Alas, I have released a new chapter! As always, I apologize for the delay. I'm been insanely busy with my last semester at university. Please take a moment to catch up with the previous chapters and enjoy this new one! :)
Chapter 15: Conflagration
The ringing in Nina's ears gradually faded and the waves of blue and green that obscured her vision receded. She found herself tucked against Eric's chest, his arms looped beneath her. She peeked above his shoulder and watched as flashes of silver burst against the cavern walls. They passed by a door, and the knob appeared to melt, dripping hot metal onto the floor.
Nina moaned and pressed her eyes shut, willing the visions to go away. She tried to concentrate on what she knew was real: the drumming of Eric's footsteps echoing in the hall; the warmth of his body; his characteristic scent. She nuzzled her nose against the crook of his neck, breathing in the smell of pine needles. She felt his pulse quicken and she contemplated placing her lips on his jugular vein…
A low, menacing growl broke her concentration. Nina snapped her head up, searching for the source of the sound. Behind Eric, a large tiger stalked the hallway, its emerald orbs staring up at Nina. She flinched and instinctively kicked her leg out, aiming at the tiger's face. She missed narrowly and the cat snarled, baring sharp, white teeth. As it retreated, its black and orange stripes vanished into thin air and Nina realized she'd been hallucinating.
Eric tightened his hold on Nina and continued marching. "What the fuck are you moving around for? Stay still or I'll drop you to the floor." He pulled open the door to the clinic and deposited Nina quite gracelessly onto the first available cot, then sat on its edge. The sole healer was tending to another patient, a woman sporting a large gash on her arm, but he put up five fingers to indicate how long the wait would be. Nina recognized the healer's messy auburn hair; it was Sonya's flirtatious friend who had an identical twin brother. 'Tommy, I think... or Timmy...'
The white, sterile walls of the rooms morphed into a technicolor canvas. The vivid colors bounced and blended; the movement made Nina feel ill. She rolled onto her side, closed her eyes, and concentrated on taking deep, even breaths. The nausea gradually subsided.
The clinic door opened and heavy footsteps advanced. "Eric, do you have an explanation for why you are here, idling, instead of in the training facility?" Nina recognized Max's threatening voice, and she strained to hear Eric's reply.
"Sir," Eric cleared his throat. "I had to bring an Initiate to the clinic."
"I see," Max didn't seem appeased. "Remember to keep diligently working on your… special project. I expect a full report at the end of next week."
Eric hesitated before answering. "Yes, sir."
Max's footsteps retreated from the cot, but before he left the clinic, he said one more thing. "And Eric?"
"Sir?"
"Don't get too attached to the girl." The clinic door clicked shut.
Nina snapped open her eyes and turned to Eric. Their eyes locked. Each waited for the other to look away first, and when neither did, the tension between them heightened. Nina simultaneously loved and hated the way Eric made her feel. He was all hot and cold, fire and ice, and she never could tell what was running through his mind. She felt a pull towards him. She wanted to explore his mind and body in a way no one else had before. 'Does he feel the same?' She nibbled on her bottom lip in contemplation, causing Eric to break eye contact. His grey eyes shifted down, taking in the curvature of her lips.
Light steps approached the bed, indicating that the healer was available.
"Thomas," Eric addressed him curtly. "This is Marina Jorgenson. She's an initiate, and she may have eaten an apple laced with a psychedelic compound."
"Yea, I've met Nina!" Tommy flashed Nina a grin and clapped his hand on her bare knee. "How ya' feeling?"
Nina returned a tentative smile. "Aside from intense hallucinations… I guess I feel ok."
"Alright, well let me examine you. It shouldn't take long." He pulled out a stethoscope and brushed Nina's hair away from her neck. As he did so, his icy fingers brushed her collarbone. 'Did he do that on purpose?'
Eic frowned. "This really isn't necessary."
"It's standard protocol." Tommy inserted the earpieces into his ears and placed the chestpiece on Nina's sternum. When the cold metal touched her skin, Nina shivered. Frost radiated from her chest to the tips of her toes. Tommy listened for a few moments and then removed the device. "Your heart is beating very rapidly," he winked. "I wonder why that is?"
Nina blushed at his openly flirtatious manner. A ribbon of stars began to dance in her line of vision, and she knew she wouldn't be lucid for much longer.
"You need to run a chemical panel on this apple, not perform a fucking physical examination." Eric's voice was lethal.
