A/N- Happy Friday! Just wanted to say that I'm doing Nanowrimo this year, so hoping to get a good majority of this fanfic written this month. I will be going back and forth with Eye of the Storm also, so keep an eye out for those updates as well! Would love to hear what you guys think of the story! Enjoy the chapter, Bethany x

Chapter 26

Tobias POV- 5 days until the ball

"-and then, we import all this leave in conditioner from Erudite, and that's how I keep my curls so boun-"

"Why are you telling me this?" I ask incredulously, staring at her in utter confusion. One, she's telling me she's basically stealing from the factions. Two, why would I give a shit about her hair care routine?

She frowns, her head tilting slightly to the side. She leans back into her abnormally large chair, her fork clattering against the porcelain of her plate, "are you going to tell on me, cousin? Because at the end of the day, it's not my fault that items are going unaccounted for."

I resist telling her they're not going unaccounted, because I didn't even know there was stock going missing. I make a mental note to have a word with Hana when I get back to Dauntless.

Instead of showing my irritation, I smile, stabbing the piece of meat on my plate with my fork. "I'm sure we'll figure out a way to turn it back on you."

She grins, like this is a game, "a challenge? Just so you know, I'm good at talking my way out of things." Taking a swig out of her glass, she pushes her empty plate into the middle of the table. A young boy moves from next to the window, hurrying to remove the dish. It takes him some effort, needing to reach further over the table. "As you can see," Scarlet starts, pointing up to the boy, "my helpers aren't nearly as broken in as yours are at the palace." He's out of the room in seconds, head hanging low.

"Do you enjoy belittling your staff whilst they're in the room?"

She shrugs, "how else will they learn?" Leaning her chin on her clasped hands, she raises her brows, "now, less about me, more about you."

Her eyes, in the dim light, look like black pits. They seem to eat any emotion she forces out, dying before it can shine. There's something very unsettling about them, about her. She tries to joke, or laugh, but it's like her dark blue eyes have been paused in time, unable to emote.

"There's not much to know about me," I end up getting out. I didn't agree to come have dinner with her to play 20 questions.

She shakes her head, "well, that's a lie, isn't it? What about your faction? Friends? Family…?" Trailing off, she leans back into her seat, "what about this Athuan Princess?"

I force my face to stay neutral, not wanting to give her the pleasure of getting under my skin again. The mention of Tris still makes my stomach churn. I have no clue what's going on with her, and I don't even know when I'll find out. Even with Uriah and Shauna going back to the castle, I have a sinking suspicion that she's not there. "What about?"

Her eyes widen, and she grins. "Oh! So you'll talk about her now, huh? What happened in the few hours we were apart?"

I stay silent, pushing the food around my plate indifferently.

"Don't try to keep her from me, Tobias. I know all about your budding romance."

Who is at the palace informing her on all of this? I wouldn't say Tris and I were keeping things on the down low, but we also weren't shouting to the hills. "How many people are following your unauthorised group?" Should the Crown be worried? It's possible she could just have a few people dotted around the country, in high enough places to get a good picture as to what is happening. Or, she could have a collective of people, so many that at least one person is bound to see something. Which is better?

Looking pleased with herself, she says, "a decent amount."

"Care to explain why you need eyes in every corner of the faction?"

"Just in case someone like you comes waltzing in here, and decides to poison the rats." Any hint of a smile soon fades away, some sort of sincerity cresting her face. "Look, Tobias, I don't want any conflict. All I want for my community is for us to be at peace. I want people who don't feel like they belong in any of the factions to have a place to get away from it all, live a fulfilling life not being shoved into a box." The smile that graces her face this time is not like her others, this one seems oddly knowing. "I think you know well enough what it's like to not fit into a box." One of her shoulders raises into a half shrug, "that's why I like the Princess so much. No faction holds her down- especially since she was adopted- no link to any of them at all."

She talks of Tris like she knows her, forcing me to suppress a shiver, "how much do you know about the Princess?"

"Not as much as I'd like to," she replies. "What's she like? Hot headed? Stubborn-"

"If your surveillance is so good, then why don't you find out for yourself?"

"Because," she grins, "my Erudite team is out of action."

...

"The girls are in Erudite?" Will repeats. I nod hesitantly back, my mind conflicting with reasons why she's there. I had found my friends lounging on the beds when I got back. Most of them are still in their day clothes, even with midnight approaching. Joining Will on the bottom bunk by the window, I explained my pretty solid theory.

