Thank you SO SO SO much to everyone who texted and messaged me about being sick. I'm FINALLY feeling better but it took the entire two weeks before it went away. I can't remember ever feeling so gross in my life!

Anyways, thank you so much to Bamberlee for editing this chapter.

Major thanks to those who took the time to review the last chapter. Hello to those who just started reading after catching up on The Training and The Initiation! To those who asked, I had only planned on five or so more chapters to the story, but we'll see where it ends up.

Happy reading and enjoy your weekend!

There's a moment of silence, then chaos, as my words sink in.

It's different than what I'm expecting. My father's rage is put on hold as he cracks the barest of pleased smirks, my mother bursts out laughing despite her previous unhappy grimace. Somewhere behind her, Four's gaze grows distant as he remembers his own bitter defeat at the games - not once but twice-and he shuts his eyes. To the side of him, Rylan freezes in place, cocking his head as he waits to hear how I pulled this off.

Even my grandmother looks interested.

After all, in the midst of nearly being murdered and announcing I'd run into Blythe, I hadn't even had the chance to tell Rylan I had the flag.

"You won the War Games?" My father is the only one to speak. He steps forward, his boots thudding over the brand new wooden floors of my grandparent's home, and his shoulders relax a fraction of an inch. "The whole thing?"

"Yeah, I was trying to find Rylan to show him the flag. Actually, I still have it." I smile brightly, even though that last part is a lie. I'd left my jacket and the flag back in the barn, but confessing that important detail would force me to explain why my jacket was off.

"How did you win, Eva?"

My father stares at me curiously, and I can see his mind whirling as he tries to figure out the odds. It wasn't impossible to think I'd have won, but there was a much larger chance the boys would have been stronger or faster. Given the fact that half my team had been made up of initiates who were not the strongest or fastest, my win could seem unlikely or downright suspicious.

Which, if he decides to keep prying, he will realize it is.

Regardless, my plan of not telling him about Blythe works. He seems to forget all about the activity that brought him here as he glances back at Rylan, then me.

"Rylan said it was girls versus boys this time around." He looks proud when I nod, and his grin grows wider. "This is certainly an impressive win. It's unfortunate that what followed was Jeremy. I'd like to hear how you managed to pull it off. That's much better news than what we came here for."

He finishes speaking with a dismissive shrug, playing off the fact that he had looked livid moments ago.

I imagine he had been sitting in his office in Dauntless, approving or declining someone's proposal when the news came he was needed in Amity. I could imagine the weary expression he'd thrown them, and the exact way it would slide into pure, slow horror when they told him what was going on and why he was needed.

I can only further imagine he grabbed my mother, drove here as fast as he could, and arrived in time to discover that not only had I been attacked, it was planned. There was a vial of something meant for me, and someone else lurking in the woods, maybe hoping they'd get a shot at me if the first guy failed, and it was most definitely not just a case of the factionless being bored.

At least my win seemed to soothe some of that.

"Do you really want me to tell you? Or can we just celebrate that I was smarter than the other team?" I ask innocently, and behind me, Adam sighs.

Heavily.

"Because it's a really uninteresting story," I shake my head, and I realize I'm freezing. My jacket was doing me no good in the barn, and once Adam had let go of me, the air had turned cold. "A really…long…uninteresting…story. Just know that I won. That's enough. I get a prize or something, right?"

"I think both Four and I would find it interesting, wouldn't you Four?"

My father stops in front of me, dressed like he's come for battle, but he smiles when Four groans.

"Eric, I don't need to hear how she won. Just…congratulations Eva. Now, let's focus on why we're all here and the fact that we need to get back to Dauntless." Four throws me a very pained expression, kinda like the one at the breakfast he crashed when he learned Adam and I were doing a little more than talking.

But I gratefully accept his words, because I'm not really about to tell any of them what happened or how my win was achieved.

"Adam, we should talk before we head back. I need your version of the events as you saw them." Four keeps talking, and he looks just as unhappy as earlier. "How did you know where Eva was? We only got word that Rylan had let the class loose in the forest, and the attack on Eva was planned."

Before Adam can say anything, the room falls silent as my grandfather shows up. He arrives with a few men from his makeshift army, and they stop in the middle of the living room. He winks at me, then announces that lunch is ready, and he would find it incredibly rude for my class to not show up after all the hard work his faction has put into making lunch.

"Harrison, we really should get them back. Eva and Adam were attacked by a former member of Dauntless. I don't think we should be spending any more time here. Especially when the entire class is still running around." Four tries to be logical, but it goes over as well as one would expect.

My grandpa turns to stare at him, slowly, and he shakes his head.

"Maybe you didn't hear me. We have been working all morning to prepare lunch. If you choose not to join us, and you take the class home, then I will accept that as your formal announcement that we are at war. You, Fourteen, against the Amity faction. Mark my words, number man, that is a war you will lose. They've been looking forward to shooting you since the Leadership Dinner."

He's also met with silence.

"I'm not waging a war, I'm just suggesting the class return to Dauntless. And really? You want to shoot me? No one finds this a little…forward?" Four looks around wildly, waiting for someone to back him up, but no does. My mother and grandmother are quietly talking, my father is still trying to figure out how I won the War Games, and only Rylan is actually listening to Four.

He makes a face, probably at the thought of returning to Dauntless, and shakes his head.

"Calm down, Four. If someone was going to shoot you, they'd have done it earlier. I can round the class up. Eric, you talk with Eva and Adam, get their side of the attack. Four can help me find everyone still outside. Everything will be fine. I think the least we could do is eat Harrison's lunch." Rylan suggests, and he moves hastily. He grabs Four by the arm and pulls him out of the house, only slowing down to yell for my father to save him a seat.

