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★★★
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT:
THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM
★★★
Aurora sat at the head of the long, polished table, her fingers curling into the armrests of her chair as the tension in the room threatened to suffocate her. The small council chamber in Merlin's Keep was dimly lit by the flickering glow of enchanted lanterns, casting shadows against the high stone walls. It was still the dead of night, but sleep was the last thing on anyone's mind.
She hadn't spoken about what she had walked in on between Damien and Remus. It didn't matter right now. Right now, what mattered was the curse.
Damien had barely finished speaking, the weight of his words still settling in the air, and already, the room was erupting.
"What were you thinking?" Sirius's voice was the loudest, his anger sharp and unrestrained. His grey eyes blazed, his hands flexing as though desperate to strike something. It had been oddly nice to have him not be on his best behaviour around her. "Do you even know what you've done?"
"I think she has a fair idea." Damien piped up. "Let's remember to remain calm."
"You took the curse?" James's voice was more controlled, but the crack in it betrayed his shock. His glasses had slid slightly down his nose, but he made no move to push them up. He was staring at her as if he couldn't quite believe she was real.
"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Molly's voice was softer, but there was no mistaking the concern woven through it. Her hands were clasped tightly together, her brows drawn in worry. "Aurora, we could have found another way—"
"There was literally no other way," Aurora interrupted, her voice quieter but firm. "No other way than having James and Sirius take the curse. And then what would have happened to Luke? Hm, he has no other relatives that we know of."
"That's not true," Arthur said gently. His steady presence, normally a source of calm, did little to soothe the storm of emotions in the room. "There's always another way. You didn't have to bear this alone."
"She clearly thought she did," Luke cut in, his voice clipped. He wasn't looking at her, his jaw tight, his fingers tapping restlessly against the wooden table. He had always been one to keep his emotions close to his chest, but right now, his frustration was evident. "Aurora, how could you have done this? You've put yourself in mass danger--"