Tommy ignored him and smirked. 'Is he purposely provoking Eric?!' Nina thought. Tommy beamed a light into her eyes, and the sudden brightness made her vision go blank. "Wow, your pupils are super dilated," he stated.
As the glare from the light receded, a swirl of gold pulsated before Nina. She reached her hand up and swatted at the spiral but it bobbed back into place. "Ugh," she moaned, and stood up unsteadily.
"We're leaving," snapped Eric. "Run a fucking drug panel and report to me immediately with the results." He wrapped his hand around Nina's wrist with a gentleness that didn't match the intensity of his voice and pulled her out of the clinic.
The sudden motion disoriented Nina and she staggered to the side. Eric carefully lifted her into his arms and began to walk quickly away from the clinic.
Nina felt utterly defeated. 'I should be training right now with the other Initiates. This is an enormous waste of time.' Disappointment blazed through her, torching her skin. She swept at her arms desperately until the feeling faded.
"You okay?" Eric asked gruffly.
"I'm fine," she growled. "Everything is just dandy."
He set her down on her feet in the corridor and ushered her into the tattoo shop. "You don't have to be such a bitch all the time." The shop was bustling with customers today; a sign on the door advertised discounted tattoos.
Nina pouted. "Who are you to talk? When are you ever not an asshole?"
Eric motioned for Sonya to come over and glared at Nina. "So I'm an asshole even when I'm babysitting you?"
Nina seethed as Sonya approached. "I don't need to be babysat."
"Hey guys, what's going on?" Sonya had to raise her voice to be heard over the chatter of clients and the whizzing of tattoo guns. She halted in front of the bickering pair and crossed her arms.
"Nina is tripping out right now," Eric explained. "I need you to supervise her for a few hours."
Sonya quirked her eyebrow. "You gave her Peace Serum again? And I can't, I'm busy running the shop - can you not see how hectic it is in here? I can't watch her."
Nina stomped her foot angrily. "I'm standing right here, you know, you don't need to speak about me in third person!"
They both ignored her.
"I didn't give her anything," Eric answered. "I think someone laced her food with a tranquilizer. And I can't watch her either, I don't have the patience to deal with this bullshit."
Nina's line of vision became clouded with a tint of red fury. The floor beneath her seemed to quiver. 'I'M RIGHT HERE!' she screamed in her mind in frustration.
Sonya stretched her arms up lazily. "Why don't you just leave her in the clinic? I think Tommy is on duty today."
"That's exactly why I'm not leaving her in the clinic," Eric glowered. "I don't … like him."
Sonya grinned. "I wonder why-"
Nina snapped. "Fuck both of you. I'm not a child - I'm capable of looking after myself." She stomped out of the tattoo shop, her emotions boiling over. Her feet burned like she was walking on embers and a fire ran through her core. The intensity of the heat made her feel ill. As she marched down a random corridor, she begged the drug to leave her alone. 'It's not real, it's not real, it's not real,' she repeated the mantra in her head.
It didn't work. Flames licked at her skin; she knew the fire wasn't real, but the pain felt real. Dribbles of sweat trickled down Nina's arms. The ache spread out from her core, and the sudden intensity caused her to double over and dry heave. She stumbled forward, looking for something, anything, that would relieve her of the pain.
She found a small alcove near the chasm just as the flames engulfed her. Her mind exploded with crimson sparks, and bursts of heat licked at her skin. She fell to the floor as the conflagration consumed her.
Nina rolled up into a small form, squeezing her body together into the space provided by the dark alcove. Time slipped from her grasp. Hours or minutes passed. The fire gradually receded and a welcoming coolness replaced the pain. Nina closed her eyes as lethargy filled her mind. Her shirt, wet with sweat, stuck to her skin and cooled it. Her limbs were like stone, heavy and difficult to move.
The scent of evergreen and mint ignited her senses. It was his scent, but she knew he wasn't there. Her mind so easily captured his essence and tried to mimic it, but it wasn't the real thing. She basked in the afterglow of the fire and drifted off to sleep.
She awoke to the feeling of someone grabbing her ankle, twisting it tightly. She attempted to cry out in pain and kick her foot away, but her muscles were paralyzed. She questioned momentarily if this was real or not - her doubts disappeared the moment she began to be moved by the unidentified force. She was dragged slowly, painfully across the cavern floor. Her shirt rode up, and the gravel on the ground scraped the skin on her back. The back of her head thudded on the uneven floor.
