Page 9 of When the Wicked Sing (The Leruna Sea #1)

“I can’t believe it’s been three weeks, and we still haven’t heard anything,” Aurora muttered, her voice barely cutting through the rhythmic sound of waves crashing overhead.

She lay beside Mariana on the sand, their bodies bathed in the moon’s silvery light, which filtered through the water, casting them in a shifting, rippling glow.

No word had come from the fae king after Astra had vanished without a trace. Each day without news wound Mariana tighter, coiling tension through her muscles like a predator ready to strike.

“We need to do something,” she admitted softly.

She’d told Aurora everything she’d learned—everything except the conversation with the witch.

Since leaving the witch’s dwelling after their talk, Mariana couldn’t stop thinking about what the witch had implied.

The thought of adventuring into the fae realm without permission haunted her, a shadow she couldn’t shake.

She could go, she knew that, but it would mean crossing a line she didn’t think she could ever come back from.

That thought scared her more than she cared to admit .

“We can’t,” Aurora replied, her voice firm. “Cybele made herself very clear. We wait until the king sends word of a trade.”

“And if he doesn’t send word?” Mariana turned to her sister, their eyes locking in a silent exchange of fear.

Astra’s fate hung between them, a fragile thread that could snap at any moment.

Luna claimed she could still feel their mother’s soul, but how long would that last? How long until they were too late?

“We’ll think of something. Somehow, we’ll convince the queen to let us go. I know it.”

Mariana exhaled slowly, her breath stirring the sand as she turned her gaze back to the moon.

Tonight, more sirens than ever would take part in another culling, five new souls pledged to sacrifice themselves to the Scourge to keep their sisters safe—a noble choice in the queen’s eyes, but to Mariana, it was abhorrent.

She couldn’t bear to be near them, to witness such barbarity.

The thought of anyone accepting the Scourge as an honor made her skin crawl.

Each day, the cursed sirens grew stronger, more wicked, and she felt powerless to stop them.

But was she truly powerless?

The witch’s unspoken suggestion echoed in her mind: Go. Take matters into your own hands. So, why hadn’t she?

She cleared her throat, glancing at Aurora. “What if we just went to Aurelia to rescue Astra?”

Aurora’s head snapped toward her, concern etched in her eyes. “What?”

Mariana pushed herself up, pulling Aurora up with her so they were face to face. “Hear me out. The witch would defend us if we left on our own. Together, we could find Astra and secure the amulet before the king gets close to resurrecting his dead son.”

Aurora scoffed, pulling her hands free from Mariana’s grasp. “And you think the queen wouldn’t punish us for defying her? You’re living in a dream if you believe that,” she said, turning away.

“If we succeed, she wouldn’t dare!” Mariana quickly swam around to block her sister’s path. “Rora, we have to do something. You know it—”

“Of course I know it, Mari! But I don’t want to make a stupid choice that’ll get us both killed!”

“We won’t! We’ll protect each other, just like we planned during the meeting,” Mariana argued, desperation edging into her voice. But Aurora’s tail shifted her away, her eyes dark with turmoil.

“No. What you’re suggesting is treason. You can’t just march into enemy territory against the queen’s orders to prove a point. We all want Astra back but not at the cost of losing you.”

“And what about Astra?” Mariana’s voice trembled with raw emotion. “Are we so willing to lose her?”

Aurora’s expression was a battlefield, rage and fear warring beneath the surface. The silence between them grew heavy, fraught with unspoken fears and the weight of impossible decisions.

“I need to think,” Aurora finally whispered, her voice strained.

Mariana watched her sister swim back toward Salus, her auburn hair vanishing into the swaying kelp like a fading ember.

Mariana’s fists tightened, nails digging into her palms until she felt the sting and her blood seeping out.

She stared at the half-moon marks in her skin and the slow tendrils of crimson swirling in the current as the wounds healed.

More blood would stain the sea if she did nothing. No, it couldn’t end here.

Glancing back in the direction Aurora had gone, Mariana shot after her, weaving through the kelp and descending into the dark tunnel that led into the heart of Salus. She emerged in the bioluminescent garden where Aurora sat among the glowing flora.

Vines twisted around marble columns, their violet blossoms glowing softly in the cavern’s eternal night. Brightly colored fish swam lazily through the coral, weaving in and out of Aurora’s long hair, while crustaceans scuttled across the sand, tending to the vibrant display.

“This was her favorite spot to think,” Aurora murmured, fingers trailing through a delicate anemone. Its soft, stinging tendrils curled around her thumb, turning it a dark shade of pink. Mariana could feel the weight of her sister’s grief, a shared ache that pressed down on her heart.

Mariana settled beside her on the sand, careful to avoid the coral. She gently pulled Aurora’s hand away from the anemone, holding her fingers lightly as the pink hue faded to its natural bronze color.

“I miss her,” Aurora whispered, her voice breaking.

“Me too,” Mariana replied, meeting her sister’s sad gaze. She swallowed, then cleared her throat. “I’m sorry I suggested going against the queen’s orders. It wasn’t fair of me.”

“I want to do it. ”

Mariana’s heart skipped a beat. “You want to?”

“Yes.” Aurora’s expression was suddenly resolute, her eyes burning with determination.

“You’re right, Mari. Astra needs us; and the amulet can’t fall into the wrong hands.

” She squeezed Mariana’s hands, her grip firm.

“I need to gather supplies, and we need to rest. Tomorrow, midday, while all of Salus is asleep, we’ll meet here. Then, we’ll swim for Aurelia.”

Mariana’s breath caught in her throat. They were going to do this. “Together,” she whispered, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and excitement.

Aurora nodded. “Together.”