Page 81 of When the Wicked Sing
They sat down on two velvet armchairs in a drawing room beside the foyer, and Mariana regarded him carefully.
“Was my mother …” She paused as she struggled to find the right words. “What was she like when you knew her?” She bit the inside of her cheeks, slightly embarrassed for asking, but she wanted to know more about the siren she had been before the Banishment, before Mariana was born.
Stavros got a glimmer in his eye. “I’d say she was magical. The moment she entered a room, she commanded it. All eyes were on her, and she knew the power she held.” He averted his gaze, peering down at his clasped hands. “I fell in love before I knew what love was. My first wife died soon after Halia was born, and though she deserved to be loved, I couldn’t give it to her. I tried … but that feeling was not even comparable to how much I love Cybele.” Speaking her name seemed to affect him, as he grew silent and appeared contemplative.
Mariana felt the urge to speak but had no words to say. The waves of pain coming from the king were enough to make her unbearably sad.
Eventually, he cleared his throat and glanced up at her. “Although, I hear she is not the same siren I fell in love with.”
“No, she isn’t,” she muttered.
She could feel his studying eyes on her, but she refused to meet them.
He sighed. “When I discovered Astra in here, I knew she was one of Cybele’s daughters. It was in the way she held herself, the way she demanded answers, much like you have.” He smiled softly at the memory. “She was a force of nature. And when we talked, she told me there was an amulet that could bring back my son, and I began to hope. Something I hadn’t felt for a very long time. And when she told me I had another daughter, I was elated. It was then I realized I had been living in darkness for so long, I hardly recognized true light.”
Mariana felt her lips tug upward at the thought of Astra bringing light back into someone’s life. “That sounds like Astra. She has that effect on everyone.”
“Indeed, she does.” The king smiled then, truly smiled, and Mariana swallowed down the urge to smile back. “And then she made a deal with me. One that I hope we can also make.”
Mariana instantly grew tense as she awaited his proposal despite knowing exactly what he was going to say.
“Mariana, if you can bring my son back to me, I will do everything I can to help bring prosperity to Sirenia. Please, help me make things right again.”
They stared at each other, the king expecting her to agree, while Mariana silently weighed the possibilities. In the end, she stood.
“That’s the deal you made with Astra. I trust my sister, but I’m sorry, I can’t trust you. Not yet.”
The king seemed to visibly shrink as her words sank in. He swallowed and gave her a nod before standing. “I understand. The only thing I ask is, please do not trust Halia. I love my daughter, but I’m afraid our goals do not align. She fears thatif her brother returns, she will not become queen. That is why I’ve given her almost full reign over Aurelia, so she can do the good she hopes for our glorious kingdom now while she can. She will be a fine ruler, but she was not meant to be the ruler of Aurelia.”
Mariana considered his words. “I would never trust her. She had me abducted and has imprisoned me here, after all.”
“Yes, well …” The king glanced around the room before settling once again on her. “I can help with that, if you wish.”
Something about his offer didn’t sit well with her. She didn’t want anyone saving her, not anymore. But she couldn’t throw out the option.
“I’d appreciate that. But not yet. I haven’t finished searching, and I want to make sure there isn’t anything I’ve missed.”
“Well, I’ll check on you soon. It is best that Halia doesn’t find out I was here. I’d prefer her to think I’m oblivious to all her clandestine affairs.”
Mariana nodded and watched the king begin to walk away without making a sound. How did he do that? A trick she had to learn. He stopped near the door to the foyer and looked back at her. “Mari, I hope one day to build that trust with you, if you’d allow me the opportunity.”
Her heart skipped as she stared at the fae she could easily call her father. And yet the more she stared, the more she only saw a stranger. But if the tugging in her chest told her anything, it was that she had room in her heart to forgive him, and possibly get to know him.
“I think I’d allow that, one day,” she murmured with a small smile that he returned before continuing on his way.
When he disappeared, she released a heavy sigh and hung her head.
“Finally,” a female voice said from behind her. “I thought he’d never leave.”
Chapter 43
“‘Shewillbeafine ruler, but she was not meant to be the ruler of Aurelia.’” Ophelia’s entire body was shaking; her voice trembled as she recited what the spirits had whispered into her ears. The darkness of the spirit realm shrouded her mind, making her blind to everything but the ethereal messages. The familiar chill of the realm seeped into her bones, amplifying her determination.
“The king went on to tell Mariana he could help her escape, but she turned him down,” she continued, her voice tinged with confusion. Clearing her throat, she added, “He wishes for her to keep their meeting secret from you. And then he leaves.” Ophelia took a deep, steadying breath, grateful the whispers had ceased. She braced herself for what came next.
Surging forward, she pushed her soul back into the living realm, as if stepping out of water fully clothed. The weight of the world smothered her, while a familiar pain twisted and crippled her muscles. She released her breath slowly, easing herself through the agony until it dispersed into nothingness. A new scar would mark the journey, she was certain. Already, she feltits gnarled fingers sinking deep into her right shoulder. Lifting a white linen-glove hand, the fabric covering the discolored, mutilated flesh beneath, she rubbed the spot. Years of entering the spirit realm had left their mark on every part of her body except her face—the price she paid for wielding her power.
It was unknown why the Generals’ descendants suffered consequences, called fallout, from using the power coursing through their veins. The Generals themselves weren’t documented to have received any punishment. Not even Minerva, the General of House Spirit, was ever reported to have been riddled with scars from her magic. So why were her descendants?
