Page 160 of Taken By Touch and Torment

When he handed me a sandwich, I lost all sense of shame. I took huge bites, ignoring them both as I stared lovingly at the most delicious food I’d ever tasted.

Rosalind handed me water, possibly seeing that without it, I would soon choke.

I washed down the food crammed in my throat, my memories returning. “What in the gods happened?”

“A fight broke out,” Rosalind said. “That soon turned into some kind of hearing. No women allowed, obviously.”

“Or non-Valentin born,” Kole added.

I recognized that we were in Kole’s living area. My room was in the opposite wing. Could I get there safely? Rune had likely sensed my heart nearly stop, and we hadn’t communicated for three days. Not to mention, the last he heard was that I’d just committed a second murder. Or, at least, had aided in one.

“Durian was out of his mind,” Rosalind said. “The walls were bleeding. People were hallucinating. I showed up after you were out cold.”

“And I took it upon myself to get you out of there,” Kole said, puffing up his chest.

“Does he know where I am?” I asked, remembering what Durian had threatened me with tonight.

Rosalind shook her head. “I don’t think he saw us, but he could find you pretty easily. However, you should be the least of his concerns right now.”

They’d covered me with a blanket. Whether it was for my sake or theirs was uncertain. Likely both. I was not currently pleasant to look at.

“We need to get out of here,” Kole said. “I’ve seen enough. I can only trust my king will believe what I tell him about the state of Valentin's affairs and cut ties with this lot immediately.”

I thumbed my earlobes, tracing the crystal orbs that had been fashioned into simple earrings. By his use of the word we, it was clear that he wanted to take Rosalind and me with him.

“Kole, it’s time we speak plainly,” I said.

His eyes darted to mine. He nodded, shifting on his feet as he nervously babbled. “I agree. We have an opportunity right now—we could leave this island behind. You both would?—”

“Hey!” I cut in, slowly rising to my feet as I kept the blanket wrapped around my battered form. I embodied Sadie, her fierce dominance that was unquestionable and respected.

Kole’s attention snapped to me, and he visibly calmed. I removed my earrings, my eyes never leaving his as I held my hand out.

He stared down at the crystal balls encased in delicate gold.

“These are disguised recording crystals,” I said. “My first night back with Durian, I recorded him saying that he was Earle’s successor, that Earle was a failure whom he held no respect for, among other damning comments.”

The memory of that night flitted through my mind, my successful subterfuge filling me with satisfaction. The words I’d mumbled before and after Durian had fed from me were start recording and stop recording. Who knew spellcasting could be so intuitive?

Kole absorbed my words, anger flashing in his eyes. “Treasonous prick.”

It was clear that Kole respected his king, just as Sadie had confirmed. Kole was a true loyalist, and he was going to advocate for what was best for the kingdom’s interests. It was now time to show him that those interests aligned with Rune’s.

“Brennan almost had me convinced, but I’m afraid I can no longer speak highly of anyone in this palace.” He paused. “Save the two of you.”

His features were genuine, his eyes lighting with the fire of righteousness.

“Let alone back them politically,” he continued. He shook his head, looking down at the orbs once more before lowering his hand and meeting my eyes. “You are an incredible woman, Scarlett. You will be rewarded handsomely for your service to the crown.”

“My service was for Valentin and her innocents, too,” I said. I dropped the blanket, forcing Kole to witness what Durian had done to me. “Give one orb to the council, another to Earle, to ensure the state of the born here is understood by as many reasonable minds as possible. I want you to take all the credit, Kole. Tell them you were the one pulling the strings, following a hunch.”

Kole’s mouth opened then closed, his light brown brows furrowing.

“You deserve the recognition,” I said. “You deserve to be seen as a protector of the crown.”

At this, Kole’s ears perked up. His deepest desires were stoked, his need for approval and respect. He enjoyed the idea of being seen as someone skilled in espionage, and I was more than willing to step out of the spotlight when it came to the kingdom.

“Durian’s religion is spreading through Ravenia, and you can help stop it before it sows even more chaos.” I looked down at my body, nausea churning in my guts as I did. “Before it leads to even more slaves treated the way I have been. Even more mortals poisoned against your kind. Vampires need us, not the other way around.”

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