Page 59 of When the Wicked Sing (The Leruna Sea #1)

Seraphina smiled and dipped her head in agreement. “Come here, my dear.”

Mariana glanced at the pool before she sat down at the ledge, pulled the dreadful boots off her feet, and plunged into the cold water.

It was deeper than she expected. Surfacing, she pushed her hair back from her face and began climbing the short altar.

As she reached the top, she stood and stared at the spirit of the first siren.

Seraphina smiled at her. “I know you have many questions. Please, ask them.”

“You were the one in my dreams, you led me here, to Sirenia.” She could hardly believe it. An angel, the first siren, was leading her to the amulet.

“Yes.”

“Why couldn’t you simply tell me where to go?”

“If I did, you wouldn’t have gone on the journey you were meant to travel and find those you were destined to meet. I cannot interfere with fate, though I do like to think I can help others guide you along the way to where you must go. ”

“And were you the one who sang to me when I was a youngling? Were you the voice coming from the sky?”

The spirit shook her head. “No, your power called to you until it seemed you would not accept it. The day you became an adult, it ceased. Your mother helped you find it once again.”

“That’s one way to put it,” Mariana drawled.

“Without her binding spell, you never would have harnessed your power of the sky,” Seraphina declared. “In order to behold the amulet, you had to become the daughter of both sea and sky . Cybele knew your destiny had finally revealed itself, and she knew it was time.”

“You’re saying my mother knew about my hidden power?”

“Indeed, she was worried it would get you both killed. And like any loving mother would, she did everything she could to protect you.”

Mariana bit her cheek and squeezed her fists.

“You disagree. What you believe is manifested from what you experienced. The truth is buried within your heart.”

“What she’s done is inexcusable.”

“And yet not unforgivable.”

Mariana swallowed and had to fight not to look away. This was Seraphina, her ancestor, the first siren, an angel. And she knew she spoke only the truth. Despite it being the hardest truth to accept.

“I brought you here, my dear one, so you can save our sisters.”

Seraphina stepped close and lifted Mariana’s hand. Hers was cold and airy, as though her body were made of clouds. Mariana held her breath as Seraphina draped the amulet over her head and around her neck .

The amulet, always described as pure golden light, fit in the palm of her hand.

She lifted it, examining it closely. The circular gold piece was heavy and warm against her skin.

Carved on the front were birds mid-flight, waves churning out at sea, and flowers and vines swirling toward the center that seemed to be missing something.

She placed her thumb over the divot, feeling the impression.

“How do I activate it?” she asked.

“You’ve always had the key.” Seraphina gestured to the bracelet on her wrist. Mariana glanced at the star sapphire that glowed softly. “Generations of Siren Queens have kept the key safe, awaiting the moment a daughter was born destined to wield the amulet.”

Mariana pulled the sapphire free and held it over the amulet. It would fit perfectly. And yet, she found herself hesitating. The moment she placed the gem inside the amulet, everything she’d been told she was destined to do would become real.

Her breathing turned shallow, and her hands began to shake.

Would she be able to save her people? Could she restore Sirenia without dooming them all? Was she the right person to face everything that was to come?

A pale hand touched hers, and she glanced up at the angel, who stared at her with love in her eyes.

“Don’t be frightened, Mariana,” she said gently as she tucked a strand of Mariana’s hair behind her ear. “Your fear shows how much you care. That’s how I know you are the only one who deserves to wear the amulet. ”

Seraphina smiled, and the weight bearing down on Mariana’s chest began to ease. She smiled back and took a deep breath before placing the sapphire where it belonged.

The amulet brightened within her palm and hummed, as though it was pleased to be back the way it was, before Mariana felt her whole body light up.

She gasped as a door within her was unlocked, and her heart began to sing.

Her skin turned back to aqua, her scales shimmering under the pale light from above.

The warrior inside her shouted and cheered as her nails and canines sharpened.

Her body ached to be in the water. Accepting the call, she let herself fall backward, diving off the altar.

She splashed into the pool. Her tail emerged with a powerful force, and her gills opened on her neck.

Mariana laughed and cried out with joy at the amazing feeling of the water flowing over her as she raced around the ruins of the temple. It was like she had been trapped, choking in a fae body that wasn’t her own, and finally, she could breathe.

With a grin, she shot out of the water in a tall arc, diving back down into the depths. She could hear Seraphina laughing from where she stood at the altar, and Mariana surfaced to gaze up at her.

She gripped the amulet tightly in her hand. “Thank you, Seraphina.”

The angel bowed her head. “That amulet can do a great many things. I know your heart is pure, Mariana. Remember: death is only the next step in life. Something I never learned.” The haunted look in Seraphina’s eyes made Mariana’s smile dip.

“ Accept what is to come, and you will see the light of a new dawn.”

Mariana shook her head. “What do you mean?”

Seraphina glanced at the amulet hanging around her neck. “Astra’s next step is only a moment away. Best you be with her when she departs.”

“I—” Mariana’s throat tightened. “I can’t save her?”

“The amulet’s purpose wasn’t to bring back life, nor was it to save life. It was to bring sunlight where darkness abounded.”

Mariana’s heart squeezed painfully. She shook her head, unable to accept the truth. “No—No. Astra doesn’t deserve to die. You saved Erasmus, why can’t I save Astra?”

Seraphina gave her a sad smile, one that slowly chipped away at Mariana’s anger.

“The amulet was not used to save Erasmus,” she confessed, her voice a hollow whisper with so much heartache.

“It was used to save our baby , to give my daughter a chance at life. I wanted to create a safe place for her to thrive, to survive, and to live.” Mariana stared at her, completely and utterly dumbfounded.

Seraphina sighed, sadness tightening her eyes.

“Revisions of the amulet’s story have been told over generations.

I fear the story you are familiar with is not the truth. ”

The truth. It stung as sharp as a jellyfish, numbing her from the inside out. She could hardly believe it. Everyone knew the story; everyone believed the amulet could bring back life. Save a life. And yet … it never did.

“This is only the beginning, Mariana,” Seraphina said. “You have the power to save everyone. Bring our sisters home.”

Mariana bowed her head at the angel. Then she swam to the edge of the pool, lifted her transformed legs out of the water, and shoved her boots on with haste, then shot down the dark corridor back to her sisters.