Page 7 of Echoes From the Void
“I’ll handle it,” Matteo says, already pulling out his keys. His shadows wrap protectively around mine, steadying their nervous dance. “Text me their location.”
I catch his arm, forcing a smile even as my shadows betray my anxiety by forming little storm clouds. “My hero. Have I mentioned how sexy competence is?”
“About twelve times today,” he deadpans, but his eyes soften. We both remember how he helped after Mom died, showing up every day with his mother’s cooking and quiet support. “Focus on Luna. I’ll get your sisters.”
Before I can steal a quick kiss, Luna reaches us. She eyes Matteo with her lawyer’s assessment, though her smile is warm. After all, he’s been at our family dinners since high school, has seen us through our worst moments. “Good to see you still keeping my brother in line, Matteo.”
“Someone has to,” he says, and my shadows form a tiny heart between us just to make him blush.
“I feel attacked,” I declare, letting my shadows create a dramatic fainting couch behind me. “And also kind of turned on.”
“Leo!” both of them snap, then share a look of mutual exasperation that makes my shadows dance with genuine amusement.
My phone erupts again, and I answer quickly, my shadows instantly shifting from playful to alert.
Lucia’s voice comes through panicked, “Leo, Liliana’s having an asthma attack! The air feels wrong—like when Mom—” She cuts off, but I know what she means. Mom’s last days were filled with similar attacks as the shadow realm’s instability affected her already weak lungs.
Shadow energy. They’re near a weak spot in the barrier. My shadows surge outward, seeking, protective in a way that would surprise anyone who only knows my sunny side. All playfulness vanishes as I meet Matteo’s eyes. Through our bond, I feel Frankie stir, her own shadows responding to my distress.
“Go,” Luna says, reading my face the way she has since she became both sister and mother to us. “I’ll wait.”
I hesitate, torn between sister duty and pack obligation. There’s a crucial meeting about the twins in twenty minutes, but Liliana—Mom made me promise to protect them. My shadows swirl anxiously, creating a chaotic dance of light and dark that reflects my inner conflict.
“Bring them here,” Matteo says suddenly. His shadows reach out to steady mine, just like he steadied me during Mom’s funeral. “The medical wing has the best equipment for asthma, and Dr. Sharma’s here. Plus...” he glances at Luna’s envelope, “seems like we all need to talk.”
My shadows brighten slightly at the solution, forming little celebration spirals. “Ooh, meeting the whole pack at once? Frankie’s going to love that. And by love, I mean possibly hidein the shadows forever.” Through the bond, I feel her immediate response—a mix of anxiety and resigned acceptance that makes me grin.
“Focus, hermano,” Luna says, but her lips twitch. She’s seen how the pack has helped heal parts of me that broke when Mom died.
“I am focused! I can multitask. Save sister, flirt with pack, solve custody crisis—I contain multitudes.” My shadows illustrate each point with little vignettes, a trick that used to make Mom laugh during chemo.
“You contain something,” Matteo mutters, his own shadows fondly exasperated.
“That’s what she?—”
“If you finish that sentence, I’m letting Bishop handle the family introductions,” he threatens, and my shadows form tiny versions of Bishop with a pointer and charts.
“You wouldn’t.” I gasp, letting my shadows create a dramatic death scene. “He’d probably make a PowerPoint. With charts. About pack dynamics and proper shadow etiquette.”
Luna’s car keys jingle as she checks her watch. “As fascinating as your love life is, Liliana needs us.” Her voice carries that same mix of authority and love she’s used since stepping into Mom’s role.
“Right. Crisis. I can definitely handle this like a responsible adult.” My shadows form a tiny business suit and tie around themselves, making Luna snort despite her worry. “Luna, come with me. Your car’s faster. Teo?—”
“Will get things ready for your sisters and meet you there,” he finishes, then adds with a knowing look, “Try not to traumatize Bishop too much with the Martinez chaos.”
Through the pack bond, I feel Bishop’s indignant response to that thought. My shadows form a tiny version of him clutching his pearls.
“Please, when have I ever—” Both of them stare at me. My shadows helpfully recreate the time I introduced Bishop to Lucia’s pet iguana. “Okay, fair point. But in my defense, Jorge the Iguana really liked his expensive shoes.”
Luna unlocks her car, and we quickly get in, the rain pounding on the roof. My shadows curl protectively around us both as she starts the engine, the way they did during those long drives to Mom’s treatments.
As we peel out of the parking lot, Luna glances at me. “You’re different, hermano. Calmer, even with everything falling apart. Despite...” she waves at my still-buzzing phone and the void consuming campus.
“Having four partners will do that to you.” I wiggle my eyebrows while my shadows form a suggestive dance. “All that tension release, you know?”
“Leo.”
“What? I’m just saying, shadow powers have many creative applications?—”
