Page 118 of When the Wicked Sing
It was done.
Every siren remaining could now enter the fae realm without repercussion. They could live without fear of being hunted for bounty. They could rebuild Sirenia and watch younglings grow up in a safe place. They could grow old without fear of havingto choose to fall victim to the Scourge’s deceptive promise of eternal life.
She had done it. She was under Halia’s thumb, but at least her people were free. And yet, she couldn’t shake off the shivers running down her spine, indicating that something was wrong.
A gust of foul wind blew by, and her eyes landed on a swirl of light forming on the other side of the room. Loose parchment flew off the table before Halia lifted a hand to halt the wind.
The dread Mariana had been ignoring all night raged its mighty fist upon her as she watched a portal open.
A foot the color of pure darkness stepped through, and Mariana’s heart seized.
The Siren Witch smiled at her. The amulet, glowing with power, hung around her ashen neck.
“Hello, little one.”
Chapter 64
Auroraswamcautiouslythroughthe palace, her eyes wary of every sister she passed. Could one of them have poisoned Astra? Could one of them have done something to Cybele?
With the amulet now in Halia’s clutches, Aurora had no idea if Mariana’s plan to get it back would work. Regardless of what happened next, Aurora would defend their mother.
Cora, their healer, came into view, having just come out of Cybele’s chamber.
“Aurora?” Cora called out, coral-pink brows drawn together. “Where have you been? Are you alright?”
“I’m fine. Is my mother getting better?”
Cora’s bright gaze dipped. “No changes. I’m sorry.”
It’s not your fault, Aurora almost said, but she bit her tongue before she could. If someone truly had done something to both Astra and Cybele, the last thing Aurora wanted to do was give away that she knew. She needed to find out who was doing this and why they were after the amulet.
“Don’t apologize, you’ve done everything you can for her.” Aurora was about to continue when a cursed siren passed by, bumping her shoulder hard.
Sneering, Aurora eyed the cursed siren. “Watch it,” she snapped.
They hissed at her, licking their crusty lips before moving along.
“What was that?” Cora asked, frowning as she watched the ghostly siren swim away with her bony, colorless tail.
“I don’t know.” Turning, she stared past Cora at the group of cursed sirens down the hall, who were eyeing her like she was a sack of mortal flesh they wanted to chew on. “But stay on alert. And let me know if you notice anything strange going on.”
“Stranger than how the cursed are behaving?” She scoffed, shaking her head. “It’s like they’re waiting for something.”
Aurora’s eyes darted to her. The healer’s words clanged through her head. “I have to go. Remember what I said.”
Cora nodded. “I will.”
Approaching the door leading into her mother’s chamber, Aurora nodded to the two guards at the front. The cursed sirens didn’t nod back; they stared at her without emotion. Unfeeling darkness swirled within their pitch-black gazes. Usually, they would at least acknowledge her with some form of respect. Their sudden indifference unnerved her.
Ignoring them, she pushed the door open and swam into the room, spotting Malea tending to the pale queen.
When Malea looked up, her eyes widened a fraction.
“Hey, thank you for keeping an eye on my mother for me while I’ve been gone,” Aurora said quickly, approaching them.
“You’re welcome,” Malea replied hesitantly, seeming tense and unlike herself.
Aurora’s brows pulled tight. “Are you—”
