Instinct erased thought the moment Nova’s footing faltered. The Sentinel moved. His wings snapped open with a violent rush of air, claws scraping stone as he lunged forward. The smoke, the lesson, the rodeo, all vanished beneath the singular, primal need to keep her from falling. A sharp pulse of alarm tore across the attuned bond, edged with fierce protectiveness he didn’t bother hiding.
He drove himself between her and the open drop, one foreleg planting hard against the rock. His wings beat once, twice — not for flight, but to counter the wind shoving at her back. The force of it whipped ash into a blinding swirl around them, stinging eyes and clogging breath.
He didn't focus on the way she kept herself from falling with her air magic, the only thought threading through him was that Safrin's daughter could be in danger. He leaned more of his weight into the space between her and the edge, a living barrier of muscle and feather. Beneath the smoke, his heart almost started to hammer as he coughed. It was thickening rapidly now, turning each breath into work. His ears flattened; his tail lashed once in agitation. He crouched slightly, lowering his body to make the offer unmistakable. Climb on. I’m getting you out of this smoke.
But if Noah took one moment to fall back on what they were just doing, the Sentinel would tell her to shift and use her own wings. But all he could see was Safrin's face, then Seren's, then Nova's. He couldn't let her stay in any form of danger when he could protect her.
He drove himself between her and the open drop, one foreleg planting hard against the rock. His wings beat once, twice — not for flight, but to counter the wind shoving at her back. The force of it whipped ash into a blinding swirl around them, stinging eyes and clogging breath.
He didn't focus on the way she kept herself from falling with her air magic, the only thought threading through him was that Safrin's daughter could be in danger. He leaned more of his weight into the space between her and the edge, a living barrier of muscle and feather. Beneath the smoke, his heart almost started to hammer as he coughed. It was thickening rapidly now, turning each breath into work. His ears flattened; his tail lashed once in agitation. He crouched slightly, lowering his body to make the offer unmistakable. Climb on. I’m getting you out of this smoke.
But if Noah took one moment to fall back on what they were just doing, the Sentinel would tell her to shift and use her own wings. But all he could see was Safrin's face, then Seren's, then Nova's. He couldn't let her stay in any form of danger when he could protect her.
noah
you touched my heavy heart and made it light