"We'll talk on the walk over." My father looks back at me, and our eyes meet. It's clear he expects me to tell him everything, including the part about Blythe. I'm not afraid to tell him that I saw her, but for the first time in my entire life, I have a feeling he's going to be mad at me.

Really mad.

Winner of the War Games or not.

I'm right.

"You saw Blythe and you didn't think you should tell me?"

My father stares at me from a few feet away, and my mother walks between us. He's a safe distance from me, which is great considering he looks angrier than I've ever seen him. His jaw is clenched so tightly that it would prove impossible for him to drink any of the things my grandmother had brought him, and he keeps looking down at his phone as though he might smash the thing into pieces.

"Evangelina Coulter…"

He says my name warningly, not pleased to have been met with my silence, and I try not to look right at him.

I had thought my announcement of winning the War Games would have distracted him from the anger I knew was coming. Somewhere, in the very far back of my mind, I also knew keeping quiet about Blythe wasn't smart. There was probably a reason why no one spoke about her, and an even bigger reason why I had never met her. The look on her face when she saw me should have told me everything I needed to know. In turn, I should have been smarter, but telling my father this proves to be nearly impossible.

"EVA."

"Eric, knock it off. She almost died. She doesn't need you yelling at her about your mother."

I glance over at my mother, looking equally pissed off. She's not happy at all; she'd shown up my father in a blur of panic, and she'd only smiled when I announced I had won the War Games. Her smile was gone as quickly as it came, and things took a turn for the unpleasant when we left my grandparents. Adam left with my grandpa, but he had smiled at me. It was quick and sympathetic, because my father had zeroed right in on me, and even Adam knew it wasn't going to go over well.

"Yes, Everly, I'm aware she almost died." My father snarls the words at my mother, and she looks over at him in surprise. "In case you've forgotten, I'm the one who told you to come along with me."

I flinch at the sound of my father's voice, because in all of my eighteen years, I'd rarely heard him snap at her. Out of everyone in Dauntless, maybe the whole world, my mother was the only person he truly liked. I'd often heard how much he despised being separated from her, and he almost couldn't exist apart from her.

But now they both look pissed off, and surprisingly, it's at each other.

"You think this is her fault? Because she saw Blythe?" My mother crosses her arms over her chest, and she makes sure my father is looking at her. "I don't even understand how that's connected or why you'd think that. Because this isn't Eva's fault. It's not even Rylan's fault. You said yourself the trackers were faulty, that you had no proof of Jeremy's execution and you assumed Jack had handled it. Eva had nothing to do with any of that. They could have found any of them in the woods. He just lucked out that he found Eva when she was alone."

"I didn't say it was Eva's fault!" My father's eyes widen, and his protest isn't as sharp as his words from before. "Everly, I had Jack's word that Jeremy was taken care of. I took that to mean dead. There's no reason Jeremy should be alive. It's my fault for not following up but things just kept happening. I thought maybe someone else was keeping tabs on him. After you got shot…."

"You got shot?! When?" I turn to face my mother, and I wince when my head throbs. It wasn't even bleeding anymore, but it ached with the thought that not only did I almost die, but that someone wanted me dead. "Mom?"

"Yes, Eva I got shot. Like twenty years ago, in Erudite. I got shot while visiting Cara." My mother answers quickly, and she shakes her head as she dismisses the question any further. "So what do we do now? I keep trying to think of where is safe, and nowhere feels safe. I can't even take her back to Dauntless, because they both know how to get into Dauntless. You can't tell me if Peter is out there, he's going to let Jeremy tell you where he is. He's not stupid."

"Everly…" my father moves closer to my mother, and he stretches his neck to the side. His rage from earlier is replaced with a look of pure disappointment. "I'll fix this. I'll make sure Eva is safe. I'll make sure Jeremy is dead, and I'll make sure Dauntless is secure. They won't get to her, I promise you."

He looks at her pleadingly, and they both seem to forget that minutes ago, he was fuming that I hadn't told him about Blythe.

The connection is still lost on me.

"I will make sure no one hurts either of you."

"I'm not worried about me," my mother answers, and she still sounds angry. "If I see Jeremy, no, actually- when I see Jeremy, I'll shoot him myself. Again. No one tries to kill my daughter and gets away with it. And so help me God, if Peter is the one who was in the tree, then he better pray I don't find him. Because if I do, I will rip him limb by limb for even thinking of going after Eva. Or Adam."

She finishes speaking with a note of finality in her tone, and my father sighs. He reaches for her, taking her hands in his, and he pulls her closer to him.

"Everly…"

She shakes her head, wiggling away from him. She's angrier than I've ever seen her, and she practically stares him down until he raises an eyebrow at her. "Give me your gun. I'll go now. I can find him. I know these woods better than anyone. That asshole won't get far."

"Wait, you're going to go shoot someone? Who's Peter? Who's Jeremy? Why don't I know these people?" I stare at my parents, but they ignore me. "How is any of this connected to Blythe?"

"Oh, so you did see her?" My father finally looks at me, raising his eyebrow in my direction. "Now maybe you can tell me what happened?"

He's not mad anymore. I can tell from the look on his face that he genuinely isn't upset at me, but the situation. I have a feeling it's bigger than I'm thinking it is, and it's unlikely it'll be forgotten by the time lunch is over.

"Eric…" my mother says his name in the same tone as he said mine, and he relents. He holds both his hands up and lags a step behind. "Eva, did you really see her? Because…if you did…maybe that's why Jeremy showed up."

Great.

I was right.

In a way, this was my fault.

