Part 4
—1 month later—
Aura has not stopped pacing at the camp’s boundaries and Reyna was seriously starting to get worried. She knew that Aura had brought one of her fellow witches who was a descendant of Trivia to the Wolf House. Apparently the girl, Luna, -who Aura had demanded, quite adorably, was her sister no matter how distant their blood- had messaged Aura using something Aura called a patronus that she had finished her training and was heading to Camp Jupiter. The patronus itself had given everyone nearby quite a scare and afterwards Jason was very curious to know why Luna’s patronus was a different animal than Aura’s cat one. Reyna walked over and grabbed Aura’s hand to stop her movement. Aura’s cheeks flushed pink but she passed it off as heat from walking back and forth the length of the entrance for the past 2 hours.
“She’s going to be ok.” Reyna said to her in her best reassuring voice. Aura gave a small smile that said ‘you can’t promise that’ and Reyna hated that she was right. Aura was one of the best things in this world and to see her smiles, normally so bright, dulled down like this broke her heart. For now there was nothing she could do so she just stood there. Stroking Aura’s hand comforting her the best she could.
— the next day—
Luna had arrived at 2 am last night, right as Reyna had finally started to make headway on getting Aura to head to bed. Once the platinum blonde had appeared all the hopes on keeping Aura from worsening her already horrible sleep schedule had vanished from the Puerto Rican’s mind. She couldn’t find it in her to be annoyed however, not with the way Aura’s face had lit up at arrival of her sister.
—
Aura was ecstatic. Of course she was, Luna was safe and with her. She tried to keep her mind on that or the breakfast they were eating now, but her mind kept wandering back to Reyna’s soft expression last night. Reyna was gorgeous. She was always gorgeous and she always sent the butterflies in Aura’s stomach reaching for the sky. But something about last night had just been different. The way she took her hand and rubbed her thumb over Aura’s knuckles had sent out a wave of yearning much stronger than she had felt before. Honestly she wasn’t ready to break that down yet, she didn’t have nearly enough caffeine in her system. Gwen and Marie had already joined them at their table, Marie still half asleep while Gwen and Luna were locked in a riveting conversation about Penguins vs Giraffes. Reyna and Jason approached the table, with Jason splitting off to go join the morning people and Reyna heading over to Marie and herself. Despite her sleepy state Marie moved away from Aura without any nudging to give Reyna her spot. Stunning as always, Reyna didn’t look like she had spent last night reassuring an anxious mother hen. Although her behavior told a different story, a slight hunch to her shoulders, that usually was as rare as the Stolls not playing pranks, made itself clear and only increased Aura’s guilt. Reyna didn’t seem to mind.
“It is way too early for that discussion.” She muttered into Aura’s ear after glancing over to the opposite side of the bench. Aura didn’t shiver. Not one bit. Ok, fine, but it was a sort of controlled shiver. Reyna’s Hispanic accent was stronger in the morning and that was probably one of the only things that Aura enjoyed in the mornings. That and caffeine. Speaking of which she digs around in her purse for a moment, pretending to ignore the casual way Reyna leaned over her shoulder in curiosity. Triumphant, Aura pulls out an Awakeness and Awareness potion *1*. Reyna gives her a playful smile that definitely doesn’t send her heart racing. She reaches over and dabs a drop into Reyna’s drink, muffling a snort at the customary face of shock from the first sip. Secretly she’s relieved that Reyna is more awake now, morning Reyna is hard to deal with when you have a huge crush on her. From the accent to her increased physical affection, Aura can’t help but let out a breath when Reyna’s composure returns. If she wants her crush on Reyna to fly below the radar then it’s easier with Reyna’s praetor mask present. Aura dropped two drops of the potion into her own creamed coffee and takes a sip, ready to start her day.
— 4 days later —
Aura should be asleep. It’s 1 am in Scotland and she’s already barely passing attendance for her classes. All her necessary homework is done and she’s already got a got start on the upcoming work. Everything else she needs to complete is finished. She perfectly comfortable in her dorm room bed, the temperature is just how she likes it and Luna is sleeping peacefully in the next bed over. There’s nothing that should be preventing her from sleeping. But… maybe she should check again.
“Luminous.” Aura whispers. For once everything on her arms’ check list is completed. Her school bag for tomorrow is packed. She spends a couple minutes organizing some of the supplies in it and moves on. Standing up, Aura desperately looks around the room for something to do. After only finding a tilted picture frame she reluctantly laid down again.
“Nox.” At that word the bedroom turns dark. The last time Aura could fall asleep without struggle or hesitation was when she was 11. The summer before she started attending Hogwarts. That day Alabaster and Jessica, the two eldest Hecate kids, had gone off in a huddle and kept whispering about something while glancing back at the rest of their siblings. Specifically Aura.
Aura, along with her siblings, Elana and Abe, had been a playing with a battered pack of cards Luke gave them awhile back for the better half of the day.
— flashback to a week before—
“HE BETRAYED US, AURA!” Annabeth had screamed at her when she asked about Luke’s whereabouts. Her skin was red with anger instead of the healthy tan it normally displayed and she stormed away before Aura to react.
— end flashback —
Elana had insisted on playing spoons which led to the three of them having to ward off Ivan, the youngest of their siblings, who was trying to steal the spoons needed for the game. Aura should have noticed something was off. Abe had pushed Ivan too hard and Jessica and Alabaster had rushed over quickly. They tried to quiet Ivan down but kept glancing over their shoulders at the Stolls, the cabins new counselors, like they didn’t want to be caught.
