Glorybringer AU ☆the fault in our stars☆

[37] Peril

✰Glory✰

When I come back home in a taxi, someone is waiting for me in the kitchen. 

Greatness.

She keeps staring at Secretkeeper, as if she can't help it. Moon seems to have noticed this, and kind of shields her mother protectively, a confused look on her face. Secretkeeper is frozen in place, her fingers barely touching the tea she probably intended to give Greatness. 

"Greatness," I say, surprised. I look back and forth between Greatness and Moon, wondering if they have some kind of history. But that's almost impossible. 

"Glory, I have something important to tell you. I— I must." She immediately stands up, her eyes fixed pointedly on me. She turns and looks at Moon one last time, as if unconsciously drawn to her, and finally focuses on me instead, deciding that what she must say to me is a little bit more important. It makes me curious. 

Grandmother is waiting for me, and she immediately comes to me, worried. She seems paler than ever, and I realize that I have been putting too much weight on her shoulders all this time. "Where have you been, Glory? You know you shouldn't be roaming around, child. You should be in bed getting some rest."

Resting doesn't stop me from dying, I want to tell her, but I know she deserves better from me. Grandmother deserves a better granddaughter than I would ever be. "I will, I promise. I slept a little at Deathbringer's house. I'm feeling fine." The truth is, my legs are shaking from tiredness. I can tell that Grandmother doesn't believe me. But she doesn't say anything, because she's afraid of stressing me. Or maybe she too knows, deep inside, that rest won't do much for me now. 

"I'll run away as soon as I had a minute of talk with her," assures Greatness' smooth voice, although Grandmother isn't convinced. "I just had to come and see her. Maybe it was too selfish of me."

Now I feel for sure: Greatness has something to say to me. Something very important. 

"Should we go to my room? I think I have to lie down a little," I offer, and Greatness nods. "Grandmother, this is Greatness, one of my friends from school."

"Glory should be getting rest, not visits," Grandmother starts to protest. 

"I'll kick her out of my room if I start to get tired," 

"It'll be a short meeting, ma'am," Greatness tells her. "I promise to not tire Glory." She isn't looking at me but staring at the floor. 

"Greatness-!" Secretkeeper gasps out. I turn to her in surprise, and I can tell Grandmother does, too. She has never sounded like that, for the many years I have known her. "After you talk." She chokes on her words, and her hands are shaking more than ever. "After that, will you come down and— let me explain— the thing you— you said—"

"If you want," Greatness replies carelessly, coldly. I am shocked at the tone of her voice. She nods to me. "You look tired, Glory, let's hurry to your room." 

When we reach my room, I immediately grab her. "Why is Secretkeeper acting like that in front of you?" 

She gently leads me to my bed, ignoring my question. "I came here to tell you something very important, something I swore to never tell you. But— I don't know, you don't seem to be in a good state, maybe I should come later..."

"Don't change the subject." I'm angry, staring at her in disbelief. "What did you say to Secretkeeper, Greatness? She's like my family, if you insulted her—"

The thing I see on Greatness' face angers me even more. It's pity. I know it better than anything— it's the face of someone that is keeping a secret from me, for my own good. Her expression mirrors Deathbringer's during all those months. "Glory, that's related to the thing that I must tell you."