"Okay, so yes…I did see her. I saw her in Erudite. I went with Adam to this coffee shop and…I guess she was there. They said the name Coulter for one of the drinks and I thought it was mine, but it was hers. But she didn't tell me who she was. She didn't even say like, hey we're related. She just asked me what my name was, and then left to go find that guy."

"What guy?" My father asks, and my mother gives up being mad at him. Their fight seems to have lasted a whole ten seconds, because she reaches for his hands, and her expression has turned miserable. "Jeremy? Or Peter?"

"I don't know who Peter is, but Jeremy was there. He looked different in Erudite." I think back to him, smiling at me like he knew me, and the way his stare had lingered on me. "They talked to Adam for a minute. She asked if Adam and I were there together and they left right after. Adam said they didn't ask anything more than what my name was."

I look up at my dad, hoping this information will be enough to calm him down, but it's not. He's back to chewing on his cheek and looking at the sky.

"Dad?"

"It was Blythe. Part of her job requires, or at least used to require, that she works with those convicted by Jack in hopes of rehabilitating them if they'd been prosecuted for a minor offense. She was either assigned Jeremy for some idiotic reasoning by Jack or she happened to find him and things progressed from there. I have no doubt you ran into her, and no doubt she knew who you were."

"Why did no one ever tell me about her?" I ask carefully. "I mean, you don't call Camille Mom so…"

"He doesn't call Daniel Dad, either." My mother points out, and she frowns. "We don't talk about her because she and your father agreed to part ways years ago. I don't think anyone's seen her in years, and for good reason. Blythe is the worst person I think I've ever met. For someone to hold onto something for almost nineteen years is…there's something wrong with her."

"You really think she wants to hurt me?"

My stomach tightens when I ask this, because I'd naively thought she was fine. A little too uptight and standoffish considering we were related, but absolutely harmless. She looked too sophisticated to try and hurt someone, especially her own grandchild, and she looked more annoyed by my existence than anything. Not at all the violent psycho they were making her out to be.

"Don't let her fool you. She knows who you are." My father speaks angrily, and my mother looks up at him with a funny stare. "Everly? What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?! Of course, Blythe wants to hurt her! That's not a surprise. It's not even a surprise that she tried. I really think she could easily get to Eva if she wanted to. You and I both know this isn't over just because we got Jeremy."

My mother's tone is one I haven't heard before. It's stressed, almost like she's trying to keep her voice steady, and I notice my father slows down. He grasps her closer to him, until he can get both arms around her, and he bends his head down to rest on hers.

"Everly, so help me God, if she harms one hair on Eva's head, I'll kill her myself. I promise you."

My mother nods, but it's as convincing as Kat's apology from earlier. He mumbles something else to my mother, something I can't hear, and she keeps her head against him. Her eyes shut tightly, and I have the feeling this isn't going to go away as easily as I had thought.

"I'll meet you both at the Dome." I call out, and neither answer me. I keep walking when they don't move, and I decide I'll try to figure out a way to fix this. I figure I can ask Rylan to help me, or maybe Jason, and I'll fix my mistake.

Maybe I can find out what Blythe wants and stop all of it before it goes any further, and maybe, things will go back to normal and everyone will forget about this.

"Do you want some yams? You should have some. I heard they're good for you."

Rylan shoves himself into the tiny space between Pink and I, then he pushes her so she slides down the bench. She yelps as she nearly falls off, and she ignores the charming grin he throws her as an apology.

"No, I'm good, thanks." I take the bowl from Rylan and place it on the table, and I glance around the Dome as Rylan bends down to ask me what's safe to eat.

"Your guess is as good as mine," I answer quickly, but I'd been distracted since I walked in. I wasn't really hungry, and so far, I'd spent all of my time trying to figure out how long we'd be here.

I'd walked to the Dome alone, in total silence. I mulled over how I could get ahold of Blythe and if it would be worth it. From what my father said, she must have an office in Erudite, and if she had an office, then she had to have a phone. I could always call and try to talk with her, or maybe I could convince Rylan to go with me. Maybe if the two of us showed up she'd be forced to talk to us, and if she knew we were onto her, she'd agree to leave me alone.

"Rylan, I need your help."

I scoot closer to him, ignoring Adam's stare from a few tables away, and the flash of guilt that I should go sit by him or tell him to come over here. He's sitting with his father, and both share the same unhappy expression. Every so often, Four looks at him, and says something only Adam can hear. He shrugs him off, but eventually he answers, and his expression is annoyed. It only lessons when Jason sits down with them, and he hands them a plate of sandwiches made somewhere other than the kitchens.

"Anything. What's up?" Rylan turns to me, elbowing Pink as she tries to reclaim her seat. "You want a donut? I'll go get you one."

"No, I don't want a donut." I nudge him so he looks at me, and when he does, I wait until I can hold his stare. His eyes are wide with anticipation, and he doesn't blink. "I want you to take me to Erudite. I want to find Blythe. I'm going to tell her to knock all this off. That…I don't know why she'd want to kill me, but she can't, and everyone knows she sent Jeremy. We already have Jeremy and I think she should know he'll rat her out and it's better for everyone if she just stops."

Rylan stares, still unblinking.

"I would ask my dad, but he's really mad and he and my mom kept arguing on the walk over and…"

"Let me get this straight. You want…you want me, to take you, Eric's only daughter and my only and most precious goddaughter, to meet your father's estranged mother, so you can tell her to stop trying to kill you? And you think if we just show up and head into her office, that she'll agree? Did I get that right?" He stares, and while his words sound serious, they are heavy with something.

Mockery.

