Page 54 of When the Wicked Sing (The Leruna Sea #1)

Mariana and Dax stayed close to each other as the days blended together.

They spoke little, but their small shared touches said everything.

The occasional brush of their fingers, the gentle placement of his warm hand on her lower back, or the way he brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face.

Mariana and Dax sought out these moments whenever they could—but only when Kosta and Aurora were preoccupied with not killing each other.

And yet, that’s all they were—silent touches of what could have been if everything were different.

If they weren’t on opposite sides. If they lived in different worlds.

If Mariana wasn’t the Siren Queen and Dax wasn’t a servant of Aurelia.

Every time she looked into his eyes, she felt a growing love that tore at her heart, knowing they could never truly be together.

Mariana had to admit she still didn’t fully trust what he would do if he were cornered. If he had to choose. And what if he did choose her? What if he defied Halia and fought to protect Mariana? She would have no way to protect Dax’s family, to defend Kythera against any sort of retaliation .

It wasn’t a matter of Dax choosing her over his family. Honestly, she’d lose all respect for him if he didn’t choose his family. No. It was a matter of trust. Could she trust him to work for the enemy while believing his heart belonged to her?

One looming, daunting question hung in the air between them: What would happen if Halia ever ordered Dax to kill Mariana?

She didn’t want to consider what would happen, and yet she still had to take it seriously. Which was why she had to become stronger.

The first thing she wanted was to learn how to control her sky power.

It was chaos beneath her skin—lightning, thunder, and wind all rising within.

She had no idea how to tame it, but Dax knew how.

She didn’t want Kosta to know about it in case he put the pieces together that Stavros was her father.

Thus, they only practiced when it was Kosta’s time to rest below deck.

Aurora would steer the boat, and Dax would instruct Mariana on how to treat her power like it was a living thing above, beneath, and all around her.

“The Generals had a different kind of power than what you had as a siren,” he said.

“You were born with your power of the sea, whereas the Generals’ power was given by the elements they belonged to.

” Dax held her hands, palms up against his, and her heart quickened at his touch.

“Instead of being the source of power like you were before, you are now a conduit. You can channel the power from the sky and cast it.”

Letting go of her hands, he asked her to blow over the empty glass bottle in front of her.

It took what felt like hours of groaning, bottles crashing violently, and frustrated sighs to do as he asked.

Control the power and cast it , she kept chanting in her head, until finally, the bottle clanged against the wooden deck and fell gently with the wind she brought forth.

She released a gleeful cheer, quickly smothered when Kosta came up top, asking what was so exciting.

“We found the stick you use to jam up your ass, and we thought you might like it back,” Aurora sneered with a saccharine smile. “You’re welcome.”

After Kosta walked back down below, grumbling about jumping off the ship, Aurora winked at Mariana. She always knew what to say to distract him, and Mariana began to wonder if her sister enjoyed getting under his skin.

She saw a glimpse of pride in Dax’s face and felt a bittersweet pang.

“Thank you,” she whispered, and he gave her a small smile.

~

Two days later, Mariana stepped onto the upper deck and breathed in the salty scent.

After sleeping nearly ten hours, she’d awoken.

Using her power took immeasurable concentration and energy she wasn’t used to.

Her siren power to control water had essentially come from within her siren soul, which had been far easier to wield than this newfound power from the sky.

For a while, it felt like she was grasping the clouds and getting nothing but rain. Once she understood how to listen to the call of her power and act as a conduit to channel it, everything changed.

“I want to do something bigger,” Mariana told Dax as he steered the ship. “No more blowing down bottles.”

Aurora had just gone below to get some sleep, despite grumbling about Kosta snoring like a pig, leaving Mariana and Dax to watch the sunny horizon. They were getting closer to Sirenia; she could feel it in her bones.

The sunshine warmed her face as she watched the white sails undulate in the calm wind.

“Like?” The way he looked at her made her bite her cheek to keep from smiling. She’d missed this, this feeling of happiness and warmth when they looked at each other. She cleared her throat and walked over to him before glancing up.

“Think I can fill those sails on my own?”

Dax followed her gaze for a moment before meeting her eyes. “I know you can.”

Everything seemed to slow as he stared at her.

“Show me how,” she murmured.

He held out his hand, and she took his warm grip. As he pulled her close, he turned her so her back was against his chest, his arms trapping her as he steered the boat.

“Feel the wind. Though it may be soft, it’s still there, present, waiting for your control,” Dax whispered into her ear.

She tilted her head back to rest on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

“Feel it brush over your skin, through your hair.” His lips brushed the shell of her ear in a gentle kiss, then he rested his prickly chin beside it. “Imagine it rippling the ocean’s surface, moving the clouds …”

Listening to his words, she began to concentrate. She had realized that anytime she tried using her sky power, it was like a door she needed to open, releasing the energy trapped within .

She heard the sails billow and whip around.

“Concentrate,” Dax urged gently.

Taking a deep breath, she told the wind to do as she commanded and felt it brush against her face in answer. The boat surged.

