3. Frankie

Chapter 3

Frankie

Nerves rattle my entire body, but it’s more than just the cold air whipping past me—it’s the sheer disbelief that I’m being carried by a dragon.

A dragon.

My mind reels, trying to reconcile the stern, composed, human Dorian I know with this magnificent, terrifying creature. How many other impossible things have been hiding in plain sight? The world I thought I knew crumbles around me, replaced by one filled with dragons and shadows and secrets.

Don’t look down.

Don’t look down.

I look down.

Bile creeps up my throat, and I squeeze my eyes shut. When Dorian initially shifted, he didn’t give me any time to process what was happening before he scooped me up in his claw and held me against his chest like treasure. Peeking through one eye, I stare at his inky black chest and reach out a shaky hand. His cold scales ripple beneath my fingertips, and I swear Dorian makes a gruff noise. It sounds like it’s for pleasure, but that might just be me projecting.

As he slowly descends toward the ground, my stomach does a strange little dip until he lands with a grace that suits him. Ever so slowly, he lowers me to the ground right in front of Tori’s house.

I’m still mad at him—at everyone, really—and yet, I can’t help the awe that rushes through me as the beast slowly backs away from me. His scales don’t just absorb light, they seem to devour it. It’s terrifying and beautiful all at once, like staring into the heart of a black hole. I can’t look away.

He changes, shrinking down to the man I know as Dorian Gray, which I suspect is no coincidental name. How was I so blind?

A very naked Dorian stands before me. I should look away.

I don’t.

My eyes trace the contours of his swimmer’s build, remembering the feeling of his lips on mine and the desperate intensity of our kiss. The conflicting emotions—anger, attraction, betrayal, and need—swirl within me, making it hard to breathe.

“Eyes up here, Francesca,” Dorian says, straining for his usual clipped tone, but there’s a crack in his facade, a flicker of vulnerability that makes my breath catch. His jaw clenches, and for a moment, I see the man behind the mask. His voice wavers slightly, as if the very act of standing before me, naked and exposed, is costing him more than he’d ever admit. For the first time, I see past the arrogance and cold detachment, and I catch a glimpse of the real Dorian.

I take my damn good time rolling my eyes back up his body to meet his gaze. I blink lazily at him and press my fingertips to my lips, remembering his kiss. I don’t forgive him, but I want to hate fuck him to within an inch of my life.

“Good night, Dorian.” I turn on a heel and face the bright red door that is the Vale household.

“Frankie,” Dorian calls out. I pause, my heart pounding, but I don’t look back. Instead, I breathe slowly, waiting for him to speak. “After the break, there is something I’d like to show you.”

Curiosity provokes me to look at him, and I note the sincerity in his gaze. “What is it?” I ask, unable to hide my interest despite my lingering anger.

Dorian’s expression softens, his usual guarded demeanor slipping away to reveal a level of concern that catches me off guard. His eyes, usually cold and distant, warm with something that feels almost like… regret. “It’s about your parents, Frankie,” he says, his voice gentler. “I… found some information, something that might explain why you were left in the human world.”

The words hit me like a physical blow. My breath catches, and my vision narrows as the mention of my parents stirs up emotions I thought I’d buried deep. Longing, resentment, and anger rise to the surface, threatening to overwhelm me. For years, I’ve lived without knowing why they left me or why I was abandoned. Now, Dorian is offering me answers, but at what cost?

I give him a curt nod, trying to mask the tumult of emotions his words stirred up. “Fine. After the break.”

I watch him back away before he shifts once again into a dragon and takes off into the night sky. The whoosh of his wings blows a cool breeze across my skin, raising goosebumps along my arms.

The eclipse ended hours ago, and Morrow Bay is silent in the middle of the night. The full moon shines brightly over our little fishing town. Though I’m no longer in the shadow realm, a strange part of me wants nothing more than to go back and search the world I was apparently born into.

“Frankie,” a voice calls.

Whipping my head around, I see a sleepy Tori standing at the door. Her long blond hair in a knot on top of her head, and she’s rubbing sleep from her eyes, wearing what can only be described as a muumuu. I almost crack a joke, except hurt washes over me all over again, and all I can do is stand there and stare at her, my heart pounding and weary.

I don’t know what to say to her. Victoria wasn’t even my first friend or even my first bully, but she was the first person to look at me and tell me why she treated me the way she did. Tears prickle behind my eyes, because I want my friend more than anything in this world right now.

