Chapter 10

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.

Here it is! The next update! I hope you all enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you for everyone who has reviewed/followed/favourited this story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Divergent, BUT I do own the fight sequences in this story so FEAST YOUR EYES on the delicious brutality.

Kazana supposed she had never spent long enough in the presence of proper company to know that it was considered sociably inacceptable, even to an ex-Candor, to stare so openly at ones friends. Without such mannerisms having been drummed in to her early on, Kaz saw it fit to study Lisa intently the next evening over dinner.

"If you're trying to burn a hole in to the girl's head, a gun might be more apt right now" Turf snorted, noticing Lisa's discomfort at Kaz's unyielding stare.

The words didn't deter Kazana as Lisa finally met her stare and raised an eyebrow in question; it was in such moments that she saw great oddities in her friend. The simple fact that Kazana had shocked everyone with her strength and combat skills was strange in itself, but Lisa had never met someone so unconventional. Where Wes was unusual in a comedic, purposeful sort of way, Kaz had quirks that never failed to surprise, even to her diverse group of friends.

Previous night

A routine had come in to place without a word being spoken about it, the dauntless borns always finished training first, which meant Vesper and Turf were always ready and waiting in the food hall when Lisa and Kazana arrived. About halfway through the meal Wes would bound in and knock over a few drinks in his wake as he took a place at their table, freshly showered and salivating at the plates before him.

"VeeVee!" indistinct voices screeched, bringing the groups attention away from their food and instead to the three girls that had somehow managed to squeeze themselves next to Vesper, unaware of the seething glare Turf shot them as he was separated from his plate.

Vesper's jaw clenched with annoyance but she managed to paste on an amiable smile for the girls who simpered back, giggling.

Kazana chewed her food slowly as she watched the display with brief glances, all three of them seemed to sport the same spiky bob and side swept fringe that Sophie had shown her in the styling room, each however, wore it in a different colour.

Mermaid green, Fiery orange and Bright Lemon Yellow, Kaz was reminded uncomfortably of the girls who'd stared at her with open interest as she'd begged on the streets with cupped hands all those years ago.

"Who are your new friends?" Green hair asked, twirling a piece of Vesper's hair around her finger and smiling sweetly at the group, her mouth curled wickedly when her gaze fell on Wes, who tucked in to his potatoes with wild abandon.

"Yeah Vee, aren't you going to introduce us?" Orange cooed, resting her head on Green's shoulder and reaching over unashamedly to pinch a sliver of bacon from Lisa's plate. Vesper smacked the hand away from her hair, slowly placing down her fork to gesture in Lisa's direction.

"This i-" her words were cut off by a sharp squeal.

"Oh god there he is!" Lemon exclaimed, flapping her hands as the group turned their heads in the direction of her conspicuous pointing. Kazana felt a slight twinge in her stomach as she noticed the focus of their attentions, Eric walked in to the hall and over to his table with calm deliberate steps, his jaw set, and body tense as if constantly awaiting an attack.

"Damn, would you look at those arms, enough to crush a guy," orange swooned; falling further in to green's shoulder who nodded slowly as if in a trance.

Vesper scoffed at the pathetic scene before her.

"You'll catch flies if you don't put that away," she smirked. Lemon snapped her jaw shut but didn't avert her gaze.

"Can you blame me? He touched my hand during training today; I'm never washing it again."

Turf and Wes watched with unveiled horror as the three girls fell over each other trying to crane their heads in the Dauntless leader's direction. Green hair met Wes' stare and gave him a sultry wink, only Kazana noticed Vesper tense at the action.

"I think you three ought to leave" Kazana said, earning shocked looks from the group.

"And why would we do that?" Green hair sneered, scrutinizing Kaz up and down.

"Because I find you to be extremely irritating at this time, your presence is causing discomfort to my friends and I think we would all unanimously agree that this meal would be a lot more enjoyable should you go elsewhere."

Their mouths gaped open at such upfront shrewdness, it was at this moment that Lisa turned to peer at her new found friend. Very strange indeed.

Present

Kazana watched as Lisa met her stare, she found studying the girl to be a satisfactory distraction from the fearful anticipation that churned within. In just two hours she would be expected to begin her training with Eric and expose her weaknesses, but even worse her strengths, to the man who could pose the biggest threat to Kaz's mission.

She had noticed Lisa become more withdrawn as training went on, cracks could be seen in her usually well-kept composure, and no doubt initiation was beginning to take its toll.

"You should get a tattoo," Kazana declared.

"Why? So I have something pretty to look at when I get booted out of here?" Lisa mumbled dejectedly.

"No. So you have something to spur you on when you win your next fight."

Lisa scoffed at the words but her eyes already began to shine with the possibility. Sighing, she pushed her plate away and gave Kazana a wobbly smile.

"I suppose it couldn't hurt."