I scowl at him. "Rylan, I'm not joking. I saw her in Erudite, and now all of a sudden, this guy shows up and…"

"Eva Coulter, you are a very smart girl, but right now, you're pulling an Everly. I'm not taking you to get yourself killed. That is Karl's area, but he won't do it either, so don't even ask." Rylan shakes his head, and he pushes Pink back away from him. "Pink, there are plenty of seats over by Four. He looks like he could use a friend right now."

"I don't want to sit by Four! I want to sit by Eva! I haven't even had the chance to talk to her!" She answers him hotly, and she moves over to the other side of the bench. Pink sits down huffily, and she sighs in extreme exaggeration. "Rylan, is the game over? Everyone is saying Eva won."

"She did win! I haven't seen the flag yet myself, but Adam admitted she got it from him, and the game is officially over." He sounds proud, and he reaches for the bowl of salad. "We're returning to Dauntless after lunch. They're about to call an emergency security alert, so class will be put on hold for a few days. Or they'll just call it. You guys are almost done anyway."

"What do I get for winning?" I ask, picking at the plate that someone had set down before me. It's filled with all kinds of things, salad, pasta, fruit, a turkey sandwich, and what appears to be a muffin, but none of it looks appealing. "Can't you take me to Erudite as my prize?"

"No, and don't even think of going. If you think your father was annoying before, oh boy. Just wait till he finds out you want to go see Blythe in person. He'll probably have you move back home."

"I don't want to move back home," I glare at him, but none of this is surprising. "No one will tell me how this relates to Blythe. I thought she just seemed irritated to see me. Not like, let me kill you because you exist irritated."

"Nah, she'd kill you. She hates Everly with an unparalleled rage. Ever since she met her, she thinks Everly stole her precious son away from her. She can't figure out why Eric loves your mom so much, and she's let him know. Several times. You're just the unfortunate victim of her current rage."

"So she won't talk to me?" I stare at Rylan and he stares back at me. I remember the first time Rylan ever got in trouble for letting me do something, and how he'd grinned that it was worth it because we'd had fun.

I half hoped he'd throw me that same grin, and wink and we'd head to Erudite as soon as lunch was over, but he shakes his head, and flips Pink off without looking.

"Pink, go sit by Adam. He looks like he hates his life. Eva, no. She won't talk to you. What she will do, once she realizes she has you in Erudite, is either kill you there, or fuck with you until she can get the chance to kill you. If you knew the stuff she tried to pull with your mom, you'd be running far away from Blythe the second you laid eyes on her."

I keep waiting for him to crack a grin, but he's dead serious.

He doesn't smile and his shoulders rise up.

"And hey, listen. I promised your dad I'd watch out for you with my life. I'm partially at fault for taking you to Amity, so I will make that up to both you and him. Which most definitely does not mean taking you to Erudite to see Blythe. It means keeping you where you'll have twenty-four-hour surveillance, and a team watching you."

"Rylan, no…it's not your fault! It's…it's…I guess it's Blythe's."

My protest falls on deaf ears.

He shakes his head and his gaze flicks up to my grandfather, coming to a stop by our table. He smiles at me, and I realize he's surrounded by a dozen men. Some from Amity, some from Dauntless, all with serious looks on their faces.

"Rylan, we need you to come with us. Jeremy wants to talk to you."

"Cool. I love listening to people whine about their personal problems and how they've driven them to commit heinous acts of violence against everyone in the Dauntless faction. Let's hope he's more entertaining than Four's mom was."

Rylan stands up quickly, shoving his plate away from him and turns to me.

"You stay here. Do not, and I repeat, do not try to convince anyone to take you to Erudite. I know you're related to Everly and trust me when I tell you that I understand the idea sounds good. It probably feels good. Productive. Smart. Totally foolproof. Just do me a favor and ask your mother how well these plans turn out."

He leaves without giving me a chance to respond, but I don't have anything brilliant to say back. The more we talked about it, the clearer it became that Blythe wasn't the person I was thinking she was. She was sounding dangerous, sort of crazy even. It made it all the more terrifying to know that she was living and working in Erudite under the guise of being a functioning member of the faction, when really she was biding her time until she could get her revenge.

"What the fuck Eva! What's going on? What is he talking about? Why do you want to go to Erudite?" Pink takes her seat back, sliding close to me, and her eyes are wide. "Eva…you're bleeding! What happened? Are you okay?"

I don't know how to answer her.

She keeps asking questions, but my focus is elsewhere. Across the tables, Adam and I lock eyes, and I wait for him to smile. To silently reassure me all of this will be fine. In the morning, my dad will announce he's taken care of the threats, Blythe will either change her stance on hating the Coulter family or have vanished into thin air, and Adam and I will finally be left alone by every single person in the faction. I wait for the familiar grin, sort of smirky and all knowing, and usually only thrown in my direction.

Instead, he frowns.

My stomach tightens when he turns away from me, moving to thank the girl from Amity bringing him a drink, and he doesn't look back at me. He spends the rest of his lunch with his stare on his plate, and he eats without speaking to anyone. He doesn't look over at me at all, not even when Four finally leaves him alone, or Jason leans over to tell him something.

Not even when my parents finally show up to announce we're returning to Dauntless in the next half hour.

"Not you."

I glance up at my grandfather, his hair a mess but his expression fairly pleased, and he reaches for me. His hand finds my arm, and he pulls me back toward him and my grandmother, effectively preventing me from rejoining my class.

"What? What do you mean not me?" I stare in confusion, trying to wiggle away as Pink calls my name. Rachel is standing next to her, and she patiently waits for me to join them.

And I want to.

