Chapter 8

Kazana has lived factionless her entire life, having been found by the rebels who strive to live without the faction system she becomes their new secret weapon. The plan is clear, choose dauntless, pass initiation, infiltrate the system, but what can she do when a certain leader sees through her façade? AU No War, One year after Tris' initiation.

Disclaimer: I do not own Divergent, and it pains me. *Throws Divergent at a wall then sobs and scrambles to retrieve it apologetically*

Kazana watched Wes' chest rise and fall with deep content breaths, she envisioned him to be chasing cats or cars excitedly in the dream world. It was highly unlikely that her kick, though very powerful, would knock him out in to the following hour.

After fighting his way to the very top, Wes had pushed himself to physical exhaustion and Kaz guessed he was taking full advantage of the sweet rest the infirmary allowed him. Deciding that he was strong enough to fight another day, Kaz crept away from his snores and hoped she would be received in good spirits on her return.

The Pit welcomed her with silence as she watched her fellow initiates stop their excitable chatter and stare at her openly, this was exactly what she had been trying to avoid. A heavy sense of dread followed Kazana to her spot beside Lisa, her skin prickled at the memory of grey eyes boring in to her and she began to question whether her dramatic display had been a grave mistake.

Peter and Tris appeared at the entrance above, their bodies weighed down by large black bags, beckoning with a swift hand motion, they led the way to a secure unit where 9 targets were lined up.

Thick glass panels separated the initiates as they came to stand shoulders feet apart in front of their chosen board, a hard plastic box was slid across the floor towards Kazana. Peter's eyes lingered on her, a mixture of suspicion and intrigue in his expression before he moved on to the brown haired boy beside her.

Kaz kept her gaze locked on the door for a few moments longer, satisfied that no impending leaders would be watching her, she cringed as a sharp screech sounded. Solomon stood in the next booth along, his nail dragged along the glass deliberately slow as he stared her down with a bitter smile.

The material that separated them was impenetrable but his venom laced voiced reached Kazana easily.

"Fancy show you put on back there." The tone was meant to intimidate her, not blinking once as he put his lips to the glass, his heavy breaths left clouded imprints with each word.

"Too bad it didn't come in handy with me, how's the face?" he smirked gesturing to the gashes along her cheek.

Kazana knelt down and opened up the box to reveal the components within, recognizing it to be a Beretta. Never once taking her eyes off the boy who glared down at her with amused disdain, she assembled the weapon with quick familiarity, clicking the magazine in to place and rising slowly.

Food and Shelter had been difficult to find when she was factionless, but firearms were near on impossible. The first year and a half of her training had taken place without touching a single one, but after Cain and Edward had taken on the dangerous task of ambushing some of the guards on night duty, it had been a critical addition to her regime.

Kaz raised her arm smoothly; clicking off the safety she gave Solomon a wicked smile and fired three shots at the target in front of her. She did not have to look to know they had reached the centre and in those fleeting moments, Kazana felt it was worth giving everything away just to see the smug grin fall from his face.

"Okay third time's the charm, you cannot deny me now!" Vesper pleaded, twirling a purple lock around her finger. Kazana slid her plate away and revelled in the full sensation that still felt like new, rolling her eyes as she was fixed with an emerald stare.

"Not tonight, I saw quite enough the first time," Kaz groaned, the determined Dauntless born had been trying to get her to attend another party for three days straight.

Vesper's eyes narrowed with the challenge, her ruby red lips pressed in to a thin line as she tried to work out a new tactic. The bench shook with the familiar weight of Wes' bear like form; he did not bother to grab a plate as he pulled the platter of chicken drumsticks towards him, winking at Kazana as he bit in to the food. Two days had passed since the fight and he hadn't spoken one word about it, pressing a hefty palm to her mouth as she had ran in to the infirmary rambling apologies.

Kaz choked as the overwhelming scent of Vesper's perfume invaded her nose, the girl had squeezed in between her and the huge candor, unaware of the red hot blush that reddened Wes' face as she did.

"Now listen here little madam," Vesper poked a long fingernail in to Kazana's chest lightly, painted in the same alarming shade as her lips.

"A little birdy told me that the Dauntless leaders and other high ranking officials will be otherwise engaged tonight, meaning this may possibly be our only chance to go wild. Now are you in or are you out?"

Valuable information would be shared at that meeting and Kazana had been given the perfect alibi, she nodded her head slowly as if digesting the offer.

"I'm in."

Sub-zero temperatures felt akin to a thousand sharp blades again Eric's face as he stood ready and poised at the open train door. It was a sensation he knew too well, and a snarl ripped through him as one of the newly trained guards lost his balance on a particularly rough bump and fell straight in to the Dauntless leader.

Pulling him roughly to his feet, Eric gave the boy a warning glare before launching himself off the cart and on to hard cement, without looking back to see if his men had all made it he propelled himself off the roof ledge and rolled along the safety net in one swift motion.

