Page 137 of Cruelly Bitten

I nodded because I’d gathered as much from Calina’s thoughts. She hadn’t been concerned when the bunker housing Cam—and now Ismerelda—had gone radio silent for a day. But after a week, she’d started to question the protocol.

And now that it’d been two weeks, she was concerned.

Damien drew his fingers through his thick, dark hair. “I’ve tried searching different channels and frequencies. I’ve also traced the various server networks, searching for other connections or potential avenues, but every single one comes up dead. There are satellites we?—”

The ringing of my watch cut him off, all three of us glancing down at the mechanism around my wrist. I clicked a button to bring up a screen, my brow furrowing at the familiar name. “It’s Hazel.”

Damien blinked, then quickly pulled up something on his screen that appeared to be linked to my phone. We’d have a conversation later about how he’d done that so quickly. For now, I was too intrigued by the incoming call to question him.

“Answer it,” he told me.

I nearly reminded him of who the superior in the room was but opted to do as he requested instead. Hazel’s visage appeared before me on a see-through screen, her brown eyes round and focused before glancing to my left.

Calina instantly bowed her head, her confident facade falling behind a submissive mask—one she’d been working on perfecting over the last few weeks.

Hazel’s nostrils flared in response. But I couldn’t determine if that facial tell was in reply to Calina’s initial boldness or the way she’d lowered her gaze.

Interesting, I thought. Hazel’s allegiance had always been unknown, the blonde female tending to keep to herself and mind her own region rather than engage in Blood Alliance politics.

“Jace,” she greeted.

“Hazel,” I returned, my lips curling in false welcome. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your call?”

“Cam.” The name from her lips wiped the smile right off my face. “Yeah, I thought you might react that way. He suggested I ring you to discuss a weapon that rendered him useless for over a century. Something about it being used on Ryder as well?”

I gaped at her. “You spoke to Cam?”

“You don’t seem very surprised that he’s alive,” she replied, her blonde eyebrow inching upward. “That’s interesting.”

“I find it more interesting that you’ve seen him,” I countered, not bothering to comment on my lack of surprise.

We’d reached the endgame in this political match.

No point in wasting time on feigning shock over something so trivial now.

Besides, it seemed Hazel wanted to get right to the heart of the conversation. I wasn’t about to distract her from it. She clearly had worthwhile information to share.

“I saw a virtual version of him,” she clarified. “I wasn’t sure if he was real or not, but Deirdre just called to confirm that it’s him. He and Ismerelda are now in Deirdre City. Which means his claims might be true, and as he suggested I reach out to you…” She trailed off.

“Cam asked you to call me?”Why didn’t he call me himself?

“Yes, to confirm his comments regarding Lilith’s weapon. He said you’re more eloquent than Ryder.”

Damien grunted at that, causing Hazel to glance around, searching for the sound.

“So you called me instead of Ryder.” I voiced it not as a question but as a statement. Ryder would have mentioned Hazel reaching out to him.

Assuming he’d even answered the phone, anyway.

He probably would have sent her to Damien or ignored her entirely.

His little presentation of Lilith’s severed head a few weeks ago had earned him a myriad of phone calls. Most of which he’d declined.

“Yes,” Hazel said. “But I waited until someone I trusted verified Cam’s existence. Now that I know he’s really alive, I’d like some answers.”

“Hmm.” I looked beyond the screen to Damien. “Should I invite Ryder into this discussion?”

Damien’s dimples flashed. “My maker certainly does have a flair foreloquentintroductions; I’ll give him that.”