If something was strange but useless, one could laugh and move on.
If something was strange and useful, then it had value.
A lot of value.
The messenger was already thinking, very quietly and very fast, that perhaps returning to his city with a report encouraging war would be foolish. Perhaps the better road would be to suggest caution. Or even alliance. If this woman could be turned toward a city's interests, then whoever did it first would benefit greatly.
Of course, he did not say any of that.
He was not a fool.
By then, Kian, Cyrus, Zyran, and Osiris all stood near Isabella in different positions, creating a picture so obvious that even a blind man would have guessed these males would rip someone apart if she so much as frowned in the wrong direction.
Ophelia and Shelia had quietly moved to one side now, watching with bright eyes and pretending to be less interested than they actually were. They were failing terribly.