Ripping away the bulletproof vest and outer layers that had weighed him down for the past 48 hours, he charged through the crooked hallways and along the uneven grounds of the dauntless compound, paying no attention to the men and women who backed out of his way in the process.

"Ah Eric you made it!" Max clapped his hands together and gestured to a seat beside himself and Tori, they were seated at the head of a long wide table which was littered with papers.

Shutting the door firmly behind him, Eric stalked over to the appointed chair and watched as two men dressed in similar layers to the ones he had been sporting took a guarded position by the entrance.

"You all know why you are here," Tori began, her voice soft but commanding as every head turned to listen. "Every day our system faces a growing threat from those without order, the Factionless are beginning to cause problems. It's crucial that we find a way to reason with them-" her words were cut off as Max gave a derivative snort.

"Reason with them? There is no reasoning with the Factionless. We are here to find a way to stop them. Eric, if you care to tell the others what you and your men have found out these past two days?"

Max leaned back in his chair and stared expectantly at the younger leader.

Kazana watched the hostile looks exchanged between the two men and decided that there must be an unspoken hierarchy between the three leaders.

The conference room was vast, guards were stationed at every corner and heavy duty bolts insured no intruders could listen in.

Kaz was thankful for once of her sinewy limbs as she lay deadly quiet in the narrow air vent that looked down on the room, giving her an ideal vantage point.

Eric did not speak for a few moments and instead waited patiently for the other members to give him their undivided attention, it was imperative to him that he maintain control despite Max's attempts to belittle him. Irritation flared up as he met Four's expectant gaze, one of the few people who could not be intimidated by Eric, he stood up to his full size and addressed the group.

"My men and I met with the guards who are currently stationed where a majority of the Factionless reside, to their knowledge; they remain as useless and subdued as ever." Kazana bristled in anger at the words, but kept her palm firmly over her mouth, silent breaths tickling her fingers as she watched him work the room with a commanding tone.

"It was only when we took residence in one of the warehouses that we noticed a difference, many of them I recognized to be ex-dauntless but the ring leader has yet to be found. We have reason to believe they are receiving help from Faction members".

"Which Faction?" Tori asked, her brows furrowed.

"All of them," Eric answered.

"They have access to resources that can't just be found on the street, food, weapons, books, this is a lot bigger than we initially thought."

One of the men who worked in the armoury looked agitated and addressed Eric openly.

"Why didn't you just stop them when you had the chance? Shoot the perpetrators and move on?" Murmurs of agreement followed as the table broke in to discussion.

"Just kill them all now, there are too many of them anyway," one voice piped up angrily.

"No just show them who is boss, scare them a little," an older woman suggested, her eyes narrowing at the thought.

Kazana listened to their crows in horror as their ideas became more extreme, their violent nature coming to a head as they shouted in vain. In an attempt to shuffle forward and get a clearer view, her boot became wedged in a miniature gap in the vent, she cursed inwardly and tried to free herself before they heard.

Eric slammed his hand on the table and the noise came to an immediate halt, he fixed them all with a cold glare.

"Killing them solves nothing, scare tactics will not work at this stage. I've seen them interact; they are smarter than you think. Our next step is to organize a meeting with Jeanine Matthews and Jack Kang to see if we can get access to the truth ser-"

He stopped abruptly when a loud thud sounded from somewhere above, a metallic bang that could only have come from inside the room.

Kazana's eyes widened as she realized her mistake. In trying to free her shoe from the steel prison, she had jerked her foot violently and attracted the attention of everyone in the room. Her breaths came in hot nervous pants as she tried to sidle backwards out of the vent on her stomach, the tell-tale wall behind her alerted her to the sudden drop.

Kaz hung for a few moments from the vent and landed with bent knees on the ground just outside the conference room. Breaking in to a sprint, she heard the door opening behind her and pumped her arms faster, her legs burning with the effort.

Eric wasted no time in storming out of the room; the guards fell behind as he ran full speed down the dauntless halls. Whoever had been listening in, they must have been of a very small stature, and very fast too apparently, he noted as he rounded a corner.

There was a sharp squeal as Kaz's boot scraped across the cement, turning on the balls of her feet in to another room. Heavy bass music took her by surprise as she was met with flashing strobe lights and swaying bodies. Moving hastily in to the crowd, Kazana removed the elastic from her hair and allowed it to flow down her back; she rubbed vigorously at her eyes, smudging the black ink.

With a furious growl, Eric threw himself in to the throng of bodies that the intruder must have immersed themselves in. His tall stature allowing him to look over the heads of other members and initiates alike, in such a chaotic surrounding he had no idea what to look for and knew it was of no use to search now.

Running his hand through his cropped hair, Eric snatched a bottle out of the hands of some faceless dancer.

"HEY!" she complained, but stopped short when she saw just who it was she'd been addressing.

Eric took a swig of the bitter substance and sunk in to one of the armchairs that resided in the corner, it was no use returning to the meeting now, everyone would be on edge knowing that a mysterious eavesdropper had heard every word.

