Chapter 189 The Boys Can Help
Coban’s POV
Clarence. Of course it was Clarence. Somehow I hadn’t even had a chance to catch my breath from the first encounter before we found out the castle itself was crawling with men loyal to him.
I felt my jaw tighten.
“Clarence planted them?” I said, voice low. My hands flexed at my sides, ready to move before Kevan even finished speaking. “In the castle? Under our noses?”
Kevan nodded grimly. “Staff. Security. Even the kitchens and hallways. He’s been building this for months.”
Mark stepped closer, eyes narrowing. “We’re lucky we caught those two before they caused real damage.”
I glanced toward the golden glow of Cassian and Atlas, still hovering in the middle of the room like tiny suns. Both boys were watching the prisoners with fascination, tiny fists raised as if to declare, Don’t try it again, morons.
Atlas waved his hands experimentally. One of the prisoners groaned and slid a few inches across the floor like a rag doll. Cassian squealed with glee and waved both hands high. A faint shimmer of golden light spun around him and the other man twitched nervously.
“Yep,” I muttered. “They’re definitely getting more dangerous by the day.”
Trixie, calm as ever, leaned against the wall, Atlas in her arms, Cassian perched on her hip now. “They’re more than capable of helping,” she said lightly. “You just need to give them orders.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Orders? You’re talking about toddlers who just flung two grown men across the room. That’s, coordination?”
“They can follow basic instructions,” Trixie said, smirking. “Mostly.” She tilted Atlas slightly and gave him a quiet command. The boy’s hands moved, golden light flaring as the floating prisoner flinched again. “See?”
I blinked. Yep. Totally capable. Terrifying.
Kevan cleared his throat. “We don’t have time for commentary. The rest of Clarence’s moles could be anywhere.”
Mark’s voice dropped low. “We split up. Sweep the castle, room by room. No one moves alone. Stay in pairs. We find them before they find any weak points.”
Caden’s hand found my shoulder. He leaned in close, whispering, “You know what’s worse than fighting Clarence’s guys?”
I gave him a pointed look. “What?”
He deadpanned. “Fighting Clarence’s guys while trying not to kill them in front of Cassian and Atlas.”
I couldn’t help it, I snorted. “Yeah. Toddlers watching blood is a parenting nightmare.”
Kevan rubbed his temples. “Focus. If any of them shift, even partially, it’s going to trigger everyone else. That’s the risk.”
I nodded, my mind already racing through the layout. “Lucian, Darien, Mark, Kevan. You guys take the main halls and upper floors. Caden and I sweep the east wing. Trixie, you stay with the boys here until we have clearance.”
Trixie shook her head. “Not happening. They’re going to want to help, and you’re not keeping them out of the action.”
I groaned softly. “Why do I always forget that? Fine. But we stay coordinated.”
Caden smirked. “Oh, you’re gonna love this. Nothing screams ‘organized sweep’ like toddlers shooting people across the room in golden light.”
“God help us all,” I muttered.
I scooped Cassian into my arms, the boy wriggling happily, golden sparks trailing his tiny fists. Atlas perched on Caden’s shoulder, hands fluttering, a faint hum of energy buzzing in the air around him. I could already feel the pressure, the light, the power, the little kids’ tiny minds calculating chaos and destruction.
We stepped into the east wing. Silence. Too much silence. The kind of silence that makes your spine itch. I signaled to Caden to fan out with me, scanning doors, checking windows, testing locks.
“Creepy-ass quiet,” Caden muttered. “I don’t like it.”
“Neither do I,” I said, moving toward the first door. “Stay sharp. If Clarence’s men know we’re here, they’re not going to announce themselves.”
We passed the kitchens. Empty. Hallways. Empty. Even the servant quarters were suspiciously quiet.
Cassian’s tiny fists banged against my chest. Golden light flared, a pulse that made the hair on my arms stand on end.
“What is it?” I whispered.
The boy giggled. He pointed toward a door at the end of the hallway. I froze.
Caden followed my gaze. The door handle rattled, slowly. Someone was on the other side.
I crouched slightly, keeping Cassian in my arms. “Stay calm. Don’t freak him out.”
Caden nodded, eyes narrowing. “You ready?”
I smirked. “Never.”
I pushed the door open.
Inside, a man was a man, mid-shift, half-human, half-wolf. He froze instantly when he saw us. Golden sparks danced from Cassian’s tiny hands, flickering dangerously. Atlas leaned forward from Caden’s shoulder, tiny fists clenched, ready to strike.
“Stop right there,” I said. My voice was low but carried enough authority to cut through any hesitation.
The man snarled, his eyes flickering yellow. "Who the hell.”
Cassian raised a hand. A pulse of golden energy shot forward. The man stumbled backward, hitting the wall. Atlas did the same, a smaller pulse of light keeping the man pinned in place.
Caden whispered, “Yeah, this is why toddlers shouldn’t be this powerful.”
I smirked. “Yeah. This is exactly why.”
The man struggled. Darien would have handled him in seconds with silver cuffs and wolfsbane, but here? The boys were controlling him like marionettes, golden light wrapping around him like chains of pure energy.
I stepped forward, gripping Cassian slightly tighter. “Explain something to him. Slowly.”
The boy grinned. “No da!”
Caden sighed. “Of course he does.”
I shot a look at him. “Yeah, good plan, buddy. Terrifying and totally helpful.”
We held him there for a minute, waiting, observing. The golden energy didn’t just hold him, it warned any other potential moles, approach, and you’re next.
Finally, I gestured for Caden to help me maneuver him into the first empty room we’d cleared. He went willingly under the combined pressure of two toddlers and two grown men.
“Okay,” I muttered, exhaling slowly. “This is going to be a long night.”
Caden smirked. “Long night? Try life sentence with tiny glowing overlords.”
Cassian squealed happily in my arms, golden sparks flickering brighter, as if he understood exactly what he’d just done.
I glanced at Caden, Atlas floating on his shoulder like a tiny sun. “Yep. Clarence just made the worst mistake of his life.”
“And the boys?” Caden asked.
I smiled, glancing down at Cassian. “Oh, they’re having fun.”
I could already feel the castle shifting. Every shadow, every corridor, every potential threat suddenly seemed smaller, more manageable. The boys weren’t just weapons, they were a warning. And Clarence had just handed us the key to let them run the show.
I tightened my grip on Cassian, golden light flickering across my chest.
“Let’s finish the sweep,” I said, voice low but full of determination. “And make sure every single mole in this castle regrets ever thinking they could touch a hair on our kids’ heads.”
Caden nodded, smirking. “Yeah, this is going to be fun.”
I grinned back. “The kind of fun you don’t survive to tell your friends about.”
And with that, we moved down the corridor, Cassian and Atlas lighting the way.