Page 6 of When the Wicked Sing (The Leruna Sea #1)

“Sorry I’m late,” Mariana said as she sat at the round stone table where Queen Cybele, Aurora, and the Siren Witch waited.

“It would be wise to arrive on time, Mariana,” Cybele replied, her gaze as sharp as a blade. The queen’s lifted eyebrow communicated more than her words—a silent warning.

Mariana lowered her eyes, her mother’s scrutiny heavy on her shoulders. “Apologies, Your Majesty.”

“Let us begin,” Cybele declared, her voice cold and commanding.

Mariana’s eyes caught on the Siren Witch’s razor-sharp black claws tapping against the table in a rhythmic click.

Her mind conjured an image of those claws digging into mortal flesh, scraping away blood and bone.

The rumors of what the Siren Witch did to those sacrificed mortals lingered, unspoken but ever-present.

Her stomach twisted.

“Zafiria,” Cybele addressed the Siren Witch beside her.

The name seemed to sting the witch, her lips tightening in displeasure.

After the Banishment, she had cast off that name, considering it a remnant of a weaker self.

“What do you have on the cause of death for Telesia, Hella, and Iris?” Cybele’s voice softened, just barely, as she spoke.

The Siren Witch leaned back in her chair, her black cape draping around her like a shadow.

A golden scorpion fish brooch pinned the cape at her breast, its ruby eyes gleaming, almost as if it were watching Mariana.

The witch’s ink-stained lips pressed into a thin line as her obsidian eyes dropped to her lap.

“It was sun poisoning, Majesty.”

The words hit Mariana like a punch to the gut. Air left her lungs, and her thoughts scattered. Across the table, Cybele’s face drained of color, her pale green skin turning an alarming shade of white.

“No … there’s no way,” Cybele murmured, her spine snapping straight. “I enchanted their armor to protect them from the sun, and they returned wearing it.”

Mariana’s pulse quickened. The enchantments—powerful, ancient magic—were supposed to shield sirens from the sun’s deadly rays. Cybele’s magic had always been strong enough, and yet …

“Sun poisoning without visible burns suggests indirect exposure over several days,” Aurora interjected, her brow furrowed. “They must have been without their armor at some point, even if the enchantment held.”

“Actually,” the Siren Witch began, her gaze flickering to Cybele, “the armor was only enchanted for three full moon cycles—the duration this journey should have taken. Once those lunation periods passed, the armor would have been useless. ”

Mariana frowned, despite the urge to grin at the witch’s use of the old terminology for time, her thoughts swirling. She had been told Cybele’s enchantments lasted for decades, not mere months.

What had changed?

A tense, silent exchange passed between the queen and her advisor. Mariana’s unease deepened.

“I don’t understand why they would forget something so crucial,” Aurora continued, confusion lacing her voice. “Why risk sun exposure if they knew their protection was failing?”

Cybele opened her mouth to respond, but Mariana’s voice cut through the air before she could speak.

“What did Astra trade with the fae king?” Mariana’s eyes locked onto her mother’s stern expression.

“That’s none of your concern.”

“Isn’t it?” Mariana leaned forward, her arms crossing over her chest. “Why did her Guardians rush back here only to die before delivering any message? Where is Astra? Luna is going mad waiting to hear how you plan to get her mother—your daughter— back.” She rested her elbows on the table, staring her mother down. “Let me go find her.”

The silence that followed felt thick and heavy, like the weight of the ocean pressing down on them. Above, the coral chandelier flickered, the glowing algae dimming as if it too sensed the tension in the room.

“Absolutely not.”

“Why?” Aurora’s voice startled Mariana, breaking the electric tension between her and Cybele. “I’ll go with her. Together, we can find out what happened and get Astra back. ”

Cybele’s head shook slowly, deliberately. “I refuse to send any more of my daughters to the fae realm. This is not up for discussion.”

“Mother, please—” Aurora’s tone was pleading, her gaze unyielding.

“No.”

Mariana fought to keep her voice steady, though frustration simmered beneath the surface.

