Page 375 of Lodestar

“How did it happen? Dad would never tell me and when I was old enough to go looking for details, I was stonewalled.”

He tipped up his chin. “That was my doing.”

Around us, the flight attendants prompted us to prepare for take-off, but even the flight’s departure didn’t stop our discussion.

“Why?”

“It was a file filled with lies. I’d rather there be a question mark over her death if anyone went hunting for answers than those miserable falsehoods marking the so-called truth of her passing.”

“What happened?”

He rubbed his forehead. “You know of Dagda’s skill. It was fast. It was lethal. It was from a distance. One minute she was strolling down a street, the next she was bleeding out on it. Simple. Tragic. It happens to too many in your country and, that day, my daughter became another statistic.” He released a sharp breath. “I attended her funeral, as did Aleks. We did not make ourselves known.”

“Why not? Did you not think I needed you?”

“What could we bring to you but more death and intrigue? If we withdrew, you had the chance at a normal childhood. We had no way of knowing that you’d seek answers until it led you down the rabbit hole we inhabit.” He studied me. “Your fathernevertold you the details of her passing?”

“No. He wouldn’t talk about it. At all. Would just say she died of ‘shortness of breath.’”

His brow furrowed. “An unusual turn of phrase.”

“Dad thought he was a poet.”

“He was in the music industry,” Conor rumbled.

Though my eyes were red from crying, his words had me rolling them. “If you say so.”

“Did he know who she was?”

“He knew she was in the CIA. I don’t think he knew about the Brothers. He wouldn’t have been able to keep it out of his music.” I arched a brow at Conor. “We have our residentnoxxiousexpert in the house. Any mention of secret societies in his lyrics?”

“No. He did refer to the CIA and your mom though. ‘In the shadows, she hides, alphabets keeping me safe, but no one can save me from her.’That was in ‘Fractious.’”

“Before she died?” At his nod, I mumbled, “See? He couldn’t keep anything a secret.”

“But he kept the truth of her death from you,” Anton pointed out.

“He was heartbroken. For the next year, he was either stoned or drunk. Everything changed when she died. Everything.”

“I’m sorry, child.”

I sucked in a breath. “Me too.”

“Is that why Temperance was on me when Riggs called me into Langley?” Conor asked softly.

The abruptness of the question had me blinking, but Anton merely drawled, “You’re talking about Reinier’s kidnapping?”

“Yes.”

“Operation: Eagle’s Claw is a genuine project, but I learned of a leak that led Reinier to suspect you were friendly with Star. I’ve been waiting for a long time for his tangled webs to strangle him.”

Conor frowned. “I’d like a name.”

“Priestley O’Reilly.”

When his lips pursed, Anton asked, “You know who that is?”

“The wife of a Five Pointer who was turned by the Sparrows. We were close friends once upon a time.”

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