I swallow my pride and step toward her, my mouth dry and my tongue thick and heavy. No one else means as much to me right now as Tori. The guys? We weren’t anything. Not really. We were just beginning something that may or may not be amazing.

But Tori? I let Tori in, and I don’t let people in.

I can’t.

“Want some hot chocolate?” she asks as she wrings her hands and chews on her lip. This can’t be easy on her. Hell, it isn’t easy on me.

“I’d like that.” The words come out as a cracked whisper, and I slowly walk forward. The closer I get, the wider her eyes become, and her mouth parts.

“What the fuck happened to you?” she blurts out, grabbing my sweater with multiple claw marks in it. I grab her wrists and hold them still, giving her a partial smile.

“Chloe and Amanda happened.” Her whole body freezes, and she looks up at me. She isn’t sure how to take my words.

I prompt her to get moving. “Hot chocolate.”

Nodding once, she steps back, and I let her hands fall.

“Yeah, hot chocolate.” She doesn’t turn around. Instead, she grabs my hand and walks me inside side by side. It’s almost like she’s afraid I’ll disappear again. I watch her hand, which is linked with mine, warm and comforting, and yet I still need her to explain and tell me why. I also need to know if she knew about Valerie too, or if that was just Dorian.

Inside, everything screams and begs for her not to have known. I don’t know if I could forgive her, and I need to forgive her.

Fuck, I just need sleep.

As we enter Tori’s house, I’m struck by how normal it all seems. The entryway is cluttered with shoes and jackets, providing a stark contrast to the otherworldly experiences I just had. The familiar scent of vanilla and cinnamon hits me, a comforting reminder of all the times I’ve been here before. It’s surreal how the ordinary and extraordinary are colliding in my life.

“I’m going to grab you something to wear, okay?” She shuts the door behind us and moves around me to go upstairs to her room. I wander over to the kitchen and slide onto a stool. It’s like all the chaos and adrenaline is finally crashing down around me, and my body begins to tremble.

The kitchen is bathed in soft, warm light from the overhead fixture, and I can see my distorted reflection in the polished surface of the countertop. It’s oddly comforting, this slice of normalcy in a world that’s suddenly turned upside down.

“I grabbed another muumuu. I figured we could be twins.” Tori steps up beside me, her soft, powdery scent wafting over to me. I grab the fabric and hold it to my chest as I turn to her. The material is soft and worn and clearly well-loved.

“I appreciate it.”

She holds a hairbrush and some spray in her hands. “If you’ll let me, I’d like to work through your hair after I make our drinks,” she says softly.

“Okay.” I lick my lips, watching her as she steps behind the island and pulls out mugs. All I can do is watch and hold my breath. My organs tremble, and my skin ripples with awareness.

“You have every right to be mad,” she begins, setting two mugs in front of us before she grabs the saucepan and ingredients from the pantry. “I’d be mad too.”

“I need you to answer a question for me first.” My voice vibrates with tension as I lick my lips for the hundredth time. They are so damn dry, I can’t even formulate the words I want to say. “Valerie.”

Tori’s brows rise, and she tilts her head to the side then utters, “Who?”

Everything inside me sags, and relief spreads through me like adrenaline. To avoid feeling anything, I look away and rip off my sweater. “That is answer enough.” I tug the muumuu over my head, letting it fall around my waist before I stand up.

“Alright,” she drawls, but she doesn’t push me to tell her who that is or why I’m upset about it. Instead, I can see her holding out, waiting for me to tell her more.

She turns back to the stove, setting the saucepan on the burner and filling it with milk. Silence stretches between us, heavy with unspoken words.

“I never knew about Valerie,” Tori says, her voice barely above a whisper, each word weighted with regret, “but I did know about the shadow shifters. I knew the truth, and instead of helping you, I… I took the coward’s way out. I bullied you because it was easier to push you away than to face what you might uncover about yourself… and about me.”

I look up sharply, her words piercing through the haze of exhaustion. “Why?” The single word comes out as a whisper, but it carries all my confusion and pain.

Tori stirs the milk slowly, her eyes focused on the swirling liquid. “I couldn’t tell you, Frankie. None of us could.” She glances over her shoulder at me as she stirs. “It’s who we are. When we leave the safety of the shadow realm at one, we have to find our way back there on our own. Most of us grow up with parents who are shifters, and it’s a part of our everyday lives. You didn’t have that, and I just guess I was scared to find a way around those loopholes to tell you.”

