Page 8 of When the Wicked Sing (The Leruna Sea #1)
The cave system where the Siren Witch and the other cursed sirens lived extended deep into the earth, a labyrinth of shadows and secrets. It was a place where few dared to venture, yet Mariana entered without hesitation.
She navigated the twisting paths with ease, the soft glowing sconces cast enough light to guide her.
The deeper she went, the quieter it became, until all she could hear was the swish of her tail and the steady thrum of her heartbeat.
The water grew colder, biting into her skin, and the faint taste of rotten blood tinged her senses.
She grimaced but pressed on, her fists clenched.
Don’t think about it. Just go.
She’d visited the witch countless times before, but today the caves felt different—eerie, as though something was watching her from the shadows.
Rounding a corner, she was abruptly stopped by two cursed sirens, spears in hand.
“Stop. What business do you have here? ”
Mariana recognized Madea; she used to maintain the bioluminescent garden at the palace but gave up that task when she realized she wasn’t concerned whether the garden lived or died. Her once-bright blue eyes were now pitch-black voids, a reflection of who she’d become.
“I’m here to see the Siren Witch. Move aside.” Mariana moved forward, but the other cursed siren’s spear blocked her path.
Mariana scrutinized the revolting siren, unable to recognize her given how deep she was in the Scourge’s clutches. Her stringy hair, sallow skin, and decaying scales made Mariana wrinkle her nose in disgust. She looked like a swimming corpse, riddled with disease.
“Careful, princess,” the siren hissed through a mouth of missing teeth. “This is our territory. You enter if we say you can.”
“I don’t have time for your games,” Mariana snapped. “You’re soiling my water. Move aside, or I’ll make you.”
The cursed sisters exchanged a glance before cackling, the sound grating on Mariana’s nerves, turning her vision red.
With a flick of her hand, the two sirens slammed against the cave wall. Their spears clattered to the ground as they screeched, pinned by the force of her magic. The water churned around them, pushing them harder into the jagged rock.
“You should have listened.” Mariana’s voice was cold as she watched them writhe, the sharp stone cutting their bodies. “Next time, you’ll move aside the moment you see me.”
Madea bared her teeth in a feral snarl, her eyes gleaming with hatred. Mariana narrowed her gaze, sending a silent command. Tiny crabs swarmed from the cracks in the cave walls, covering the sirens and tearing at their flesh. Their screams filled the tunnel, echoing in Mariana’s ears.
“Your territory is my territory,” she said, her voice low and dangerous. “Next time, think twice before crossing me.”
She dropped her hand, and the sirens slid to the ground, crabs scattering as the water calmed. Turning away from the pitiful sight, Mariana continued toward the witch’s dwelling.
The Siren Witch waited at her door, a small smile playing on her lips. “Hello, little one. I see you made some friends.”
Mariana shot a glance over her shoulder at the cursed sirens, their wounds already beginning to heal. “You could say that.”
Swimming inside, she was hit with a wave of nostalgia.
The witch’s home was cluttered, filled with objects whose origins and purposes were a mystery to Mariana.
She remembered curling up in the corner with a pile of orbs, lost in the histories Astra had brought her from the Athenaeum.
Back then, the witch’s home had been a sanctuary, a place where she wasn’t judged for her scars.
But now, the tunnels outside were filled with the cursed—a far cry from the adventures she once had.
A pile of bones in the corner caught her eye, and she went still, only releasing a breath when she realized they were just fish bones.
She grimaced at the thought of eating any sort of creature.
Passing the bones, she entered the main room. It was large but crowded, the black stone table littered with scraps of ingredients. It felt like a lifetime ago when she’d sat there, learning about dark magic and siren history.
“Am I interrupting?” Mariana asked, eyeing the dead squid on the table and the jar filling with shimmering black liquid .
“No, just refilling the stock of stygian oil,” the witch replied, her hands stained as she worked.
“Isn’t that lethal to touch?”
“Only if inhaled. Or if it enters the bloodstream.”
Mariana leaned on the table, watching the dark liquid fill the jar from the tube stuck inside the squid.
“What happens if it does?”
“The toxin blackens your veins, and they would need to be cleansed. It’s terribly taxing on the body. I recommend avoiding it if you can. Otherwise, you’ll be wishing for death.”
Mariana frowned, the thought unsettling. She glanced down at her hands, still trembling from her earlier confrontation with her mother. Although, teaching those cursed sirens to back off had helped ease the tension slightly.
