41. Frankie

Chapter 41

Frankie

My skin prickles as we get closer to Blackwood’s lair. With every step, the shadow realm feels more... real, more dangerous. As we cross the threshold between worlds, the air grows thick and heavy, pressing against our skin like a living thing. The shadows here are different. They move, reaching for us like they are alive, and the ground under my feet thrums with energy. It’s freaking me out. I look up, and my breath catches. The sky is all wrong, dark purples and blacks swirling together. Sometimes, a flash of silver cuts through, like reality is coming apart at the seams.

Valerie’s in front, her jaw clenched. She’s trying to look tough, but I can see the fear in her eyes. I watch her warily, still unsure if trusting her was the right decision. Leo and Matteo flank me, their presence a comforting warmth in the chill of this alien landscape.

“This is it,” Valerie whispers, gesturing to what looks like an ordinary cliff face. “The entrance is here, but it’s cloaked in shadow magic. You can’t see it, but trust me, it’s there.”

I take a deep breath, centering myself. The scent of ozone and something older fills my nostrils. “Alright, let’s do this.”

We move forward and... holy shit. It’s like walking into a wall. Something invisible pushes against us, trying to force us back. I grit my teeth, pushing against the unseen force, feeling it resist like a wall of solid granite.

“Shit.” Leo grunts beside me. “This is some heavy-duty protection. What’s next, a moat filled with shadow piranhas?”

Matteo nods grimly, his tactical mind already analyzing our options. “Blackwood’s not messing around,” Matteo mutters. “We need to think outside the box and use shadow magic in a way he won’t expect.”

I look at my packmates, an idea forming. “Maybe we can’t break through alone, but together...”

In class, Professor Everett spoke about the dark goddess Nyx and her chosen matriarchs. They alone could harness the power of their mates and balance the power.

After learning about the shadow realm, I thought shifting was the biggest thing I’d have to overcome. It isn’t. It’s all magic.

Every wisp of smoke is a tender kiss of shadow magic. Becoming a shadow shifter is just the tip of the iceberg.

They catch on immediately. Leo grins, a spark of excitement dancing in his eyes despite the danger. “Alright, barrier.” Leo grins, a mischievous glint in his eye. “Time to meet the shadow squad. Spoiler alert—we’re awesome.”

We join hands, forming a circle. I feel the familiar tingle of Leo’s playful shadow magic and the steady strength of Matteo’s protective shadows. Closing my eyes, I reach for my own power, letting it intertwine with theirs.

They are my mates. Even if we are living in this strange, rocky relationship, we belong together.

I glance around at my pack, my throat tight with emotion. Dark goddess, how did I get so lucky?

Matteo catches my eye and winks, his fingers brushing the protection charm he gave me. The familiar warmth spreads through my chest, like his arms embracing me after a nightmare. Steady. Safe.

Dorian is off to the side, his nose buried in that musty old book of his. I swear I can feel it humming in my backpack sometimes, like it’s trying to whisper secrets. He’s a pain in the ass, but I’d be lost without his brain.

And Bishop... I touch the puzzle box in my pocket, its edges worn smooth from nervous fiddling. The bastard always knows how to keep my mind sharp, even when I want to scream.

There’s Leo with his coffee puns and easy-going smile. Just yesterday, he left a note in my textbook that read, “You’re brewtiful,” with a doodle of a smiling coffee cup. Idiot.

They are idiots, the lot of them, but they are my idiots, and in this fucked up world of shadows and monsters, they are the only thing keeping me sane.

I take a deep breath, shadows curling around my fingertips. Whatever comes next, we’ll face it together. Dark goddess help anyone who tries to tear us apart.

The touch of their skin sends electric shivers through me, our connection igniting more than just our shadow magic.

Holy shit.

Our shadows crash together, and it’s like... like being struck by lightning, but the lightning is made of velvet darkness. I can’t tell where I end and they begin.

Leo’s laughter bubbles up inside me, light and giddy as champagne, Matteo’s presence is a steel wall at my back, unyielding and safe, and there’s something else—my own wild, pulsing need to protect, fight, and win.

It all swirls together, a tornado of shadow and emotion. For a second, I swear I can taste starlight on my tongue and feel the universe breathing through my skin.

Is this what it means to be a pack? To be whole?

I want to laugh. I want to cry. I want to tear the whole damn world apart and rebuild it with my bare hands.