"I'm sure Tris wouldn't have gone without Marlene and Christina. And the way Robert was on the phone this morning-" I cut myself off, feeling so stupid that I didn't put the pieces together earlier. Of course she wasn't going to stay at home, where she couldn't do anything to help.

"I mean, this is kind of good, right?" My head turns slowly to Lauren, not having one idea why this is good. "It means they've had a head start at scoping out the place. Tris is smart, I'm sure she's-"

"Smart?" I choke out, almost laughing. "Smart would be staying at home, letting that gash on her leg heal properly. No, Lauren, this isn't a smart move." Anything could have happened on the train ride over to Erudite. She could easily get an infection, re open the wound-

"Maybe the Erudite salve works faster than we thought?" Lynn suggests. My hands took days to heal with the cream, and even though the burns were harsh, they weren't as deep as hers.

I know my growing annoyance is just because I'm worried about her, but I can't help but think how shortsighted her plan is. "There's no reason as to why she's going to Erudite except she's not thinking clearly." Maybe she already does have an infection? One that numbs her leg enough for her walk on it, one that jumbles her head. "Okay, change of plan." I'm going to need more people heading to Erudite, "Shauna, you're going to go with Lynn and Will. Zeke, go with Uriah so we're positive they're not at the palace."

"I can go by myself," Uriah calls out confidently.

"I know that," I heave out, "but I'd feel better if your brother went with you." Not leaving any room for discussion, I move on, "you'll drop Bud back off at Dauntless. Make sure your Mum's there to pick him up.

At the mention of his name, Bud rises, "I'm not a fucking child, Four. You can't tell me what to do."

I look at him blankly, "I can't tell you what to do?"

Disgust covers his face, and he begins shaking his head.

"I don't have time to fight with you, Bud." I say deliberately, "for our best chance to find Tori, you're going to have to stay out of it." I avert my eyes, needing to stay focused. "Lauren, you'll stay with me until nightfall, then we'll catch up with Shauna's group." There's nothing here important enough to stay. After we deal with Erudite and the gems, I'll come back. But right now, I need to go where Tris is. I'd like to go with the others to Erudite in the morning, as the plan would have stood. But even with Scarlet saying we're not prisoners, I know she won't just let us all walk away. I'll stay here until it gets dark, then I'll have to figure out a way to get Lauren and I out.

"Maybe we shouldn't leave in the morning," Will pipes in. "Wouldn't mid day be a less conspicuous time? It'll still be dead outside, with the majority of the village inside due to the heat."

"Good point," I reply reluctantly, miffed I didn't think of it myself. I rewrite the plan ever so slightly in my head, then confirm, "right, so the cover is that you're going to be looking at the stalls. Go off one by one, waiting for the rest a good distance from the village. Keep an eye out for people hidden away. If there's not an obvious guard with any of you, you'll have to seek them out."

Agreeing, they all go into small conversations. I look back to Bud, now sitting in the furthest part of the room from me, sulking.

I try to feel bad for him, but all I can think about is how much of a liability he is. If he hadn't come with us to the lake, then we wouldn't be in this situation.

"Get some rest," I tell the group, "I'll take first watch."

Tris POV- 4 days until the ball

"So, these powers of yours…"

I look over, Eric and Teddy only a few feet away. Eric's face stays looking forward, guiding the horse through the trees. We've been riding all morning, him saying we should get there by nightfall. My body aches from the insistent movement from Bess, my legs feeling like they're always tensed. The last time I got off of her, my knees nearly gave out.

I turn back around, just in time to move Bess around a fallen log. "I'm sure you know about them. No point in repeating what your uncle has told you." I say it even though that memory enters my mind. When Arthur brought up what I can do, he did seem honestly surprised.

From the corner of my eye, I catch him rubbing the back of his neck. Tobias does that sometimes, when he's nervous or embarrassed. "Arthur doesn't tell me much. He definitely didn't tell me anything about powers."

I shake my head, getting annoyed at Eric's submission to these people. "And you don't think that's odd? You're the Prince of the faction, Eric, this is the type of information you should know before Arthur even gets a whiff of it." There's no point denying my abilities, not when I didn't back at Erudite headquarters. I don't turn to look at him as I speak, getting progressively more fed up with him the more I think about how stupid the situation he's put himself in. He stays quiet, either not knowing how to reply or not wanting to. "You're letting him drag you around like a lost puppy, begging for any type of acceptance. You're 20 for gods sake, get a grip."