The two made their way to the tattoo parlour with haste, and Kaz found herself stumbling slightly as she saw Tori, one of the three Dauntless leaders, sat at her desk, brow furrowed in concentration. Lisa coughed gently, alerting the older woman to their presence.

"I'll be with you in just a moment," Tori chimed, not taking her eyes away from the intricate pattern she was tracing.

"Choose something you want and come to me when you're done," her voice held the authority of a leader and yet welcomed them further in to the parlour where Lisa began to browse.

It took her little time to decide on a pattern she liked, a frown marred her features as she noticed Kaz still standing at the entrance empty handed.

"Aren't you going to get something?"

Kazana could not explain to her friend the true reason of her reluctance. If the mission were to succeed, she shook her head, when the mission succeeded; she didn't want a constant reminder etched in to her skin, of the people she'd betrayed in the process.

"I'm scared of needles," Kaz supplied, relieved when Lisa simply shrugged and approached Tori with her chosen piece.

With little else to fill her time before the training session began, Kazana refused the chair that was offered to her and leaned against a nearby wall, watching as Lisa winced every time the needle made contact with her shoulder blade, eventually allowing her eyes to fall shut, lulled by the gentle buzz.

"Baby? You in here?" A masculine voice asked from the entrance of the parlour.

"Behind the desk!" Tori called.

Strong cologne had Kazana choking as the man swept past her, she opened her eyes irritably, just in time to see him lean down to where Tori was seated and peck her on the lips.

Lisa looked distinctly uncomfortable at being so close to their affectionate greeting, Tori giggled and swatted him away with her free hand.

"Don't distract me, this is going to take a while, go entertain yourself until I'm done."

The man huffed jokingly and looked around, his eyes falling on the dark figure in the corner of the room, half hidden in shadow.

Kazana sucked in a sharp breath as he looked up at her, bright blue eyes squinted in to the darkness she now shrouded herself in. Silently begging that he would come no closer, her pleas went unheard as he made his way over to lean on the wall and peer down at her.

His body was incredibly lean, almost sunken in the oversized vest he sported, and his head was shaven making the contours of his face appear all the more hollow. An angry red scar ran from the sharp outline of his cheekbone to the corner of his lips. Kazana felt acid rising up her throat, as his eyes bore down into hers.

'I'LL GET YOU, YOU LITTLE FUCKING BITCH!'

It couldn't be, she shivered, not him.

"I'LL FUCKING DESTROY YOU!"

Closing her eyes, Kazana waited for the moment of recognition, the screech of victory that would resonate around the walls as he remembered that fateful day.

Nothing.

She opened her eyes once more to find him smiling wickedly at her.

"Hello beautiful." He winked.

Kazana blanched, had she been wrong? Was this the boy who had vowed to instigate her death one way or another, all those years ago?

"The name's Sloane," he continued, seemingly unperturbed by her silence.

'She's all yours, Slo'

Kazana felt revulsion crawl within her she inhaled his scent, artificial and domineering, it couldn't have suited him better.

"Cat got your tongue honey? I could always help loosen that for you…" he drawled, stepping further in to her personal space. Time and Experience seemed to have made her unrecognizable to him, and Kaz was no longer sure whether to be thankful.

"I think I'll pass," she quipped, fixing him with a bitter smile. Glancing over in Tori's direction she noticed the woman was engrossed in her work, oblivious to her boyfriend's come on's.

Placing an arm on the wall beside her to block her in, Kazana found herself reminded of the moment Eric had cornered her in the pit, the heated thrill absent as she met Sloane's leer.

"You sure about that?" he murmured, Kaz opened her mouth ready to tell him just where he could stick his remarks when Lisa released a particularly loud cry of pain.

Sloane jumped away from her as if burnt, glancing in Tori's direction to make sure her attention was focused elsewhere, it was. Kazana took the opportunity to make her way briefly over to the entrance, giving Lisa an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry I didn't realize it would take this long, I have to go now."

Lisa frowned, "What? Where?"

"Uhh, Kitchen duties, Max's orders after yesterday.." Kazana cursed herself for not having thought of a better excuse earlier. Lisa's eyes widened in understanding, she nodded and Kaz made her way to leave. She shuddered as she saw Sloane's twisted smile, holding a finger his lips in a shushing motion.

Kaz narrowed her eyes and stormed out of the room, furious that he should make her feel so dirty. So engulfed by anger was she, that Kazana failed to noticed the tall solid figure heading in the opposite direction.

Hurtling head first in to his chest, Kaz fell back on to her backside with bruising force. Eric looked down at with thinly veiled amusement, his expression hardening when she scowled up at him.

"You're going the wrong way initiate," he bit, lacing his hands behind his back as she stumbled to her feet.

"I was just going to change," Kaz replied tersely. Eric's eyes flicked up and down her form in a moment.