Instead, I grit my teeth and focus. We have a job to do, and dark goddess help any monster that gets in our way.

“Now!” I shout, and we push forward as one.

For a moment, there’s intense resistance, like pushing against a wall of solid granite. Then, with a sound like shattering glass mixed with a thunderclap, the barrier gives way. A rush of energy washes over us, tingling across my skin and leaving the taste of ozone on my tongue. For a heartbeat, I swear I can see the individual strands of magic that make up the fabric of this realm, a tapestry of darkness and light that takes my breath away.

As we stumble through, I catch a glimpse of surprise on Valerie’s face.

“That... shouldn’t have been possible,” she mutters, her eyes narrowing. “Unless...”

“Unless what?” I prompt, suddenly wary.

Valerie shakes her head. “Unless...” Valerie’s eyes widen. “Shit. What if Blackwood’s counting on us getting in?”

We press on, each step a battle against the twisting corridors that seem to defy the laws of physics. Shadows writhe along the walls, reaching out with ghostly tendrils. More than once, I feel a cold touch on my ankle, as if the darkness itself is trying to trip us and drag us down into its depths. Leo’s jokes grow fewer and farther between, while Matteo’s eyes dart around constantly, searching for threats in a place where everything is a potential enemy.

“What is this place?” I mutter, my skin crawling as another tendril of shadow brushes against my arm.

“Blackwood’s messing with stuff he shouldn’t,” Valerie says, her voice shaky. “Pure shadow essence. It’s... It’s not meant to be controlled like this. He believes he can harness it to control the eredar beasts and reshape the shadow realm.”

We round a corner and find ourselves in a vast chamber. The sight before us steals the breath from my lungs. The chamber’s huge—like, impossibly huge. My eyes can’t even make sense of it all. The air here is alive, thick and heavy, pressing against our skin like a physical force. It tastes of metal and magic, each breath a struggle that fills our lungs with power and dread in equal measure. The walls seem to pulse with malevolent energy, as if we stand in the beating heart of some unearthly beast.

At its center stands a swirling vortex of pure darkness, pulsing with an otherworldly energy that makes my hair stand on end. As I stare into it, understanding floods through me—it’s not just power, it’s the essence of our world. The source of all shadow magic, raw and untamed.

“It’s the heart of the shadow realm,” Valerie whispers, her voice filled with awe and fear. “Legend says it’s a piece of Nyx herself, left behind when she created our world. Touching it could grant unimaginable power or unmake you entirely.”

The vortex assaults all my senses at once. It emits a low, pulsing hum that I feel more than hear, resonating deep in my chest. The air around it shimmers, distorting light in ways that make my eyes water. Its pull tugs at my essence, a sensation like vertigo but deeper and more primal. The taste of raw power fills my mouth, metallic and electric, while the scent of ozone and ancient magic burns my nostrils.

“By the dark goddess,” Leo murmurs, his usual quips silenced by the awesome sight. “Is that...”

“The heart of shadow magic,” Valerie confirms, her voice barely above a whisper. “Or at least, that’s what Blackwood believes it to be.”

As we approach, I feel a pull deep within me, as if invisible threads are tugging at my soul. My skin tingles, shadows dancing beneath the surface. The world around me seems to fade, replaced by visions of ancient rituals and forgotten knowledge. I can taste power on my tongue, rich and intoxicating. For a moment, I feel as if I could reach out and grasp the fabric of reality.

Images flash through my mind—ancient rituals, forgotten knowledge, the true nature of our powers. At the center of it all is a figure both terrifying and beautiful—Nyx, the dark goddess, her eyes pools of infinite night.

“Frankie?” Matteo’s concerned voice breaks through my trance, his hand warm on my shoulder. “Are you okay?”

I blink, coming back to myself with a gasp. “I... I saw something. Nyx. She’s connected to all of this somehow.”

Before I can explain further, a cold laugh echoes through the chamber, sending shivers down my spine. We whirl around to see Blackwood emerging from the shadows, his eyes gleaming with triumph and madness.

“Well, well.” Blackwood’s voice echoes around us. He steps out of the shadows, smirking. “Took you long enough.”

Valerie tenses beside me, her face a mask of regret and determination. “Blackwood,” she says, her voice trembling, “I helped you start this madness, but I won’t let you finish it. Some lines should never be crossed, even in the pursuit of knowledge.”