Anger and hurt bubble up inside me, but I force myself to stay calm. “You thought it was easier to make my life a living hell than to be honest with me?”

She nods, guilt etching lines into her face. “I was a coward, Frankie, and I’m so sorry. I should have been there for you, not against you.”

I swallow hard, her apology opening a wound I didn’t know was still raw. “I needed a friend, Tori, especially after everything with Valerie. You were the one person I thought I could trust.” I didn’t want to trust her, but somehow, over the fall semester, she just became a friend.

I don’t have many of those.

Tori’s eyes fill with tears, which shimmer under the dim kitchen light, and she looks away, blinking rapidly. Her voice trembles with sincerity. “I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I’m asking for it anyway. I want to make things right. I want to be the friend you needed back then.”

Her sincere tone tugs at something deep inside me, reawakening a dormant pain. “It’s not going to be easy. I can’t just forget everything that happened,” I whisper.

“I don’t expect you to,” she says quickly, her desperation palpable. “I just want a chance to prove that I can be better, and that I can be the friend you deserve.”

For a moment, we stand in silence, the weight of the past pressing down on us like a suffocating fog, then I nod. “Okay. Let’s start with hot chocolate and go from there.”

A tentative smile stretches across Tori’s face, and she turns to the stove, her movements deliberate as she pours the milk into the mugs and stirs in the cocoa powder. The rich aroma of chocolate fills the air, mingling with the faint scent of vanilla. She hands me a mug, and I wrap my hands around the warmth, feeling a small flicker of hope ignite in my chest.

I sip the sweet liquid, its warmth spreading through me as I struggle to find the words to tell her what I’m feeling.

“Two years,” I begin, not once looking up. “I’ve lived here for two years. I feel foolish, stupid, and like I’ve been the butt of everyone’s joke for so fucking long,” I scoff and grit my teeth, bitterness seeping into my voice.

I went from a badass sending abusers through shadows…

Oh hell. All I was doing was pushing them into the shadow realm. Is it too much to hope that the shadow beast ate them?

“Hey.” She walks around the island to sit beside me, her presence a small comfort. “You aren’t the butt of anyone’s joke.”

“Tell that to Chloe and Amanda.” I choke on my words, the names like poison on my tongue.

“Will you tell me what happened?” She turns my stool to face her, and I still can’t look her in the eyes. “Tonight, I mean. Just tonight.”

I nod. “Yeah, I can start there.” Even though I said her name, I’m not sure I can dig deeper and tell Tori what she did… what I did. “Matteo took me outside to breathe, and we were looking at the eclipse. He was telling me a story.” I drop my head, the memory raw and fresh. “He was trying to tell me.”

Tori smirks, a touch of amusement breaking through the tension. “I’m not surprised.”

I shake my head, frustration bubbling up. “That beast was back.” Now I know I never hallucinated it. “What the hell is a shadow beast?”

Tori’s smirk fades, replaced by a solemn expression. “The worst of who we are,” she says, setting her mug aside. “Shadow shifters aren’t angels, Frankie. We aren’t?—”

“Human?” I offer, my voice trembling with the weight of the truth.

“Far from human.” She laughs, a bitter edge to the sound. “Sometimes the darkness inside us takes over, and we become the monster we keep on a tight leash.”

“Can you shift into one of those things?” I ask, my curiosity battling with fear. “Or a dragon like Dorian?”

She shakes her head, her smile tinged with sadness. “No.” She sighs deeply. “Tell me what happened, and I’ll give you the CliffsNotes version of who we are.”

“Matteo sent me inside, but then you all started screaming.” I frown, confusion clouding my mind. “What happened?”

“That damn shadow beast crashed through the crowd.” Her cheeks flush with anger as she shakes her head, frustration seeping into her voice. “It tried to drag one of Leo’s friends away, which is weird, right?” She looks at me as if I’d know why, but I just shrug, lost in the complexity of it all. “We all ran inside screaming. Want to know the most fucked up part of it all?”

I just shake my head because again, I’m lost here.

“On the lunar eclipse, we can all shift. We could have just shifted and gone after it, but because we forgot, we didn’t, and we ran.”