"You have your training gear on already have you not?"

"Well yes but not a t-"

"Then why are you still wasting time? Let's go," he interrupted sharply, turning to lead the way. Kazana silently seethed behind him, having discarded her outer clothes earlier that day for something drier, she was left with very little to train in.

"Are you always this moody?" Kazana questioned, emboldened by the anger that Sloane's perverted advances had instilled.

"Are you always this suicidal?" Eric replied, no doubt referring to her snarky comment. Kazana rolled her eyes, it was true that he did intimidate her, but he didn't need to be so extreme.

"Only around you." she smiled up at him sweetly, he simply glanced down at her in annoyance and continued down the steps into the main arena. Kazana wondered whether he might have hit his head as he made his way over the furthest wall, fixing her with an impatient glare when she did not follow.

Pushing on the wall, Kaz gaped as the stone gave way under Eric's hands, leading to a section of the compound she had never been aware of. Walking through the stone arch, she concluded that Cain must have been unaware of the room's existence when mapping out the area for her.

It was half the size of their usual training area, punching bags and targets lined the walls, part of the stone had been carved out so as to store a particularly dangerous looking set of knives. Her face lit up when she saw a single rope hanging from the impossibly high ceiling, it was perfection.

The smile dropped from her face when she saw Eric sliding the rock back in to place, he turned and noted the wary look Kazana fixed him with.

"Relax initiate, it's just a precaution, Max doesn't want anyone getting wind of these extra sessions in case it starts raising questions."

"Shouldn't it? I am getting extra help after all. Hardly seems fair."

Eric picked up a winding of white cloth and began to circle it around his fists with complete ease, it was clear he had undertaken the task many times before.

"No it doesn't seem fair, not when you're perfectly capable of passing initiation yourself but…" Eric halted his movements and smirked up at her.

"You're not."

Kazana's jaw clenched at his taunts, deciding that words were void in such a situation; she reached down to unlace her boots and throw them carelessly towards the entrance. She turned back to stare at him defiantly, as if to ask, what now?

He simply stared back; a dark amusement now lit his eyes as he took a step closer.

"You don't intend to train in that do you?" he asked, finding far too much humour in the situation for her liking.

"Yes, actually," Kaz retorted, crossing her arms over her chest,

"Well as your trainer, I'm telling you to change."

"I'd rather not" her voice was laced with animosity.

Eric tensed as she glared up at him in defiance; he was not used to being denied, especially by an initiate. Having bound both fists efficiently, he tore the fabric away in one swift motion, tossing the bandaging over his shoulder.

Kazana's resolve wavered for a moment as she watched his effortless show of power, her arms falling down to her sides as she went to take a step back.

Using her distraction to his advantage, he stepped forward and grabbed hold of the neck of her vest with two hands. Her eyes widened in alarm but before she had time to react he ripped the top in two and let it float down to the ground.

Kazana's jaw dropped as she felt his rough hands tearing her vest in two, leaving her in her training pants and sports bra. Words failed her as she gaped at him in astonishment, the cool air left a trail of Goosebumps down her arms and torso.

The cocky sense of victory that Eric had felt in that moment of power fled him as he took in the sight before him. Her chest heaved in silent fury, drawing his eyes to the hint of shadow which dipped down between her breasts.

Concealed by the teasing material, he felt the muscle in his jaw twitch, swallowing thickly as he was unable to look away. A light dusting of goosebumps covered her marble white flesh, and it took a great deal of control for him to resist reaching out to knead the smooth skin there. The longer he looked the more heated his thoughts became, he wanted to possess her completely, leave dark bruises and bites on the curve of her neck, as she came undone beneath him.

The shocked outrage that had Kazana trembling before him seemed to dissipate in moments as he watched her with unabated lust. His eyes trailed down her body slowly and despite the anger she felt at his audacity, she could not help the jolt in her stomach and the curious twinge between her legs his look inspired.

The feeling was completely unfamiliar to Kaz, but all she knew was she needed relief, the tension that had begun those two nights ago had come back full force and her whole body felt aflame. There was something so raw about the way he looked at her, she took a deep breath in order to calm down, but found instead that his natural oaky scent only intoxicated her further.

Both were having a very difficult time figuring out why they shouldn't give in to the moment right there.

It was Eric however, who remembered first. Closing his eyes in an attempt to block out the lustful images her unyielding gaze instilled in him, failing however as he imagined her wide innocent eyes staring up at him as he taught her a great deal many other things.

Kazana found her mind clearing as he took a step back from her; it was much easier to think without his stormy grey eyes watching her so intently. Creeping delicately past him, she retrieved the bandages he had thrown away and began to bind her own hands, watching as he took deep breaths with eyes still closed.

