Big thanks to Traveller07, and to BloodyCherry07 and my dear Guest for their lovely reviews ! Love you !
And here is the 21st chapter, entitled Poison after Nicole Scherzinger's song, which I find incredibly lively and rousing.
Enjoy your reading ! :)
Chapter XXI : Poison
I had never spent a night like that. Going down the roof, in the elevator, then entering in his room without pulling our lips away, without pulling our bodies away from each other. The way we just lied, totally stuck together, his hands pulling me closer to him, mine grabbing his thick shoulders and pressing me even more against him - as if my life was depending on it - his animal gestures and my possessed behavior. And above all, the way it came, and how we burst into flames...
I woke up with my head comfortably lying on a pillow scented with his perfume. I buried my face in it, and deeply breathed in. God I loved that Eric fragrance.
I then openned my eyes, as I felt observed.
"You're so cute" Eric declared, while gazing at me. He was leaning on his elbow, his face a few inches from mine... So hot. I felt myself blush when almost marvelling at his naked torso, offering me a full sight of his huge tatooes. He poked my cheek. I thus stuck my tongue out at him.
"Did you look at yourself ?!" I mocked. He smiled, and covered us with the blanket, so that we were both underneath it. He stroked my cheek with his soft and warm hand, bringing my lips to his and kissing them tenderly. I cuddled against him, my head leaning on his muscled shirtless chest, and my leg wrapped around his. He passed his hands in my hair, and kissed the top of my head.
"I don't want to get up" he grumbled, while pressing my body against his. We were both in undies, so I could feel the soft warmth of his body, which was really comforting... and exciting.
"Neither do I" I sighed "But we have to !" I put the blanket away, and sat up. He spread his body across the bed while stroking my back.
"How can you resist ? I fucking can't !" he laughed while catching me and hugging me back against him.
"Come on, your initiates are waiting for you !" I tried to help him, even if I didn't feel either like getting up. I jumped off of the bed, and grabbed my clothes.
"You can have a shower here, if you want" he told me. I nodded and thanked him. When entering the cubicle, I surprised myself remembering yesterday... That was just so incredible. I had passed the night with Eric, and I had actually loved it. My mixed feelings had vanished, and I had totally given up to my instinct.
When I came back in the room, Eric had fallen back asleep in the bed. I came closer, and gazed at him. Before that night, I would have looked at him with disgust or aversion, but now I was truly in ecstasy when coming near him. He was looking so hot, lying in his bed almost totally nude, with his tatooes and his piercings... I sat next to him, and made my fingers run on his brawny chest, until I reached his face. I dropped a kiss on his forehead. He then openned his eyes and smiled at me.
"Get up ! Four can't deal with the initiates all alone" I told him. He sat up, lowering his eyes. His smile had vanished. I was about to ask him if there was something wrong, when he cleared his throat and explained :
"I'm not going with the iniates today" he reluctanctly admitted.
"Where are you going ?" I asked, out of curiosity.
"I... I have a meeting with Jeanine... About divergents' hunting" he declared. A blank followed his last words. That was definitely our hot potato. I stood up.
"Eric, are you seriously going on torturing people in order to obtain information ?" I got angry.
"I told you. I have to take my revenge over them" he coldly replied, while standing up and grabbing his clothes.
"You're so stubborn. Can't you understand that they aren't all like that ? Some are being hunt down, while they haven't done anything, they're innocent, could you bear... " I was almost shouting when he interupted me.
"Do I have to recall you that you still haven't told me their names ?" he got angered too "I could make you questionned a second time, in fact, I think that it would be a good idea, since you seem to know some of them very closely"
"I... I... " I was indignant. We were looking daggers at each other. So he was still the same ruthless freak.
"Don't listen to them, they will turn against you. And trust me, they will" he said. I grasped my scarf, and violently openned the door.
"I can't stand that anymore !" I slammed the door, not letting him time to add anything. I dashed in the corridors, so that he wouldn't follow me. I hated him. I hated that punk. He couldn't change, and he would never change. Why did I fall in his trap last night ? ... I was feeling terribly ashamed. How could I have trust him, even for a mere small night ? But that was over. He had got what he wanted from me, he had won once. But there won't be another time. I had been weak, but that was over. I was fed up with that poisonous dude. I headed for the dining hall, where I hoped to find Tris and to take my mind off it. Tris will probably have something to tell me. Yet, after sweeping the room, I hadn't seen her. Where was she ? Maybe still at the showers. I glimpsed at my brother, who was speaking with Maggie. I petrified myself. Maggie seemed on the verge of crying, and they seem to be having a serious conversation. Did Bart know why Maggie decided to break up with our family ? They seperated, and she ran away. Bart sighed, and realized I was staring at him. He came to see me.
