death curse vs aurora

I faced Slate head-on. I figured as long as I was going to take one of those swords, it might as well have a shot of killing me pretty quick. No sense in dragging it out. But I left my eyes on Aurora and held whatever power I had gathered up and ready.
"I am sorry, wizard," Aurora said.
"You're about to be," I muttered.
Slate drew back his blade, an Oriental job without enough class to be an actual katana, and tensed, preparing to strike. The blade glittered and looked really, really sharp.
Elaine caught Slate's wrist and said, "Wait."
Aurora gave Elaine a sharp and angry look. "What are you doing?"
"Protecting you," Elaine said. "If you let Slate kill him, he'll break the circle around Dresden."
Aurora looked from Elaine to me and back. "And?"
"Elaine!" I snarled.
She regarded me with flat eyes. "And you'll leave yourself open to his death curse. He'll take you with him. Or make you wish he had."
Aurora lifted her chin. "He isn't that strong."
"Don't be so sure," Elaine said. "He's the strongest wizard I've ever met. Strong enough to make the White Council nervous. Why take a pointless risk so close to the end?"
"You treacherous bitch," I said. "God damn you, Elaine."


Summer Knight Chapter 28, Page 316