Chapter 15 THE CURSE AND THE COUNCIL GAME
Lukas’s whisper struck Dorian and Serra like a shockwave, and the darkness of the archive room settled over them like a heavy shroud. Marius hadn't targeted Dorian with the silver trap, but the legacy of Serra's father.
Dorian swiftly secured Lukas in a hidden corner. Serra stood rigidly in the middle of the office, her jaw clenched. Her father’s office... Marius wasn't merely trying to break Dorian's power; he was settling a score with Serra’s past.
"Damn it," Dorian roared, his voice tearing the archives' silence. "Marius is always clever, Lukas. What is in your father's office? Why did he target that specific location?"
Lukas trembled with fear. "Alpha, I don't know. I only heard Marius talking about 'erasing the shadow of the Red King.' Your father's office held the Council's old laws and seals. Marius wants to destroy the influence your father left in the Council."
Serra turned to Dorian. The hatred in her eyes was now directed not just at Dorian, but at a common enemy from the past. "We must go, Dorian. The trap might still be active. My father's office... Everything there belongs to the Council. If it’s revealed that Marius planted a silver trap there, the Council will bring him down."
"No," Dorian countered sharply. "Bringing Marius down now would only increase the chaos. We need time to strike him with his own weapon. Lukas, where is your wife? What did he steal to threaten you?"
Lukas was surprised by Dorian's cold composure. "He forced me to steal the Monitoring Seal the Council gave me to observe Dorian Volcan's restricted power. I gave it to him to free my wife."
This was a disaster for Dorian. The Council's observation seal was in Marius's hands.
Serra moved close to Dorian and placed her hand on his wrist. "Then Marius will not only watch us, he will control us. We must prove that the Council did not willingly give him that seal."
🏛️ The First Dance Before The Council
After securing Lukas, Dorian and Serra headed toward the Council Hall with the first rays of dawn. They were about to witness the effect of the message and the kiss they had sent to Marius.
Dorian squeezed Serra's hand as they walked the corridor. Dorian must not tremble with Alpha power in front of the crowd. Dorian's curse was drawing stability from Serra's power through their physical proximity.
When the doors of the Council Hall opened, the atmosphere inside was tense. Council members were whispering, their eyes fixed on Dorian and Serra. Old Beta Marius, in particular, sat at the Council table, a smirk of malicious triumph on his face.
Serra focused on her role. Her hatred for Dorian had to transform into enforced desire. Serra looked at the Council members as if she were breathless from her Alpha's dominance. This was the Luna image they expected.
Marius rose. "Alpha Volcan," he said, his voice oily and sarcastic. "You returned early from your honeymoon. I hope the young Luna’s ability to soothe you, despite your restricted power, proves to be true."
Dorian strode toward the Council table, never letting go of Serra's hand. "Your rumors about my restricted power no longer interest me, Marius. It is true the Luna soothed me. In fact, she soothed me so much that I no longer care about anything."
This audacity shocked the Council members. Dorian would not normally speak with such emotional recklessness.
Marius's smirk froze. "What does that mean, Alpha?"
"It means," Dorian answered, pulling Serra close, "the Luna does not control me, she accepted my curse. And to resolve your concerns about my restricted power, I will let the Luna demonstrate her power. Luna, give them a show."
Serra froze before the Council. This was not part of the plan. Dorian was throwing her into the fire.
"Dorian, no!" Serra whispered, but it was too late.
Dorian, with a great effort, emitted an Alpha aura from his restricted power. This aura made everyone in the Council Hall feel the urge to kneel. However, Dorian's power immediately began to tremble uncontrollably. The seal on Dorian’s chest was burning.
A momentary triumph flashed across Marius's face. Dorian was losing control.
It was at that moment Serra acted. She countered the burning sensation on the seal with her own Alpha power and, while holding Dorian's hand, directed her Red Alpha energy into her eyes for the Council to see.
Serra's eyes glowed red-gold. This was not the soothing power of a Luna; this was the lie of the Red Alpha lineage hitting the Council in the face.
"Alpha Volcan is right," Serra said, her voice unshakable. "My soothing power will always ensure my husband's control. Your rumors are baseless."
The Council members whispered in astonishment and fear. Dorian's power was restricted, but the Luna's power... This was not the passive Luna power the Council expected. Dorian quickly retracted his power after the display and gripped Serra's hand tightly. The gratitude in his eyes reflected the fact that she had saved his life.
🗝️ The Father's Legacy and The Betrayal
Marius clenched with fury at this unexpected display. "Disrespect!" he shouted. "The Luna's power cannot be shown before the Council!"
"Why not, Marius?" Dorian asked, his voice now back under control. "Your spies thought the Luna's power increased my curse. They were wrong. Now, let’s discuss why Lukas was terrified."
Dorian directly confronted the Council with Marius's betrayal. But Marius was ready.
"Lukas is a thief, and he stole the Council's Monitoring Seal because his wife was threatened," Marius said. "The seal is now with me, and it is safe in the name of the Council. This was not a betrayal against Dorian, merely a necessity."
"A lie," Serra roared, attempting to dismantle Marius's game before the Council. "Marius stole that seal to spy on us. But the real betrayal was not threatening Lukas, but planting a silver trap in my father's old office!"
Serra had caught Marius off guard. The look of triumph on Marius's face instantly turned into pure fury. "The Luna is delirious. Your father's office has been sealed for years!"
Dorian understood Serra's plan. Force Marius to confess the trap's existence before the Council.
"Then let us prove it, Marius," Dorian said. "I challenge you. Go to the Luna's father's office. If there is no silver trap there, I will apologize before the Council. But if there is..." Dorian's voice fell into a deadly silence. "...then you and all your loyal agents will be tried for treason against the Council."
Marius, facing the danger of the trap being revealed, was forced to make a choice before the eyes of the Council: deny the trap's existence or go to the location of the trap.
Marius swallowed before the Council members and made a dangerous decision.
"I accept," Marius roared, his eyes burning with vengeance. "There is nothing there! Let us go!"