Despite my being attacked and the games ending in the worst way possible, it was announced we had won. Rylan had cheerfully gotten everyone's attention during lunch, declared my team the winners, and told everyone we'd be scored in the next few days. The win was what everyone on my team needed; they all looked proud and far more confident than they had on the train, especially those who weren't holding the highest ranks. Their smiles were wide and happy, having done their part to win and having it pay off.

Adam's team looked pretty miserable.

They avoided looking at me, and there were a few grumbles that the game was rigged.

He didn't look at me either.

"It's been decided you're staying here with me. I don't trust anyone in Dauntless to keep you safe." My grandfather answers loudly, and a few steps away, my father glares at him. "I've decided that until I have Peter, it's not safe for you to be on your own. Since Dauntless screwed up the hunt for him, you're safer here. Amity is my jurisdiction, and I will hold you as a witness to what happened until I feel it's secure enough for you to return."

"You're serious?" I push my hair out of my eyes, ignoring the dried blood and the sticky feeling it's left. "I'm not going back?"

"Harrison and I both agree this was handled poorly. However, I think you belong in Dauntless. You'd be safe there. Ultimately, Everly wants you to stay in Amity," my father snaps, and he crosses his arms over his chest. "I understand everyone's concerns, so I'll give you this. Harrison, you can ask her about Jeremy then bring her to Dauntless. She's not part of your investigation."

"Bullshit. She was attacked in the woods. That's my territory. So she'll stay with me until I've learned everything I need to know. It could take days, maybe weeks. Maybe a month." My grandpa answers him just as snappily, and he stares at my father. "You and I both know your men let Peter get away. I could have found him with my eyes shut until your rag tag team of soldiers showed up."

"Are you serious?" My father's expression darkens, and he steps closer, placing me in between him and my grandpa. "We aren't even sure it's Peter. It could be—"

"Oh cut the crap. We all know it's Peter helping him. You went on a spree of making anyone who crossed you factionless, including him. Those two idiots found each other, and they've set their sights on Eva. Adam is next, but Four refuses to let him stay here because he thinks he knows better than anyone."

"Wait, I'm the only one staying?" I interrupt their glare fest to panic at the thought of being left behind. It was bad enough that my whole class was leaving, but it was starting to sound like this was some sort of punishment. "I'm staying in Amity while my class returns? That's not fair! I'll fail! I'll…."

"You won't fail," my father declares, and he looks oddly resigned to Harrison's demands. "We're returning to Dauntless and they'll perform one more training exercise for the afternoon. After that, we're suspending initiation for a few days. Rylan will score the war games, and it'll resume when Zander is feeling better. He's still getting over his cold."

"He really has a cold?" I cross my arms over my chest, and in the distance, Pink waves at me to come join the group. Behind her stands Kat, looking forlorn, and next to her, Brexley, whispering something to Rachel. "Seriously? Dad, you can't leave me here!"

"Very serious," my dad answers dryly. "We may end up calling initiation anyway. All that's left is the final fear landscape and a few more training activities. You won't miss much and your mother is insisting upon this. You can always make it up if you absolutely need to or Zander thinks it'll cause a discrepancy in the rankings."

"You're really having me stay here?" I sound skeptical, and I am. My father was nothing if not vigilant about keeping me alive, and I found it odd that he'd insist I stay in the most peaceful faction of all. Leaving me in Amity, where most, if not all, the men and women were unarmed, felt like a trick. "You don't think I'd be safer back in Dauntless? With…everyone who has a gun?"

My father holds my stare, and in that moment, I know he agrees with me.

"Do I think Dauntless is safer? Yes. But Harrison has some questions for you. His men want to go back and canvas the area and your mother thinks it would be helpful to have you here."

"You're missing the main point." Harrison interrupts him, and he smiles at me. "We have to think logically here. Those dumbfucks in the woods will assume you're taking Eva back to Dauntless. Never in a million years would they think Eric would leave his daughter behind. If they're going to look for Eva, and they are, they'll look in Dauntless. Not Amity."

Well shoot.

He has a point there.

I still don't feel great about being forced to stay here while my friends go back to Dauntless.

"You really think they'll come looking for me?" I find myself stepping closer to my grandpa and trying to ignore the heavy stare of my father. "Peter?"

"Yes," he answers firmly. "He knows we have Jeremy, and therefore his time is limited. He also knows it's unlikely I'd leave you in a faction that doesn't believe in locking their doors. Which makes hiding you in plain sight a much better plan than taking you back to Dauntless. Harrison has given his word you'll be safe, and worst-case scenario, Eden throws her tea in his face. It'll probably melt off immediately."

"What about Adam?" I feel a rush of horror at being left here alone, even though I'd be with my grandparents. "Shouldn't he stay too? Won't Peter come after him?"

My father's expression turns weary.

"Four is insistent he return to Dauntless. Against everyone's recommendation." My father's words sound very final, and very unimpressed. He pulls out his phone, glaring as he reads something. "You'll be fine. Jason has offered to bring you your phone tomorrow, and it'll be a nice break from training. Eden is very happy to have you staying with her."

"Of course we're happy to have Eva. I'll keep her safe, Eric. I promise." I feel my grandmother take my hand in hers, and she's right by my side. "It'll be a nice, quiet few days. It's been a while since Eva got to stay for longer than a day."

I throw her a very appreciative glance, because her words are so honest and kind and I know she means them. I loved spending time with her, and I loved being in Amity with them both, I just wasn't expecting it to happen this way.

It also feels like I'm being singled out for being attacked, even though that was proving to be my own fault.

"I'd like to take her inside for a bit. She can talk to those waiting to hear what happened, and then I'll get her cleaned up. I think her head is still bleeding," Eden speaks softly, and her fingers tighten on my wrist. "You and Everly can say goodbye at my house."