The roaring sound of the waterfall alerted Nina that her inert body was being lugged towards the chasm. Her mind ignited in panic. 'STOP!' she shouted in her mind. She tried to break the invisible chains that surrounded her body. It was futile. She tried to force her eyes open. If she could just see who was doing this to her... Her eyes remained glued shut. Her captor pulled her body closer and closer to the chasm. The cold water sprayed her skin, and she shivered. The hand on her ankle let go, and the blood returned quickly to her foot, causing the joint to swell.
The captor's hand moved to her neck, restricting her throat. Her lungs heaved in vain; her breaths were short and hollow. "Just one little fall is all it takes..." a familiar voice growled menacingly into her ear. The hand left her throat, and Nina gasped for air. And then Clark was gone.
Nina struggled and failed to move away from the ledge. 'Why,' she shouted in her head. Why did he pick her? What was his problem?
A splash of icy water from the chasm doused Nina's head. Her hands were splayed out at her side, one hand draped dangerously over the ravine edge. The sharp ledge bit into her ankle - a constant reminder of how close she was to slipping. Tears of anger leaked out from her shut eyes. Nina screamed at her muscles to move. She tried to force her body to roll away from the ledge, to safety. The distance to the bottom of the ravine was several stories, with only sharp rocks to break her fall. She wouldn't survive.
Gravity pulled her ankle down, and it slipped over the edge. Nearly half her body now hung perilously over the ledge of the Chasm. Fear filled her mind, clouding her judgement. It wasn't a fear of death, no - it was a fear of lost chances and missed opportunities. Images ran through her mind, tormenting her. Would she never see her father again? Would her mother's sweet lullaby ever again serenade her? Would she never see the glowing smile on Maddie's face, never laugh again with friends? And then Eric came to her mind. She had never confessed to him how she felt, and now she never would.
In one massive, straining effort, Nina lunged her body up and rolled away from the ledge of the chasm. The invisible links that had chained her broke, allowing her to regain control of her body. She sat up on her knees and breathed in deep, sharp breaths. Her body was covered in scratch marks, bruises, sweat, and dirt, but Nina was just happy to be alive. After a few moments, her thoughts turned from relief to revenge. 'You won't get away with this, Clark,' she thought. 'I won't let you.' She began to plot her plan...
"Nina!" A loud shout broke her thoughts. She looked up to the source of the sound and saw Sonya running towards her, Eric trailing closely behind.
Sonya stormed up to Nina, fury evident in her expression. "Where the hell have you been?! We've been looking everywhere for you; I had to close the shop!" Her voice quivered with anger and concern.
Nina opened her mouth, but the pain in her throat prevented her from answering. She coughed and sputtered.
Eric crouched down and lifted Nina's head. He inspected her throat then narrowed his eyes menacingly. "Someone's choked her," he told Sonya, who gasped. He gave Nina a sip from his water bottle, then helped her to her feet.
Eric and Sonya walked on either side of Nina, each helping to support her weight. They talked to each other in low, rapid voices. Nina couldn't muster the strength to pay them any attention. Her body and mind were weary. Swirls of colors at the edge of her vision warned of an oncoming hallucination.
Eric unlocked the door to his flat, and Nina and Sonya followed him in. They guided Nina to sit on the couch.
"Nina, don't speak. Your throat is injured and needs to heal. We're just gonna ask you some questions, all you have to do is nod 'yes' or 'no,'" Sonya explained.
Nina nodded, indicating that they could proceed.
"Are you seriously injured?" Eric asked.
Nina shrugged then nodded 'no.'
"Did someone hurt you?" he asked.
She shrugged.
"Who hurt you? Tell me." His voice was low and deep and angry.
She took the water from Eric's hands, took a sip to ease her throat, and then answered. "I'm fine." The words came out in a rasping squeak. She cleared her throat and repeated herself. "I'm fine. Nothing happened." 'Nothing I can't handle by myself,' Nina added in her mind.
"You have a handprint-shaped bruise on your throat and scratches all along on your back. Bull-fucking-shit no one hurt you," Eric growled.
"Leave her alone, Eric, she obviously doesn't want to talk about it," Sonya stated. Nina shot her a small smile in gratitude. "I'm so sorry to be leaving right now, but I have to get back to the shop. Let me know if you wanna talk, ok?" She gently squeezed Nina's shoulder and then left.