Making an attempt to blend in, Kazana began to mix a concoction of spirits together, her mind whirring with the information she had just heard, she berated herself for having been so careless. Throwing her head back she downed the mixture in one gulp and winced as the vile liquid burned her throat, she wondered why the other factionless had clung to these bottles like it was their saving grace.

A very suggestive, very drunk Vesper sauntered up to where Kazana currently had her head ducked down by the drinks table.

"Well heellllooooo there stranger, fancy seeing you here," she slurred, a small hiccup followed her words and had Kaz not been so on edge after her near escape, she might have laughed at her friend's unusual state.

"I think someone needs to sit down," Kazana smiled grimly and allowed Vesper to lean on her as they neared an empty chair, the taller girl fell in to the seat with a graceless thump, her head lolling on the head rest and eyes fluttering shut.

Eric took advantage of his position in the shadows to observe the lithe creature who had plagued many of his waking thoughts over the past few days. Even on duty he had found his mind wondering repeatedly to that moment in the hall, when her eyes had met his, so fierce and full of challenge.

She sighed heavily and lay back on to his arm rest, unaware that her every move was being followed by his amused gaze.

His eyes roamed down her relaxed form, it was the most at ease he had ever seen her, head tilted back to reveal a long milky expanse of neck. Her body looked fuller then it had that first night in the kitchens, the muscles in her shoulders and arms were more pronounced and yet still feminine, a small waist flared out in to pronounced hips.

Kaz sunk further in to the arm rest, her head leaning on the wall behind as she stretched contently. Her black vest rode up with the motion and against his better judgement Eric felt his hand graze the soft skin there. He had been certain her eyes would fly open in surprise, and that she would jerk away from him then and seek the safety of her dorm, but she did not.

Unusual warmth seemed to spread through Kazana's body as she relaxed, half sitting, and half lying across the armrest beside her violet haired friend. Everything seemed to be lighter, more relaxed around her as the music and voices faded in to a distant hum.

She was suddenly aware of a roughened hand stroking down her waist, the familiar scent of smoked oak filled her senses and she was reminded of the fleeting fires that had warmed her during those lonely nights on the streets.

Instead of leaning away from the touch as was her main instinct, she found herself seeking more. With eyes still closed she turned her head and breathed in the heady masculine scent, Kaz sunk lower still until she had sidled in to a small nook in the arm chair, her small shivering body now pressed against a warm solid one.

Eric watched with halted breath as Kazana slipped gracefully in to the space beside him, the arm which had been outstretched now secured her against him. Her head fell back against his chest and she listened for a few moments to the gentle thrum of his heart before skimming her nose against a chiselled jaw. She took him by surprise as she relaxed in to him, her face buried in the warm expanse of skin between his jaw and collarbone.

Kazana was all too aware to whom it was she was now curled up against, nobody could feel as rock solid as he did, no one radiated the warm earthy scent that he did, and no one made her feel body feel quite as alive and electric as Eric did.

It was of course due to her earlier indulgence that she found herself now submitting to these sensations rather than fighting them but such thoughts did not occur to her as she traced her hand gently down the skin tight material of his black shirt, exploring the hard contours she found there.

Noting how Kaz had still not once opened her eyes, Eric used his free hand to trail across her jaw, turning her head so he could observe her more closely.

Her long black lashes dusted the white almost purplish skin beneath her eyes, a strong regal nose led down to full, crooked lips. Such imperfections had never been more desirable, as she opened her eyes slowly to gaze up at him.

Despite the delicious numbness that had taken hold of Kazana's body, she still felt her heart race with nerves as she opened her eyes to look at him. Her breath caught in her throat as she met his obsidian black gaze, shadowed eyes bore in to her with open lust and it was paralyzing.

Her stare faltered for a moment as she became aware of his lips, dangerously close to her own. Eric followed this movement and noted the way her tongue darted out teasingly to wet her own lips, her hot shaky breaths fell against his jaw and the tension was unbearable and tantalizing all at once.

Sliding his hand more possessively across her jaw and in to her soft hair, he held her firmly there and she offered no resistance as he pulled her closer to him. It was in that moment, as the inevitable feel of his lips ghosted over hers that they were ripped away from each other by the piercing wail of an alarm.

Kazana jerked away from Eric's embrace and fell unceremoniously on to the floor; the impact of the cold stone was sobering as the walls echoed with noise. All music had been halted and the bodies that had swayed and swaggered under the intoxicating lights were now evacuating the room in a chaotic frenzy.

The spell was broken for Eric as he watched the party come undone, one of the other two leaders must have sounded the alarm in an attempt to find the rat.

The rat, he remembered, that was why he was there wasn't it and the little bat had distracted him. He watched as she scrambled to her feet and backed away from him, their eyes locked in a moment of perplexity. She had caught him off guard, made him weak. He rose from his seat and pushed past her roughly, heading for the exit, he had no time for distractions.

He would not let this happen again.