He sneers at her, his handsome features twisting into something cruel. “Oh, Valerie. Always so short-sighted. Can’t you see the potential here? With this power, we could reshape reality!”

“At what cost?” I demand, stepping forward, anger burning through my veins. “The lives you’ve ruined, the people you’ve experimented on—do they mean anything to you?”

Blackwood’s eyes flash with a pain so raw it takes me aback. “You have no idea what’s at stake,” he snarls. “I’ve seen our world crumbling, our people fading into nothing. Everything I’ve done is to save us from extinction.” His voice drops, almost pleading. “Don’t you see? We’re dying, and this power is our only hope.”

Blackwood’s gaze locks onto mine, and I feel the weight of his madness pressing down on me. “Every great advancement requires sacrifice, Ms. Vale. I’ve simply had the courage to make the hard choices you’ve been too weak to face. Deep down, you know I’m right.”

Blackwood’s words strike like physical blows, each one finding a chink in my emotional armor. My breath catches, memories flashing before my eyes—the men I thought I’d killed, the dark satisfaction I felt at using my powers against my enemies. My shadows writhe beneath my skin, responding to my turmoil, and for a moment, I see myself reflected in Blackwood’s mad gaze.

Leo steps up beside me, his hand finding mine. His touch grounds me, a lifeline in the storm of doubt. “Don’t listen to him, Frankie. He’s just trying to get in your head. Remember that time you used your shadows to take that guy out at the bar who wouldn’t take no for an answer? That’s the real you.”

Matteo flanks my other side, his presence solid and reassuring. “We’re not like him. We’re better than that. You’ve proven it time and time again.”

Their support pushes back the doubts Blackwood tried to sow. I squeeze their hands, drawing strength from our connection.

“You’re wrong,” I tell Blackwood, my voice steady and filled with newfound conviction. “You’re wrong.” I grip Leo and Matteo’s hands tighter. “This? What we have? That’s real power, and you can’t touch it.”

As I speak, I feel a strange resonance within me, as if my words have awakened something ancient and powerful. The shadows around us shift, no longer just responding to our commands, but moving with a will of their own. For a moment, I swear I see a figure in the darkness, a woman with eyes like the night sky, watching us with ancient wisdom.

Blackwood’s face twists with rage, his mask of civility falling away to reveal the monster beneath. “Foolish children. If you won’t join me willingly, then I’ll take what I need by force!”

Valerie steps forward, her expression a mix of determination and regret. “Jason, please,” she pleads, using Blackwood’s first name. “This isn’t what we dreamed of. We wanted to help our people, not destroy them.” Her voice breaks, and I see a glimpse of the woman she might have been before all this. “It’s not too late to stop this.”

He raises his hands, darkness coalescing around him, a swirling maelstrom of malevolent power. The vortex behind us pulses in response, its pull growing stronger. The air seems to vibrate with power, and I can taste ozone and darkness on my tongue.

“We have to stop him!” Valerie shouts over the rising wind, her hair whipping around her face. “If he taps into that power, there’s no telling what he’ll become!”

I look at Leo and Matteo, seeing my own determination reflected in their eyes. We nod in silent agreement, once again joining hands. The connection between us flares to life, stronger than ever.

As we face down Blackwood and the swirling heart of shadow magic, I’m struck by the magnitude of the choice before us. Do we destroy this wellspring of power, potentially crippling our own abilities in the process? Or do we try to contain it, risking corruption by the very forces we’re fighting against?

The answer comes to me with startling clarity, as if whispered by Nyx. It’s not about the power itself, but how we choose to use it together, guided by trust and love rather than fear and control.

“Together,” I say, and I feel Leo’s and Matteo’s agreement pulse through our linked hands.

We step forward as one, our combined shadows rising to meet Blackwood’s onslaught. As our powers collide with his, the chamber erupts in a maelstrom of shadows. The vortex pulses, reality seeming to warp around us. In this moment, balanced on the knife’s edge between victory and oblivion, I’ve never felt more alive.

Suddenly, a deafening crack splits the air. The vortex expands explosively, tendrils of pure shadow magic lashing out in all directions. As the wave of darkness rushes toward us, I have just enough time to see Leo’s and Matteo’s eyes widen in horror before the world goes black.

The last thing I hear is Blackwood’s triumphant laugh echoing through the void.