The words spill out of my mouth without any logical thought behind them. They're mean, and don't have any right to be said, not when he's done nothing but be used and manipulated by the people who allegedly care for him.

Teddy stops abruptly, and I know Eric's pulled his reins. I make Bess pause, an apology already falling out of my mouth, "Eric, I-" But he's jumped off, walking away from us. My mouth opens and shuts, but nothing else comes out. I slowly get off Bess, not having nearly as much confidence in dismounting as Eric does. I walk swiftly around Teddy, but the Prince is already out of my line of eye.

I heave a sigh, rubbing my hands into my tired face. Teddy makes a sort of stomp with his two front hooves, and I turn to him, grimacing. "Do you think I took it too far?" He shakes his head, then turns in a huff, moving slightly away from me. Feeling even worse, I look at Bess, "definitely too far."

Bess moves towards me, thankfully. She lowers her head, and I scratch just above her eyes. If only she could talk, I'd love for her to tell me what to do next.

I quickly come to the decision to not follow him, giving him the space he wants. Instead, I sit next to a tree, and think about how bad of a person I am. So many people in my life make decisions that aren't really in their hands to begin with, and I blame them and say they're bad people when in reality I'm so much worse.

Resting my head on my pulled up knees, I close my eyes. All I want right now is to be back in my greenhouse bedroom, with Tobias, not wallowing in self disgust and pity-

I suddenly hear hooves starting to move, and when I look up I see Bess, who was just in front of me, backing up quickly. As she moves past me, I can see her eyes have widened, and her nostrils are flaring. I'm up in a beat, scouting the area. I try to grab onto her reins with one hand, fondling the air until I grab onto them. My body shifts quickly, trying to pinpoint what's made her scared. I know horses are known for being easily spooked, but it's like I can feel it in the air, and I know something is watching us.

I back up slowly, Bess in tow. I move closer to Teddy, needing to keep him close to me. When I look around briefly, I catch his tail hanging between his legs.

We back up enough that I can grab Teddy's reins, and with some effort, spin him around. My eyes stay moving, unsure where the danger is coming from. It's light enough that I can see a decent amount in front of me, but nothing moves. A slight breeze pushes some newly fallen leaves, but that's it. I strain my ears, hoping they pick up on some kind of sound, something to tell me which direction its coming-

A loud thump comes from behind, and I spin clumsily, the horse's reins becoming tangled as are my arms. Bess rears as my eyes fall on some type of large cat. It's big and bulky, the tan fur covering its body making it stick out against the greenery of the forest. I've never seen anything like it- the closest would be white wolves back home. Dread twist in my gut just at the size of it.

Teddy tries to turn and my arm gets yanked with him. I'm just about able to keep him steady, knowing from past experiences with predators back home that running won't help our case. I'm sure there's stark differences between wolves and this cat, but I can't help but think back to my one encounter with them. He was alone, which was odd in itself, lurking around the palace grounds probably scavenging for food. It must have seen me as a threat, being by itself it didn't take the chance. I was lucky, but I think I've used all that luck up.

The lion stalks closer, ever so slowly, almost like it thinks the slower it moves, the less likely we'll be to notice it. It doesn't work, the horses pulling at their reins relentlessly for me to let go.

My un-muscled arms hold on tightly, knowing there'd be no chance for them to survive if they'd start running. My mind whirls with possible outcomes, wondering if there's any point just waiting around like a deer in headlights. The biggest possibility is that one of us goes down, whilst the other two make an escape.

I don't dare look at the two horses, not able to unlock my eyes from the low down cat. My arms feel locked in place, fear paralysing my body. Each step the beast makes, the easier I'm finding it to let panic overwhelm me. The terror radiates off of the horses in undiluted waves, their bodies locking up the longer I keep them in place.

The animal doesn't stop edging forward, and I don't know what to do. My bag is behind me, but I couldn't crouch down even if it was by my feet. I try to think through the overwhelming loud beat in my ear, but the only thing that sticks in my mind is one of us is going to go down.

My feet move on their own, like they're not attached to my frozen body. I move the horse's reins to one hand, standing slightly in front of them. Maybe if I make a scene, get its attention onto me, then the horses could have a good chance to escape.

