Page 98 of Code Name: Reaper
“Mama was not happy.” She smiled at Anna. “Not that it happened all at once.”
“My mother was the oldest, right?”
“Yes. Amelia was the firstborn, then Eleanor. Edgar and I are the youngest.”
“They’re twins,” Anna added.
We talked, sharing stories and filling gaps that had existed for decades. Anna told me about my mother’s childhood, how she’d always been the peacemaker among her four children. Polina shared memories of Katarina’s parents and how gentle Pavel had been despite his dangerous work.
When a woman—Mrs. Egger, as she was introduced—entered the room to say a dinner buffet had been laid out for anyone who was hungry, Lyra suggested everyone who wanted to should eat, then retire for the evening. “There will be time for more sharing tomorrow and in the days that follow,” she said, approaching me. “I hope you’ll consider staying here.”
“Thank you. I would like that very much.”
As Kingston and I walked out of the room together, hand in hand, I felt the weight of what had been lost. Underneath the joy of meeting the family I never knew existed was sorrow. Anna had buried her husband and three of her four children. Polina had lost her son and daughter-in-law. Neither Katarina nor I had the chance to truly know our parents. We were both the remnants of something that had been systematically destroyed.
After we’d eaten, Anna approached and I stood. She squeezed my hand one more time. “You will not disappear on me, will you? You will stay?”
“I’m not going anywhere,” I promised.
Katarina motioned to Kingston as we were walking out. “If you have a minute, I have a message to deliver.”
“Of course.” He held my hand tightly as she led us a few feet from the others.
“Dagger wanted me to let you know he’ll be in touch soon.”
“He’s all right?” I asked.
“He is. There were things both he and I, as well as other members of Minerva Protocol, had to do in order to ensure Eleanor’s and Mercury’s safety. For him, it meant making you believe his cover had been blown so he could go dark.”
I understood, as I was sure Kingston would. I’d done something similar when I left the villa in Montenegro, letting him and the rest of the coalition wonder if I was dead or alive. He had too when he resigned from the coalition and went dark himself in order to look for me.
As Kingstonand I headed to our room after thanking Katarina and saying good night, Lyra caught up with us and looked between him and me. “If you’d like, the three of us can meet tomorrow morning or whenever you’re ready. There’smore about the family, about why all this happened, and about Minerva you need to know.”
“I’d like that.” I hugged her after we ascended the stairs and were about to go in opposite directions. “And thank you for keeping me safe and for letting me know you cared about me, even though you couldn’t tell me who we were to each other.”
Her bottom lip trembled like mine so often did. “I love you, Charity. I hope you know how much.”
“I do, and I love you too.”
“Wouldyou like to read some of the book?” Reaper asked once we were in our suite.
“I should, but…”
“Too much?”
“For now, and I’m so tired.”
“Then, we’ll call it a night.”
Reaper and I made love, then fell asleep in each other’s arms. It was sweet, full of promise and relief. We’d come too close to losing our lives that making the connection, feeling our naked bodies joined together, had become as vital as breathing.
We foundLyra in the conservatory the following morning. She sat in a wicker chair surrounded by orchids and jasmine, staring out at the lake through floor-to-ceiling windows. The morning light made her look older than I remembered, or maybe it was grief aging her in real time.
“Good morning,” I said when Kingston and I walked in. “May we join you?”
She looked up, and I saw she’d been crying. “Please.”
Now that I knew to look for it, I could see my mother so clearly. At least from the few photos I’d seen until recently. How had I missed it before?
