Page 96 of Echoes From the Void
“But Leo-” Liliana starts, eyes wide with fear, her newly manifested shadows curling anxiously.
“Will be fine,” Luna cuts in, lawyer-voice hiding her own concern. “Right, hermanito?”
Leo manages his signature grin, though it doesn’t reach his eyes. Through our bonds, I feel how much it costs him to stay bright for his sisters. “Course I will. Go with Andy and Abigail. Keep an eye on Uncle Everette for Dorian.”
My uncle straightens his perpetually crooked tie, his temporal essence reaching instinctively for Andy’s shadows. “Yes, well... purely for safety reasons, of course.”
“Of course,” Andy’s lips twitch. “Nothing to do with that bottle of scotch I’ve been saving.”
Through the growing cracks, I notice Finn and Tori slipping away—their light and shadows twining together as they disappear down a dark hallway. No goodbyes, no explanations needed. They’re choosing their own last moments, just as we all must.
“The pack house,” Frankie says once the others have gone, leaving just us—her four claimed mates. Her shadows reach for each of us in turn, carrying equal measures of love and determination. “One more night.”
“One perfect night,” Leo adds softly, his hand finding Matteo’s, their shadows merging.
Bishop nods, understanding in his eyes as his Guardian marks pulse. “Together.”
Through our bond, I feel Frankie’s love for us all—fierce and bright against the void’s growing darkness. Feel her determination to make these last hours count. My frost patterns dance with her shadows, memorizing every moment.
“Together,” she agrees, reaching for shadows to transport us home.
As Frankie’s shadows envelop us, I catch one last glimpse of the cafeteria—cracks spider-webbing across the floor, darkness seeping through like hungry veins. My frost traces the patterns of corruption, documenting their spread with academic precision even now.
We materialize in the familiar warmth of the pack house living room. Through our various bonds, I feel everyone’s emotions tangling together—Leo’s determined brightness, Matteo’s protective fury, Bishop’s tactical mind already planning, and Frankie...
Frankie’s love burns brighter than the void’s darkness, but underneath it I feel her resolve hardening. Feel how she catalogs each touch, each moment, storing them away like precious things.
“Don’t start planning yet,” Leo says suddenly, his shadows reaching for all of us. “Just... be here. With us. Now.”
“The void-” Bishop starts, but Matteo cuts him off with a gentle touch.
“Will still be there in the morning,” he says softly. “Give us tonight.”
Through our new bond, I feel Frankie’s gratitude as she pulls us all closer. My frost patterns merge with their shadows, creating intricate designs in the air around us. For the first time since losing my curse, I feel truly anchored—not by temporal magic, but by them.
“Tell me about the library’s organizational system,” Frankie whispers against my neck, making the others groan.
“Really?” Leo flops dramatically across us all. “That’s what you want to discuss on our last night together?”
“It makes him happy,” she says simply, and through our bond I feel her truth—how she treasures each of our quirks, our passions, our individual ways of loving.
So I tell them about lunar phase cataloging while Leo pretends to snore. About color-coding systems that make Bishop’s academic heart sing. About the precise art of shelf organization that makes Matteo smile indulgently.
And if my voice shakes sometimes, if my frost patterns betray my fear of losing this...
Well, they love me anyway.
All of me.
Even the parts that organize books by astronomical events.
Even the parts that are just a twenty-two-year-old pretending at wisdom.
Even the parts that are terrified of tomorrow.
The void pulses beneath us, hungry and waiting.
But for now, we have this.
