I circled him slowly, tracing my fingertips along his back, ribs, and stomach. His hair stood and I saw other clear signs of arousal, but I knew I could do better. I wanted him to beg - for what, I didn't yet know. He would tell me, and I would use it against him.

"Scarlet," he whispered, voice heavy with need.

I kissed his cheek.

My purpose was to serve the Ivory Kingdom. Be their sacrificial princess; enter the Other world; seduce our enemy, Rowan the Crimson King. I did all of these things. Now he would take me to the Crimson Gates and unwittingly break the banishment curse on my kingdom. My kingdom would invade his overnight. But he wasn't the monster I was told he would be. He was precious, playful, and all things good. I didn't want to betray him, but I didn't know what else to do.

18+ for sexual content
TW: mild violence; substance-induced psychosis; recovery from cult/mental abuse.

Of What is Red is created by Diana Regolizio, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.

Of What is Red

I offered to assist in reading the tomes on the Land of Night and the banishment curse, but everything was written in the same ancient language used everywhere else in Ametyst Reigholt - in its names and its titles. While Rowan had technically learned this language long ago, he wasn’t proficient enough in it to feel confident in his abilities. 


Reigina Mathilde insisted she didn’t need our help, anyway. She and her Amethyst Court were plenty in manpower; they would finish reading and have answers for us either by the end of the day or the middle of the next.


I tried not to think about what they would find. I didn’t want to have hope, but I also didn’t want to worry about it.


With nothing to do but wait, Rowan gave me a small tour of town. Ametyst Reigholt was too big to see in one day, but we walked the hub of this city - the inn; the farmers market; the crafters shops.


Chapter 38: All Of Ourselves