The rest of the day Jessica and Alabaster continued to act odd, hunched over muttering together, sometimes Cindy even joined in. They never interacted with any of our cabin mates, only fellow children of Hecate. At one point, Petro tried to go hang out with some of his friends but Alabaster out right stopped him. During dinner Aura caught some of their conversation. She hadn’t been trying to eavesdrop but they kept glancing over at her with sad eyes, staring at her like this would be the last time they saw her.
“I.. …-ry Al, …. she’s too close…. ….good… ..many vs … g..od …f one.” *2* Jessica said from Alabaster’s right. She turned to look at Aura but ducked her head away when their eyes met. On Alabaster’s other side Cindy looked up with a sombering expression.
“Tonight?” Alabaster and Jessica nodded in response. Cindy’s face too turned to Aura, her lips pursed and her eyes watering until Alabaster pulled her into his side. All three avoided her gaze. She wanted to know what was happening, why were they so sad? What’s happening tonight? But Ivan tugged on her arm to show off his new spell and by the time dinner ended she’d forgotten all about it. The next morning she woke alone; a dozen Hermes kids, some unclaimed and a handful of children of minor gods occupied their bunks but Aura was the lone Hecate child. Only a day ago there had been seven of them, then it was only her.
In the years after that, Camp was constantly on alert, they were at war and got attacked more often than not. Aura learned to sleep with one eye open and along side many of the elder counselors never fell asleep before the last (day) shift reported in. With her classes and studies Aura learned to function with little sleep and the best strategies to hide it. As she got older Aura feared falling asleep after tending to a patient for fear of not being able to help in time if something happened. She and Will had begun to lose far too many people because they took a break or left them unattended too long. Over the years Aura slowly became more adverse to sleep, she blamed her lack of it on time zones and work but there were also nights like this. When she had nothing to do but sleep, and yet she would lay awake for hours. Tossing and turning until her body couldn’t hold out any longer.
After an hour or two Aura sat up against the bed frame and resolved to stare at a wall until breakfast. Fifteen minutes in she felt a sensation on her arm. Aura knew that feeling like the back of her hand, it was the press of Princesses pen on their skin. *3* Princess is 8 hours behind her Scotland time so it’s about 9pm for her now. Activating the light spell again, she glanced down to her inner arm. After her eyes adjusted she was able to read it, ‘Shouldn’t you be asleep?’ Aura smiled and wrote back.
‘How did you know I was awake?’
‘I felt you fiddling with your cuff earring. What’s wrong?’ Aura frozen and noticed that she had in fact been fidgeting with the earring cuff that disguised her spear. A bad habit of hers that she had picked up somewhere.
‘What makes you think something is wrong?’ She asks Princess, deciding to go the innocent route.
‘You always fiddle with that earring cuff when you’re anxious.’ Princess replies shutting down her innocent act. Not that she minds, she smiles fondly at the ink. Princess has always been very observant and it warms her heart that she knows Aura’s tells. Even before Aura herself sometimes. It’s romantic in a demigod way, knowing your partner’s tells is a big deal, Percy and Annabeth being the perfect example. They know each other so well they can read every move and have conversations without a word. Aura reluctantly responds with honesty, ‘I can’t sleep.’
‘Why is that making you nervous?’
‘Just thinking.’
‘Ah.’ Princess responds then adds on, ‘Want some company?’ Aura presses her smile into the palm of her hand. It falters quickly however. As much as she wants to waste hours talking to Princess like they could when they were kids, if Princess was awake at 9 pm then it was likely for a reason. She had always been the punctual of the two, Katie always said that Aura couldn’t be on time to save her life. *4* Reluctantly she wrote back.
‘No, thank you Princess but I’ll be fine.’ Expecting that would be the end of it Aura capped her pen and began to head to her bed when she felt the smooth ink pressed to her skin again.
*1* This potion is completely made up, but it is cannon in my AU(s)
*2* “I’m sorry Al, but she’s too close. Remember, the good of the many vs the good of one.” Jessica was comforting Alabaster about having to leave Aura behind when they left with the rest of their siblings. They both agreed that Aura would never betray Camp and since they wanted to get their siblings out they would have to leave her behind.
*3* Different soulmate pairs in this AU feel more or less over their bond. Percy and Annabeth have a normal level of sensitivity, they will feel a wound or strong pain but nothing else. (Annabeth totally figured out that they are soulmates years ago so I lowered the sensitivity leave a bit to keep Percy for realizing too soon, I think after they go through the Pit it probably strengthens a bit) Katie and Travis have a really low sensitivity level, they still get the injuries but they don’t feel them a lot, if it’s anything less then an actual cut then they won’t feel it. (Katie accidentally went a whole day without realizing that she had a cut on her ankle cuz Travis got it during sparring, also for this pair Travis was totally the first to realize and he definitely did the whole “shes too good for me” thing) Aura and Reyna have a very high sensitivity level, they feel pain almost to the same extent (8.7 of 10 percent of the pain), because of this they can also feel some sensations like: One of them writing on their skin, Reyna cracking her knuckles, Aura fiddling with her earrings.
*4* this is another example of Aura’s fatal flaw, putting others before herself