“You’re doing it,” Dax said into her ear, and she opened her eyes to see the sails billowing out in full, the wind pushing them forward.

Mariana smiled. Turning her face to look at Dax, she found his eyes already on her.

“You’re incredible,” he whispered like he couldn’t help himself.

Her body melted into his as her tongue licked her parched lips. Dax watched the movement.

“I want to kiss you,” he admitted, and her body begged yes .

“That’s the second time you’ve said that to me.”

The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, light rippling off the waves brightening his eyes. “Keeping track, are you?”

She lifted a shoulder. “If you keep saying it without the follow-through, then you’ll force me to make a list.”

He laughed; the smile she loved so much spreading across his face.

Loved? Had she really just thought that?

Mariana’s heart pounded, the words hanging in the air between them, heavy with unspoken promises.

“Well, it sounds like I should save you the trouble.” His head came down close to hers.

He’s a distraction , some hidden voice in her head whispered .

Before his lips could close the distance, Mariana pulled out of his arms. A sharp pang of guilt twisted in her chest, breaking the spell. “I … I have to stay focused,” she murmured, more to herself than him. “If we lose control now …”

She met his sad gaze, searching for something to hold onto—some way to balance the desire that swirled between them with the harsh reality of their situation.

She wanted to believe him, to believe that they could steal a moment from the chaos that surrounded them.

The fear of what might come next was a dark cloud, threatening violence.

“The moment we give in,” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the creaking of the ship and the rustle of the sails, “everything changes.”

Dax reached out and pulled her closer by the waist, one hand on the wheel, the other firm on her lower back.

“I’m not afraid of change. I’m afraid of losing you. I can’t stay away any longer.” His free hand left her waist to cup the back of her head. “And nothing is going to stop me from finally kissing you.”

Before she could say another word, Dax dipped his head, and their lips met. Electricity coursed through her at the connection, lighting her up.

Home , she thought as she wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss.

His tongue danced with hers, and her body began to hum with energy.

Dax lifted her into his arms, and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he leaned her gently against the wheel. The wind swirled around them, cooling their heated skin .

Mariana couldn’t help moving her lips down his jaw, tasting his neck.

“What are you doing to me?” she heard him whisper, and her lips tilted up, kissing his neck again before biting gently. “You keep doing that, and we’re going to have a lot more explaining to do if we’re caught,” he said, pulling her face toward him and kissing her again, making her smile brightly.

“Who says we’re going to get caught?” she teased, pushing her hips into his.

“I do,” a male voice drawled lazily. Mariana dropped to her feet as Dax swung his head around to find a yawning Kosta.

“If you two are done fondling each other, I’d like to get back to steering duty. Assuming the wheel is clean …”

Mariana did her best to hide her blush, pulling away from Dax, who had a smug grin.

“It’s as clean as your hands are,” Dax replied, clapping his friend’s shoulder.

Mariana gripped the railing tight as Dax came up behind her, trapping her with his body. She internally groaned and bit her lip to keep from turning around and kissing him again.

“I’m going to go distract myself by grabbing some food, want anything?” he asked against her ear.

“Mm-mm,” she hummed, trying to keep herself calm and collected.

“You okay?” His hand ran up her arm. She’d taken off her long-sleeve shirt earlier as the sun began to heat the boat, but now she wished she’d kept it on. His touch did something to her, something she couldn’t explain .

“Go downstairs,” she ordered, pushing him away as she tried—and failed—to hide her smile.

Dax chuckled, walking away to say something to Kosta. Whatever the male replied made Dax bark out a laugh, but Mariana didn’t hear any of it. She was too focused on getting her body to stop humming.

Her magic was pulsing beneath her skin, begging for a release far more powerful than filling sails. And it scared the shit out of her.

She had to find a way to let it out, safely—glancing over her shoulder, she saw Kosta scanning the waves, humming softly—and without him noticing.

Turning her head back to the horizon, she wondered if she could control the clouds rolling above them. Would it be enough to calm her down?

Closing her eyes, she felt her power expand around them and then shoot into the sky. Without having any idea what she was capable of, she started out small, using the air to churn the clouds.

Glancing up, she watched the puffy clouds swirl over the blue sky.

By the goddess … I’m doing it!

Smiling softly, she closed her eyes again and began concentrating on the clouds, churning them faster, condensing them, feeling her power surge up through her—

“Storm’s coming in hot!” Kosta shouted, and she opened her eyes to find the clouds above had darkened, threatening rain .

The boat rocked, and Mariana quickly realized what she’d done. Stepping back from the railing, she feigned obliviousness and sat down at the table.

“Nah, it’ll pass over us in a moment,” she said to Kosta, who gave her an unsure glance.

Just as his eyes trailed back up, the sky had already begun to lighten.

“See? I grew up watching storms, that was nothing.” She waved a hand, then leaned her head against her fist, appearing bored despite her thundering heart.

Kosta only frowned up at the sky, and for a moment, Mariana grew uneasy, worried he was going to suspect it was her. But as the blue sky began to peek out again, he shrugged. “Hmm, weird.”

She slowly released a sigh.