Ariana stood by the balcony, her thoughts tangled in the news Augustus, her spirit sparrow, had just delivered.
The cold night air did little to soothe the unsettling feeling building in her chest.
Noah had been attacked.
She ran her fingers through her blonde hair, letting the cold wind whip through it as she mulled over the implications.
"Augustus," she finally said, breaking the silence between them, her voice steady but laced with concern.
"Keep watch around the academy. Report any happenings, especially anything tied to the attack on Noah. If possible, try to find out who was responsible."
The orange sparrow chirped softly in acknowledgment before darting into the night sky, its wings a blur of orange light fading into the darkness.
Ariana watched it disappear, the weight of her decision pressing down on her.