“Did you know?” she asked, lifting her gaze. “Astra planned to trade knowledge of Seraphina’s amulet to the fae king in exchange for Sirenia.”
The witch tilted her head, unfazed. “Yes, I knew. What of it?”
Mariana stared at her, incredulous. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because Cybele would, eventually. And she has, hasn’t she?” she said while removing the tubes.
Mariana scoffed, biting back the arguments on the tip of her tongue. The witch had always been loyal to Cybele. If her mother had decided to keep something from her, the witch would have respected that.
With a sigh, she rested her elbows on the table and buried her face in her hands.
“You seem conflicted,” the witch observed, her claws tapping rhythmically on the stone .
Mariana dropped her hands, exclaiming, “Of course I’m conflicted! How can I help Astra if I’m kept in the dark? And how am I supposed to convince Cybele to let me go to Aurelia?”
“She won’t.”
Mariana shook her head, frustration boiling over. “Why? She let Astra go, why not me?”
The witch regarded Mariana with a steady gaze.
“The fae realm is dangerous for a siren. Astra had top-tier Guardians, and even they couldn’t prevent what happened.
Aurelia is the fae capital. They’d cut off your tail and sell it to the highest bidder.
Your scales would be ripped from you and used as currency. Do you understand?”
Mariana stiffened, holding back the urge to roll her eyes. “You think I can’t defend myself.”
“I think you don’t have it in you to kill them. You’ve been trained as a warrior, but you’ve never faced a fae opponent. Hesitation will cost you—not only your life but Astra’s as well.”
The witch’s words were a punch to the gut. She stared at her mentor, feeling like her eyes were about to swallow Mariana down into an endless black hole. Glancing away, she imagined killing someone, driving a blade through their chest. The thought made her stomach sour instantly.
“You’re brave, little one, but you’ve not seen death the way some of us have.”
Grabbing the dead squid off the table, she moved toward a curtained wall and pulled it aside to reveal a cage of slithering, red-eyed serpents. Mariana recoiled as the witch tossed the dead squid into the cage, the serpents devouring it in seconds. The witch let the curtain fall .
“Why do you keep those things in here?”
“The sound of them puts me at ease.”
Mariana was baffled, unable to comprehend how the hissing, slithering creatures could be comforting to anyone.
“Look, I know you came down here to ask me to convince Cybele to let you go to the fae realm. Unfortunately, I cannot,” the witch said, scrubbing her hands with a gritty gray paste.
“We’ve lost so many,” Mariana whispered, her gaze fixed on the swirling stygian oil. “I don’t want to lose Astra too. Not like this, hiding away in the darkness.” She looked up, her voice trembling. “If you won’t talk to Cybele, then why did you support my plan to rescue Astra during the meeting?”
The witch was silent for a moment before she sighed. “Because … despite everything, I believe you need to be the one to find the amulet.”
“Why?”
“The amulet is a powerful source of raw magic. Only a siren can wield it, but that doesn’t mean Astra wouldn’t bring back the fae king’s son if he demanded it. We need the amulet safe in Salus. And you, as the heir to the sea, should be the one to possess it.”
Mariana nodded slowly. “Astra would know where it is,” she said.
“I have to find her. I have to stop all of this.” The weight of responsibility pressed down on her, threatening to crush her.
“I have to prove myself. What happened out there”—she gestured toward the door leading to the tunnels—“can’t happen when I’m queen. I need their respect.”
“They respect no one.”
“They respect you. ”
The witch shook her head and wiped away the paste from her hands. “That’s different. You don’t need to earn anything. Whether they respect you or not, you will be queen.” She sat across from Mariana, leveling her with a look.
Mariana shook her head, determination hardening her voice. “I know I have to do this.”
The witch’s eyes lit with a hint of mischief. “Then it sounds like you know what you have to do.”
Mariana’s breath caught in her throat as she understood the witch’s unspoken suggestion. “I can’t,” she stammered. “That would be treason!”
The witch shrugged, expression unreadable. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said, rising from her stool. “But remember, you will be our queen soon. Consider each outcome carefully, then decide which path leads to the future you desire.”
“How am I supposed to know which is the right path?”
For a fleeting moment, the witch looked almost … normal. As if the Scourge had never tainted her.
Then she said, “I’d prefer the path that doesn’t lead to Helios returning and killing us all, but the choice is yours.” She turned away, her figure blending into the shadows once more.