“How can we help her if we do nothing? You promised to stop at nothing to find a way back to Sirenia. Astra might know how to do that. We need to know what she knew and why she was so determined to meet with the king. Then we can form a plan to rescue—”

“We know why she went!” Cybele’s outburst cut through Mariana’s words, startling her into silence.

“She wanted to be our emissary, to find a solution to end this conflict between us and the fae. She dreamed of seeing Sirenia restored, just as we all do.” The fire in her eyes dimmed, replaced by a deep, weary sorrow.

“I’m the one who let her go. She’s either dead or captured because of me. ”

Cybele’s gaze dropped to her hands, her fingers trembling ever so slightly, and Mariana knew her mother saw blood all over them.

“So, let us rescue her,” Aurora urged, her voice soft but firm. Mariana admired her sister’s persistence, but she could see the finality in Cybele’s posture.

“I think they should go,” the Siren Witch muttered, drawing all eyes to her.

“Astra is a sister. If we refuse to rescue one of our princesses, what message does that send to the others? That we’ve grown weak?

That our fighting spirit has died? Besides,” she added with a sly wink at Mariana, “this could be the perfect opportunity for Mariana to prove herself as your heir.”

Mariana’s heart swelled with a flicker of hope. The witch had always believed in her, teaching her to trust her instincts and respecting her in ways her mother never had. Despite her curse, Mariana knew she could always count on the witch’s support.

Cybele’s frown deepened, her face set in a hard line. “Everyone out,” she commanded, her voice leaving no room for argument. “I want to speak to Mariana alone.”

The hope she felt was quickly replaced with dread, weighing her down in her chair. Aurora and the witch both glanced her way before getting up from their seats and leaving the room.

When the door shut softly behind them, Mariana let out a slow breath as she lifted her eyes.

Cybele’s gaze was icy, piercing. “Why do you do this?”

Mariana blinked, confused. “Do what?”

“You enjoy turning everyone against me,” Cybele spat, her voice dripping with bitterness.

For a moment, Mariana was too stunned to respond. That’s what she thinks?

A short, bitter laugh escaped her. “No disrespect, but you’re doing a fine job of that on your own.

” She regretted the words the instant they left her mouth.

Cybele’s eyes darkened like an approaching storm; the room growing cold.

“Mother,” Mariana tried again, her tone softening, “I didn’t tell either of them to advocate for a rescue mission. ”

“And you expect me to believe that?” Cybele’s voice was sharp, but underneath it, Mariana heard something else: hurt .

The realization hit her like a wave crashing against the shore. “Yes, I do.”

“Hmm.” Cybele turned her face away to stare out the massive stained glass windows depicting the rise of Salus. Sisters helping sisters. From ruin, we rise.

“Why don’t you want to rescue her?” Mariana asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Cybele stayed silent for a long while, her gills flaring as though she was struggling with her composure.

“Mother—”

“You’ve always been like this. So quick to assume the worst of me.” The queen turned to face her, and Mariana couldn’t help the fear that shivered down her spine at what she saw. “I am not just your mother; I am your queen. And when I say you are not stepping foot in the fae realm, I mean it.”

Mariana’s frustration boiled over. “I will save my sister. I will bring her home. No matter the cost, no matter the price I have to pay. She needs me, and I refuse to let her suffer alone!”

“You are not going anywhere!”

Mariana released a harsh breath and shook her head. “Why is it so hard for you to believe in me?”

“Believe in you?” Cybele scoffed, her gaze raking over Mariana’s body. “Do you even see yourself? The scars you’ve suffered because death never frightened you?” She gestured to Mariana’s face and the terrible sun scar that stretched from the left portion of her forehead down her temple.

Mariana’s breath caught in her throat. The memory of herself as a youngling venturing close to the surface, the sun’s harsh rays searing her skin as she desperately tried to listen to a song that only she could hear, surged to the forefront of her mind.

She had been devastated when the sky went silent once she became an adult.

It had been a constant in her life, a melody that lulled her to sleep, soothed her nightmares, and chased away her darkest doubts.

It was a constant reminder that she was never alone, even in the darkness, despite the mystery of who or what was singing to her.