The door clicked shut. The sudden silence was deafening. Eric crossed his arms, his muscles tight and tense. "I want to know what happened."
Nina sighed. "There's nothing to talk about, Eric. I'm fine. And I don't want to burden you with having to babysit me, so I'm leaving." She stood and made to leave.
"No," he snatched her arm, his fingers gently enclosing her wrist. "Stay."
Nina searched his eyes carefully, looking for any signs of uncertainty or pity. She saw none. "Whatever," she shrugged. "I'll stay."
He let go and entered his small kitchen. "Try not to use your voice. You need to let your throat heal."
As Eric prepared the kettle, Nina approached the bed. It was unmade, as usual. A hint of color caught her eye; a discarded, blue t-shirt lay crumpled up beneath a pillow. She smelled it to see if it was fresh. It smelled faintly of soap and evergreen, but was otherwise clean.
She picked up the shirt and entered the bathroom. Once inside, she grabbed a fresh towel from the linens pantry and undressed. Her black shirt was in tatters and her shorts were stained, but the rest of her clothing was intact. She examined herself in the mirror. A bruise blossomed over her throat and ankle, and her back was covered in scratches and dried blood. Her hair was tangled and dirty. Anger seeped through her pores and frustration sent an electric shock down her spine. Nina forced herself to take deep, even breaths. 'I will not let Clark get the best of me.'
Upon her approach, the glass door to the shower stall opened automatically. 'Must be motion-detection technology…' Inside the stall was a panel with numerous options. She selected a warm temperature, and played around for a few minutes, testing out the different water flow options. 'They should install these in the initiate dorms,' Nina thought. She guessed that Erudite must have invented this technology, and wondered if Eric knew the engineering mechanism. He was so eager to detach himself from his past, to deny any affiliation with his former faction…. yet Nina sensed the Erudite in him. He was too intelligent and assertive to be a mere guard in Dauntless, he was a step above the rest. And he had kept a t-shirt from his old faction. 'I wonder why he did that…'
Nina washed her body and hair, taking care to gently detangle the knots with her fingers. The soap smelled of evergreen and mint; she remembered running her nose along Eric's neck, taking in his scent, and her heart fluttered. She recalled her thoughts from earlier, when she had come alarmingly close to falling to her death in the chasm. 'I have to let him know how I feel…' She nervously bit her lip. If she was Dauntless, then what was she so afraid of?
The hot water cascaded over her in waves, sending shivers of pleasure down her back. Ribbons of blue and gold danced at the edge of her vision, and the walls of the bathroom seemed to pulse. Nina's soul detached and drifted away; she felt herself looking down at her body. She studied herself in awe. Her physique was lithe and sinewy; her skin had new scars that she hadn't had before Initiation. She felt strong, beautiful, and in awe at how far she had come over the past month. Training had been brutal, but her new muscles proved it was worth it. Nina felt she could conquer anyone, and no one could stop her - least of all Clark. A feeling of complete euphoria vibrated within her as her soul reconnected with her physical body, and she felt at peace with herself.
She dried off and slipped on her undergarments and Eric's t-shirt, which hung hung loosely on her frame. She studied herself in the mirror. The blue shirt made the green in her hazel irises stand out, and she could only imagine how the color would bring out the pigmentation in Eric's icy eyes. She towel dried her hair then stepped out of the bathroom.
Eric was seated at his kitchen bar on a stool, his back facing her. Nina approached him quietly and had a sudden desire to touch him. She ran her fingers lightly down his back and he stiffened; she immediately drew her hand away and leaned against the counter beside him. He nudged a steaming mug towards her. She took it gingerly in her hands and basked in the herbal aroma. The hot tea soothed her sore throat.
Eric appraised her clothing choice. "You have an affinity for wearing my clothing…" he fingered the helm of the shirt.
"Well, my other shirt was ruined. You don't mind, do you?"
Eric frowned. "No, I don't mind. You look-" he paused momentarily. "This was my father's shirt."
Nina's eyes widened. "Oh, Eric, I'm sorry, I can take it off!"
He hushed her. "It's fine." He placed his hands on her hips and twisted her so that her back was to him. Her skin sizzled where his hands were in contact. He lifted up the helm of her shirt, revealing her back. He studied it for a moment. "Go lie down," he commanded.
