Tasting

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.

“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.

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.

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.