Page 171 of Cruelly Bitten

Is Cane still alive?

That last self-asked question had Cam internally wincing. He regretted not exploring more of the underground, for taking Michael at his word rather than questioning every detail of the operation.

Did I just leave my brother to a fate worse than death? Are his memories fried like mine?

His mind continued to whir with questions, yet outwardly he remained calm, even while Khalid started talking everyone through the graphic he’d pulled up on his screen.

“While I have you all silenced,” he began, “we’ll review some important numbers.”

Those numbers turned out to be a projected trend line for mortal life and when he predicted humans would officially go extinct.

“This was my statistical projection from a year into lycan and vampire reign,” he said after he finished explaining the drastic downward trend. “This is our actual trend line.” He pulled up another graphic that had me wincing.

However, Cam wasn’t shocked, his mind telling me that Lilith had projected similar timelines.

The other vampires in the room also didn’t seem to be reacting, something Khalid noted with a smile as he said, “But you all already know this. At least according to Cedric.”

“Damien has charted similar trends,” Cedric replied, his near-black eyes going to my twin. “Your graphs are more legible than Khalid’s.”

Damien arched a brow at Cedric. “You’ve seen them?”

“I’ve seen them,” Cedric echoed, causing my brother’s gaze to narrow.

“When?”

“Here and there,” Cedric answered vaguely. “Your security is impressive, by the way. A proper challenge. Thanks for that.”

Khalid grinned. “Yes, Cedric was very impressed, if a little irritated by it all. Fortunately, Kylan removed the primary obstacle in his path—Silvano’s head—thus creating an easier entry for Cedric when Ryder took over Silvano Region.”

“There are a lot of back doors in Silvano’s programming. Perhaps I’ll elaborate in the future,” Cedric added cryptically.

My brother studied him, a hint of respect brewing in his golden irises. While I didn’t know much about Cedric, I knew the two of them were familiar with one another. They weren’t exactly friends so much as allies who occasionally worked together.

It seemed Cedric had been spying on Damien, though. Which suggested he might be privy to a lot of important information—information Damien had thought he was safeguarding for Ryder, Jace, and the others.

“I tasked him with keeping an eye on your little rebellion for me,” Khalid added. “I needed to know when it would be appropriate to reach out. However, Cam’s appearance escalatedmy timetable slightly.” He looked at Ryder. “As did your work with Lilith.” His focus went to Jace. “And yours with Lajos.”

“While we appreciate the compliments, I would much prefer to learn why you were spying on us and what your intentions are with yourslayers,” Jace replied, a hint of steel underlining his tone.

Jace rarely expressed anger or demands, his easygoing nature one of his popular traits.

But he was all business now, his icy irises brimming with barely restrained power.

Approval radiated from Cam’s mind, his thoughts mirroring his cousin’s. Outwardly, however, he didn’t show any reaction. He merely observed while keeping his arm loose along the back of my chair, his thumb gently tracing my shoulder and upper tricep.

Khalid nodded. “Yes, I’m getting there.” He pulled up an aerial perspective of a city, the graphs disappearing completely. “This is Dubai, or Khalid City, as it’s known today. But within my region, we call it Blood City. And this is a live feed.”

He tapped on the screen to zoom in, the streets coming into view from what I assumed were building security cameras. Or perhaps he had another type of technology that none of us knew about. It was hard to say because everything on the screen looked unreal.

Primarily because the streets were bustling.

During daylight.

“It’s only eight in the morning,” Khalid murmured. “But as you know, that’s usually when vampires retire.” He clicked on a set of building doors across the street, the camera moving along with him to enter.

“What kind of technology is this?” Damien asked.

“Hmm,” Khalid hummed. “Play nice with Cedric and maybe he’ll explain it later.” He moved the cursor up a set of stairsand into a lobby, then toward what appeared to be a restaurant. “Late-morning snacks,” he said. “But perhaps not the kind you’re used to?”