The revelation hits me like a punch to the gut, and the absurdity of it all sinks in. The irony stings, but beneath it, a seed of understanding takes root. We are far from perfect, and the darkness we battle is as much of a part of us as the light we seek.

I hold up a hand. “Wait.” I set my hot chocolate aside and turn to face her. “How do you just forget you can shift?”

“We are getting off course.” She winks. “Finish sharing your evening, and I’ll tell you.”

Rolling my eyes at her antics, I give her the rundown. “It was Marcus from the women’s shelter. I always knew he had it out for me, but I just didn’t know he wanted me dead. Then Amanda and Chloe came out back, and the three of them chased me after clawing my chest. I ran into Dorian who told me to shift, but I didn’t know that was a thing, and he took me to my secret little cove and tossed me in the water to heal. I swear I always knew that water was healing. One minute it’s hot, and the next, it’s cold.”

“It is. It’ll switch from hot to cold depending on your ailments.” She sighs. “Are you okay?” She winces as she asks because obviously I’m not okay.

In fact, I’m far from it. My entire world was just turned upside down and shattered, and I don’t even know what to think or feel, so I say nothing because there isn’t anything I can say, at least not right now.

“Alright.” She exhales slowly. “I don’t even know where to begin because most of us learn this when we are babies.”

“Well, my parents left me in one of those baby bins, so try the beginning.” I can’t even hide the snark in my voice. Luckily, Tori doesn’t mind.

“Long ago, the world wasn’t what it is today. There were no boundaries between the realms, and beings of light and shadow moved freely.”

“Light?” I question, leaning forward, my curiosity piqued despite my exhaustion.

“Light beings, yes.” She winks before her face falls. “You won’t meet them. They’ve all disappeared now, gone from Earth and the shadow realm.”

“But what are the light and shadow realms?” I shake my head, the concept still feeling surreal. “I can’t believe I’m even asking that question.”

“It’s weird, right?” Tori laughs, a sound that momentarily lightens the heavy atmosphere. She takes a sip of her hot chocolate, and I mirror her action, savoring the rich warmth. “We call it the celestial rift,” she says more seriously, her tone shifting to match the gravity of the topic.

Tori leans back against the kitchen counter, her fingers drumming a soft rhythm on the smooth surface. “The shadow realm and the light realm are as old as the universe itself?—”

“The shadow realm and the light realm?” I interrupt, my head spinning. “They are as old as the universe itself?”

Tori nods, her eyes distant. “Older, maybe. They come from the cosmic balance between light and darkness.” She pauses, gauging my reaction. “In the beginning, they weren’t separate. Light and shadow existed in a continuum, intermingling freely.”

“A perfect equilibrium,” I murmur, trying to wrap my mind around the concept.

My mind starts to reel from the enormity of what she’s saying. The kitchen suddenly feels too small, too ordinary to contain such cosmic truths.

“As the cosmos evolved, this equilibrium shifted, leading to a clearer distinction between the realms. The light realm began to embody the physical, visible world, where life as we understand it could thrive—filled with energy, matter, and the forces that govern natural phenomena. Conversely, the shadow realm evolved into a parallel dimension, home to energies and entities that embody the intangible, the hidden, and often, the mystical aspects of existence.”

She pauses, giving me a moment to absorb this information. The rich aroma of hot chocolate mingles with the faint scent of vanilla, grounding me in the present despite the overwhelming information.

“So not everything was separate,” I say slowly, trying to piece it all together in my mind.

“Not then, no, but then the celestial rift occurred, and the two separated. Think of it like a nucleus separating and dividing.”

“The visual actually helps,” I admit, massaging my temples as I try to process it all. The smooth coolness of the kitchen counter beneath my elbows provides a stark contrast to the warmth of the mug in my hands.

Tori nods, her expression softening. “I know it’s a lot to take in. Let’s take a break for a moment. How are you feeling about all of this?”

I take a deep breath, trying to sort through the whirlwind of emotions. “Overwhelmed, confused, and… angry, I guess. I’ve been in the dark for so long, and now everything’s changing so fast.”

She reaches out, hesitating for a moment before gently squeezing my hand. “That’s completely understandable, Frankie. I can’t imagine how difficult this must be for you.”

I nod, grateful for her understanding. “Can you… Can you tell me more about the shadow shifters? About us?”

Tori takes a sip of her hot chocolate and gathers her thoughts. “Shadow shifters are beings who can manipulate the energies of the shadow realm. We’re not inherently good or evil, but we have the potential for great power… and great darkness.”

