Chapter 24: Sansula Saves Kayla

"Get your hands off her, now!" The command ripped through the tense air, followed by a blinding flash that seemed to crackle with energy. Mark and I whipped around, our hearts pounding, to see a figure emerge from the edge of the woods.Standing there was a young man with dark skin, his stance firm, a gun held steadily in his hand, aimed directly at Mark. Mark's eyes widened in panic. He threw his hands up, stumbling backward."Your little game is over, Mark," the newcomer stated, his voice carrying an undercurrent of steel. "I overheard everything. What you've done is going to land you in prison.""Oh, and what she did is perfectly fine?" Mark retorted, his voice laced with desperation."I don't condone her actions either," the young man replied evenly, his gaze unwavering."Society is a joke!" Mark spat out, his bravado crumbling.The wail of sirens grew louder, and police cars soon arrived, their flashing lights painting the scene in red and blue. Mark was quickly subdued, the cold steel of handcuffs snapping around his wrists. He was shoved into the back of a patrol car, his protests fading into the distance.As the police drove away, I turned to my rescuer, a wave of gratitude washing over me. "Thank you," I breathed, "thank you for saving me.""Don't mention it," he replied, his expression calm.He was striking – tall, with a lean, powerful build and a sharp intelligence in his eyes. An idea sparked in my mind: perhaps this was someone who could truly understand our purpose, someone who could stand against Lilith."How did you know what was happening?" I asked, my curiosity piqued."I received a tip," he answered, a hint of mystery in his tone."From whom?""Come with me," he gestured towards a nearby car. "I'll take you to the police station. They'll need your statement."A flicker of unease ran through me. Getting into a car with a man again... the memory of the recent ordeal was still raw. But he had just saved me. Surely, he wouldn't hurt me."What's your name?" I asked, my voice still a little shaky."Sansula," he replied, offering a small, reassuring smile. "And you are?""Kayla," I said, my voice cutting through the lingering tension. "You heard what I did to Mark. Knowing that... knowing the kind of situation I was in... why did you intervene? Someone like me... don't you think I deserved what was happening?"He stopped walking, his expression serious. "Absolutely not," he stated firmly, meeting my gaze. "What you did was despicable. But that doesn't make violence against you the right.""Then what's the solution?" I pressed, seeking clarity in his unwavering stance."Understanding," he replied, his voice carrying a note of conviction. "Learning to build respectful relationships. I'm not going to judge your choices about polygamy, but you need to find partners who are on the same page. Otherwise, you'll keep attracting this kind of conflict, and you won't always have someone to step in.""Maybe you're right," I conceded, a seed of truth planting itself in my mind.We reached his car. As Sansula opened the passenger door, the sky outside erupted in a furious display of lightning and thunder, a dramatic backdrop to the scene.Inside, a figure with startling white hair sat patiently. As I got in, she turned, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "Welcome back, Gula," she said, her voice smooth as silk.Sansula got into the driver's seat. "Kayla," he said, his tone matter-of-fact, "this is Maria. She's the one who gave me the information I needed to find you.""You knew I was kidnapped?" I asked, my eyes narrowing with suspicion."I had a feeling things might escalate after the... incident at the hospital," Maria explained, her smile unwavering."But you orchestrated that 'incident'!" I accused, my voice rising with anger. "You brought all my boyfriends to the hospital! That's why Mark was there to kidnap me in the first place!""Oh, Kayla," Maria said, her voice laced with a feigned innocence that sent a shiver down my spine. "You were so upset, all alone. I simply thought it would be kind to invite... your boyfriend to offer support. I had no idea there were... so many.""So you decided to invite them all to create a chaotic confrontation?!" I challenged, my suspicion solidifying."Honestly," Maria continued, her voice carrying a dismissive edge, "I assumed everyone involved understood the terms. You know, the supposed freedom of an 'open relationship'? Clearly, someone wasn't playing by the rules. Or perhaps," she added, her gaze sweeping over me with a hint of disdain, "some people are just better at selling the story than living it.""Maria," Sansula said, his voice firm but controlled, a subtle warning in his tone. "Leave it. Kayla is the one who was harmed here. Let's focus on that.""Of course, Sansula," Maria replied instantly, her voice softening, her attention shifting to him with an almost subservient quality. "Forgive my bluntness. I wouldn't want to displease you."The way she deferred to him was impossible to ignore. She's not just close to him, she respects his authority, I realized, a new layer of complexity adding to my understanding of their relationship. If she's so loyal to him, and he's so quick to defend her, getting his help to take her down might be a lost cause. My hope flickered, replaced by a pragmatic assessment of my limited options.