The Fourth Eaton

Chapter 27 🔪 Innocent

A/N: Hello, hello! I'm finally back from my trip, and back to updating! This chapter was a hard one, the CWB (Crippling writer's block) was quite severe.

I've got lots of studying to do, but I'm procrastinating. Oh, well.

Anyhow, let's dive right in!

"Initiate."

I resist the urge to shiver at the cold, hard voice. The familiar cold, hard voice.

Maybe I shouldn't have insisted on wandering the compound alone for a while. But the spiders took a lot out of me, and I just needed some time alone.

So much for that. "Eric."

Usually, Eric reminds me of a bad-tempered elephant. Large, loud, stomping on everything that comes in his way. But it is instances like this, when I watch him walk closer, placing every foot down gently, deliberately, making hardly a sound, which remind me that Eric has multiple faces. A loud, somewhat maniacal Eric is dangerous. But a quiet, stalking one, like the one that stands in front of me, may be even more so.

Right now, he is a hunter. And I am his prey.

"Tell me, Camilla," He emphasizes my real name, sending a shiver down my spine. "How is it that a Stiff can waltz into Dauntless initiation and outrank everyone else in the room?"

His lips twist up in a smirk, and I can tell he is probing for information.

Well, he already suspects that I am Divergent. He couldn't prove it in the simulations, so I'm guessing that this is his next attempt. He's trying to intimidate me, make me sweat and slip up.

Two can play at that game.

"I don't know." I shrug, trying my hardest to seem nonchalant. "Maybe I just belong here. I've always been brave."

Eric's face falls; clearly, that was not the answer he hoped for. But he recovers far too quickly. "Ah, yes, brave. I suppose you call taking your dear dad's abuse for your whole life brave?"

My heart starts racing. Of course he knows, idiot, he has access to your fear simulations. All the leaders do.

The fact doesn't make me feel better. It means that other than Tobias, Rowan, and I, there are five other people who now know about what Marcus did.

I want to freak out, but Eric is watching. He is observing, searching for my cracks. I may be fractured, but I can't let him see that.

"Maybe not." I take a deep breath. "But I think defying that same abusive father at every reasonable opportunity is."

A fascinated expression comes across Eric's face. "So you're not going to deny it? Interesting."

I roll my eyes; a bold move, but it helps me feel like I have some control over the situation. "You've seen my fear simulations, denying it would be pointless."

Eric hums in affirmation. "Good to see that you have at least some common sense. Better than the rest of you bloody Stiffs."

Anger starts to boil in my stomach. I want to defend my old faction, but I cannot. Eric would take it as a traitorous act, or, worse, a Divergent one.

Instead, I defend myself. "I'm not a Stiff anymore."

Eric laughs. "You're right. You're not. But just remember," He moves a little closer, so he can whisper loud enough for me to hear, "You're not Dauntless yet, either."

And with that, he abruptly straightens up, gives me a final smirk, and walks away.

But I can see the disappointment flashing in his eyes.