Page 6 of When the Wicked Sing
She stooped to pick up a bundle of mint that had fallen to the floor, inhaling its sharp, refreshing aroma as she set it on the table. “I suppose you’re right,” she said, eyeing the piles of herbs still waiting to be chopped. Two mugs of steaming chamomile tea sat waiting on the table, their golden liquid catching the light.
Mariana smiled faintly but found her gaze lingering on the tea bags, her thoughts drifting.Astra.The name surfaced unbidden, cutting through the moment like a jagged blade. Her sister would’ve loved this. She was the only one who knew about her visits to Celeste, so why hadn’t she brought Astra to meet her?
Now, with the very real possibility that she might never see her eldest sister again, regret hit her like a wave. Why had she kept this part of her life separate? Why had she never shared this haven, this safe place, with the sister she loved so dearly? There was still so much she wanted to tell her, so much she wanted toshowher.
“Dear,” Celeste’s soft voice broke through her thoughts with a touch to Mariana’s elbow, her brown eyes filled with concern. “Are you alright?”
Mariana blinked, her vision suddenly blurring with unshed tears. She stared at Celeste, at the lines etched into her face, at the gentle strength in her gaze, and for a fleeting moment, she considered lying. She didn’t want to burden her friend with the dark storm that had settled over her life. Celeste lived in the light, and Mariana didn’t want to drag her into the darkness.
Mariana’s eyes skated over Celeste’s wrinkled features and saw the young female beneath that had found her on a beach nearly fifty years ago.
Celeste always had a knack for understanding plants. She knew where to find even the most elusive, insignificant sapling and how to nurture it in the wild. This turned out to be true for sirens. The night they met, she had found Mariana flopping around on the sand with freshly transformed legs, trying to get the damn things to work. She thought Mariana was a mortal child having a seizure at first and rushed to help her. Of course, Mariana screamed in surprise, making Celeste scream too, and they’d been friends ever since.
Truthfully, Mariana was never supposed to be on that beach. Cybele wouldn’t have allowed her to practice walking until she was older, but Mariana refused to wait. Learning to walk meant adventures where she could escape the dark confines of Salus. Back then, she had been innocent to all the harm that could be inflicted on a young siren if she left the sea, but she was desperate—desperate to listen to the sky, desperate to be free. So, she’d defied her mother’s orders, escaped her Guardians, and found the quiet, empty beach, determined to walk. After many days of practice, Celeste taught her how, taught her the mortal language, taught her their culture.
But most importantly, Celeste treated her like an equal. Not like asea goddess.The title was like acid in the back of her throat.
The memory of the culling bombarded her thoughts, and though it deeply bothered her, she couldn’t bring herself to tell Celeste what she saw. Egan Village was off-limits for the cullings, a rule Mariana had fiercely enforced to protect herfriend and the people there, one Cybele only agreed to because of the importance of the mortal population’s stability. Still, the image of those mortals—sacrificed under the ruse of honor but prey for cursed sirens—lingered in her mind.
Mariana realized she hadn’t said anything for a few minutes. Celeste was waiting patiently, a concerned look in her brown eyes that said she was ready to listen when Mariana was ready to speak.
That was when Mariana decided she couldn’t lie to her. She may have been growing old, having only lived a tiny portion of the life Mariana would live, but Celeste was the strongest person she’d ever met.
Reaching down for one of her friend’s hands, she held it in her own, noticing how different they were. Mariana’s skin was pale blue, covered in an array of delicate tattoos, which Celeste always said were the stanzas in the poem of Mariana’s life. Celeste’s hands were withered with age and scarred from whatever had happened to her before she made it to Egan Village—a part of her life she never discussed. Perhaps that made them respect each other: They were both physically marked by their pasts and refused to let it control their futures.
Clearing her tight throat, Mariana admitted, “My sister, Astra, has been missing for several weeks now.” She swallowed hard. Celeste rested her other hand on top of hers, gripping it tight. It was the encouragement she needed to keep talking. “There’s a chance she’s…” Mariana swallowed again, then took a deep breath. “Dead.” The word was so heavy on her tongue that she barely got it out.
Celeste gasped, her eyes wide. “Oh dear, what’s happened to her?” Her voice cracked, and she pressed a hand to her heart. Mariana felt a pang of guilt for bringing her grief into this peaceful little cabin, but she couldn’t stop now.
Lifting a shoulder, Mariana pulled out a chair and sighed as she sat. Celeste sat beside her but still gripped her hand. She squeezed it affectionately, making a corner of Mariana’s mouth lift briefly.
“She was on a peace mission to the fae realm. She wanted to meet with the king and negotiate for the safety of Salus. I don’t know what she planned on bargaining with. My mother is keeping me in the dark about it all,” she admitted with a scowl. “I just know that her Guardians returned, but all died before they could tell us what happened, and now we have no idea where Astra is or whether she’s even alive.”
Mariana let out a shaky breath, thoughts of Astra locked up in a dungeon or hanging by her tail in front of the fae palace gates haunting her. She shivered.
Without saying anything, Celeste pulled her into her arms and held her.
“I’m so sorry, love, that’s terrifying,” Celeste whispered as she rubbed her back gently in soothing circles. Mariana sank into her embrace, wishing to stay there until everything got better. She expected herself to start crying, but it felt like she was dried out, desperate for a drop of water, yet knowing nothing would satisfy.
The look on Luna’s face as she begged Mariana to find her mother made her chest ache. “I have to find her, Celeste. I have to bring her home.”
Celeste gently pulled back and cupped Mariana’s cheeks with warm, soft hands. “I know you do,” she admitted, yet tears still filled her eyes. “But that scares me. What if something happens to you too?”
The question echoed in her mind, and she couldn’t figure out how to deal with it. Instead, she covered her friend’s hands with her own and slowly pulled away. She chewed on the inside of her cheek. “You’ve always told me to be brave.” She tried to smile, knowing it was weak, and yet it somehow gave her the strength she needed. “We don’t let anything stand in our way, right?”
Celeste smiled back and sniffed. “I suppose you’re right. I know what it’s like to lose someone. But sometimes, the best way to honor them is to fight for the ones who are still here.” She sighed, her smile fading, her expression turning grim and serious. “The fae realm is dangerous—”
“Let’s not talk about that right now,” Mariana objected gently, knowing it would only upset Celeste if they talked about the dangers that infected that place beyond the Crossing. “In all honesty,” she said with a shrug, “I have no idea if I’ll even be allowed to go—”
“Hah!” Celeste chuckled. “Like that would stop you.”
Mariana rolled her eyes, hiding her smile. “But I want you to know that if I do, I will come back here first.”
Celeste’s smile dropped. “To say goodbye,” she murmured.
Mariana shook her head. “No, to help you prepare for the market and say I’ll see you soon.” She gave her a wink, making her friend chuckle and wipe her eyes. “Thank you for listening to me,” Mariana said.
Celeste gave her a sad smile. “I will always listen, you know that.” Pinching Mariana’s chin with her thumb and forefinger, she added, “I sincerely hope you find your sister. Thank you for trusting me with this.”
