Page 16 of When Storms Ruin

I reluctantly gripped the door handle, steeling myself with a deep breath. When I returned to the common room, Tess was freshly bathed as well, wrapped in the same white robe. She was curled up on the couch with a plate in her hands.

“You have to try this, Diana,” she said around a mouthful of food. She brought the chicken leg to her mouth despite not having swallowed the bite she was currently chewing. Nik and Puck were nowhere to be seen.

“They went down to the first floor, to speak with Isaac and Liss,” Tess said as she saw my eyes search the room.

I exhaled a sigh of relief. I felt, for the first time since leaving the Stormvault, as if I could truly relax without the sense that I was being watched. As if my every action was being scrutinized. I was a leader to these people…but I didn’t feel like much of a leader at all right now, let alone a queen.

There was a spread of food laid out across the ottoman. Juicy and brined chicken legs, mashed potatoes, fresh vegetables, and bread. I cringed away from the bread, pushing it away, though I was sure it wasn’t stale like what they had fed us back in Akra. The smell had my mouth watering immediately and I dove in, the chicken bursting with flavor I had long forgotten. My eyes lit up and Tess let out a soft laugh.

“This feast is fit for a queen.” She winked as she took another bite.

“Don’t remind me,” I groaned, propping my feet up and sitting back with my plate.

“There are two bedrooms, one for us and one for the boys,” she announced, reloading her plate with food.

I was relieved at this. Despite having not been alone in the last three months, I didn’twantto be alone. Not tonight. I wanted to stay with Tess.

“And Nik and Puck will be staying with us?” I asked, “with the resistance?”

Tess nodded. “They are with the cause. They’re friendly with Isaac from what I’ve gathered before I went to wash up, and with Liss. She was an important factor in our prison break, apparently. She has lived in the castle for a long time. They befriended her months ago.”

“Did they say anything else?” I asked around a mouthful of potatoes.

“No.” She shook her head gently. “We will regroup with Isaac and Liss once we have rested and gotten a full meal in our bellies.”

“That shouldn’t be hard. This is the best chicken I have ever had in my life,” I said around a mouthful of food.

“Are you sure you aren’t only saying that because we have been locked in a prison since January?” Tess asked with a shake of her head and a roll of her eyes.

My eyes met hers, a laugh in them. I appreciated her sarcasm, and I was glad we could joke about it, despite how fresh and angry my emotions were, warring inside of me.

As we finished our meal, my eyes grew heavy. I was bloated with the amount of food we had consumed. I was glad that the boys hadn’t returned and we could go straight to bed.

I wasn’t ready to face them again.

Part of me wanted to rake my fingernails down Nik’s face, the other part of me wanted to thank him for risking his life to get us free of Donika. He betrayed her, and there was no going back for him now. He would be hunted as fiercely as I was. I was glad that the safe house was spelled, but I was still unsure if it was enough to keep us safe from Donika’s spies.

Tess led me towards one of the bedrooms, and a wave of exhaustion rolled over me as I spotted the comfortable-looking bed. The room was small and cozy, with a cast iron bed pushed into the corner of the room against two large windows that overlooked the cobblestone streets below. Lit candles were scattered across the floor, and a lush, dark carpet covered the space. I crawled into the bed first and closed the blinds tightly against the light of day. The room was plunged into darkness except for the soft glow of the flickering candles.

Tess climbed in after me and we pulled the lush blankets over us.

“I have to explain things to my parents,” Tess said as she turned towards me in the dark.

“I know.” I swallowed hard. “I need to confront my mother. And retrieve the grimoire. But I need a few days to eat and rest.”

Tess nodded, grabbing my hand beneath the blankets. Her skin was cold and dry against mine.

“We will plan to go back next week, then,” she replied resolutely.

“But Iamcoming back here. You don’t have to come with me, if you don’t want to. But Istmere is my home now. This iswhere I belong. This entire life was taken from me, and I am not going to give it up now. I need to see an end to Donika’s reign, and I don’t expect you to join me.”

“Are you serious?” Tess’ expression was furious in the darkness. “How many times do we have to go through this?”

“Through what?” I asked, confused.

“I’m with you, no matter what,” she said sternly. “If your home is in Istmere, then my home is in Istmere. If you are going to defeat Donika, so am I.”

I couldn’t believe how lucky I was—to find a friend like Tess. She was fierce and loyal. Funny and witty. She was stubborn, just like me.

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