The Order

Chapter 11

Aurora's POV

The tension in the cave was so thick it was suffocating, pressing in around us, pushing my fight-or-flight instincts to the surface. Annalise and Damien stood a few feet apart, staring at each other, locked in a silent struggle that none of us dared interrupt. I could see the battle of emotions in her eyes, the weight of everything she’d tried to hold together finally slipping.

Austin took a cautious step forward, concern etched on his face, but Oliver grabbed his arm, holding him back. The small action snapped Annalise out of her trance, and she looked at her mates, eyes clouded with unspoken thoughts.

“Would you all mind if Aurora, Noel, and I had a moment alone?” she asked softly. Her voice trembled, but her gaze was steady. Both her mates nodded, exchanging quick glances before turning to Damien.

Without a word, Damien turned and left, not meeting Annalise’s gaze as he made his way toward the gym. She watched him go, a glimmer of something fragile in her eyes, a flicker of pain that she quickly masked. Oliver, Landon, and Aaron followed him, the wariness clear in their postures. They didn’t trust him—I could feel it, and so could she. They were keeping a close eye on him.

“Do you have a place where we can talk in private?” Annalise asked, turning to us, her voice barely audible.

“Sure, let’s go to the training room,” I replied, trying to keep my own voice steady. “It’s sealed with magic. No one will hear us in there.”

As the three of us walked into the training room, we could hear Damien and Caleb already raising their voices. Annalise visibly stiffened, but the spell on the training room kicked in, sealing out all sound. The silence felt both a relief and a weight.

With a tired sigh, Annalise sank down to the floor, her shoulders slumping. The weight she carried seemed to pull her down, her eyes distant and haunted.

“They’ll never accept him,” she said, her voice strained. “Not after everything he’s done.”

“Give it time,” Noel said, sitting down beside her. “You all have… history. Maybe it’s best if they let it out. Maybe it’s something they have to work through.”

I sat down on her other side, just as her eyes misted over, the vulnerability slipping through her tough exterior.

She looked at us, a broken whisper escaping her lips. “Can I… can I give my siblings a hug?” Her voice cracked, and the first tear slipped down her cheek, unbidden.

Noel and I moved in without hesitation, leaning into her, our arms encircling each other, three people pulled together by bonds that transcended time. The past, the present—all the lines between our lives seemed to blur, and the memories and wounds we each carried rose to the surface.

It was too much to hold back. The tears came, and I let them fall. I didn’t know if I was crying for the past life or this one, for the things we lost or the pieces we’d managed to hold onto. All I knew was that we needed this moment, this fragile closeness that reminded me we weren’t alone in the pain.

In that small room, we allowed ourselves to be vulnerable, to break a little, to feel what we’d tried so hard to hide. And in each other’s embrace, maybe, just maybe, we could start to heal.

Annalise pulled back first, gripping both of our hands. Her eyes fluttered shut, and I felt a pulse of magic, gentle yet powerful, radiate through her touch. Slowly, the memories flowed in—her memories. She shared her moments with our mother, those glimpses of comfort and wisdom that now felt like fragments of a distant, almost unreachable past.

Then, Noel's memories seeped in. I’d never asked him what happened, never pressed him to share the parts of himself that seemed locked away. And now, seeing his pain unfold in such vivid detail, my chest tightened. The sorrow, the helplessness—it was raw, almost too much to bear. Last came my memories. I tried to pull away, instinctively wanting to guard the painful pieces of myself, but Annalise’s grip only tightened, grounding me, urging me to face them.

Once the exchange was complete, she released our hands and slowly stood, the weight of our shared past heavy in her eyes.

“I’m sorry I invaded your minds like that,” she said, looking directly at Noel and me. “But this time, there will be no secrets between us.”

We nodded silently, processing the depths of what had just been shared. She began pacing, the determination in her movements matching the fire in her gaze.

“I’m ending this,” she declared, stopping to face us. “I’m tired of the constant battles and bloodshed. I just want a chance to live, to settle down with my mates, without the constant threat hanging over us.”

Her words settled heavily in the air.

“So… what do we do?” Noel asked, his voice steady yet laced with uncertainty. We all stayed silent, letting the gravity of the question sink in. What could we do? The Moon Goddess wouldn’t take the Fallen Star back, so the best option seemed to be keeping it hidden. But how long would that keep us safe?

Annalise’s voice broke the silence. “I think we should destroy it.”

Noel’s head snapped toward me, then back to Annalise. His expression mirrored my own shock and confusion.

“You can’t just destroy the Star, Annalise,” I replied, trying to keep my tone calm. “But we can hide it.”

She shrugged, sinking back down to sit with us, her gaze fixed on something distant. “The current council members may be on our side, but there are rumors. We’re hearing whispers that some of the old council members are forming a society in the shadows. A lot of supernaturals are unhappy with how things are changing. And if our father’s still alive… he’ll come for the Star. He’ll try to use its power to get rid of us again. So maybe destroying it is our best chance.”

The room fell silent again as her words settled in.

“Let’s try hiding it first, okay?” I said, glancing over at Noel, who gave a quick nod.

“Fine. But first, we need to go to the cabin, and make sure the Star’s still there. Once we have it, we’ll figure out what to do next.”

Noel and I nodded in agreement.

“Do you want to go now?” I asked. “Or should we rest and talk to our mates?”

“About that… we’re not taking them,” Annalise said, her voice steady, but her eyes filled with reluctance.

“What?” I blurted, and Noel looked as though he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard.

Annalise took a deep breath, her expression resolute. “I can’t risk anything happening to them. The three of us together are powerful enough to protect each other. We don’t need our mates.”

Her tone was firm, but her eyes betrayed the hurt behind her decision. I could see she was battling with it as much as we were.

Noel shook his head, incredulous. “Have you met Aurora’s mates? How are we even supposed to get past them? Forget them—what about your mates?”

A small smile crept across Annalise’s face. “We’re witches, aren’t we?”

Noel chuckled while I groaned, shaking my head. “Oh, no. You’re not putting a spell on our mates. Absolutely not.”

“Come on, it’ll be fun,” Annalise coaxed. “Just the three of us, like it used to be. We haven’t had a moment to ourselves in… I don’t even remember how long.”

“Yeah, Aurora, lighten up a bit,” Noel added, flashing a mischievous grin. “Besides, who knows? I might even find my mate along the way.”

Annalise and Noel were buzzing with a contagious excitement, like kids about to pull off a long-awaited prank. I let out a reluctant sigh and looked between the two of them.

“Fine, but what exactly are you planning to do?”

Annalise’s face lit up as she opened her hands and began murmuring a spell, her voice soft but precise. A faint shimmer filled the air around us, and a moment later, the distant sound of our mates’ voices faded into silence.

“Really? You put them to sleep?” I asked, deadpan.

Annalise simply grinned, her eyes sparkling with that old spark of mischief.

“Yes, really,” she replied, brushing it off like it was no big deal. “Now, come on! The night is ours.”