Page 30 of When the Wicked Sing
“No,” she muttered, not offering anything else. It was true she could slip her clothing into thefold, making it disappear as she transformed, but that took energy she didn’t want to waste.
Turning toward the river with her back to Dax, she let the dress fall to her feet and stepped into the water. Her tail splashed through the rippling waves, and she smiled, letting out a deep sigh. Tilting her head back, she floated. Her tail moved slowly, keeping her from going downstream.
She gazed up at the sky. The sun was approaching the horizon, casting long, dark shadows through the trees. Turning her head toward Dax, she found him still clothed, his hood covering his head and shrouding his eyes in darkness.
“What are you waiting for?” she asked, spreading her arms wide. “It’s not that cold.”
“It’s not that warm either.”
She slapped her tail, splashing water at him, and he quickly sidestepped.
“Oh, come on, get in! You’ll get used to it.”
The fae continued staring at her. Good.Let him look. Let him think I trust him. The closer he gets, the more careless he’ll be.
“Your tattoos …” he said carefully, “they’re glowing.”
Mariana glanced down at her arms and saw the pale glow from the tattoos embedded in her skin. “They are,” she said, tilting her gaze back at him, unable to see his shadowed eyes. “It tells me that this river connects to the sea.”
Dax remained silent for a long moment, and she began to worry. “Mari,” he started softly, “I need to ask you something.”
His serious tone sobered her, her euphoria fading as her body grew tense. Shifting so she was facing him, she gave him an equally concerned look. “What?”
“If I enter that river, am I in danger?”
He was as tense as a coiled snake, believing she was dangerous.Good.
She forced her gaze to soften. “No, Dax. I just saved your life, why would I hurt you now?”
It was the truth. Mariana didn’t plan on killing him, but she wanted him to understand that shecouldif he crossed her. Power needed to stay on her side.
“Just this morning, you tried ripping my throat out with your teeth.”
Mariana smiled faintly at the memory. “That was all in good fun. Besides, watching you fight earlier, the way you killed those fae, it reminded me that I need an ally. My only concern is finding my sister. I think you can help me save her.”
A long, drawn-out moment of silence made her doubt everything she’d revealed. But then Dax lifted his hands and pushed back his hood, revealing his cautious gaze.
“You’re telling the truth.”
She rolled her eyes. “Just get in the water, Dax.”
He sighed before dropping his cloak. As he lifted his shirt over his head, her eyes trailed his toned chest and abs, and she quickly glanced away as soon as he began taking off his pants.
Focus on anything else. Not the naked fae just a short distance away.
Mariana’s cheeks burned with shame. Her core tightened, and something inside her began to ache. It was a sensation she’d never felt before. She shoved it aside.This isn’t about him.
When Dax stepped into the river, his cautious gaze inspected her like he was trying to solve a riddle.
“Why were you crying the morning I found you?”
The question made her heart skip a beat. “You mean the morning you drugged me?”
He shrugged, and Mariana tilted her head back, letting the water cascade through her hair. She tried to steady herself as the pain of that morning came rushing back—Celeste’s face, the sound of her voice, the crushing emptiness left in her absence.
“Are you asking or demanding to know?” she said softly, silently begging him to let the matter drop.
“I’ll listen, but only if you wish to tell me.”