Nina complied. She lay down on the bed and breathed in the calming scents of pine and mint. Eric sat on the edge of the bed and pulled up her shirt. Nina was acutely aware of the fact that her lower body was nearly completely exposed, save for her panties. He rubbed a gel into the skin of her back, and the cooling sensation numbed the pain from her scratches. The pleasure radiated down her limbs, and her vision erupted in a burst of pastel colors. 'This is heavenly,' Nina thought.
He finished rubbing in the aloe and Nina sat up. "Thanks…" She paused to contemplate. "Look, I'm sorry for being a pain in the ass. You could have just left me at the clinic."
Eric sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Nina, I was just… worried about you. And I didn't feel comfortable leaving you there."
"Why?" Nervousness pooled in Nina's stomach.
He crossed his arms. "Why was I worried? Or why didn't I leave you with Thomas?"
She shrugged. "Both, I guess."
"I don't know," Eric stated as he stood up.
Nina frowned. "Okay."
"Why are you asking anyways?" Interest gleamed in his eyes.
"I don't know," she mimicked. 'Because I'm trying to figure out if you feel the same as I do...' she thought. "Never mind, it doesn't even matter." She strolled to the bar and pulled herself up onto the counter. She desperately tried to think of a way to change the subject to release the tension between herself and Eric. "So, uh, did Tommy ever get back to you?"
"Yes. The drug panel confirmed my suspicions. Your apple was laced with a high dose of Peace Serum," he approached Nina and placed his fists on the counter on either side of her knees. "Now, do you know anyone who is aware of your … unusual physiological aversion to Peace Serum, and who is out to get you?"
She lied unflinchingly. "Nope." She was highly aware of his presence between her legs.
He narrowed his eyes. "Why do you insist on lying to me? You know I can read right through it."
She rolled her eyes defiantly. "Eric, I'm a big girl. I can handle it myself."
"I'm a leader. You're an initiate. It's my job to know what's going on."
"Oh, right, I forgot," Nina's voice quivered. "You're just a trainer, you're not my friend and you don't want to be. You made that quite clear to me."
He sighed, exasperated. "That's not what I meant, Nina."
"Oh really?" She snapped. "Then what did you mean? Cause as far as I know, I mean nothing to you and I never d-"
He silenced her by tilting her head up with his palm and kissing her. For a brief moment she was in shock, unable to move, and Eric began to pull away. She placed her hand on his neck and pulled his mouth back down to hers. Their lips moved passionately, in sync with each other. Eric tucked his hand under her shirt and trailed his fingers down her back, leaving goosebumps. Nina curled her fist in his hair. His touch was like molten lava, igniting her body. She moved her lips away from his and planted kisses along his jaw to his earlobe. He moaned and tilted her head away, then moved his lips onto her neck. He sucked the skin on her neck near her collarbone. It was painful and sexy, and Nina couldn't hold back a moan. He moved his lips to her ear and breathed into it. "I want you so badly."
She grabbed the helm of his shirt and tugged up. Eric pulled his shirt off, then returned his lips to hers. Nina explored the skin on his chest and abs with her hands, her fingers trailing down to his waistline. She hooked her fingers into the belt loops of his pants and pulled him closer to her between her legs. He ran his hands slowly, teasingly, up her thighs but pulled away before reaching the apex of her legs. Desire - need - consumed her. He wrapped his hands around her waist and scooted her closer to him. Nearly her whole body was in contact with his. Fire radiated in her core.
Eric's radio device went off, and Nina momentarily stiffened when she felt him reach for it, but he turned it to silent. She smiled into the kiss and felt his lips curve upwards in response. Gradually their kisses slowed to chaste, sweet kisses. Eric was the first to pull away. He trailed his nose along hers and whispered, "That's what I meant when I said I didn't want to be friends."
Should be sailing for Nina and Eric from now on... or is trouble lurking on the horizon?
Loved it? Hated it? Indifferent? Let me know in a review! I'm always willing to take your suggestions for improvement :)
IMPORTANT A/N: Some of you brought up the question "But isn't the food in Amity treated with Peace Serum?!" Here's my answer to that: If the food was laced with Peace Serum , it would have been in very low, nonpharmacological doses - so Nina likely would not have felt the effects at all :)
QUESTION FOR MY READERS: Do you think I should change the story rating from T to M?