But now, the song was muted and difficult to recall.

As much as Mariana wished for the sun scars to heal away like the beatings she received for her disobedience, they stayed on her body as permanent reminders of her stupidity.

She had been reckless, desperate to find the source of that haunting melody, only to be punished with scars that would never heal.

Scars that her mother saw as nothing but evidence of her foolishness.

Which was why she’d covered them with tattoos. Except the one on her face.

“I can’t trust that you won’t do something reckless,” Cybele continued, her voice cracking ever so slightly. “I’ve already lost one daughter I love dearly. I will not risk losing you too.”

Mariana’s chest clenched. She forced herself to meet Cybele’s gaze, the words she had long held back finally spilling out. “You know I’ve changed. I take my responsibilities seriously. And since when have you ever shown me that you loved me? You’ve never cared about me beyond my role as your heir.”

“That’s not true—”

“If you loved me, you’d understand how important this is to me,” Mariana pressed, her voice rising louder with every word.

“Our cursed sisters have never respected me. How can I become their queen if I’m sheltered in a cave all my life?

I have a duty to restore Sirenia just as much as you do, and I believe Astra knows how. ”

Cybele raised a hand, silencing her. “I want to find a solution as much as you do. I wanted Astra to succeed. I want to go back to Sirenia before I die, but I can’t do anything that would jeopardize the future of our people by risking your life.

I don’t care what the others say. Protecting you and our people is all that matters. ”

Mariana’s frustration surged, her voice trembling with the effort to keep her emotions in check. “There won’t be anyone left to protect if we all die or fall to the Scourge. We have to act now!”

“No!” Cybele’s refusal was as sharp as a knife.

Mariana threw her hands up in exasperation. “You’ve given up! Are we supposed to just stay here in these caves forever? This is a tomb, a grave for us all, if we don’t do something! Let me go out there and find a solution—”

“I will not send my heir to her death!” Cybele’s voice cracked like thunder, and for the first time, Mariana noticed the deep lines of worry etched into her mother’s face. “Don’t you see? I’m trying to save you.”

Mariana froze, the words sinking in. “Save me?” she echoed, her tone bitter. “How heroic of you, Mother. Why don’t you focus on saving Astra?”

She turned to leave, her heart pounding, but Cybele’s voice stopped her cold.

“My power is fading, Mari.” Cybele’s confession was barely a whisper, laced with a heartache that made Mariana turn back around. “You heard the report. They had sun poisoning. I enchanted their armor to protect them, and … my magic failed.”

Mariana’s heart skipped a beat. She could hear the unspoken words, the guilt that weighed down every syllable.

“You think you killed them,” Mariana said softly.

Cybele didn’t respond. Her silence confirmed Mariana’s worst fears.

“Why did she lie?” Mariana asked, referring to the Siren Witch’s claim about the enchantment’s duration.

“I don’t know,” Cybele whispered, her shoulders slumping. “Maybe she thought she was protecting me.”

Mariana studied her mother, the queen who had always seemed so invincible, now sitting before her with a vulnerability she had never shown before.

“That seems to be going around lately,” Mariana muttered, suddenly exhausted as she sank back into her chair.

Cybele rested her elbows on the table, her clasped hands trembling as she brought them to her face.

“You have to stay here, as my heir. If I can’t even manage simple enchantments, you need to be here for your people.

I’ve already begun to age.” She lifted her hands into the light, and Mariana noticed the fine lines that had begun to etch across her mother’s once-smooth skin.

A wave of dread washed over her, tightening her chest. The thought of becoming queen—of carrying that burden—made her feel like she was suffocating.

I’m not ready , she whispered desperately into the darkness of her mind .

“If you want me to stay,” Mariana said after a long pause, her voice steady despite the turmoil within her, “I need to know something.”

Cybele narrowed her eyes but said nothing.

“No more secrets,” Mariana continued, refusing to back down. “Tell me what Astra was planning to trade with the fae king.”

For a moment, Cybele remained silent, her gaze fixed on Mariana, as if weighing whether to trust her with the truth. The tension in the room was palpable, each second stretching into an eternity.

“Come with me.”