Tasting 423

423–Never Letting Go

Nora:

I had to snap myself back to reality because things were escalating quickly.

“Daphne, I’m sorry, but–we have to arrest you to make sure we keep you in a place where you’re

under control until we find a way to break this curse,” I said, though I hated the idea of arresting her.

But it was

necessary.

There was a high possibility she wasn’t doing it on purpose, which I had confirmed. But that small

one percent of doubt lingered, telling me she was still guilty for knowing what was happening and

not seeking help.

“What? No! Is that why you brought me here? You told my family you were taking me to keep me

safe!” Daphne took a step back as Ryker began pulling silver handcuffs from his pocket, wearing

black gloves.

“We are taking care of you, but we also have to ensure the safety of the pack. Your condition is

worsening, and people are losing their lives because of it.” I watched as she shook her head in

denial to everything I

said.

“No! I won’t accept this! You don’t even have proof that I’m responsible for those creatures. You

can’t arrest me for something I didn’t do!” she protested, struggling against Ryker as he bent her

arms behind her to restrain her. As the handcuffs neared her wrists, the temperature in the room

dropped sharply.

My eyes darted around in alarm, and there they were–the weeping guardians materializing around

us.

11013

423- Never Letting Go

“Look what you’re doing!” I panicked.

“I’ve got this,” Nash quickly jumped in, holding a syringe in his hand.

“Hold her arm,” he instructed Ryker, who dropped the cuffs to help Nash inject wolfsbane into her.

Daphne was now in full fight mode, flailing her arms and kicking. Until that moment, I believed she

only summoned these creatures through her sadness, which then attacked people who were lonely

or grieving. But

now…

“Nora! She’s your victim!” Daphne’s eyes rolled back into her head as she spoke, her voice deep

and terrifying, almost demonic. It sounded like a command.

We all froze in shock. And then–the fog began to move toward me.

“No!” Cain shouted, stepping in front of me and charging at the creatures, but he went right through

them, unable to harm a single one.

“Ugh!” While Ryker and Nash stood frozen, staring at the fog creeping toward me, Daphne shoved

Ryker aside and leaped out of the window.

“We need to catch her!” Cain yelled, snapping us back to reality.

Ryker held my hand and led me toward the exit while Cain and Nash jumped out of the window after

Daphne.

“What are we going to do now?” I asked Ryker, confused about how we could defeat these things.

“For now, we need to keep running,” Ryker replied, his breath heavy. My chest tightened as if my

heart were about to explode. I didn’t dare look back, but I could feel them closing in–too close, too

wrong.

17010

423–Never Letting Go

I tripped, my ankle twisting as my foot caught the edge of the rug. I felt myself falling, the ground

rushing up to meet me–until Ryker’s grip on my hand tightened. His fingers clutched mine, pulling

me back up just before I hit the floor.

“Don’t stop! We need to get out of the mansion!” His voice was raw, filled with urgency and

something unsettlingly close to panic.

We dashed into the living room after rushing downstairs, only to find the fog forming in front of us.

The massive chandelier above swung violently, creaking as if it was about to tear loose from the

ceiling. Shadows danced across the walls, as if the house itself was trying to trap us. I stumbled

again but managed to catch myself on the corner of a table, my fingers slipping on the polished

wood.

I realized then–the weeping guardians were trying to make me panic, to trip and injure myself. Their

plan was crazy, but it could work. If I got hurt badly enough, I’d end up in the hospital, alone… and

that’s when they’d strike.

Or maybe that was their plan all along. They were trying to separate me from Ryker, to make me

their next victim.

We had to keep moving. We wouldn’t survive if we stopped.

“I won’t let them take you,” Ryker muttered through gritted teeth, pulling me toward the back door.

My hand was slick with sweat, but I gripped his even tighter, terrified to let go.

We reached the door. Ryker threw his body against it, slamming into the thick wood with a grunt.

With a powerful push, he broke it down easily.

Cold air brushed against my skin as we stepped outside.

“Let’s keep moving and find a way to stop-” Ryker stopped abruptly, yanking me to a halt as we

came face to face with the source herself.

11010

423 Never Letting Go

Daphne stood tall, her creatures looming behind her.

“Thank you for helping me understand why I was cursed,” she said, her voice unnervingly calm.

“You see, a big part of my curse was to figure out *why* I was cursed. Only then could I gain control

over them.”

Her demeanor had changed. She was far more confident than she had ever been before, and in that

moment, I realized… we had screwed up.

Confronting her was never a solution.

11010