The translation wasn’t complete, which I suppose is bound to happen when the original manuscript was written on parchment scrolls or whatever, but something happened right around the time they were nailing God’s son (or Sun, depending on your beliefs) to the cross. The files were annoyingly short on details, but the Alphas both died suddenly at a young age with no children. In fact, from what I could understand, a large portion of Shifters died around that time, leaving only a few male Shifters and a Seer in the Alpha Pack. After that change of leadership there was a period of about five years that a very young Female Shifter took the Alpha position, but then the daughter of the Seer who originally filled the role was listed as Alpha. From then on, it was all Seers all the time, and the number of female Shifters listed in the records dropped dramatically.

Two thousand years. It was a span of time I couldn’t really wrap my head around. How many had to know what was going on? How many turned a blind eye? How many willingly participated?

I wanted to think the number was small. I needed to. I may not be the fountain of happy thoughts and kumbaya Talley is, but I had to believe in humanity at least enough to think most people wouldn’t allow this sort of thing to happen over and over again for so long.

I grabbed the phone Michelle left tucked into the bag and scrolled through the pre-programmed numbers.

“Hello?”

“Mrs. Rachel, it’s Scout.”

I heard the sound of footsteps, and then a door closing. “What is it? Has something happened?”

“No, nothing has happened. I’m fine. I just…” How to ask? “I was wondering how you found out about what was happening with the female Shifters.”

“I see.” There was scraping noise, probably a chair being pulled out. “You’re wondering how they pulled it off for so long. How deep the corruption runs.”

“Yes.”

“It is not as bad nor as good as you think.” I didn’t bother telling her she had no idea what I was thinking. “It is not as if everyone in the Den knows what is going on, and I believe most of the Alpha Males, if not all, have been kept in the dark.”

“So, Stefan could actually be innocent in all this?”

“Stefan killed my niece and her husband, and then spent a considerable amount of effort tracking down my nephews so he could do the same to them. And, if I’m not mistaken, he tried to cut your head off.”

“Okay, maybe ‘innocent’ was a bit generous.”

“You meant to say that he is not involved with the genocide of female Shifters, which I believe may or may not be the case. I simply know that he was not among those aware when I left the Den.”

“Who was aware?”

“The Alpha Female and the girl she was grooming to be her replacement, Alexandria.”

Wait. Alex and Liam’s mom was going to be the Alpha? “I thought you were the potential Alpha.”

A soft chuckle. “That was many, many years ago. I had already been passed over and was beginning to train as a Bibliothecary, although I hadn’t really planned on moving off and using the knowledge. It was simply a way to fill my days. But then Alexandria came to me. She said the Alpha Female took her aside and told her the story of Lilith, the demon who seeks to eliminate Seers from the face of the earth. According to her, every generation Lilith is born into the form of a female Shifter, who are in and of themselves an abomination. In order to protect Seers, and the world, the Alpha Female must ensure no female Shifter is allowed to come of age. It was a compelling story, one I’m almost positive she believed, but Alexandria struggled. She came to me, asked me to See the truth in what was being said.” There was a brief stretch of silence on the line. “She and I both left the Den by the end of the month. By the end of the year, Alexandria had begun to put things into motion that would become this insurgence you have joined.”

My chest was tight, and my stomach queasy. I felt like curling up into a little ball and crying, but I couldn’t figure out what was causing this almost-panic-attack. Something wasn’t sitting right with my subconscious, but for the life of my consciousness, I couldn’t figure out what it was. Luckily, Rachel knew.

“You’re questioning what you’re going to do. You worry you’re going to be spilling innocent blood.”

Yes. That was it exactly.

“Liam said Sarvarna believes she’s doing the right thing. This is what he meant, isn’t it? She honestly thinks I’m an evil being bent on Seer genocide.”

“Does that change what she has done? The deaths she has condoned?” I laid my head on the pillow. It suddenly seemed too heavy. “You’ve spoken with her, seen how she treats others. Do you really think the truth will change her actions? Do you honestly believe she will allow anyone who might take her power away from her to live?”

“What about the Stratego and Taxiarho? They’re not evil.” I knew from all those hours I spent locked in a basement with them. Sure, they held guns to my head and led me to death, and I did have to kill one just to stay alive, but they were just people. In any other circumstance, I might have considered some of them friends. Was it their fault they worked for a corrupted system? Did they even know? “Some of them will die, some of them already have, because of me.”

“No, they will die because this is a war, and innocents always die in war.”

Chapter 26

Liam was standing in front of the stove when I finally came out of my exhaustion-induced hibernation and ventured out of my room.

“I know it’s technically supper time, but breakfast just sounded better,” he said without turning towards me.

“Sounds great.” And it smelled even better. I walked past the toaster just as two pieces of bread jumped out. I grabbed a butter knife and tub of margarine and started in on one of the few culinary tasks I was ever allowed to do at home. “Liam, we need to talk.”

I was expecting an exasperated sigh or annoyed glare, but instead I got no response.

Zero.

None.

Nada.

“I’m not this Lilith person.”

“Rachel said you are, and she Sees truth.” Stoic Liam was stoic.

“My great-great-grandfather was Reginald Armstrong, a Shifter.” Still nothing. “I think I was born with Shifter genes, but they didn’t become active until Jase gave me blood after the accident.” And still nothing. “See? There is an actual reason I can Change. No personification of the moon or offspring of deity. I’m just a normal girl with some abnormal genetics.”