Never Let Go

Chapter 13

When I open my eyes, the first thing I hear is screaming. Once again, I'm back in Moonbright's palace—a place that was once so familiar to me—but this time, it's foreign. I don't recognize anything. I'm standing in the entryway, trying to get my bearings. Wherever I turn, the screaming gets louder.

Allie. Nicole. Ethan. Their names rush through my head, filling me with panic and fear. The screaming turns to begging. Pleading. "Lauren! Where are you?" "Somebody help us! Please!" "Lauren, help!"

That's when I hear a different voice, one that stops my heart and steals my breath. "You have to choose." Slowly, fear coursing through me, I turn around and come face-to-face with Queen Adelaide—a woman who had become my second mother. There's no love on her face now, though.

No—hatred distorts her lovely features, turning her gaze black and cold. I stare, dumbfounded, until a flash of movement out of the corner of my eye makes me look away. My eyes widen as a cry escapes my lips. Juliette appears before me, dragged by a tall man with a cloak obscuring his features. Aside from a split lip and a black eye, she seems unharmed.

When the man pulls the cloak back and exposes his face, I go limp as my eyes widen. "She's right, Lauren."

My legs buckle, but before they can give out, a solid body is behind me, taking my weight quickly. "Lean on me," a rough voice says, lips very close to my ear. Fabian?

I can't even process the shock flowing through me at the sound of that voice. My sisters' and husband's voices blur together as my father moves to stand beside Queen Adelaide. The smile on her face is so familiar, yet it sends fear coursing through me. I can't look away from the malice in her gaze.

This has to be a nightmare—the only question is, how do I wake up? All I can see are the faces of Queen Adelaide and my father; all I can hear are my sisters' and my husband's voices. "Lauren! Where are you?" "Somebody help us, please!" "Lauren, help!"

A heartbeat later, my legs do give out. Fabian is still there, supporting me. I try to free myself from his grip, but my exhausted body refuses to obey. "I—I have to help them," I murmur weakly. Even as the words leave my mouth, he tightens his grip.

Queen Adelaide pulls a dagger seemingly out of nowhere and hands it to my father. Before I can even blink, the man from before is in front of me again, only this time, it's not Juliette he's holding.

The scream that comes out of me is guttural, unnatural. I'm struggling against Fabian's grip, trying desperately to get to Ethan. I'm crying, shouting, screaming. His eyes are locked on mine, filled with concern, love, and worry. The grin that my father throws my way is sadistic, dripping with hatred.

When he speaks, Queen Adelaide joins him, their voices cold and harsh. "We told you, Lauren: you have to choose." I barely hear them.

It happens in a split second, yet I know the memory will last forever. Something vital inside me shatters irrevocably as the dagger plunges into Ethan's chest, right where his heart is. I see his eyes widen, then go blank. When Fabian finally releases me, my legs give out. I fall to the ground, crawling toward Ethan's prone body.

Another scream breaks from my lips, primal and shrill. "Ethan! Ethan, can you hear me? Please, you have to wake up! I can't lose you! I can't... I can't—" My words break off as the breath dissolves in my chest, leaving me gasping, choking.

Fabian is in front of me in a heartbeat, gripping my arms and speaking, but I can't hear anything. I'm gasping as I try desperately to get air into my lungs. Every time I close my eyes, I see the dagger plunging into Ethan's chest—see the light vanish from his eyes.