Cassian POV
The moment we stepped into Hope Haven, I knew something was wrong. Not the obvious kind of wrong, no weapons drawn, no spells flaring, no immediate threat. None of that, yet it felt like war was about to begin. This was quieter, which felt worse.
I've heard of and seen places like this before. Places built on belief so strong it bends reality around it. And the way they looked at Sarafina?
That wasn't curiosity, no, it was recognition, expectation. That was ownership waiting to happen.
I shifted slightly, just enough to place myself between her and the crowd without making it obvious.
Not that it mattered, because they weren't looking at me. None of them were, their eyes stayed locked on her like the rest of us didn't exist. Like we were not important, of course we were not important to them, just Sarafina.
"She's the one." The whisper moved through them like a ripple. "Heir."
