Page 51 of When the Wicked Sing (The Leruna Sea #1)

Dax and Mariana exchanged glances, their shock evident, before turning to the red-haired siren.

Mariana was the new Siren Queen.

If there hadn’t been a crossbow pointed at him, Dax would have stepped close to Mari and asked what had happened. Did that mean Cybele was dead?

“Aurora,” Mari cautioned.

Suddenly, it clicked: The red-haired siren was Mari’s sister, the one who made armor and weapons from basilisk bone. Dax recognized her then as the Scarlet Serpent.

In a sudden flurry of movement, Kosta bucked, throwing Aurora off balance and tackling her.

They wrestled for the crossbow until Aurora punched him so hard in the jaw that Dax winced at the cracking sound.

Kosta fell off her, and Aurora stood with the crossbow in hand.

She took a few steps back as Kosta rose, clutching his jaw with fury in his eyes.

Shaking her head, she gave him a smug grin. “Dumb pricks like you really shouldn’t play with weapons. ”

“By the order of Princess Halia, I demand you to throw down the weapon. You both are coming with us!” Kosta’s deep voice boomed with authority.

Aurora laughed, the melodic sound echoing through the library. She tried to speak but snorted instead, continuing to laugh at Kosta’s look of pure annoyance.

Kosta’s eyes shifted to Dax, glancing at the daggers still sheathed at his hips, then back to his eyes in question. Dax shook his head grimly. He’d never pull his weapon on Mari, not anymore.

Aurora must’ve noticed Kosta’s gaze because her piercing stare landed on Dax, her laughter dying down. “Hand your weapons over,” she demanded, gesturing for Mari to take them.

“He won’t hurt me,” Mari assured, but when Aurora gave her a look that said Do it , Mari reluctantly pulled the daggers free from Dax’s belt.

“We can’t go with you,” Mari said, meeting his gaze before stepping back. “Halia and the king cannot get ahold of the amulet. We need it to save my mother’s life.”

He couldn’t read the look on her face. It was as if she struggled with their relationship as much as he did.

“The princess would never stand for this!” Kosta shouted, ever the loyal soldier.

“We could just kill them,” Aurora said with a shrug, staring at Kosta like he was a bug to crush. “That would send a message to that sleazy bitch.”

“No,” Mari stated firmly. “We can’t kill them, we need their help.”

“We are not helping you,” Kosta spat .

Aurora aimed the crossbow between his eyebrows, and Dax waited with bated breath, the world seeming to slow.

“Yes, you are,” she warned. “Because if you don’t, this arrow will end up in your skull.

I haven’t spilled any blood in a very, very long time, fae .

But I won’t hesitate now.” She gently rested her finger against the trigger. “Care to test me?”

“Stop!” Mari shouted, jolting Dax. Her hand was lifted toward her sister. “No bloodshed. I refuse to start my reign that way.”

“Then what do we do?” Aurora asked, not lowering the weapon.

Mari bit her lip, an apology visible in her eyes. “We take them with us. They would know how to secure a boat.”

Fear continued to grow inside Dax’s chest as he thought about what would happen if he and Kosta simply disappeared. If they disobeyed orders.

“I’ll go,” he said to Mari. “I’ll take you wherever you want, but leave Kosta here.” At least then, Kosta could tell Halia what had happened. Dax couldn’t let her think he’d betrayed her, not at the risk of what she would do to his family.

Aurora shook her head, a wicked gleam in her eyes. “No, the pretty boy comes with us too, just in case we need a sacrifice for the kraken,” she taunted.

“Dax,” Mari said softly, drawing his attention. “This is the only way I can save my sister and my mother’s life. Please don’t make this difficult.”

“He might not, but I will,” Kosta sneered, and Aurora smiled.

“I’m hoping you do,” she purred .

Ignoring them, Dax gripped his neck, eyes cast down at the dusty floor. “Halia will harm our families if she thinks we betrayed her,” he said, already knowing he’d be going with them whether he refused or not.

Aurora snorted. “I know how to remedy that.”

As they prepared to depart through the hidden tunnel Aurora had used to enter the private wing, Mariana’s eyes fell upon the note they’d left in the center of the library. Dax waited at the tunnel entrance, watching Mariana smile down at the words that would surely make Halia explode with rage.

Halia,

I’m borrowing your boy toys for a while. They put up a good fight, I’ll give them that. Hope you don’t mind. Kisses!

The Scarlet Serpent

P.S. Touch my sisters again, and I’ll slit your throat.