—whether or not she wanted to be her friend, it was clear who would always come first .

Dax heeded her warning and didn’t come by again. A part of her, deep down, secretly missed him.

Her stress had created a viper’s grip in her chest, and with each passing hour that she found nothing, it tightened its coil a little more around her heart. There had to be something here—a note, a letter, or a phrase circled in a book.

She sat down on the cold floor, set her apple down, and opened a black, velvet-lined book with the moon phases etched in gold foil on the cover. She ran her fingers over the book, marveling. She wondered if it was the type Astra dreamed of storing in her Sirenia library.

Staring at the book, she sighed. As she opened it up, the sound of paper slipping through pages had her sucking in a breath.

She reached for the letter that had fallen on the floor. The bundle of pages shook in her clammy hands, and she found herself hesitant to open it. Could this be what Astra wanted her to find?

Slowly, she opened the letter and couldn’t stop the tears that slipped down her cheeks as she began to read.

My dearest sister,

Please forgive me. I never intended for you to get caught up in this.

Your safety has always been my top priority, and yet, here we are.

My youngest sister, reading a letter I wrote, in the hopes of her finding it, while most likely trapped by the same fae that trapped me. It’s sad how laughable it is, isn’t it?

Mariana, I first want to say that I love you, and I am so proud of you. You being here, reading this, means you were able to escape the darkness imprisoning us within Salus. There is so much I must tell you, and know that I wouldn’t say anything unless I were certain it was all true.

Mariana’s eyes caught on the next sentence, and she shook her head. Her breathing turned shallow as her brows furrowed.

I’ve discovered secrets that will most likely get me killed. Secrets that I have to share with you so that the stars will align in our favor, giving you a fighting chance to save our people.

While in Salus, I discovered a connection between the day of your birth and the date of the Banishment: You were born only eight months after that tragic day.

At first, I found it odd that the dates aligned so perfectly, and yet no one ever discussed it.

Then, I realized it was to keep you safe and the siren throne secured.

Cybele was pregnant at the time of the Banishment, and as I’m sure you’ve already found out, our mother and Stavros were in love.

She kept her relationship with the fae king quiet after the Banishment for fear of retaliation from our people and the fae.

The news shocked me. I never would have guessed Cybele felt any affection for the fae king, considering her hatred for him after Sirenia fell by his order.

And it got me curious. Everyone who knew about Cybele’s relationship with the fae king kept quiet about it. Why?

That was when I made the connection. They were trying to keep you, the heir to the throne, safe. King Stavros is your father, Mari.

Mariana’s heart stopped as she stared at those words. It couldn’t be true. How could Astra possibly know this for sure?

While I was doing research in the Athenaeum, I found a record of Cybele and her Guardians going undercover into the fae realm with the hopes of finding a fae male to mate with.

And as you know, successful siren pregnancies are just as rare as fae pregnancies.

It took Cybele nearly four centuries to give birth to Aurora and myself, and yet she got pregnant the very first time she tried after the Banishment?

It was nearly impossible. I had difficulty with accepting her “luck” and the link between your birth date and the Banishment.

That was when I went to the Siren Witch for answers.

The witch told me Cybele discovered she was pregnant with you after the Banishment, and she knew you would never be safe if her people found out you were the descendant of King Stavros.

To keep the truth of your birth father hidden, the witch helped Cybele devise a story to tell her people: she would travel to the fae realm in secret with a Guardian to find a fae male to mate with, in the hopes of birthing an heir.

Of course, if Cybele had actually traveled to the fae realm, it would’ve put her life and yours at risk.

Instead, she made the guardian accompanying her take a vow of silence, and together, they disappeared.

When they came back, Cybele announced her pregnancy, bringing joy to all of Salus despite everyone being unaware of the truth.

They said you were born early, though you were perfectly healthy and showed no signs of physical stress. And now we know why.

This means you are a princess of both Aurelia and Sirenia. And an heir to the fae throne. You can never tell Halia about this, Mari. She will do anything for power. You cannot trust her. She will never let you live if she knows the truth.

The only one you can trust is King Stavros.

I expected to hate him, but when he found me in this library, I could see just how heartbroken he is, even after all this time.

He truly loved our mother, and I believe with his help, we can restore Sirenia to its former glory.

Stavros doesn’t want to see us suffer anymore.

He only wants his son back. And he wants to meet you. His daughter shared with his lost love.

Something I found interesting that Stavros revealed to me was that Helios had been courting Zafiria before he died.

I asked the king if he truly believed that Cybele killed his only son, for even I don’t believe it, and I only saw the remorse in his eyes.

After so many years contemplating the past, the king believes Zafiria was truly the one who killed Helios, and Cybele took the blame.

I cannot understand why Zafiria would have killed him.

Maybe a lover’s quarrel? But I know for certain that there is more going on than they’re telling us.

This leads me to my next secret, the one Halia discovered, which was what forced you here.

Halia approached me one day, demanding to know the identity of “the daughter of the sea and the sky,” claiming they were the only siren who could unlock the amulet.

I knew instantly she meant you, but I tried to stay quiet.

I have no idea where she got that information from, but there are spies everywhere.

Someone must have been listening to me ramble—you know I have a tendency to read out loud.

Within the book where you found this letter is information about Seraphina’s amulet.

It reveals how Seraphina was birthed from the heavens and reborn within the sea.

Thus, only a daughter of both the sea and sky can activate or silence the amulet’s power.

That’s you, Mariana. Your father is from House Sky, and you are a daughter of the sea.

Halia was furious when she found out I kept information from her.

I thought I was strong enough to keep silent, but when Halia threatened Luna’s life, I felt your name spill from my lips.

I’m ashamed, and I’m so sorry. I knew she would send someone after you, and I knew I had to escape her prison as quickly as possible.

I suspected that you would have already been advocating for my rescue when my Guardians arrived back home without me.

Yet I knew our mother would not send help.

Before I left for Aurelia, I made her swear to me she would not send anyone to rescue me if anything went wrong.

I never wanted you or any of our sisters near this place, but the moment I said your name to Halia, I knew I had failed you. That is my burden to bear.

And now that I have the location of the amulet, I can only pray that the Goddess will guide you to this letter. The secrets I’ve held can save your life. Consider the information wisely. And dispose of this letter the moment you read it.

I wish I had more time, but the king has a plan to get me out of here and to Sirenia so I can secure the amulet for you.

That is where I’m headed and where you must go next.

If what this book says is correct, then the amulet was hidden by our ancestors within Seraphina’s statue at the center of Sirenia.

When you arrive, I’ll have the amulet ready for you, and we can reunite amongst the ashes of our fallen sisters.

Together, we will light the way to a bright future for our people.

Be safe on your journey, sister. I love you.

Astra

Mariana read Astra’s letter three times before throwing it into one of the many fireplaces Ophelia had requested to remain lit. It had probably been to keep an eye on her, but Mariana never saw the servants who kept adding wood to the fires. They came and went like ghosts.

She watched the pages burn into ash within seconds, and her heart finally felt free.

Then the hair on the back of her neck stood up, and she knew someone was watching her.

Turning quickly, she found the same turquoise eyes as her own staring at her.

Eyes that belonged to none other than King Stavros.