Page 105 of When the Wicked Sing
Halia took a sip of her wine. “Astra,” she corrected. “The last I saw of the other one, she was battling three of my guards. I doubt she made it through without a blade in her stomach.”
His hands began to shake. He squeezed them tight behind his back.
Lifting the amulet in her hand, she peered down at it. “Beautiful,” she breathed. “So much blood spilled over something so small.” Her gaze flew up to his. “Tragic, don’t you think?”
Careful to keep his jaw from clenching, he nodded. “What do you plan to do with it?”
Halia paused, her gaze lingering on the amulet before meeting Dax’s eyes again. “I originally planned to destroy it. But now”—she sighed, her expression softening ever so slightly—“it feels like a waste. Too much has been lostfor it.”
Dax watched her carefully, his mind racing. This was the first time he’d seen any sign of doubt in Halia. “And what of the sirens? With this, you could give them back Sirenia. Keep them in line, enforce peace—”
Halia chuckled dryly. “Peace? You think, after everything,peaceis still an option? No, this amulet … it might just be my ticket to something else. A way to rewrite the rules, perhaps even the throne itself.”
“The throne?” Dax repeated, the words tasting bitter in his mouth.
“Yes.” Halia stepped closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. “You see, Dax, power isn’t just about maintaining order; it’s about rewriting it. With this”—she held up the amulet—“I can challenge anyone, even the king.”
Dax’s heart thudded in his chest. This was more ambition than he had ever heard her express. The king was his ally, but if he ever chose to give Halia the throne … “And where does that leave people like us? Those who have bled for your cause?”
Halia’s face hardened. “Loyal soldiers are always rewarded, Dax. But traitors …” She let the word hang ominously in the air. “They find that my grudges crush windpipes and spike heads.”
Dax’s brows lowered, understanding the unspoken threat. “I am no traitor, Halia.”
“I know,” she replied, her voice softening again. “Which is why I am offering you a choice. Stand with me, truly stand with me, and I assure you the rewards will be beyond your imagination. For you and your people.”
Dax considered her words, the weight of his next decision pressing down on him. Here was a crossroads, one that could change everything. “And if I refuse?”
Halia smiled, cold and calculating. “Then I suggest you pray that your beloved Mari could forgive you for what would come next.”
Chapter 57
“Oh,howthewavesroll in, faster than the setting sun, faster than the rising moon—Gahhh!”
The old male shouted as Mariana pulled herself up out of the sea and onto Aurelia’s dock.
Standing up straight, she gave him a sheepish smile. “Sorry to startle you,” she panted. “Lovely singing voice, though!”
Leaving the gaping sailor behind, Mariana quickly ran the length of the harbor, wet hair flying behind her, lungs and limbs shouting for a break. But there was no time for a break. No time to breathe as she sprinted toward the shimmering gates of the Aurelian palace.
It had been two days since she and Aurora left Sirenia’s shore. By now, her sister would’ve returned to Salus, ready to protect their mother. They had no idea who was hurting Cybele, but if the same assailant had truly attacked Astra, then Cybele had to be protected. Aurora and Mariana had vowed on that forsaken beach that they would do everything they could to save her.
That all started with securing the amulet and protecting Cybele from further harm.
“I am Queen Mariana! Let me in!” she shouted up at the gates, then breathed a sigh of relief when they opened a moment later.
Using her power, she expelled the remaining water clinging to her skin, clothes, and hair, leaving a small puddle behind her as she entered the immaculate courtyard.
The fountain glittered, spewing water gently into the pool below. The sound was soothing, and Mariana took a deep breath, calming her heart.
The peace was broken by the clacking sound of shoes over the stone path.
A short, round-faced servant quickly approached her and bowed, his lips pursed distastefully at her outfit.
Mariana resisted the urge to slap the look right off his face.
“Queen Mariana. Please do accept our humble apologies, but now is not the time for any visitors.”
“I need to speak with Princess Halia. It’s urgent.”