"Will do," my father answers without looking up from his phone, and he glares as he taps at the screen. "Harrison, can we talk for a second?"

"No," my grandpa retorts, but he grudgingly steps closer to my father. "Fine. One minute. I have a lot to do."

My grandpa misses my father's indignant sneer, and I know he's beginning to stress out. His shoulders have tensed up, his eyes have narrowed, and his annoyance is severe enough that I can feel it radiating from him. Leaving me here isn't his plan, and he doesn't fully believe it's a good one. I would bet my mother insisted that Amity was safer than Dauntless, and the only reason I'm staying is because she wants me to.

It also feels strange to watch my friends be led away toward the trains while I stand here.

"Eva! I'll…I'll…call you!" Pink yells, waving her hands to get my attention. She's promptly shut up by Rylan, and he guides her forward, away from me, hissing at her to be quiet. "Okay, I mean, meet me on the train!"

My heart sinks.

It falls into my stomach, and I force myself not to wince when a few turn back to look at me, and their stares are heavy with confusion.

"Come on, Eva. Let's get you home so I can look at your head."

I force myself to smile up at my grandma, but I turn back to watch the class slowly start to follow Rylan. He talks loudly, waving his arms around and congratulating the girls on winning, carefully giving off the impression that everything is just fine. If someone were watching, they probably wouldn't notice that I'm not going along with them. I'm too far off to the side with my grandma, and there's a careful line of separation as the men from Amity line up to make sure everyone from Dauntless is leaving. The organized chaos is enough to cause a distraction, and I would bet they planned this.

"Eva…" My grandmother says my name again, and I take a step toward her.

"I'm coming."

I scan the class frantically, trying to find Adam in the sea of black. I see his friends, Gunner and Aja loudly demanding a redo of the War Games, and I even see Kenny, cracking a smile as he points to the woods. Nikolai walks along with Kat, boredly listening to her talk and frantically texting on his phone, and a few feet ahead, Rachel is furiously talking with Pink. They glance back at me once, their faces wracked with sympathy and concern, but ultimately, they keep walking.

"I'm just… I was looking for…"

The words die in my throat when I do see Adam, walking along with Jason. They part ways right as the path splits, and he watches Jason walk in the opposite direction.

It's then and only then that Adam looks right at me. His eyes find mine, and for the first time in ages, his expression is unreadable.

My stomach turns over at the look on his face, because I have a feeling he's finally listened to whatever his father said to him.

"Careful. There's a small cut near her temple. Make sure you don't hit it."

My aunt's voice is soothing. It's almost as soothing as the feeling of Paisley brushing out my damp hair while Holly neatly applies something to the side of my head.

"Eva, you have really pretty eyelashes. They're so long."

Holly comments while she works, carefully dipping her fingers into the tiny jar of something that smells like herbs and mint. Her nails are polished with a pretty gold color, and her long hair reaches her waist. She doesn't entirely remind me of my mother, but maybe she would if my mother had chosen to stay in Amity.

"Have you ever cut your hair? How tall are you?"

Her questions come one after the other, full of honest curiosity.

My aunts had shown up the minute I said goodbye to my parents. My mother had hugged me tightly, but she was distracted. My father was yelling at someone on the phone, and he only stopped yelling to promise me I'd be safe here. He didn't look like he believed the words he was speaking, but we both knew my grandpa had made a very good point. No one would ever believe my father wasn't taking me back to Dauntless, and therefore, it was pretty foolproof that I'd be fine here. The odds of someone looking for me were slim to none, and it was unlikely this Peter would come knocking on my grandpa's door.

My father must have known this. He'd hugged me once my mother let go, then took her by the hand, and resumed yelling at some poor fool for messing up his work schedule.

I waited for a sense of relief that they were leaving, because I had to admit the high of winning the War Games was slowly wearing off, and it left me feeling freaked out. I hadn't expected running into Blythe to start such a chain of events, and I hated that she'd inserted herself into my life this way. Rather than inviting me to sit down and talk over coffee, she'd chosen to have me hunted down and drugged for her own benefit. I suppose I should be grateful I hadn't been injected with anything, because I could be waking up not knowing my own name.

So as I watched my parents leave, my mother's hand tightly in my father's, I kept waiting to feel a little more optimistic. A little less panicked, or maybe even a little enthused to have a few days off.

Instead, I was agonizing if Four had finally told Adam what he needed to hear to decide that I wasn't worth any of this.

I couldn't blame him, though.

Not only had I gotten the flag from him, I'd announced it in front of everyone, and nearly gotten the both of us killed. I probably wasn't looking like the best prospect for anything right now: girlfriend, friend, or even acquaintance. I had the sinking feeling we'd talk when I returned to Dauntless and that would be where we parted ways.

This meant I was doomed to either be alone for the rest of my life or agree to marry TJ once we both turned thirty and remained unmarried.

"Um, I've had it trimmed a few times, but that's it. And I'm not sure how tall I am. How tall are you?"

I stare up at my aunt, her face scrunched up in concern as she works her fingers around my face to find any other cuts that needed to be treated.

"Taller than your mother," Holly grins, and she leans away from me. "She was always the shortest one out of all of us. She thought she was so cool because she was older, but she could barely reach the cabinets in the kitchen."

I smile back at her, because things hadn't changed. My father loved to remind my mother she couldn't reach the dinner plates without his help, and she loved to let him get them for her as though it were the most romantic gesture imaginable.

"Do you miss her? Is it weird that she doesn't live in Amity?" I stare at the comforter beneath me, and I try to hold still as Paisley works through another section. I certainly didn't brush my hair this well, but she was determined to make sure there wasn't a single tangle left.

