"Spy? Again?" Annabelle tilted her head, surprise flickering across her face as she heard the news about another spy in the academy.
The last ti, it was because of a spy that the situation elevated to such a dangerous degree. And now again...
Adrian gave a slow nod. "Yeah. Allen spotted the Acolyte...but we can’t be certain yet."
He hadn’t looked into it himself. That will co tomorrow. And when he did, he already knew the surest way to uncover the truth—whether Allen’s suspicions were right, and if the boy really was a spy, what he was after.
"Darling...are you upset?"
Adrian t her gaze for a mont before a long breath slipped from his lips. "I’ve watched those kids grow up before . I know how much pain and effort it took for them to reach where they are now. And to see them throw it all away by turning to the other side...yes, it hurts."
Annabelle rested her head gently on his shoulder. "You’ve been a good teacher to them, Darling. Sotis...it takes soone’s death to realise how terrible a mistake was."
Adrian let out another sigh, heavier this ti. "What weighs on most is their parents. Because of their children’s choices, they’ll carry grief they don’t deserve."
Annabelle squeezed his hand and stayed quiet.
Her heart, however, was at ease. To her, there was a quiet joy in seeing her Darling care so deeply for people who weren’t even tied to him.
Once, he had been a man without compassion, untouched by sympathy. To strangers, he gave nothing. He had been so cut off from the world that Bella once feared—if she left this life before him—he would be left behind in utter loneliness.
But now...sothing has changed.
"When are you going to bring Ruby to et your parents?" Annabelle asked, her legs swinging lightly from the branch.
"On the weekend."
Annabelle let out a small giggle. "I’d like to et them too...at least, your father. He’s the one who raised my darling, isn’t he?"
Adrian gave a soft hum. "Yeah. He’s a good man...a good father."
Annabelle tilted her head, curiosity lingering. "And your mother? What was she like?"
Adrian’s shoulders eased as his gaze drifted away, focused on nothing as he told her,. "She was kind...gentle, with a humor that never failed to warm the room. She was the one who supported my choice to live with pen and paper instead of sword and spells."
Those mories still burned bright in him. He could still see her eyes—soft, filled with love—even as she lay on her deathbed, singing the sa lullaby she had sung to him since he was a child.
Annabelle leaned closer, hugging his arm. "I wish I could have t her. I would have thanked her for giving you to this world."
Adrian’s lips curved into a loving, gentle smile.
For a while, silence settled between them, calm and unbroken. But then, Adrian’s tone shifted. "Have you noticed anything unusual around here?"
Annabelle’s expression sobered. "Ever since I discovered their base, I’ve only seen one convoy going in. Most likely, it carried their leader." Her gaze narrowed, a faint shiver threading her words. "And last night...I felt sothing. A presence. Dark and suffocating. It was sinister."
For Annabelle, who rarely wavered, to look this unsettled ant whatever lay hidden there was powerful.
Adrian’s brow furrowed. "What exactly are they planning? Planting spies in the academy...could they be preparing for another ambush?"
Annabelle turned to face him, her voice steady but fierce. "We can’t let them. This ti, Darling, we strike first. No chances. No hesitation."
She was resolute. Whatever their enemies were preparing, they were moving with intent, and for reasons not yet clear, they were ready to go all out. That’s why Adrian and Annabelle had to be faster—an ambush against the ambushers.
"Yes, I know. Don’t worry, it would only take, at most, ten days for to be done with all the preparations."
Annabelle humd, "I trust you, darling."
°°°°°°
"Yes, keep it there." Ariana gestured firmly as the shipping staff set down the heavy box brought through the teleportation portal.
The room was already stacked with more than twenty boxes, carried in one after another. No wonder the two n were pale and breathless, their legs trembling as if they might collapse any mont.
Ariana gave a small nod, then slipped a pouch from her back pocket and handed it over. "Here’s your paynt...and," she pulled out another, her lips curving faintly, "...this is your bonus—for not breaking anything."
Relief washed over their weary faces, ghostly smiles tugging at their lips. With grateful bows, they backed away and left the house.
When the door shut, Ariana let out a long sigh, planting her hands on her waist. She turned, surveying the mountain of boxes that had swallowed what should have been their living room.
She had pictured this space so differently. A broad, soft couch before the fireplace. Lanterns casting warm light. Small pots of green to freshen the air. A shelf full of books he could get lost in.
But now? This room would be Adrian’s workshop.
He had planned to craft the artifacts at the academy, but with spies lurking among the students, it was too great a risk. Their new ho had to beco his fortress of work.
Ariana shook her head with a wry smile. Haah...well, once this is over, I’ll buy the furniture. Even if I have to drag him along to choose it.
For now, let’s get back. Ariana straightened her shoulders. There was still work to finish before she could allow herself the comfort of bed.
Adrian, on the other hand, had gone to spend so ti with Annabelle, vanishing through teleportation magic.
When Ariana learned that the girl was living alone in the forest to keep watch over the enemy’s base, she had been the one to push Adrian to visit her.
Yes, Annabelle was the strongest Warden, and though nearly Ariana’s age, the monts Ariana had spent with her revealed sothing else—a childlike heart hidden beneath all that strength.
A girl who longed for soone to care for her. A girl who craved attention, who wanted—just once in a while—to be pampered.
With those thoughts, Ariana was heading out, when suddenly, she paused in her track.
Her stomach growled, a bitter taste forming in her throat as she hurriedly moved toward the bathroom.
*Click*
Pushing open the door, she knelt before the pot and,
"Hrrkkk—bleaaghhh!"
°°°°°°°°
A/N:- Um...well...congrats should I say? Thanks for reading. Please make sure to drop a review.
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