Phoenix's Lies

More To It Than Meets The Eye

River

I give Lo a look then, seeing the person she was with and recognising her brother Kylain, wondering for half a second where Lucas was. Until her words sink in. There's something about your mother that you need to know. It's about the files and the key, the Phoenix. About her involvement with Ivar. They echo around in my head along with what Nix and I found and what we discussed and I feel my head spin. What had Lo found and why come back from Vancouver now, especially with Connor already out for Nix and I's blood, never mind Mad's over the whole Connor-Lo-Mads triangle?

"What do you mean Lo?" Mads comes over from where he was standing with Nix and puts his arms around her, she sighs. "Please mi corazón, tell us. We need to know this if it'll keep the other two alive." She lets out a concerned sound but says little for a moment, resting her head on his shoulder. Kylain is oddly silent but I ignore that, looking at the couple in front of me.

Lo looks over at me. "The third alias, the one you don't know yet?" I nod, "That is your mother, your right. She was using that platform to message Ivar about the deal they made years ago, both before and after it involved you since she hired the Phoenix several times to do things she couldn't have traced back to her."

"My father?" I ask, knowing she understands what I mean. "He's supposed to be royalty yet we know nothing but a name. Why?"

Lo shrugs, her eyes on me. "Possibly, I know he had something to do with Hails' accident, she had traces of hemlock in her system when she died." Ash and Mads shoot her a look, Lo shrugs, "What I have a nose for getting where I shouldn't be." I swear I see Mads laugh then before the expression is gone. "But I did find that out."

I frown, glancing at Ash who's re-reading the file with Hail's accident report. "Why wasn't it mentioned before? Or more clearly?" He shows me again and I notice something that has me stiffening in shock, "What is it Riv?"

I shiver once, eyes on Ash. "the-the tattoo." When I say the word tattoo Nix's head snaps in my direction and I nod, motioning for him to come look. "It says the unidentified person had a black and silver tattoo on one arm. Just like the one you swore you saw part of on the arm of the person who took out my sister." I give Nix a pleading look. "Did you see anything else to make him..."

Nix offers me a sad smile. "No sorry Riv, I already told you that before. I saw a white coat and flashes of silver and black for the tattoo, not even sure what it was." He stops then, looking between me and Ash. "You think it's the same person who tampered with your sister's car and left the hemlock?" I share a look with Ash and the Nix. "You do, don't you? Both of you."

"The evidence is here," I show him the lines in the report and he sighs. I glance at Lo. "What did you mean my mother had ties to Ivar? About the key? The files?"

"The key was to a special place she had with some of the Spades members she talked to. I think Ivar was part of it since she kept logs of their talks." She motions to the laptop that Mads had drifted over to look at. "Those. The letters are between her and someone else. I think it's Ivar, could also be the Phoenix. But your beloved was right about the multiple voices Riv. I think your dad was part of it too. Both your biological and real one." I frown. "I think each one is on one side of the chats since your dad was asking about what the threads were about but it seemed to me when I first took a read of them that Izan is working with Ivar and your mother. To what end I don't know or if he's still involved but he was. The files are proof if we can figure out what they're saying. Did you get a read on them at all?"

I nod. "It refers to what happened with my mother and Ivar. About my biological father and his dealings with both my mother and someone else. Someone I think could be the Midnight Phoenix. About the adoption, and the cover-up of my mother and Izan. But also a link or links between the aliases."