"Hey, well slept ?" he said, smiling at me.
"What did you talk about ?" I asked, not even answering his question.
"Er... " he hesitated.
"Come on, tell me" I almost ordered.
"About the reason why she left and never looked back" he admitted. I lifted an eyebrow, meaning I wanted him to continue and to explain me accurently what they had been telling each other "I'd prefer that you learn it from her. It's up to her to choose if she wants you to know or not"
"So now she's your sister again, but not mine ?" I hurled.
"Calm down, it's just... It's a bit harsh to say... " he continued, a bit confused.
"Tell me, I think I deserve to know" I insisted. I was about to lock out a mystery that had torn our family apart a couple of years ago.
"Let's talk in the corridor, it will be less noisy" he suggested. I followed him, until we reached a good place to talk.
"I'm listening" I said.
"Well... You know, mom died 10 years ago... " he began. Recalling our mom had always been something difficult for us, but it was something we had to deal with.
"Yes" I nodded. How could I forget that ?
"... It's not easy to say"
"Come on, Bart !" I nearly begged him.
"Mom didn't die the way you think she did" he admitted.
"W... What ?" I astonished, stepping backwards.
"It was much more difficult. In fact, mom has been assassinated" he deadly declared. I fell on my knees. That didn't make any sense... Mom died in an explosion near the Erudite laboratory... And why would dad have cancealed it to us ? And what was the link with Maggie ?
"W... What happened ?" I asked.
"A decade ago, another divergents hunt was in full swing. And for a reason we don't really know, mom knew you and Christian were divergent. That's partially the reason why she got involved in the Résistance, an underground movement leading actions against the hunt's leaders. She was rather poweful, and had even been struggling with the Abnegation leader Marcus Eaton, against the Erudite leader Jeanine Matthews... Well until she got murdered in the Erudite quarters"
"... Why cancealing it ?" I questionned.
"Dad didn't want us to know about divergents, and didn't want us to take revenge... And I think that mom would have wanted the same. That's why dad didn't tell any of us about it, until Maggie's 15th year... "
"The year when she started acting differently... " I realized.
"I was 18, dad decided to tell me about it because he couldn't bear the burden of this secret alone any longer... And Maggie heard it. It was a great shock for her. And she decided to take revenge... That's why her aptitude test was Dauntless. And that's why she went to Dauntless, to become stronger... When time comes, she'll avenge mom"
"But... Why ignoring us ?" I didn't understand.
"She hated our father for cancealing the truth to us, and couldn't understand it was for our own good. And when she understood that Christian and you would remain in Essential, she felt terribly alone, knowing that she would have to lead that fight on her own... " he explained.
"So... What were you talking about earlier ?" I remembered.
"I was trying to talk her into giving up her idea of revenge. I told her what happened to Christian"
"You... You told her he's... " I meant divergent.
"No I didn't. She's not very stable, she may act very impulsively" he reassured me. I eventually breathed out loudly. What a story... To think that our mother had been assassinated... To think that those divergents' hunts were so dreadful... To think that I could be a victim of it... That made me sick.
"About last time... I'm sorry Bart" I admitted. He grabbed my shoulders, and cuddled me against him, stroking my head.
"That's alright, I can't imagine how pertubated you can be with all those stories" he relieved me.
"Am I interupting a date ?" a deep voice barked. It was Eric. I pulled away from Bart.
"What do you want ?" I flinged.
"I fear we haven't finished our interrogation" he said, smirking at me. I was about to burst out of anger, when Bart put his hand on my shoulder to calm me down.
"I fear that you may damage her brain, if you do it again" Bart warned Eric.
"Who are you to talk like an Erudite, you ashy ?" Eric challenged him. He looked like a bull, about to charge on Bart. But my brother remained as cool as a cucumber.
"I'm Bartholomew, one of the five Essential junior leaders" Bart presented himself.
"Junior leader ? What's that stuff ?" Eric laughed at him "Well, since you seem to know pretty important people, why not questionning you, in stead of her ? So we will know how much she's important for you, would you do that for her ?" Bart frowned.
"I have nothing to canceal" he firmly confirmed.
"Good... " Eric declared before looking back at me "I haven't forgotten you, I'll be back" And then he left, as suddenly as he interupted us.
