Page 12 of When Storms Collide

I thought I had cried my last tears with Annelise and what was left behind was a hollow void. I pulled away only enough to see Tess’s face.

“I think I need some rest,” I told her, my words lacking any emotion. Despite having woken up from sleeping a full day, I felt as if I could barely keep my eyes open.

“I think that’s a good idea,” she replied, pushing off the bed and moving towards the house.

My brow furrowed in confusion. “Aren’t we sleeping out here?” I asked, gesturing to the beds beneath the pavilion.

“We are, but there’s a real bed in there that I’m sure you can take advantage of.” She motioned towards the driftwood cabin. “Come on.”

“But whose house is this?” I asked, skeptical.

Annelise was certainlyclosewith whoever it was. I wasn’t sure what to expect when we crossed the threshold. Tess led me up the steps as she spoke.

“Annelise didn’t tell you? It belongs to Amiyah. She’s been begging to meet you. She’ll be happy to know you are finally awake.”

“And who—exactly—is Amiyah?” I asked as Tess reached for the wooden doorknob.

She turned her head back towards me, her eyes soft.

“Tyr’s mother,” she replied, as she turned back towards the door. “She’s Annelise’s sister. Your Aunt.”

I expected a surge of emotion, knowing this house belonged tofamily. To another member of the Kotova bloodline. But I still felt empty.

This was simply another secret Annelise had kept, and I didn’t have the energy to be bitter anymore. I only wanted to close my eyes.

Tess pushed the door inward, and we walked into the main living space, which was decorated with every single seashell that could fit inside the small cabin. They adorned every surface and hung from every wall, all shapes and sizes. There were bowls piled high with sea glass, and a coffee table made of worn oak that had a sea glass mural embedded in its surface. The couch was linen and worn, the windows open, the shutters rustling in the soft ocean breeze.

I wasn’t sure what I had expected, but this wasn’t it. Annelise didn’t strike me as a collector of things, so it surprised me that her sister was. I wondered if Tyr grew up in this house, or if this was something special, for only Amiyah and her beloved trinkets. The living space opened into a small galley kitchen with three doors off to the right, two bedrooms and a small washroom. It might not be much, but it was loved, and lived in. I could imagine Annelise coming to visit, walking the beach until she found the perfect shell to bring inside and add to Amiyah’s collection.

The first door on the right opened and Amiyah appeared, her brows raising as she took me in, her long grey-blonde hair cascading down her back.

“My, my, aren’t you the spitting image of your mother? It’s wonderful to finally meet you, Diana.”

Amiyah moved forwards but didn’t embrace me, she simply grasped my hands between both of hers and gave them a tight squeeze, her eyes soft when they met my gaze.

She was older than Annelise, but not by much. Her once sandy hair had begun to grey, her green eyes creased with the start of wrinkles. Her skin was tanned from the sun, eachfreckle merging into another to create a canvas of color across her skin. I held her gaze, and whatever last vestige of emotion left within me leaked out as a hot tear rolled down my cheek.

“I’m sorry.”

It’s all I could think to say. All that could be said. Tyr was her son, and he was dead. He was dead because he had savedmylife, sacrificing his own for mine.

“There is nothing to be sorry for, my dear.” Her grip was comforting.

I was surprised to find Amiyah wasn’t nearly as cold as Annelise. Not nearly as calculating. She was all warm sun and carefree comfort. I immediately felt safe in her presence. She felt likehome.

I wiped my cheeks with one hand while the other was still grasped within hers and took a staggering, shuddering breath.

“We will talk later. For now, you need rest.” Amiyah motioned towards the second bedroom on the right and I could feel the loss of her grasp deep within my chest as she turned to open the door for me. Her touch brought forth a healing all its own. I wondered if healing ran in the family. After all, Annelise was a skilled healer too. Something about Amiyah brought forth an emotional healing, and I instantly felt as if I had known her for years.

“Rest as long as you need, Diana. We can talk when you wake. You are safe here.”

I nodded, wiping my nose with the neck of my dirt and blood-stained shirt. I was too tired to be embarrassed, and the wrought iron bed with the lumpy mattress neverappeared more comfortable than in this moment. Tess gave me a reassuring smile that never reached her eyes as I closed the door between us, leaning against it.

There was an outfit of fresh clothes laid out on the bed before me, but I didn’t have the energy to change. I made my way over to the bed and curled up atop the comforter, my knees pressed to my chest, my arms woven tightly around them.

In the silence of the seaside bedroom, I finally let myself cry, every drop staining the pillow beneath me with salty tears and dirt that remained from the battle. I cried until I was numb. I rocked myself to sleep beneath the thatched roof of the beach house, too tired to crawl beneath the comforter.

I had Tess and I had the resistance, but it didn’t matter.

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