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After meeting Sean, I'd run his face through our database and found a match with that footage. From there, I'd pieced together more details through unofficial channels, a contact at Interpol who owed me a favor, and a partially redacted police report that mentioned the name Eli Quinn. When I discovered Sean had arrived in New York shortly after the London incident, the connection became clear. Even with limited information, I could tell this was the event that had shaped him, turned him into the hunter I'd met.

“Federal agent,” I said quietly, meeting his gaze steadily.

“You looked into my past.” His voice carried an edge sharp enough to cut. “Went digging where you weren't invited.”

“It's what I do.” I kept my tone neutral, professional. “Found the case file. Listed as an unsolved homicide in London, five years ago.”

“Stop.” The word held warning, but also something else. Pain, maybe. Or fear. “Some doors shouldn't be opened, fed.”

“Doors like the ones Phoenix is trying to break through?” I pressed, knowing I was pushing dangerous ground. “Or doors like whatever happened that night in London?”

Sean's jaw tightened, and for a moment I thought he might throw me out. But Roxie chose that moment to climb into his lap, her presence seeming to ground him. His hand moved automatically to stroke her fur, the gesture almost unconscious.

“You really want to do this?” he asked finally, voice rough. “Want to dig up ghosts that should stay buried?”

“I want to understand.” I set my coffee aside, giving him my full attention. “Because whatever happened that night, it changed how you hunt. Changed how you trust.”

A bitter laugh escaped him. “Trust? That's what you think this is about?”

“Isn't it?” I met his gaze steadily. “You work alone, keep everyone at arm's length. Even Skye, who clearly cares about you, only gets so close.”

“And what makes you think you deserve closer?” There was challenge in his voice, but also something else. Something almost vulnerable.

“Because we're in this together now.” I gestured at the mess of research surrounding us.

Sean was quiet for a long moment, absently petting Roxie while he studied me. The silence stretched until I thought he wouldn't answer.

“I met him at Hallow, actually.” Sean's voice carried a distance I hadn't heard before. “Eli Quinn. Fresh recruit, full of ideas about how we could do things differently. Reform the old ways.” His laugh held no humor. “Should've been my first warning, yeah? Anyone wanting to change centuries of tradition.”

“What do you mean?”

“He thought like you.” Sean's eyes met mine, sharp with accusation. “Always looking for the grey areas, always wanting to understand the monsters instead of just killing them.” He shifted, dislodging Roxie who glared at him before stalking away. “Thought we could be better than just weapons. Thought we could make actual change.”

“And that's a bad thing?”

“It's a dead thing.” Sean stood abruptly, pacing like a caged predator. “We started small, questioning protocols, suggesting alternatives. Then we began running unofficial missions, trying to prove monsters could be reasoned with.”

“Like what I've been doing with CITD,” I said quietly.

“Exactly like that.” His voice cracked with sudden anger. “Playing both sides, thinking you know better than everyone who came before. Just like he did.”

I felt my own temper rise. “Maybe because some of us see there's more to this than just killing everything supernatural.”

“And how's that working out?” Sean rounded on me. “How many bodies have dropped while you try to understand things that just want to tear your throat out?”

“Better than leaving a trail of corpses without even trying to tell the difference!”

“There is no difference!” His accent thickened with emotion. “That's what Eli thought too. Right up until...” He cut himself off, hands clenched.

“Until what?” I pushed, knowing I was prodding dangerous ground.

“You want to know what happened?” Sean's voice dropped dangerously low. “Fine. We tracked this thing for weeks. Ancient, powerful, could pass for human better than anything we'd seen. But it was killing people, precisely, carefully, like it was studying them.”

“Aye, just like now. And Eli, brilliant, hopeful Eli, thought we could talk to it. Thought it was different because it was intelligent.” His laugh was bitter enough to cut. “He was right about that part. It was smart enough to play us perfectly.”

“What happened?” I asked, though part of me didn't want to know.

“We cornered it in this old church. All gothic architecture and fancy words about understanding each other.” Sean's hands were shaking slightly. “It seemed so reasonable. Talked about peace, about bridging worlds. Said all the right things.”