"Oh I miss her all the time. We all knew she wanted to leave Amity, so we weren't surprised. I was a little taken back the first time I saw your dad. We all thought Karl was much more handsome than him." Holly laughs, and Paisley laughs along with her. "He used to come to dinner with Eric, and he always ate everything. He didn't even care that he wound up passing out on the couch while everyone had dessert. I thought he was so funny and brave. We were devastated when we found out he was married."

"My soul was crushed," Paisley agrees, and she stops brushing my hair. "I thought he was so dreamy and it only got worse when Everly told us he was just the nicest guy. She said he was the only one who didn't hate her in their class. She still keeps us updated on him, and I have to say, he seems very happy with his wife. I heard he has like, four kids now."

"He has twins," I smile, thinking about Evan and Ethan and how they caused a daily wake of destruction. "His wife is pregnant again. I think she's having a girl."

"I bet she'll be adorable. I didn't see them, but Everly said the boys are just the cutest. Karl always seemed so much more approachable than Eric. Eric used to show up looking so annoyed at life. He'd sit at the table looking like a giant, and of course, Zander was all over him, trying to get his attention. It worked, though. He liked Zander and it seemed to be the only reason he came to Amity. Mom even made Zander a tiny uniform to match Eric's."

"I'm pretty sure his hero worship hasn't worn off," I inform them, and I feel marginally better. "Um, do you guys have a shirt or something I can wear? Grandma gave me this but it's not…uh, it's a little…"

"She dressed you like Everly," Holly snickers, and she reaches out to touch the silky fabric of the nightgown my grandmother had given me. "If it makes you feel better, she probably made it. It's very pretty."

"It feels too fancy to sleep in," I insist, and I wrinkle my nose when I catch sight of myself in the mirror across from us.

This room didn't belong to anyone. My grandmother said it was a guest room, and she promised me it wasn't my mother's or anyone else's. It was furthest in the back of the house, in a corner that felt very out of the way. It had its own entrance, though it was tightly closed up and locked, and large panes of glass on either side of the doors. There was a fireplace, fully stocked and ready to be lit, and my grandpa had told me to yell if I needed more firewood. The bed was right in the middle of the room, and the heavy gold mirror sat on the wall that lead to the bathroom.

My reflection caught me off guard, because it didn't look like me.

The nightgown was too much: too fancy, too big, and too slinky to be considered actual pajamas. It reminded me of something in the back of Christian's luxury store, in a section I couldn't afford and that felt way too adult for me to even be looking at.

My hair didn't help, either.

It was completely detangled, neatly brushed out, and parted further to the side than I normally parted it.

"It's beautiful, Eva. But I'll go see if I can find you a t-shirt. Do you want anything else? Some toast and tea? Mom said she was making some for…Harrison before they leave." Holly pauses to look at Paisley, and Paisley shakes her head.

"I'm fine. I should head home soon. My kids will be up early," Paisley sounds cheerful at the thought, and she glances down at me once she's stood up. "Do you want me to bring them over in the morning? They'll want to see you."

"If you want. I was just going to sleep in and…maybe help Grandma make lunch?" I trail off, having zero plans of actually doing anything. I was still in shock that my parents had left me here, I was reeling from Adam not even smiling goodbye or trying to stay here, and I was struggling with the sinking feeling Blythe was about to cause some major drama that I didn't have time for. "Or maybe just come for lunch?"

"That sounds fine with me," Paisley stares, and I know she wants to ask me something. "Are you sure you're alright back here? This part of the house always scared me. Harrison added it on, but it seems like you're so far away."

"I'll be fine," I promise. "The quiet will be nice and I don't want to feel like I'm interrupting anyone by being here."

I hope they both believe me, because I'm telling the truth.

After today, some quiet would be nice.

I'd eaten dinner with my grandma and grandpa, along with a few of their friends. I'd answered every question my grandpa asked, and I'd patiently told them what I could. I didn't think any of it was helpful, and it left me feeling pretty worn out. After dinner I helped wash the dishes, took a shower, and threw on the clothes my grandma had set out for me. My aunts stayed to talk with my grandpa, and they'd stayed once they realized I truly wasn't leaving. Holly had offered to look at my head, still throbbing but no longer bleeding, and Paisley offered to comb out my hair.

I didn't see them as much as I saw Rylan and Jason, so it was nice to catch up.

"Okay, well sweet dreams. If you need anything, we're both a few houses down. Or just yell for Harrison. He never sleeps," Holly stands up reluctantly, and she smooths out the dress she has on. "Promise me you'll only go outside if it's to come see one of us? Mom said there's something going on."

"I promise," I agree, not entirely meaning it. "I mean, I think it'll be fine, and grandpa swore it's nothing to worry about. He said I could go out back if I wanted."

Holly and Paisley look at each other, silently debating something. It lasts a minute, then Holly sighs the same way Jason did when Rylan suggested something ridiculous.

"Okay, well promise me you won't go far. If you do need to get out, the Mason's live one house over. They're always up late, too. The Salvatore's live three houses down and have chickens behind the house. They're very nice and won't ask any questions. Otherwise, stick to here. There's a treehouse in the back if you get really bored."

"Thank you both," I stand to hug them, and the crappy feeling from earlier slowly eases up even further. "I appreciate you checking in on me."

"You're so polite. Are you sure you're Everly's daughter? She would have pushed us out of here and told us to go away and not come back," Paisley laughs, setting the brush down on the nightstand. "Be good, Eva. We'll see you in the morning. And I second staying inside. Dad said it's supposed to snow again."

She says the word dad slowly, like it's odd in her mouth, but I understand.

