Page 53 of Dark Bonds

“Frankie?” Tori’s voice cuts through my reverie. “You still with us?”

I blink, refocusing on the concerned faces around me. “Yeah, sorry. Just… processing. I think I have an idea though. What ifwe combined our training sessions? We could create scenarios that force me to use multiple aspects of my powers at once. It might help me gain control faster.”

Leo slides a fresh cup of coffee across the table. “Here’s a fresh brew-ty to help you stay grounded. Get it? Grounded? Like coffee grounds? But seriously, that’s not a bad idea, Frankie. We could make it like a shadow shifter obstacle course.”

I groan at the pun but gratefully accept the drink. “Thanks, Leo. So what’s the plan?”

Bishop leans forward, his expression serious. “We need to focus on training. The eclipse has amplified all our abilities, but yours seem to have grown exponentially, Frankie. Your idea of combined training sessions has merit. We’ll need to be careful, but it could accelerate your progress.”

Matteo nods, his analytical mind clearly at work. “We should set up a rotation. Each of us will work with Frankie on different aspects of her powers—Bishop for control, Dorian for offensive techniques, Leo for defense, and I can help with strategy. We’ll integrate these into complex scenarios as Frankie suggested.”

“And what about me?” Tori interjects, a hint of determination in her voice. “I’m not just going to sit on the sidelines. I’ll coordinate our training schedules and help set up scenarios. Plus, someone needs to keep an eye on the big picture while you’re all focused on the details.”

“Of course,” I say quickly, squeezing her hand. “You’re my anchor, Tori. I need you more than anyone.”

Dorian’s intense gaze sweeps over all of us. “We’re forgetting something crucial. The eredar beast was drawn to Frankie for a reason. We need to understand why. Our training needs to include research into this connection.”

A heavy silence falls over the group as the weight of Dorian’s words sinks in. The memory of those glowing red eyes, fixed on me with an unsettling intelligence, makes my stomach churn,but there’s something else too—a pull, a connection I can’t explain but can’t deny either.

“Okay,” I say, taking a deep breath. “So we train, we research, and we stay alert, but we can’t just hide away. We have lives, classes, and jobs.” I glance toward the bar where Andy is expertly mixing drinks. “Speaking of which, I should probably help out. This place is swamped.”

As I start to slide out of the booth, a sharp pain lances through my head. Gasping, I clutch my temples as a vision flashes before my eyes—the eredar beast is no longer on the island but moving through the shadows of a city street. I can feel its presence, a dark echo of the power inside me.

“Frankie!” multiple voices cry out in alarm.

The vision fades as quickly as it came, leaving me breathless and shaken.

“Well shit,” I whisper, my voice trembling. “The eredar beast… It’s not on the island anymore. It’s in the city.”

Shocked faces stare at me as the implications of my words sink in. Looks like we aren’t as safe as we thought.

I am not about to question what just happened to me.

“Well,” Leo says, breaking the tense silence with forced cheer, “I guess we better get cracking. This situation seems a latte more serious than we thought.”

Despite the gravity of the moment, a collective groan rises from the group at Leo’s pun, but as I meet each of my friends’ eyes, I see determination hardening beneath the fear.

I stand up, steadier this time. “Andy,” I call out, “I’m clocking in. Looks like we could all use a drink.”

She jerks her head at me before rushing to my side.

“I just wanted to mention something before I forget.” She drags me into a corner. “A few nights ago, a group of old shifters were chatting in here.” She glances around before continuing. “They talked about some dark goddess and her chosen ones.Thought it was just fairy tales, you know?” She glances at me, her eyes sharp. “But sometimes I wonder if there wasn’t some truth to those old legends, especially now.”

I frown. A dark goddess?

“Thanks, Andy.” I give her a smile even though I don’t think I’ve ever believed in a goddess in my life. “I’ll file that away for later.”

As I make my way behind the bar, I can feel the others’ eyes on me. The weight of their concern and expectations settles on my shoulders, but as I tie on my apron and reach for a glass, a sense of normalcy washes over me.

Normalcy is exactly what I need right now, and it’s been far too long since I’ve been behind the bar.

As I mix drinks and chat with customers, my mind races. The eredar beast is out there, and somehow, I’m connected to it.

How I’m connected to it is what bothers me.

Chapter 17

Bishop

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