Dauntless

Part 6

“Something is going on!”
“Tori, no its not.”
“There is,” she insisted softly, casting a nervous glance along the interior of the tattoo parlor, her voice low so I was the only one who could hear. “And you know it, too. Why else would —?”
“I’m in leadership, Tori. I would know if something was going on,” I told her firmly, absently letting my hand rest against my side, feeling that ache start to seep through the medication I was on. My doses weren’t as high now, so the pain was starting to become more prominent. I was pretty sure I was supposed to be resting, not training recruits and chasing them down to knock them upside the head when they had an attitude. Perhaps if I had been following “doctors orders,” I would be healed a little more then I was.
But I was never one for waiting.
Fuck the doctors.
Tori sent me an ill look, her eyes sweeping from my face to the rest of the shop worriedly. She was getting Incredibly paranoid lately, and I wasn’t sure what had started this. Was it her brother? It was getting close to the anniversary of his death.
It wasn’t any of my business, just so long as she doesn’t get too vocal or put herself into trouble.
“Tori, what’s going on?” I sighed, sitting down in one of the tattoo chairs, starting to get tired. “Why is this all of a sudden —?”
“Camille.”
Fuck.
I scowled, slinking down in the chair a little as I heard Fours voice. I’d been trying to hide from him for the past hour, but apparently I didn’t have very good hiding spots; plus it was no secret I was friends with Tori. 
Tori frowned when she saw Four, but merely turned away, pretending to busy herself with ink bottles. 
I reluctantly roll my head to look at Four, seeing that frown on his face as he strode toward me. He never smiled, I was starting to doubt it was possible. At least Eric smirked occasionally; Four was like a blank wall.
“What do you want?” I sighed, propping my chin on my hand. Obviously I’d been avoiding him, you’d think he’d get the hint and leave me the fuck alone. 
If only I was so lucky.
“Can we talk?”
“About what?” I didn’t like his serious expression; what could we possibly have to talk about?
“Not here,” Four shook his head, his muscled arms crossing over his t shirt. He looked uncomfortable, which I couldn’t understand considering this was a nice tattoo shop and tori and I were the only ones in it. And I knew he had tattoos, I could see the black lines curling up his neck. 
Was this about the other week? About the Stiff? 
Why was everyone so interested in her?
She wasn’t very special, not in my opinion. She was like every other initiate we’d had — just maybe a little worse at, well, everything.
“Four —.”
“This is important,” he pressed, the urgent undertone finally winning me over. I huffed before forcing myself to my feet, clenching my hands as my side protested. I was so tired of being shot.
I sent Tori an apologetic look she ignored as I followed Four into the Pit, glancing around the bustling center. I was hoping maybe he’d go somewhere less private then an empty hallway crevice that reeked of spiders and hormones, but I was never that lucky.
I glanced around unhappily as he pulled on my arm, tugging me into the small space. And when I say small, I mean we were standing so close our chests could almost brush — I could barely cross my arms in a condescending manner it was so tight!
We could have just found an empty room or something. 
Not something like this. Didn’t he know how it would look if someone stumbled up on us?
Awkward. 
And hard to explain. 
And he better not try to make a move on me! I was in prime position to knee him in the balls if he so made one wrong reach.
“Well?” I demanded impatiently when we’d been standing there a few moments in silence, Four obviously trying to figure out a way to say whatever it was he wanted. I wasn’t pleased with being dragged away from avoiding my duties, after all; I had a schedule to keep. “What’s this about, Four?”
He fidgeted.
“At the trial,” he said after a moment, his jaw working. “That man was speaking of Divergents. That entire thing had nothing to do with traitors —.”
“It had everything to do with traitors,” I snapped, stiffening; talking about Divergents was a big no no, and I’d been given explicit orders to just spew the generic story of what had happened to me and about the trial should anyone ask. Four had been there, he saw the man had been executed — he needed to leave it alone. I wasn’t sure why the higher ups were interested in this group, whatever they were. I still didn’t know much about them, what they could even do or what they were, just that they were a danger to our society and needed to be put down.
But at what cost?
I didn’t like that we’d lost two of our kind over one of theirs; I didn’t like those odds.
“Eric shot that man before he even had a chance to speak.”
“What does it matter if he did? He was already sentenced to death! He shot me!” I shifted restlessly. He’d shot me, and it still fucking hurt — and I’d been so relieved to think that he’d been killed, that he’d suffered a moment or two as well. Only to learn Eric had lied to me about it, right to my face after asking me to lie for him! That’s what had pissed me off so badly.
I’d covered for him and he’d blatantly not given a shit.
Fuck, I’d lied for Four too.
Both of them were assholes; Four just hadn’t found a reason to prove himself as one yet.
“But his son — this has everything to do with Divergents, doesn’t it?”
“No, traitors —.”
“Camille, don’t lie to me. Not after everything.” Four said, his voice soft, eyes catching mine and not letting go. My gaze wavered on his, wanting to tell him because I did owe him but not wanting to disobey strictly given orders. I pressed my lips into a thin line, averting my gaze.
