Abeona is the name of an organization in Harlan Coben’s Shelter that helps children in trouble and draws Mickey’s attention.
Lizzy Sobek runs Abeona and when Ema asks Agent why he chose that particular butterfly to tattoo on her back, he says that it is the Abeona flower which is a protector spirit.
When Mickey hears the word Abeona for the first time, he mentions that it was the same non-profit that his parents used to work for. The butterfly is on the cover of his father’s favorite song, Shelter.
A sign of good fortune
Lizzy tells Mickey that she chose the name Abeona because it appeared to her at a significant time in her life. When she was helping several children escape the concentration camps in Nazi Germany, the butterflies appeared to her in the forest and guided her to safety.
She brought in Dylan Shakes after he was hurt by his father, and when Brad was locked in her house, she told him that he was destined to be a protector as well.
Ashley had a butterfly in her locker, and she was rescued by Brad and Abeona once before, although she was recaptured back then. When they rescue her from the club, they find out that Octoface is also a part of Abeona.
He tells Mickey that he knows Brad extremely well and even gives him a letter that Brad had sent a while ago. In the letter, Brad talks about wanting to leave Abeona to spend more time with his family, and Mickey believes that Lizzy had him killed to stop him.
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