Page 150 of Kingly Bitten

An undetermined amount of time passed. Hours, maybe. We discussed and reviewed several other items on the computer, all the while remaining otherwise undisturbed by whoever surveilled us from above.

Whoever it was wanted us to discover these files.

Or maybe we weren’t being watched at all.

We gave up caring, going through the files again, the logs, the surveillance, and then returning to our discussion of the infamous liege and who it might be.

As we started discussing some of the crueler ancients, such as Icarus and Nephthys, it became clear there could be a few potential culprits here. Even Fen was on the list because if anyone had cause to be angry, it was him and his lycan offspring.

However, one thing remained unclear to me.

“How did she wake them up?” There were ancient ceremonies required to rouse an old one from slumber. And it would have required willingness and agreement from multiple royal lines, including my own. “I’m positive my father would never give his blood or his permission for a ritual. And I sure as fuck didn’t.”

Darius appeared uneasy, his gaze shuttering. “No. But if Cam did, your line wouldn’t be needed.”

“He’d never do that.”

“He might do it for Ismerelda,” Darius pointed out softly, his gaze flicking to Juliet. His expression said,Something I would understand. Because he would do it for Juliet.

And from Ryder’s recounting of his conversation with Lilith, she knew about Izzy’s location.

Which meant she could have used that to threaten Cam.

“Shit.” I ran a hand over my face and jaw, considering that outcome. Cronus was the older brother, thereby marking him as slightly more powerful than my father. In theory, his bloodline could supersede my own.

I glanced at Calina, wondering if I would make a similar sacrifice for her. Only, her intense focus on the screen distracted me from my thoughts, mostly because hers were suddenly all I could hear.

She’d found the records regarding her birth.

While searching for information about Selene,I realized upon hearing the surprise in her thoughts.

Calina Selene, born March 17th,she read, the year twenty-two years prior to the revolution that had created our new world.Subject named by her mother.

Calina clicked the file pertaining to her mother, and my jaw nearly hit the floor.

Mira.

I gaped at Darius as he reacted to the face on the screen. “That’s not fucking possible,” he breathed.

However, as Calina continued to review the files, it became very clear that it wasn’t just possible, but true. There were videos, voice files, signatures, and ample other details that demonstrated not only Mira’s involvement but also her willingness to help.

And as Calina began to dig into Mira’s files, it became evident as towhyMira had helped.

Just as Calina’s name suddenly took on a whole new meaning.

“Mira is Selene’s daughter,” I whispered, awed by the revelation.

“How is that possible?” Darius asked. “Wouldn’t we have known? We didn’t meet Mira until, when, shortly before the revolution? Surely someone would know her or recognize her from before.”

I slowly shook my head. “It’s rumored that she chose eternal sleep instead of a life of solitude. Anyone she turned would be long dead by now, making her identity impossible to determine.”

“And she would have been asleep in the catacombs,” Darius said, leading us right back to our theory of Cam’s location.

“Precisely.” I palmed the back of my neck, blowing out a breath as I added, “She met Luka about two decades before the revolution. Shortly after Calina’s creation. She’s been part of this from the beginning.”

“But why?” Darius pressed. “Why would she do this?”

“To create immortal lycans,” Calina whispered, her focus still on the screen as she reviewed some sort of report. “I was the first successful test, which is why she gave me a name. However, it’s because of the immortal links I have to my father.” She opened a new report, displaying another familiar photo. “Lilith’sErosita.Michael.”