Revelation | ✓

Chapter 11

"Why did you want me here?" I demand. "I know it wasn't just to sit around and learn about my life, or else you wouldn't've kidnapped my mom to get me here."

She shakes her head, letting out a few tsks. "Vayna, Vayna, Vayna. Can I call you that?"

"No." I say through gritted teeth. "You can call me Vae, like everyone else."

She goes on as if I didn't speak. "I wanted you to come here so that I can meet you. That's not all, of course- I do have other reasons, and you'll eventually learn them. But for now, you'll just have to live with only knowing that."

"And what about my mother? Are you going to release her?"

Evelyn perches on the armrest of the couch across from me and inspects her nails. "Well of course. I've had some of my most trusted associates place her on a train. She'll get to Dauntless soon, though I'm not sure if she'll be awake by then. She was sleeping when they put her on there."

"So then what am I? Your lab rat? Are you going to throw me in some dingy cell and poke and prod at me every now and then?" My hands tighten into fists.

She throws her head back and laughs at this. "Oh, sweetheart, not at all! You're still my granddaughter, and I will be giving you living quarters, though I'm sure they're not nearly as nice as what you had in Dauntless."

Had. The way she says it is like a knife in my gut.

Had. Past tense. As if I'm already dead.

"Don't call me sweetheart," I snap, "or I'll be forced to take a really dull knife and shove it into your trachea."

Once again, she ignores me. She looks at Jack. "You- Jack, correct?"

He nods his head once. "Yes, ma'am."

"Escort my granddaughter to her room until I have the cameras set up. From now on, you're not only in charge of watching her, you're also going to be her...friend." He nods and waits until she's gone before grabbing my arm and hauling me up. "Alright. Let's get going."

"Do you even know where you're taking me?"

"Yes. And you better cooperate unless you want your boyfriend seeing your pretty little face a wreck."

"What are you talking about?"

"You didn't get it? You're going to be on camera for the whole city to see." He kicks open a door and pulls me in, shutting and locking it. "Welcome home." He crosses his arms over his chest and leans against the door.

I ignore his sarcastic remark and examine the dark, windowless room. Moonbeams filter through some cracks between the wood, giving a little bit of light.  I see a glimmer of blue glass and walk over to the bedside table. I lift up the source of the shimmering. 

It is a blue statue, about a foot tall. It looks like a waterfall, the color more blue than anything I've ever seen. It has a circular base, and I turn it in my hands carefully, afraid of dropping it. Something tugs at the back of my mind- this seems so familiar, though I can't imagine why. I've never seen it before.

I carefully set it down, making sure it doesn't fall over. In such a dirty, run-down place that smells like mildew and sewage, this little thing doesn't belong here. After a minute I set it in the drawer. I wonder why it's in here anyway- it could possibly be used as a weapon, though I could never do that, since it's so pretty and fragile.

I turn around and Jack is right there. I let out a small yelp.

He holds out his hand. "Alright, give me the gun."

"No."

"Give me the gun."

"I repeat- no."

Faster than I can react, he grabs both of my wrists and holds them above my head. I squirm around, my my jacket lifts a little and he pulls it out of the waistband of my jeans. His fingers brush against my skin, leaving it oddly warm.

And I'm not the only one to notice- he freezes at stares down at me for a minute, eyes wide. Then he lets go and tucks the gun away.

"Damn you." I mutter.

"Language."

"I could've said worse, so shut up."

He has no reply to this. Instead he lets out what sounds like a grunt and sits down my the door, one leg out straight and the other bent up at the knee. He twirls my gun around his finger.

I glare at him and sit on the bed. This isn't home.

I close my eyes, forcing myself back into happier times. Like just months ago, at Christmas. My dad gave me a gun- much to my mother's disapproval- and Mom gave me my grandmother's Abnegation wedding ring. I look down at it now, on a chain around my neck.

That day was also the first time Ryde and I ever snuck out of the compound. And I hate to say it, but I took that same route out to come here.

There are four quick knocks on the door, followed by six slow ones. Jack jumps up. "Okay. You ready for your television debut?"