Page 71 of When the Wicked Sing
She had never been allowed in her mother’s chambers in Salus without explicit permission—which she’d never received. She had no idea what it looked like. This part of her mother’s life felt strangely intimate, a part of Cybele’s past that had never been revealed to Mariana or Aurora.
Wait …
Were the other bedchambers meant for her and her sisters? Had Cybele planned for a part of their future to be in Aurelia?Mariana hadn’t been born yet, so Cybele would have been trying to have another child. One bedchamber for each daughter … the empty one meant for her heir.
Not sure what to think, she kept exploring. On the vanity, the makeup bottles, brushes, and jars were neatly organized. Colorful glass perfume bottles lined a shelf below a gold-rimmed mirror.
Cybele wore perfume?The idea was strange since sirens didn’t wear scents. Mariana wondered what they smelled like, wondered what her mother had worn around her lover, but her hands remained firmly by her sides. She had no right to touch her mother’s personal items and feared disturbing the way they had been left a century ago.
Then, it occurred to her that someone must have been cleaning the wing occasionally. Otherwise, it would’ve been in worse condition.
After leaving the bedroom, she made her way downstairs through a curved doorway into a study. The musty smell from the lack of fresh air tickled her nose. Dust coated every surface except the desk, the few pages and books lying about, and the lonely pen, sticky with ink that had bled dry from its tip. It could’ve been a sign her sister was here, but she had no way of knowing for sure.
With a groan of frustration, she began inspecting the desk. Her eyes caught on a book with blue swirls and foreign letters on the cover. She didn’t recognize the language. Picking up the book, she was surprised by its weight. She’d never held a book before, considering all siren knowledge was stored within the orbs inside the Athenaeum beneath Salus.
Staring at the book, she opened it and flipped through, surprised at how much she enjoyed the smell of the paper and the sound of the pages brushing against each other. It reminded her of when she and Astra had daydreamed about restoring Sirenia. She wanted to open up her own public library. And somehow, Mariana had to find her and allow her to do just that. Setting the book down, she took a deep breath.
A closed door across the room beckoned her. She walked toward the door, then slowly turned the ornate brass handle, unsure of what she would find on the other side, and swung it open.
Her jaw dropped.
The famous library.
Taking a few hesitant steps forward, she glanced around the space, overwhelmed by its sheer size. Two stories of books taunted her with their hidden knowledge.
Her lungs seized, and she speared her fingers through her hair, pulling it back from her eyes. Gazing around the lifeless room housing silk sofas, she scanned the painted walls lined with bookshelves. Cream-colored velvet drapes hung heavy over the windows, keeping most of the light out.
Fear coated her insides like oil. Defeat loomed in the distance with a darkness that threatened to swallow her whole.
How was she supposed to find anything in this immense place? How was she supposed to find her sister or the amulet? It was insane.
She sat down on the polished hardwood floor in the middle of the library. Leaning her head back, she inspected the room. Her eyes wandered over a large antique mirror and colorfulpaintings of the sea, settling on the murals along the walls. The north, east, and west walls all depicted a forest with white birds flying by, and the southern wall, the only one with windows instead of bookshelves, presented a glittering horizon over the sea.
Mariana recognized the white-barked trees, the slender leaves sprouting from them, the indigo flowers blooming near the white baseboards, the white-feathered birds, and the mountain in the distance.
Standing up, she slowly turned in a circle as her mind reeled. Her heart pounded, filling her ears with its beating rhythm.
She’d seen the place in the mural before—in her strange dream.
Was it near Sirenia? Had the person in her dream been showing her where Astra was? Or was it merely a coincidence that the painted walls of her mother’s library matched her vision?
“Mariana?” a light and soft feminine voice called out distantly. It didn’t sound like Halia.
Mariana quickly moved into the study. Glancing around, she grabbed a candle holder and tested its weight as she silently approached the foyer.
An elegant, dainty fae wrapped in an ivory hooded dress stood in the middle of the room holding a silver tray. Tight golden curls highlighted with lilac streaks spilled from beneath the hood. When the fae glanced up, she spotted Mariana, and her eyes widened.
Mariana kept the candle holder clutched tightly in front of her as she took a few steps forward. Standing by the door behind the female was an attractive but menacing fae male. Hisattention was focused solely on Mariana, and she couldn’t help it when her face heated under his steely gaze. He appeared every bit the terrifying warrior, ready to kill. Tousled, short dark hair, a sharp jaw locked tight and covered in stubble. The hours of training he endured under a blazing sun were evident from his tanned skin and the large muscles straining beneath his polished armor.
“Hi,” the female squeaked and carefully stepped forward, lifting the tray with her gloved hands. “I brought you some food. Can I set it down somewhere?”
Mariana stepped back, not saying anything. She wasn’t sure what the female had been sent here to do, but she didn’t look like any ordinary servant. Her clothing looked soft and silky, leather sandals buckled with gold. Even her makeup appeared skillfully applied. And the guard behind her looked ready to defend if necessary.
“Who are you?” Mariana was surprised the female didn’t wince at her fierce tone. Instead, her freckled cheeks turned a bright shade of pink as she walked over to the fireplace.
She set the tray down on a small, round table between two dusty chairs and lifted the covering. “My name is Ophelia. That’s Kosta brooding by the door. He won’t hurt you.” She set the lid down and presented the steaming food on the plate to Mariana. “And I certainly am not here to hurt you either. Care to eat?”
Mariana’s eyes shifted between Kosta and Ophelia, desperately trying to keep her stomach from grumbling at the delicious smell drifting from the tray.
