5

TAYLOR

 

“And now, let's raise a toast to my darling sister," My voice carried across the room as I raised my flute for the second toast of the evening.

 

The grin on my face froze as a horribly cold sensation washed over me.

 

Before I could suck in a breath, something within me violently snapped, bringing a pain so instant and overwhelming that I trembled, the flute slipping from my fingers.

 

It shattered, spilling across my suede shoes. Every eye in the room turned to my direction.

 

As quick as the pain came, it vanished, leaving me feeling hollow.

 

I rocked unsteadily on my feet, shivering despite myself. What in goddess name was that? It felt as if…

 

I couldn't put it in words. It felt as if the only steady thing within me had been cruelly yanked away.

 

“Taylor?" Amy appeared at my side, a frightened expression on her face. I tried to smile and failed.

 

Sierra. Her name rang like a warning in my head, making me dizzy again.

 

“Are you okay? Do you need to lie down?" She asked, steering me towards the stairs. I caught her small hands in mine, mustering a smile and waving away our approaching parents.

 

“I'm fine," I lied, searching for an explanation, “I probably drank too much champagne. Don't worry about me."

 

She studied me with an unreadable look, something cold and calculating flickering behind her eyes for a second.

 

As I blinked in surprise, the look vanished, as if I'd imagined the whole thing.

 

"I can't not worry about you, big bro," she smiled, squeezing my hand. "But promise you will tell me if it gets worse."

 

I nodded.

 

"I promise."

 

As she turned away, I tried to shake off the emptiness growing within me. My eyes searched the room instinctively, noticing something was off.

 

Guests approached me, stealing my attention for a while. I accepted the pats, the impressed looks from people I didn't even know and clinked glasses with so many people, their faces blurred into each other.

 

Mother dragged me to the centre of the hall for a family picture, yapping excitedly about something I couldn't focus on. Amy shimmied closer to me, placing an arm on my shoulder.

 

“Big smiles everyone!" My father's baritone voice rang out, piercing the fog in my head. As the camera shutter clicked, I glanced to my right where my mother stood.

 

There was a noticeable space where mother's arm should've curled around someone's shoulder. That feeling of wrongness rose within me again.

 

It took me a moment to realize what was missing.

 

Sierra!

 

Earlier on, my eyes had been searching for her fiery hair in the crowd. I just hadn't realized it.

 

Cold dread slid down my chest as I tried to remember the last time I’d seen her.

 

I’d watched her walk out the house with that ridiculous bag, irritated at how stubborn she was acting.

 

It's what she always did. She'd get angry, lock herself up in her room then appear at the table the next day with puffy eyes, talking as if nothing was wrong.

 

But nothing about this felt like her usual tantrums and it unsettled me.

 

For some reason, I unsteadily pulled out my phone and typed the first sentence that came to mind.

 

Still sulking like a child? Come home or Amy will be upset you missed her party.

 

I sent it and waited for a response but nothing came back, even after forty five minutes of patient waiting.

 

No reply, no indication anyone read the message.

 

As I paced in the kitchen, I tried calling but the number could not be reached.

 

My frustration grew by the second. What game was she playing now? I knew she was still upset about the SilverCrest situation but she should've come around by now. She always did.

 

A hand came down on my shoulder, startling me for a moment.

 

The culprit was my family's Beta, Cole Whiteman, who also happened to be a close friend of mine.

 

I let out a breath, opening my mouth to curse at him but the serious expression on his face stopped me from speaking. Cole was always all smiles and jokes. I'd never seen him this serious.

 

“What?" I instantly snapped into guard mode.

 

“A message from the patrol wolves just arrived. Apparently, your sister was seen in an unknown vehicle headed North East," he reported in a low voice, “She's out of our jurisdiction."

 

My breath stuttered, "What do you mean she's out of our jurisdiction?”

 

"North-east is enemy lands, Taylor. We have no allies there."

 

“Are you sure it's her?” My voice cracked, "Northridge is in the North. Why in goddess name would she be headed elsewhere?”

 

"The scout was certain it was her."

 

His words fell like a blow to the head. I stumbled, rubbing my chest.

 

Sierra would never leave without saying anything. Or had she tried to say something and I hadn't listened?

 

"Taylor!" A pair of warm hands wrapped around my waist in a hug.

 

"The cake is ready," Amy sweetly reminded. I struggled to hide my disinterest. This was the third cake we were cutting.

 

“I'll be there in a minute love,” I helplessly reassured.

 

"Everyone is already waiting. You promised to cut this one together, remember?" She pouted.

 

I couldn't deny her anything even if I wanted to. She'd been missing for fifteen years and was still painfully thin even after a year of eating good food. If she wanted me to cut a cake with her, then I would.

 

“Alright, I'm coming," I sighed.

 

Cole openly frowned at me.

 

"I'll keep you updated," he lowly said before vanishing into the crowd. His eyes had been full of judgement, as if he couldn't believe I'd chosen one sister over the other.

 

But it wasn't my fault or so I kept telling myself.

 

I set down my phone and went with her to cut her cake, smiling for more photos, silently hoping that Sierra, wherever she was, knew what she'd gotten herself into.