Sometimes they referred to my grandpa as their dad, and sometimes they called him by his name. Their level of affection never varied with either title, and he never seemed to mind either one.

"Great. Just what I was hoping for. Well, I'm going to go to bed. Thanks again. I'll see you tomorrow," I shoo them out, grateful as they slip out the door and down the hallway. Holly calls out that she'll be back if she finds a shirt, and I tell her not to worry.

My only plans were to collapse into bed and close my eyes and pretend this day had turned out in an entirely different manner.

I make it an entire hour before I almost die of boredom.

My wonder of what it would be like to live in Amity comes to a screeching halt as the faction winds down. The clock on the nightstand points out it's not even that late. It's barely nine thirty, but it feels like it's two in the morning. I'd spent a half hour trying to figure out if the TV screen in this room worked, then another twenty minutes trying to light the fireplace. It finally roared to life, warming up the room quickly, and I was hoping the crackling would lull me to sleep.

I brushed my teeth, admired my shiny and mostly dry hair, and resigned myself to going to sleep looking like I was about to be sacrificed by a cult.

"Great. I finally get some peace and quiet, and I wind up bored out of my skull."

I announce this to no one, not wanting to admit I missed the noise of Dauntless. It was unnaturally silent here, even with people in the house. The only noise was from earlier, both of my grandparents calling out goodnight, and both reminding me to stay inside or come get them if I wanted to go for a walk. They told me they wouldn't be gone long, and it was best if I didn't go anywhere. I agreed halfheartedly. I didn't want to admit that my mother was right, that no one would ever find me in Amity, because I was now a prisoner in the happiest place on Earth.

And most boring.

"How on Earth did I wind up here?"

I mumble this as I toy with the lock on the doors, and I realize I've walked over to them without even thinking. They are large, neatly made with a few sets of locks, but not totally impossible to open. I slide the deadbolt open, turn the lock on the second one, and to my surprise, the door opens easily with a single push.

It weighs a ton, and I'm sure if you were trying to get in it was secure, but I feel a sense of relief knowing I can open it.

I also feel a rush of icy air smashing right into my bare skin as the wind picks up. Paisley hadn't been lying when she said it might snow. The chill from earlier still lingers, only it's intensified about four hundred times. It feels sharply cold as I step outside, and the nightgown does little to ward off the chill.

I ignore it.

In a weird way, it feels good. It reminds me that I'm alive. That I had survived being attacked, that I had fought off Jeremy to the best of my abilities, and that grown men had sat and listened while I explained what happened. I think of this as I walk out a little further, my feet stepping over cold grass, and even that feels good.

"Five minutes. Just…give me five minutes and I'll go back inside." I bargain with the night sky, staring up at it as I head down the stone path. It's a little warmer this way, like the cold has parted open for me to walk through, and I take a second to appreciate the view.

For what it was worth, being stuck here until I was no longer deemed a security risk, Amity was beautiful. The sky was light enough that I could see the stars hidden beneath a layer of clouds, and dark enough that it felt like I was on another planet. I admire the twinkling starlight as I walk further down the path, and I realize I've walked right into the garden my grandpa had created.

He'd been working on it for years.

They were both tremendously proud of their creation. In the summer months, Eden's garden boasted all kinds of pretty flowers, but now, most were hibernating in an attempt to ward off the cold. There were still a few brave souls that could survive the harsh weather, though these certainly weren't as pretty. My father often rolled his eyes and snickered that Eden fancied herself straight out of the wizard books, and warned me not to touch any of the plants. They'd kill me, he insisted, his eyes narrowing and his face lighting up, and I rolled my eyes back at him.

Leave it to my father to try and find danger amongst my grandmother's flower garden.

I knew they were harmless. There were plenty of herbs and vegetables, some lavender and rosemary, and even a twisting vine of tomatoes that had given up, but nothing deadly.

I pause when I find a few lonely blossoms left over on a large plant, seemingly struggling to prove they could make it. It was likely the incoming storm would knock them out, but it looks like my grandma was expecting this. Almost everything in here that might live was covered up, and the only things uncovered were a few hearty plants and ancient, twisting trees.

"Well, I guess that's it. Time to head back inside, unless I want to find some chickens," I less than cheerfully inform the plant to the left of me, and it's purple flowers have wilted to the color of a bruise. "Who would have thought this was how today would end?"

I stand there for a moment longer, enjoying the cold stone path under my feet, and my fingers touching the petals. They are thin and fragile, but they've given it their all to stay alive. I let go once my fingers start to feel numb, and I step back, freezing in place when I hear footsteps.

"Shit!"

I hiss the word quietly, and it feels wrong to swear in such a soothing place. I try to squint into the darkness to see what made the noise, and I pray it was nothing more than a free-spirited chicken on a path to self-enlightenment in the garden of Eden.

It's not.

The footsteps grow heavier, thudding over the pathway and crushing over whatever was in their way. I feel like my whole life flashes before my eyes as the shadow slowly takes shape, and my insides burn when I see the jacket. The dark structured fabric is familiar, and unfortunately so.

It seems my five minutes of being outside will be my unfortunate downfall.

"Peter?"

I call out the name tentatively, wishing it sounded stronger, and also wishing I wasn't about to die dressed like this. If I was going to be murdered, at the very least I would have preferred to have actual clothes on, and not be barefoot, gazing at dead flowers when I was warned to stay inside.

The door to the room seems miles away, and my head grows dizzy as the person comes closer.

"Hi Eva."

The voice makes my eyes widen, and under the low light of the moon, I realize that while I still might die, at least it'll be in a garden in Amity, and not in front of my class or my parents.

Lit up by the waning moonlight and the stars slowly fading way, is the face of the last person I ever expected to see in Amity.