A/N: Wow. I am so unbelievably overwhelmed at the response this story has gotten. Thank you all so very much! Your reviews, favourites and follows means the world to mean. I love hearing from you, so thank you! Thank you also to my beta reader Sarah who keeps me on track and helps make this as good as it is. It's a short chapter, but it's a necessary set up for the next one. Enjoy!
Chapter Twelve
I have never been more grateful that I didn't choose Dauntless than I am now. Watching the initiates face their numerous deepest fears is something I don't want to see again. I can't imagine the fear but my mind automatically thinks of what mine would show. Being found Divergent. My family killed because of me. Heights. There would be more, I have no doubt, but those are the only ones that come to mind. The first being the most important.
I have to forcibly relax my grip on my tablet as I hear Eric and Vi chuckle over an initiates fear of spiders. I wonder how they did. Did they cry the first time they faced their fears, or did they conquer them?
Finally, the suspected Divergent that chose Dauntless, Henry Foster, is up. I watch as he approaches the chair nonchalantly. The man, whom I suspect is Four, injects him with the serum to trigger the simulation. Henry pulls himself onto the chair easily, closes his eyes and waits. I turn to watch the screen and feel someone move to stand behind me.
"Think he'll make it?" Eric's voice is low in my ear. I inhale sharply but say nothing. "He was decent in the physical testing but surpassed everyone in the fear testing." The screen shows Henry drowning. Even though Eric's not touching me, my body increases its awareness of him. I can feel the heat from his body. Henry barely panics in the simulation, diving deeper. All the others took longer.
I look down at my tablet and make a note, feeling a lump grow in my throat. I could be signing his death. Then again, my mind argues, he chose his own fate. He should be smarter, not showing off.
"All signs point-"
I cut Eric off. "To Divergence." Henry is tied up. The walls are closing in on him. Somehow, he breaks free. The bonds fall at his feet, but there's no sign of how he got loose. I glance at the others. Jeanine looks triumphant. The look sends guilt to settle in my stomach. I move on, unwilling to bare that look longer. I am helping her.
Gregory is talking to one of the Dauntless running the simulation computer. I don't recognize them. Vi, Anna and Dante are all talking to one another as they watch it. Anna points something out on the screen and I watch as they nod. Then, it's over.
Henry Foster gets up with a grin. Surprisingly, there's a look in Four's eyes that looks like sadness, a wariness that is increased when he looks in our direction. It's fleetingly though, so quick that I have to wonder if I imagined it. He smiles at Henry and motions him off.
As we leave, Jeanine talks with Max and Gregory about the initiation procedure. The simulations were fine but Jeanine apparently saw glitches in them. Nothing major, but things that could be fixed. Gregory agrees with her readily, but I have no doubt he didn't see them. It's obvious by the tone of his voice. I walk behind them with Eric, unfortunately.
"How's the family?" he asks. There's a teasing tone in his voice that makes me tense. It sounds more malicious than playful. I glare at him.
"Fine," I say.
"And the replacement?" He looks curious, which makes me more wary.
"What replacement?" I hesitatingly ask. I don't want to encourage him, but I'm curious.
"Your replacement. After all, you'll be spending quite a lot of time here." He smirks at me and in that instant, I know that he knows I have no replacement. He's goading me.
"There is none. I'm quite capable of doing my job."
"Oh no doubt," he agrees. I glance down at the edge of the walkway we're on. He's close enough to it that if I bumped into him, he might lose his balance and fall. I scoff at myself. He'd more likely toss me over the edge and stop himself from falling with some Dauntless trick. "But the stress of it will get you. You'll need to find a release, don't you agree?" There's something I'm missing. That dark glint of amusement is in his eye and it's not promising. "Do some research," he says. "You'll see what I mean." I want to ignore him but it feels impossible.
"If I want stress relief," I say, "I'll find it on my own. I don't need your help." His hand grabs my arm, stopping me. I look to the others. They haven't noticed anything and I'm reminded suddenly of the time he nearly pushed me off the cliff. Instead of pulling me towards the ledge, he leans towards me. His hand strokes down my arm, causing goosebumps to rise. His mouth goes to my ear and my heart rate increases, pounding in my chest.
"You'll find me very accommodating, Amelia," he draws out my name again. My mouth goes dry. He smells like leather, smoke and slightly like sweat. My stomach clenches automatically and I half wish he was closer. My mind reels back at that, forcing me to take a step back. He smirks at me, as if he knows what I was thinking. He lets go, his hand trailing down my arm, brushing over my hand until he's no longer touching me. Without another word, he turns and continues on after the others. I follow, but at a distance. My mind is running over explanations to why I reacted like that, but the only ones I can come up with are ridiculous. I scowl at his back. He's up to something. I just have to figure out what it is.
I've checked over the figures a thousand times. We're starting with the basics, setting up the main computer systems and ensuring they are connected to Erudite. Despite the fact that everything is in order, I feel the adrenaline running through my system. My flight instincts are pounding through me, as if warning me against going back to the Dauntless compound. I have no choice.
I didn't need to research what Eric meant about stress relief. I realized what he meant as I was trying to fall asleep that night. My mind ran through different possibilities before settling on one conclusion...but it didn't make sense. Despite the fact that the conclusion was the logical choice, it couldn't be right. The realization of it pulled me from the attempts at slumber as I grew agitated at him. That agitation was affecting me now, only my common sense warned me to not make an enemy of him. I needed him to ignore me, to not peer closely. I straighten my posture as I walk out of Erudite. There are two trucks awaiting me, both with technicians in place for the set up. I can help but be thankful when I see that none of them are my father. I wouldn't be able to explain the truth and I didn't want any of my family near Eric.
I get in the truck, adjusting my skirt as I sit down and motion for the driver to go. The noise of the engines roaring to life makes me grateful that there is no conversation needed between myself and the driver. The two technicians who are coming with me cram themselves into the other truck. The trucks are meant to seat two people comfortably, but it's not impossible to seat more. I nearly smile at the thought that they might be intimidated by me. My focus is drawn to my destination though and what may be awaiting me. I can't allow Eric to get the better of me. I won't.
[tbc]
