Page 12 of When the Wicked Sing
“You thought I couldn’t handle it.”
Cybele’s gaze hardened. “I knew you wouldn’t accept it.”
“That’s not fair. You should have given me the chance to—”
“To what? Try to stop Astra? Convince me it was a terrible plan?” The queen’s eyes blazed. “I know you, Mariana. Nothing you could’ve said back then would’ve changed a thing.”
Because she was the queen, not Mariana.
Swallowing her pride, Mariana clasped her hands together. “Please, let me rescue Astra. She needs our help, and if something terrible happened, we all deserve to know—especially Luna.”
The cold finality in Cybele’s eyes gave Mariana the answer she’d dreaded.
“Mother, please!” she pleaded, her voice breaking under the weight of grief at the thought of never seeing her sister again.
“I’m going to say this one last time. No. And don’t ask me again.”
With that, the queen turned and swam into the darkness, leaving Mariana with a heart that felt as though it had been torn apart.
Chapter 6
Thecavesystemwherethe 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, coveringthe 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.”
