Julie could already see the shift ripple through the crowd, the warmth they'd spent the last hour cultivating was evaporating fast. Faces that had been smiling moments ago now wore a look of doubt, suspicion, even fear.
Her lips curved into a thin, resigned line.
'Perfect.' She thought bitterly. 'So much for all that preparation.'
She sighed and then turned slightly toward Cassius.
"You really should've covered those eyes of yours." She muttered under her breath. "They're too distinctive, too damned recognizable. Half the continent could pick you out of a crowd with just a glimpse of them."
Cassius only smiled faintly, as though he'd been waiting for that comment, while Julie looked toward the crowd again, her mind racing.
"Do you want me to handle this?" She asked quietly. "Or Aisha, or Skadi? Because right now, these women don't trust you. Not after hearing your name. If one of us speaks first, maybe we can ease them again."
