Chapter 43

Damon tipped the wooden box open with his foot, wary of getting too close to the dark magic contained within. The aura emanating from the box was palpable, a cold, unsettling presence that seemed to suck the warmth from the air around it. Damon's caution was well-founded; dark magic was not something to be taken lightly. It had a way of corrupting everything it touched, and he was not eager to test its effects on himself. 

Inevitably, Aidan would need to wield that weapon for their plan to succeed. There was no one else in their midst willing or able to handle it, and both men knew the risks involved. As they stared down at the box's contents, the silence between them grew thick, almost suffocating, each lost in their own thoughts about the dangerous path they were about to tread.