Zara stepped forward slightly, as if shielding Nox. "Stand down, Valen. He is with me."
Valen's eyes narrowed. "With you?" He studied Nox again, his gaze lingering as if searching for any excuse to attack. "A human? You know what you've done, don't you, Princess?" His voice dropped to a warning growl. "Bringing him here is the same as inviting war."
The others shifted uneasily, their hands twitching at their sides, as if resisting the urge to attack.
Zara's fists clenched. "I am well aware of what I'm doing. He is my guest, and I expect him to be treated as such."
A scoff. One of the other dragons, a red-haired woman with golden slit-pupiled eyes, crossed her arms. "A guest? You can't be serious." She turned her gaze to Nox, her lips curling into a sneer. "You're lucky she's standing in front of you, human. If she weren't, we would've already torn you apart."
