Page 10 of When the Wicked Sing
“Believe in you?” Cybele scoffed, her gaze raking over Mariana’s body. “Do you even see yourself? The scars you’ve suffered because death never frightened you?” She gestured to Mariana’s face and the terrible sun scar that stretched from the left portion of her forehead down her temple.
Mariana’s breath caught in her throat. The memory of herself as a youngling venturing close to the surface, the sun’s harsh rays searing her skin as she desperately tried to listen to a songthat only she could hear, surged to the forefront of her mind. She had been devastated when the sky went silent once she became an adult. It had been a constant in her life, a melody that lulled her to sleep, soothed her nightmares, and chased away her darkest doubts. It was a constant reminder that she was never alone, even in the darkness, despite the mystery of who or what was singing to her. But now, the song was muted and difficult to recall.
As much as Mariana wished for the sun scars to heal away like the beatings she received for her disobedience, they stayed on her body as permanent reminders of her stupidity. She had been reckless, desperate to find the source of that haunting melody, only to be punished with scars that would never heal. Scars that her mother saw as nothing but evidence of her foolishness. Which was why she’d covered them with tattoos. Except the one on her face.
“I can’t trust that you won’t do something reckless,” Cybele continued, her voice cracking ever so slightly. “I’ve already lost one daughter I love dearly. I will not risk losing you too.”
Mariana’s chest clenched. She forced herself to meet Cybele’s gaze, the words she had long held back finally spilling out. “You know I’ve changed. I take my responsibilities seriously. And since when have you ever shown me that you loved me? You’ve never cared about me beyond my role as your heir.”
“That’s not true—”
“If you loved me, you’d understand how important this is to me,” Mariana pressed, her voice rising louder with every word. “Our cursed sisters have never respected me. How can I become their queen if I’m sheltered in a cave all my life? I have a duty torestore Sirenia just as much as you do, and I believe Astra knows how.”
Cybele raised a hand, silencing her. “I want to find a solution as much as you do. I wanted Astra to succeed. I want to go back to Sirenia before I die, but I can’t do anything that would jeopardize the future of our people by risking your life. I don’t care what the others say. Protecting you and our people is all that matters.”
Mariana’s frustration surged, her voice trembling with the effort to keep her emotions in check. “There won’t be anyone left to protect if we all die or fall to the Scourge. We have to act now!”
“No!” Cybele’s refusal was as sharp as a knife.
Mariana threw her hands up in exasperation. “You’ve given up! Are we supposed to just stay here in these caves forever? This is a tomb, a grave for us all, if we don’t do something! Let me go out there and find a solution—”
“I willnotsend my heir to her death!” Cybele’s voice cracked like thunder, and for the first time, Mariana noticed the deep lines of worry etched into her mother’s face. “Don’t you see? I’m trying to save you.”
Mariana froze, the words sinking in. “Save me?” she echoed, her tone bitter. “How heroic of you, Mother. Why don’t you focus on saving Astra?”
She turned to leave, her heart pounding, but Cybele’s voice stopped her cold.
“My power is fading, Mari.” Cybele’s confession was barely a whisper, laced with a heartache that made Mariana turn backaround. “You heard the report. They had sun poisoning. I enchanted their armor to protect them, and … my magic failed.”
Mariana’s heart skipped a beat. She could hear the unspoken words, the guilt that weighed down every syllable.
“You think you killed them,” Mariana said softly.
Cybele didn’t respond. Her silence confirmed Mariana’s worst fears.
“Why did she lie?” Mariana asked, referring to the Siren Witch’s claim about the enchantment’s duration.
“I don’t know,” Cybele whispered, her shoulders slumping. “Maybe she thought she was protecting me.”
Mariana studied her mother, the queen who had always seemed so invincible, now sitting before her with a vulnerability she had never shown before.
“That seems to be going around lately,” Mariana muttered, suddenly exhausted as she sank back into her chair.
Cybele rested her elbows on the table, her clasped hands trembling as she brought them to her face. “You have to stay here, as my heir. If I can’t even manage simple enchantments, you need to be here for your people. I’ve already begun to age.” She lifted her hands into the light, and Mariana noticed the fine lines that had begun to etch across her mother’s once-smooth skin.
A wave of dread washed over her, tightening her chest. The thought of becoming queen—of carrying that burden—made her feel like she was suffocating.
I’m not ready, she whispered desperately into the darkness of her mind.
“If you want me to stay,” Mariana said after a long pause, her voice steady despite the turmoil within her, “I need to know something.”
Cybele narrowed her eyes but said nothing.
“No more secrets,” Mariana continued, refusing to back down. “Tell me what Astra was planning to trade with the fae king.”
For a moment, Cybele remained silent, her gaze fixed on Mariana, as if weighing whether to trust her with the truth. The tension in the room was palpable, each second stretching into an eternity.
“Come with me.”
