Usually, Zyran was the type of man who would lean closer when danger came, just so he could make it worse and then act innocent. So seeing him step away from Glimora so quickly made Isabella’s eyes widen slightly.

Then a memory hit her.

Oh.

Right.

Glimora still had that power.

Isabella had actually forgotten.

That was not her fault entirely. Glimora had been behaving like a normal greedy little beast for so long that Isabella had almost forgotten that in her baby stage, whenever she got too scared, angry, or offended beyond reason, her body would release fire from a very unfortunate direction.

Before Isabella could speak, Osiris stepped closer again.

Glimora’s ears pressed even flatter.

Zyran’s expression became tragic. "You really are brave for no reason."

Osiris frowned at him. "Are you mocking me?"

"I am mourning you early."

"What does that mean?"

"It means step back, you beautiful idiot."

Osiris looked even more offended. "I am not an idiot."

Glimora suddenly made a sharp little sound.

It was very small.

Very quick.

Almost innocent.

Then a puff echoed through the room.

The next second, a burst of fire shot out from behind her and hit Osiris directly at the front of his fur skirt.

The fire was not huge enough to kill him, but it was bright enough, hot enough, and disrespectful enough that the whole room froze.

For one second, no one moved.

Even the fire in the hearth seemed to crackle more quietly, as if it also wanted to watch what would happen next.

Osiris slowly looked down. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

His fur skirt was smoking.

Only a little.

But it was definitely smoking.

A thin curl of gray smoke rose from the front of it and drifted upward with the most insulting calm in the world.

Osiris stared at it.

Then he looked at Glimora.

Glimora, who had clearly frightened herself too, jumped sideways and stared at her own backside with huge round eyes. Her expression was so offended that it looked as if she wanted to ask who had done that to her. The meat was still in her mouth, her fur was still puffed, and her little tail was still raised, but now she looked betrayed by her own body.

The silence stretched.

Then Zyran broke first.

He burst out laughing so hard that he had to grab the edge of the nearest stone shelf. His shoulders shook, his black hair fell slightly over his face, and his red eyes were shining with tears he clearly refused to admit were there.

"I told you to step back!" Zyran choked out.

Osiris slapped frantically at the front of his skirt. "What was that?"

Zyran laughed even harder. "That was justice."

"It came from her butt!"

Glimora let out a tiny furious growl.

Zyran immediately pointed at Osiris. "Careful. She hates when people speak the truth without grace."

Osiris took one step back so fast that his heel hit the wooden stool behind him.

Isabella covered her own mouth.

She should not laugh.

She really should not laugh.

Then Osiris looked at Glimora with the most betrayed face in the world, while Glimora looked back at him with the meat still hanging out of her mouth, her fur puffed up, eyes wide, tail stiff, and a faint curl of smoke still drifting behind her.

Isabella lost it.

The laugh burst out of her so suddenly that Cyrus immediately held her waist with one hand and supported her back with the other. His first reaction was fear because he thought she might hurt herself laughing, but then even his lips twitched because the scene was simply too ridiculous to stay serious through.

Kian closed his eyes for one brief moment.

He looked like he was asking the heavens why his palace had turned into this. This was supposed to be a royal room. This was supposed to be the heart of a rising power. Important matters were supposed to be discussed here, guards were supposed to report here, maps were supposed to be spread out here, and yet here they were, watching a phoenix guard his burned skirt from a small white beast that could shoot fire from the wrong end.

Osiris looked around the room with deep disbelief, one hand still patting the front of his fur skirt as if he could beat his wounded dignity back into shape. "You are all laughing?"

Zyran wiped at the corner of his eye with one finger, and his red eyes were shining with the pure evil joy of a man who had just seen a gift from the heavens. "Of course we are laughing. She blasted you with her backside."

Glimora growled at once.

The growl was small, but it was full of warning.

Zyran immediately lifted one hand and corrected himself with great seriousness. "With her divine rear flame."

Isabella laughed even harder.

Osiris looked horrified. "Do not give it a name!"

"It deserves a name," Zyran said seriously, though his mouth was still twitching. "Every terrifying power should have one. Some beasts have claws, some beasts have fangs, and your enemy has a burning rear end. You should respect nature."

Osiris stared at him as if he had never hated another male more in his life. "Why do you sound impressed?"

"Because I survived it before," Zyran said, and his expression suddenly became dark with memory. "You people laughed at me then too, so I am simply enjoying balance."

Isabella, who had been holding Cyrus’s arm for support, immediately turned to him with tears of laughter in her eyes. "I can’t believe you still remember it"

Zyran’s face stiffened. "Of course i do, it is such a painful memory, and I will thank you to treat it with respect."

Isabella tried to look serious.

She failed immediately.

Cyrus finally let out a soft laugh, and even that gentle sound made the room feel warmer. He had been trying very hard to look calm because Isabella was still heavily pregnant and because he was still watching her body closely after everything that had happened, but even he could not survive the sight of Osiris standing there with smoke rising from his skirt while Glimora looked like a proud little criminal.