The cat's stare stays on Teddy, moving its direction to start to line up with him. I side step, putting myself in its view. It looks at me briefly, and like I'm too much hassle to deal with, turns to Bess.

Not liking the attention on her one bit, her body starts to shake. I hold onto the leather harder, trying to control my own quavering body.

When I step in front of Bess, its eyes finally lock onto mine. Blind terror enters my veins, and with some force, I go to drop my hold on the horses.

The rope is just about to slip out of my hands when my of our attention shoots to a rock landing between us. I move my eyes to the direction it came from, and briefly see Eric.

My fear doesn't lessen, knowing now there's four of us in danger. I quickly look back to the animal, and see its front paw hanging in the air. The big cat doesn't place it back down in front of it, instead putting it just behind the other.

Eric chucks another rock, then a stick. They all fall in front of it, not hitting the mountain lion directly. From the corner of my eye, I can see Eric moving closer to me and the horses. He chucks one last stick, then pushes his arms out from him, making him seem larger. He slowly stands in front of us, his back shielding my view. I squeeze the reins together tightly, praying for the animal to just back off. It's silent for a few beats, then I hear the crunching of leaves. It sounds like slow footsteps, and I don't know which direction it's heading.

I slowly peak around Eric's upper arm, and watch as the lion backs away, then turns around.

My breath stays frozen in my throat, and doesn't release until the cat is out of view.

"Come on," Eric says breathlessly, "let's not give it a head start."

...

We travelled for a few more hours, the only word Eric had said to me was that we're changing direction, to not encounter the out of place mountain lion again. I was going to question why, seeming it's a mountain lion, is so far away from the Twin Mountains. But I ended up keeping quiet, not wanting to add to the reasons why Eric is still looking like he wants nothing to do with me.

When the sun starts to set, we stop to settle down for the night. I do manage to get him to answer how far we are from the lake. A few hours was the reply. I sit, anxious for a plethora of reasons. We're so close to the village, and I still have no idea how we're supposed to get that journal away from the place. There's also a decent probability that Tobias and my friends have found this village, and are looking for the journal as I sit here. Maybe I'll catch them on the way.

My anxieties also lie in the boy at the edge of the small pond. The horses stick by his side as he dips his hands in, washing away the inevitable dirt that comes with days of riding.

I move closer to the lake, lingering awkwardly next to Bess. "You know," I start, watching as Eric rubs his wet hands against his trousers, "if you'd had told me about mountain lions, then maybe I wouldn't have been so caught off guard." I force out a smile, hoping it came out light-hearted.

He turns around, his face blatantly telling me it didn't. My smile drops, and I push back the budding frustration. This is my fault to begin with, me letting my emotions take hold of me. "Can we please talk?" I plead, watching as he pushes past me. I hurry after him, his strides longer than mine. "I shouldn't have said what I did, it's just-"

"It's just what?" He interrupts harshly, whipping around. The horses mimic him, back on edge. His eyes blaze with ire, hands flying into the air. "It's just that you were speaking the truth? That you see exactly what I am?" He takes a deep, uncontrolled breath, shaking his head. "And, to be fair, I was mad about that- upset actually. But then I find you shielding two horses from a mountain lion? Like you were about to lay down your life for some animals?"

I open my mouth, then close it, my face scrunching up. That's what he's angry about? "You're joking, right?" Sure, I was about to exactly what he just said. But between the three of us, I was the one with the best chance of survival when coming head to head with a big cat.

Huffing out a laugh, he rubs his palms down his face. "You're insane! Do you have an ounce of self preservation?"

Slightly insulted, I backtrack. "Look, I'd rather you'd be mad about me calling you some old begging dog- not how I reacted to some hungry wild animal!"

He scoffs, moving further away from me, "we'll, maybe I'd be more mad about your outburst if I didn't already believe it myself!"

My mouth slams shut, and I stare at him in shock. Is he- admitting it? That Arthur and Jeanine are using him, filling his head with lies- my mind fills with possible times he could have come to that conclusion. It couldn't just have come to a head when he walked off hours ago? Could it?

"I don't want to talk about it." He says suddenly, keeping me quiet. "All you need to know is your insistent badgering has paid off."

He walks off again, but this time goes just out of view, sitting behind a tree. I look around, feeling slightly whiplashed. I have no clue where to go from here.