Caius's gaze finally shifted, landing fully on Cohen with something like real attention.
Despite being only a level-eight, Cohen had shaken off Caius's mental grip in record time—a show of grit Caius had clearly not anticipated.
"Captain Whyte," Caius began, his voice a slick blend of arrogance and amusement. "Relax. All I want is the queen bee and her swarm. Once they're under my command, I'll be on my way. No need to make this messier than it needs to be."
His tone was almost patronizing, as if he thought he were doing them all a huge favor, swooping in as their savior.
Caesara rolled her eyes. Todd's jaw tightened as he cast a worried look at Lyra. Even Cohen's gaze flicked to her briefly before turning back to Caius. "How do you even plan on controlling the queen bee?" he demanded.
