Eran POV
I caught Lincoln’s eyes across the clearing and smirked.
It was instinctive. The look on his face, tight, suspicious, already bracing for something he couldn't stop, fed a dark energy inside me. I let the moment linger just long enough for him to realize I was the one holding the cards. Then I turned away and faced the crowd.
They were waiting. Watching. Trusting me to tell them what to do next.
Idiots.
I lifted my hand. The murmurs died down until the only sound was the wind moving through the trees. Dozens of faces tilted toward me, expectant and uneasy. The air felt heavy.
“My people,” I began. My voice was calm, steady. It carried easily over the open space.
I felt the shift. It was that subtle tightening in the atmosphere when people sense danger before they can name i