When they opened again, Kazana was fixed with a cold glare, and for her sake, she couldn't be more glad. Grabbing a knife from one of the hollows in the wall, she cut through the cotton and tucked the ends in to her fists.

The weapons and tools had been kept aside leaving a majority of the room clear, an ideal fighting arena. Kazana rolled her shoulders back, enjoying the satisfactory click she got from the motion, and stood with feet shoulders width apart; she met his glare head on.

"I'll be assessing your abilities to begin with, so we will start with combat. I want to see how you really perform in a fight."

"Let me guess? No one concedes?" Kaz asked airily.

"I think we'll reserve that for later sessions, I wouldn't want anyone asking questions when I'm dragging your body to the infirmary" Eric derided, to anyone else the comment might have been a chilling one but Kazana had always had a sadistic sort of humour.

"Dragging really? You sure know how to make a girl feel special Eric," Kaz gave him a cheeky smile, incensed by the prospect of a real fight, against a worthy opponent. Her expression became altogether darker, it had been too long.

If Eric was surprised by her sudden brashness he did not show it, angling his body to face her side on. Adrenaline pumped through Kazana's veins as she watched him drop in to a ready stance, she followed suit and they eyed each other the way a predator might eye its prey, neither backing down.

Kaz had expected him to fly forward first, to use brute strength the way Wes had to overpower her, but he instead waited, expecting her to make the first move. She did not disappoint, flying forward with a simple jab to the nose, as he made to block the movement and make his attack, she changed her move last minute and kicked him squarely in the stomach.

Eric watched, winded slightly, as she pivoted on her foot to send another kick towards his head. Fast reflexes had him sweeping one leg under hers to send her flying on to her backside. He used her momentary fall to pin her down with his body, knees falling on either side of her torso. She struggled beneath him causing him to smirk down at her, "mistake number one, never-"

His haughty words were cut off as she head-butted him squarely in the nose. He groaned in pain and Kazana took no time in turning them so her legs now encompassed his, she tried not to think about the way his firm muscled thighs felt beneath hers.

Raising one arm she made to continue her attack on his face, his arrogant, handsome face. One hand shot out and grabbed her arm, wrenching it behind her back causing Kazana to cry out. She was thrown off him in an instant, Eric rose to his feet and kicked down, aiming directly for her head.

There was an understanding between them now, neither was ready to concede.

Grabbing the offensive leg, she pulled, using the momentum to bring Eric crashing back down to the floor. Kazana found herself unable to quell her laughter as she watched him fall, it was such a delicious sight. Eric growled and launched himself at her, a well-aimed punch found its well in to her solar plexus.

"FUCK!" she wheezed, all mirth leaving her as they glowered at one another.

He moved forward to plant another fist into her mouth but a flick of wrist had it flying off course, they continued in this way for some time, every movement wickedly fast as they threw and blocked punches and kicks.

Eric did not like to be beaten, and he certainly would not give up victory to an Amity initiate. He pulled a long sharpened knife from one of the dips in the wall and saw the way her eyes widened in fear at the movement. She was calmed however when he slide the knife across the floor to her and picked up one for himself.

"Time to finish this Little Bat," he growled.

"What are you waiting for?" she taunted, her eyes glittering.

They flew at each other with a sharp clash of steel, the silent tribal rhythm spurred Kazana on once more as they circled each other, knives moving in sync as they jabbed and blocked. Their breaths grew into heavy pants as they continued on relentlessly, sweat dripped from every pore of their bodies.

Kaz grew tired of waving the weapon around and ducked his next blow, throwing the knife to the ground. He was stunned when she avoided the swipe of his knife with a smooth back flip. What was this creature? She came at him from behind, a vicious blow at his knees that sent them both to the ground.

Kazana tensed ready for his next move but saw none, she realized then that he was lying motionless on the floor.

She had won.

Overcome with both relief and worry, her nervous laughs filled the silence as she turned away and wiped the slick sweat away from her eyes with shaky hands. A large arm barred her movements in a second; Eric knelt behind her seated form with one arm held around her throat, the blade winked at her under the artificial lights.

"Never take your eyes off your opponent," he murmured in her ear, his harsh voice tickling her neck. Kazana froze for a few moments before, lolling her head back on his shoulder, conceding defeat.

He moved the blade away from her neck and both came to a stand, their bodies heaving from the savage workout. Eric went over to move the stone using considerably more effort than he had before; he found it difficult to gloat in his victory when he should have finished her in a single move.

Kaz shoved on her boots with haste, grabbing the torn shreds of her vest, she made to leave but was stopped by a wicked thought. Eric stood at the open doorway, his face set in its usual impassive expression, but the top he had been wearing was so damp it clung to every contour of his sculpted body.

"Thanks for the work out Eric," her voice was husky as she leaned up to place her lips by his ear.

"But maybe next time lose the shirt."

Kazana could not help the grin on her face as she sauntered away.