Masquerade ✔

Chapter 46

Clara paced around Harrison's room. Everything that had just happened in the past few hours was settling in. She pressed a hand against her chest where the letters still lay. It was her only win of the night.

That, and managing to stay alive on the outside of an airship.

Mrs. Norrington. Harrison's parents. Clara stopped in her tracks. How was she supposed to tell him that his mother tried to murder her?

And then there was the fact that it wasn't even safe for the two of them to talk in his room at all. Anyone could be listening. But it was a risk she was going to have to take. What was the other option?

Clara sank to the floor next to Harrison's bed, so it blocked her from the view of the door. She leaning back against it. She simultaneously wanted him to come up right that instant and never wanted to talk to him about what happened at all. It was all just too much.

Clara stared at her bandaged hands. Then she clenched them into fists, letting the sting of the rope burn distract her from everything else that was going on.

She started as the door opened. "Clara?" Harrison's soft voice came into the room as it shut again.

On shaky legs, Clara stood up to face him. Harrison's mouth opened in shock when he saw her.

"Clara, what happened to you?" He rushed over to her and gently picked up her bandaged hands, turning them over to inspect them. He took in her flushed face, red eyes, messy hair, and shaking figure, and he seemed lost for words.

"Did Cadence send you up here?" Her throat was dry, but Clara kept her voice steady.

Harrison nodded. "People are heading home. Cadence found me and told me that you were up here. I figured with the evidence we need, but...Clara, you have to tell me what's going on. Why were you gone for so long?" He shook his head. "And we shouldn't even be talking here. We might be getting recorded."

"There's nowhere else we can go. I know it's a risk, but we don't have any other options."

"What do you mean, there's nowhere else? We can go to the platform."

"No, we can't." Clara tore her hands away from him and paced back and forth a few times. "Harrison, I have to tell you what happened. But you're not going to like what you hear."

Harrison slowly sat down on the edge of his bed. "I'm listening."

"The plan was going well," Clara began. "It might have worked." Without stopping, she told him the entire story, from finding the information they needed to getting discovered by Mrs. Norrington and all the events that happened outside of the ship.

Harrison sat stock still and deadly silent as she spoke.

They sat in deafening silence for what felt like a lifetime when Clara finished.

"No," Harrison said. He stared blankly ahead of him. "My mother would never do anything like that. I mean, I can see why she would protect my father. But murdering someone for him? Never."

Clara didn't say anything. He needed to come to terms with this on his own.

He got up and paced the room, occasionally mumbling something to himself. He stopped, and turned sharply toward Clara. "How could she?" he whispered. "How could they?" He covered his mouth with his hand. "I, I don't even know what to say, Clara. I'm so sorry."