Chapter 113

CLAUDIA. I freeze in my spot, watching as Kiernan tries to calm himself down. I can almost see all his thoughts wrestling each other in his head. The jealousy, the pain, the desire to still be sane. The hint of insanity is stealing over him though, casting a shadow on his light like an eclipse. Meanwhile, I’m trying to back away from him, rationalizing the things he just said. Sure, he mentioned the Great Leader in the context of being jealous that I met him. That doesn’t mean he’s the traitor, right? That could mean many things. Maybe he’s just tired of being the one who gets left in the palace when important things happen. It’s denial. I know it is. But I have to do something to slow him down. Or at least, try to get more details out of him before the worst of it comes. “Why do you want to meet the Great Leader?” I ask in a low voice. “Why did you want to come there instead of me?” Kiernan’s eyebrows burrow as he sinks deeper into his thoughts. “I… I am the one who made him poss