A shiver runs down my spine at her words. “Is that why you said murder isn’t looked at as a bad thing?”

She winces slightly. “Yeah. Our society… It’s different from the human world. We have our own laws and morality. It’s not always pretty.”

I swallow hard, trying to process this. “And where do I fit into all this? I mean, I grew up human. How am I supposed to just… accept this new reality?”

Tori’s eyes meet mine, her expression filled with a mix of sympathy and determination. “You don’t have to accept everything at once, Frankie. You can forge your own path. Just because something is accepted in shadow shifter society doesn’t mean you have to embrace it.”

Her words offer a small comfort, but they also raise new questions. “But if I don’t embrace it, won’t that make me a target? Like with Chloe and Amanda?”

Tori’s expression hardens. “That’s why I’m going to teach you everything I know so you can protect yourself.”

I raise a brow at that, but I appreciate her excitement.

“Speaking of which,” Tori says, reaching for the hairbrush she brought down earlier, “how about I brush your hair like I promised? It might help you relax a bit.”

I nod, suddenly aware of how tangled and wild my hair must look after everything that happened. “Yeah, that would be nice.”

Tori moves behind me, gently beginning to work the brush through my hair. The repetitive motion is soothing, grounding me in the present.

“You know,” Tori says softly as she works out a particularly stubborn knot, “when we were kids, before… well, before everything, I used to love playing with Chloe and Amanda’s hair.”

There is a sadness in her words. She didn’t just gain a friend in me, but she also lost friends as well—except I’m not sorry about that.

As Tori continues to brush, I feel some of the tension leave my body. The simple act, so normal and yet so needed, brings tears to my eyes.

“Hey,” Tori says, noticing my tears. “It’s okay. We’re going to get through this.”

I nod, unable to speak. As she finishes brushing, I feel a strange tingling sensation in my fingertips. When I look down, I see more than just a wisp of shadow. A small tendril of darkness curls around my hand, responding to my emotions.

Tori’s eyes widen. “Frankie, are you doing that consciously?”

I shake my head, a mixture of fear and excitement coursing through me. “No, I… It just happened.”

She leans in, studying the shadow with a mix of awe and concern. “This is… unusual. Most shifters can’t manifest their powers so quickly after learning about them.”

The shadow dissipates as quickly as it appeared, leaving me feeling drained. “What does it mean?”

Tori shakes her head. “I’m not sure, but I think we need to start your training sooner rather than later. There’s clearly a lot of untapped power inside you.”

As the weight of her words sinks in, I’m struck by a sudden, overwhelming sense of vulnerability. I’m stepping into a world I know nothing about, with powers I don’t understand and dangers I can’t even fathom.

“Tori,” I whisper, “I’m…” I can’t even form the words, because all I hear is Valerie.

Good girls don’t cry.

She pulls me into a hug, her warmth combating the cold fear gripping my heart. “I know, Frankie, but you’re not alone. We’ll figure this out together, I promise.”

As I cling to her, I can’t help but think of Dorian’s admission about my parents. Whatever information he has, whatever secrets are still waiting to be revealed, I know my life will never be the same.

For now, though, I allow myself to feel a glimmer of hope. Whatever challenges lie ahead, whatever darkness I might have to face, at least I won’t be facing it alone.

“Thank you,” I murmur into Tori’s shoulder, the words carrying the weight of everything I can’t express.

She pulls back, offering a small smile. “That’s what friends are for. Now, let’s get some rest. Tomorrow, we’ll start your crash course in being a shadow shifter.”

I follow Tori down the hallway, each step feeling heavier than the last. The shadows seem to dance at the corners of my vision, a constant reminder of this new reality I’m struggling to accept. As we reach the guest room, Tori turns to me, searching my face.

“Frankie,” she murmurs, “I know this is all overwhelming, but I want you to know I’m here. Whatever you need.”

I nod, unable to speak past the lump in my throat. Anger and hurt still simmer beneath the surface, but there’s something else too—a fragile tendril of hope. In this terrifying new world of shadows and secrets, maybe that’s enough to start rebuilding.

As I step into the room, a chill runs down my spine. The shadows in the corners seem to pulse and reach out to me. I blink, and they are gone, but the feeling lingers, a silent reminder that nothing will ever be the same.