Chapter 186 A Golden Glow
Trixie’s POV
The moment the men rushed out of the viewing room, the silence they left behind felt wrong. The door had barely closed before the air shifted.
All of us stood where we were for a few seconds, listening to the thunder of boots fading down the stairwell. The room still held the energy of the moment, the sudden rush, the tension, the urgency that had swept the men out all at once.
Now it was just us. Women and children only. And a quiet that felt far too heavy.
I moved slowly toward the center of the room, my gaze drifting toward the large viewing window that overlooked the arena floor below. From here I could see the crowd shifting and moving, people beginning to gather around whatever had drawn the men downstairs.
Leigha stirred in the back of my mind.
“Something isn’t right.” Leigha said while she was pacing, more restless than ever.
“I know,” I murmured softly.
Across the room, Brandi hugged Elias closer. “Do you think everything’s okay down there?” Trinity shook her head nervously. “They’ll handle it. They always do.”
Cassian and Atlas were still near the chairs beside the table, where they had been watching the laptop earlier. Cassian sat on the edge of the chair swinging his little legs while Atlas stood beside him holding onto the cushion for balance.
Neither of them were paying attention to the conversation around them. They were watching the door. Their small faces had gone oddly serious.
Leigha noticed it too. “The boys feel something.” Leigha said nervously. Before I could respond, the door handle turned. Every one in the room went still.
The door opened slowly. Two men stepped inside. Neither of them belonged here. I recognized the scent immediately. Clarence’s men. They had that rogue scent to them.
One of them shut the door behind them with deliberate calm while the other reached back and twisted the lock. The loud click echoed through the room. Panic rippled through the women instantly.
“Oh gods” Roxie whispered.
“Who are they?” Brandi gasped.
“Where are the men?!” Tina screamed.
One of the intruders leaned casually against the door, arms folding across his chest as he surveyed the room. The other took a few slow steps forward. His eyes moved across the women, the children, and then the large viewing window behind us. Then he smiled. “Well,” he said smoothly, “this is convenient.”
A few of the women backed up, clutching their children closer.
One of them whispered urgently, “Trixie”
But I didn’t move. I simply watched them.
Leigha paced calmly inside my mind, her presence steady and alert.
“They came for hostages.” Leigha said matter of factly. But I knew that much. I already read them as they came in.
"Yes, I agree." I said calmly back to her.
The man walking toward us stopped about ten feet away. "Don’t scream,” he said lightly. “Don’t run. Just stay where you are and nobody gets hurt.”
Atlas made a small sound behind me. "Mm.”
The man glanced down at him. Cassian slid off the chair slowly.
The man frowned slightly. “Well look at that,” he said with mock amusement. “Babies.”
Atlas tilted his head curiously. Cassian stared at the man with open interest.
The other man near the door chuckled. “They’re not even scared.”
Cassian took two small steps forward. "Pway” he babbled softly.
The man laughed. "Kid thinks we’re here to play. What a stupid little fuck."
Atlas lifted both of his tiny hands. The toy block on the floor beside him lifted gently into the air.
The man blinked. "What the Fuck?”
The block floated lazily in the air for a second. Then it drifted sideways. Cassian giggled. Atlas clapped. The block suddenly shot forward and smacked the man square in the chest.
He stumbled back with a surprised grunt.
“What the Hell! That son of a bitch!"
Cassian laughed harder. Atlas squealed happily.
Another object lifted from the floor. Then another. The room filled with movement as small toys and blocks began drifting through the air like curious little birds.
The men stared in stunned disbelief. "What the hell are they doing?” They screamed while blocking their heads with their arms.
Cassian waved his tiny hand. A chair slid across the floor and bumped into one of the men’s legs. Atlas pointed. The toy horse flew across the room and smacked the other man in the shoulder.
The women were too stunned to speak. One of them whispered shakily, “What are they doing?”
Cassian laughed again. Atlas bounced on his feet. To them this was clearly a game.
The man near the door growled in irritation.
“Enough of this.” He stepped forward quickly. The moment he did, both boys went still.
Cassian’s head tilted slightly. Atlas’s small brows furrowed. The air in the room shifted. I felt it instantly. Their power got stronger. This power was unreal. Cassian lifted one tiny hand. Atlas lifted the other.
The man took one more step. Then his feet left the floor. His body jerked upward like an invisible hand had grabbed him.
“What the fuck.?!” He screamed once again as he tried to flop around and fight it.
The second man lunged forward. He lifted too. Both men now hung several feet in the air.
The women gasped. One of them screamed.
Cassian giggled. Atlas clapped again.
The men thrashed helplessly as invisible pressure held them suspended.
Leigha purred with pride. "Our boys.” She said
I finally stepped forward calmly. "Ladies,” I said gently without taking my eyes off the floating men, “you might want to step back.”
They did immediately, with no arguments whatsoever.
Cassian waved his hand again. One of the men drifted slowly toward the ceiling. Atlas pointed at the other. He spun in the air like a rag doll. Both babies burst into delighted laughter. To them this was the funniest thing in the world.
The men were no longer laughing. "What the hell are they?” one of them choked.
I tilted my head slightly. “Very powerful,” I replied calmly.
Cassian squealed happily and flicked his fingers. The man bounced lightly off the ceiling. Atlas laughed so hard he almost fell over. Then the air changed again. A warm pressure spread through the room.
Leigha lifted her head. “There it is. Watch this Trix.” Leigha said anxiously.
The boys froze again. Their eyes widened slightly. Then light began to form around them. It was soft at first. Then it got much brighter. Golden light poured from their small bodies like sunlight spilling through a window. It spread across the floor. Across the walls. Across the floating men still trapped helplessly in the air.
The women gasped. Both their hands raising to cover their mouths.
The room filled with shimmering gold. Cassian blinked in surprise. Atlas giggled. The light grew brighter. And brighter. Until the entire room was filled with radiant golden light