"That guy is stinking jealous" Bart admitted. I would have laughed, if I wasn't getting panic-stricken.
"B... B... But why Bart ? You know way to much ! You know everything about everyone !" I exclaimed.
"Don't worry... I have an idea" he reassured me "But I just hope your boyfriend won't kill me until that"
"He's not my boyfriend" I sighed. I swear, that if something bad happens to Bart because of that punk, I wouldn't forgive either him or myself.
When Bart and I went back to dining hall, I swept the place for Maggie. But didn't find her. Yet, I glimpsed at Tris, who was discretely speaking with Four. She was wearing a male's sweatshirt, and had heavy dark rings under her eyes. She realized I was looking at her, so she put and end to her conversation with Four, and made me sign to come to see her. She apparently wanted to talk with me, without anyone else around. When I arrived by her, she grabbed my wrist and we headed for outside, our secret place where we were now used to talking and easing off.
"What happened to you ?" I worried.
"I... I have been attacked by Peter, Drew... And Al" she explained. I goggled.
"Al ? Isn't it your friend ?" I asked.
"That's the problem... He was my friend" she declared, choking back her tears. I put an hand on her shoulder.
"It's alright, you can cry, let go" I reassured her. She nodded, and burst in tears, putting her face in her hands. I decided to friendly hug her.
"He... He... He's such a coward" she stammered "They tried to throw me in the Chasm... "
"And what happened ? There were three of them, right ?" I asked.
"Four was passing by... He knocked them out and brought me to his apartment... " she stopped, sniffing. "There's a certain after-taste of déjà vu, don't you think ?" she joked, so as to relieve the tension in the atmosphere. I chuckled.
"Kind of" I smiled at her "So, he's going to protect you from now on ?"
"Yes, that's what he said when healing me... "
"That's a true decleration of love !" I laughed, when looking at her sweatshirt, I knew Four's.
"Well, we did kiss... so I guess we are kind of dating now... " she shyly admitted.
"Kind of ? That's great Tris ! Congratulations !" I took her back in my arms.
"And... " she timidly asked "What about you and Eric ?"
"Er... It's a bit... complicated" I smiled at her "Let's say... we have spent the night together, before quarelling one more time... "
"S... Seriously ?" she asked, gapping.
"But I don't think it might happen again !" I firmly assured. A gap followed my declaration. Tris suddenly looked back at me.
"There's something highly important I have to tell you !" she exclaimed "It's about divergents' hunting... "
"What is that ?" I asked, very curious about the piece of information she had.
"Erudite have been working on two serums. One of them is made to manipulate your mind, and to make you obey without even being aware of it. Four thinks that Erudite want to manipulate Dauntless, to make them soldiers and to do whatever they want with them to pressure Abnegation"
"Th... That's awful, but what has it to do with divergents ?"
"This serum doesn't work on divergents. But the most dreadful is the second one, it is a serum which little by little makes marks on divergents body, until the serum vanish from the blood. For instance, well according to Four, divergents should be easily recognizable because they would have brown or red marks on their faces"
"... How will they use the serums ?" I asked.
"I don't know. Four only told me about their existence, he doesn't know either when they'll try to implement it" she sighed. That was dreadful... If Tris or I were injected the serum... It would be definitely over for us.
"We have to be very careful... " I deadly said.
"Anyway, it's time for me to go on the fear simulation last evaluation. Four has given me some tips, so I shouldn't be noticed as divergent... Well, I hope so"
During the day, I had told Bart about the serums. He looked rather discouraged, but told me that if something like that should happen, that is to say, if the dauntless were sent to oppress Abnegation, Essential wouldn't remain neutral, and get involved in the conflict. That half-reassured me. Essential consisted of nearly 3/10 of the population enrolled in factions, whereas Erudite were 1/10, Candor 1/10, Amity 3/10, Abnegation 1/10 and Dauntless 1/10. Amity would probably not take part, so they would remain neutral. So Essential and Abnegation were on the whole more numerous, almost a half of the population whereas Erudite and Dauntless were only 2/10 of it. As for Candor, we didn't know which side they may choose, if a conflict was to break out.
But on the other hand, Erudite benefited from the technological power, and Dauntless from the strength. Abnegation would refuse to resort to violence and Essential couldn't fight alone, unorganized, and with a city to care for. But all of that was just hypothetical, and I hoped it would remain so.
This is the end of this chapter. Following one will be updated very soon.
As usual, I hope you guys have enjoyed it !
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