Page 72 of When the Wicked Sing
Ophelia gave her a hesitant smile and poured a glass of water from a silver pitcher. “I can’t imagine what you’ve been through. I would be frightened too if I were you. I mean, honestly, I probably would be dead by now.” She chuckled, and Kosta shot Ophelia a dark look from the corner of his eye.
Interesting.
Mariana noted all the weapons on the guard, then shifted her gaze to the female now sitting in one of the plush velvet chairs in front of the fireplace. Mariana then noticed the female’s legs were also covered in tight white leggings that stopped just short of her ankles. The female’s face and feet were the only parts of her where her pale skin was visible.
“Kosta, is there any chance you can request the fireplace to be lit? It’s chilly in here,” Ophelia said to the guard, rubbing her hands over her arms.
Kosta glared at Mariana for a long moment before slightly opening one of the double doors and whispering to the person outside. A few silent minutes later, a servant arrived, quickly built a fire, then disappeared again.
Mariana grew irritated by the guard’s hateful gaze. His eyes were like molten silver. She set down the candle holder before cautiously approaching the tray, where Ophelia sat patiently.
She believed the fae wasn’t here to hurt her, considering she appeared and sounded harmless. Keeping her breathing steady, Mariana sat in the chair across from Ophelia, who smiled brightly.
“Dax let me know what you would enjoy. I hope it’s to your liking,” Ophelia said as she gestured to the plate filled with different types of roasted vegetables and fresh fruit.
Flavor exploded over Mariana’s tongue, and she had to stop herself from moaning.
Once the plate was empty, Ophelia again covered the tray with a satisfied grin.
“There, I’m sure that will make the search easier. Want some help?”
Mariana stared at the female in confusion as she wiped her mouth with a cloth napkin. “Help?”
“Yes, with finding out where your sister went.”
“Why?”
Ophelia shrugged. “I’ve got nothing better to do at the moment, and I enjoy a good mystery.”
Mariana shook her head. “No, why would I want you to help me?”
“I imagine you want to find her quickly, and in that case, you need help.” The female stood and strode with purpose toward the study, leaving Mariana gaping after her.
The guard’s dark eyes never left Mariana, who suddenly wanted to follow the strange female.
“Looks like you’ve already searched the study. Let’s look in the library.” Ophelia turned from the messy desk. Mariana trailed behind her.
“This library is amazing!” Ophelia shouted up toward the arched two-story ceiling of painted clouds. “It always takes my breath away when I walk in.”
“You’ve been allowed in here before?”
Ophelia averted her gaze and tugged on a loose curl. “No one issupposedto be in here, but …” She swung her arms out and spun in a circle, “Look at all this! How anyone can keep this locked away for no one to enjoy is beyond me.”
Mariana glanced around the room and wondered the same. “I can only imagine the king hates this place. I’m surprised he didn’t have it destroyed.”
“Oh, he wouldnever.” Ophelia scoffed, but her eyes widened. She peeked an eye at Kosta quickly before turning away and strolling down the length of the library toward the impressive windows at the end.
Mariana stared after her. Was she not supposed to have said that? Why wouldn’t the king want it destroyed? Didn’t he hate sirens and Cybele?
With furrowed brows and eyes watching every detail, Mariana studied how Ophelia easily navigated the library. She knew this place well. Clearly, she had an ulterior motive for being here, and Mariana had a feeling it was because Halia had sent her in to find the amulet’s location.
“So, your sister was very intrigued by siren history and always seemed to be in this section here.” Ophelia stopped in front of a bookshelf that had a wooden ladder directly beside it. Mariana approached her and stared at the books.
“How do you know?”
“Because I was helping with her research,” she replied, setting her hands on her hips and inspecting the shelves. “Huh, that’s odd. Everything is out of place. None of the books on these shelves are where they should be. They’re all out of order.”
If Mariana knew anything about Astra, it was that she hated disorder. She loved organizing so much that she had the habit of straightening up all of her sisters’ rooms, despite their protesting.If what Ophelia said was true, then this was a sign her sister wanted her to find something.