Four was in the top brass, sort of. He’d denied leadership every time it had been offered to him, so now he was in intelligence and apparently good at his job — but that wasn’t surprising. Four was a good person, I knew that, and he wasn’t as big of a cold, distant jackass as he wanted everyone to believe. I knew who he was, that his real name was Tobias and his Abnegation dad had been abusive and shitty. 
I wasn’t an idiot, I could connect the dots. I knew the rumors floating around about the Abnegation leaders and why all of their children were defecting to other factions.
Four’d had a rough early start. Not that being Dauntless was going to make it any easier, rough was one of our standards.
Still….
Aw, fuck. He did save my life, twice, the least I could do was tell him what I knew. I trusted Four explicitly, even if he was a loner and we weren’t friends. I knew he was loyal and would do anything to help someone, and I wasn’t even sure why the leaders were trying to keep this quiet anyway.
I sighed, rubbing my eyes, letting my guard down for just a moment.
“Alright,” I muttered. “But I don’t know much.”
Four frowned as I told him what had happened at the chasm — leaving out, of course, that Eric had murdered Jerome. The rest, however, was the truth. I didn’t like lying anyway, so it was kind of a minor relief to say what was really going on, even if I couldn’t tell him the part that bothered me so badly.
Fours brows furrowed as he listened, never interrupting — fuck I even mentioned a little about the late night, super secret meetings Eric had involved me in. Tori was right, there was something going on, but I couldn’t tell her that — she would warn someone, and that someone would warn someone, and it would spiral from there. It would get back to me, and they would kill me — or worse, make me factionless.
And I didn’t like either of those choices.
“So they’re hunting them?” he muttered, leaning back against the rocky wall behind him, the blood draining from those chiseled cheeks of his. “And murdering them?”
“That’s one way of looking at it.”
“And Erudite is involved —?”
“Whoa, okay, let’s not make this a conspiracy!” I spoke quickly, nervously glancing around the hallway. I definitely didn’t want anyone hearing us. “I don’t know what’s going on, okay, but you can’t tell anyone about this, Four! Anyone! Not even your little Stiff!”
Four went rigid, his eyes going to my face.
Of course I knew they had something; she slept in his rooms sometimes.
We kind of were neighbors after all.
Four just stared at me; I probably could have gut punched him and he not be as surprised.
“Four, you’re not exactly being stealthy about it,” I informed him, crossing my arms, brushing his chest in the process. “We’re neighbors, remember? I’ve seen her leave your room and head back to the dorms before anyone else is awake. Plus I saw her with you when I was shot. Of all the girls to suddenly take an interest in, I can’t see why you’d pick her.”
“You’re one to talk,” he huffs, almost scowling at me. I raised my brows at the tone, my hands going down to my hips.
“And what’s that supposed to mean?” I demanded.
“You know exactly what it means! Eric —.”
“I’m not sleeping with Eric!”
“Oh really? So why does he leave your quarters at all hours of the night?”
You Motherfucker.
“Because, he — I literally just explained everything to you!” I snapped, glaring at him. “I don’t even like him, why would I sleep with him? And what do you even care? Were not even friends!”
For a moment, I swear I hurt his feelings.
He didn’t consider us friends, did he?
Now I felt bad.
Dammit.
“Four —.”
“I have to get back to work,” his voice was sharp, abrupt, and he immediately stepped out of the crevice, his jaw working. “I don’t care what you do, Camille.”
I frowned at his back, my eyes tracing the lines of his tattoos. “Four….”
He ignored me, striding off down the hallway, his walk stiff; I hadn’t meant to piss him off, I’d just thought he didn’t consider us friends.
Hell, Tori was the only person I actually considered a friend, despite how much older she was then me.
Well, fuck.
I ran my hand through my hair in aggravation; why the hell was everything getting suddenly complicated!?
“Lovers spat?”
I clenched my jaw.
And here was another complication.
“Fuck off, Eric.”
“Yknow, you’re the only person who has the balls to speak to me that way,” Eric looked amused as he stepped up beside me, crossing his arms. I glanced up at his face, seeing the lights glint off his silver piercings. He was smirking at me, but his eyes looked hard, like he was having as bad a day as I was.
“Reminds you of your place, doesn’t it?” I replied, curling my arms around my sides. My wound was stinging like hell now, especially after all the walking, and I was seriously needing some pain meds. Of course, I wasn’t about to show any weakness — I’d have to tough it out.
“You doing alright?” Eric asked casually, his eyes dissecting me.
“Fine.”
“You look a little pale.”
“Being in your presence sucks the life out of me.”
“Ouch. Straight to my heart.”
“Yeah, like you have one,” I snorted, rolling my eyes as I turned away from him. “What are you doing down this hall, anyway? Don’t you have some people to torture or something?”
“Thought I heard voices.” 
I hesitated. He thought — what —?
“And what did you hear?”
“Why do you care? Did I walk up on an emotional moment?”
Of for fucks sake —.
“You’re so annoying,” I muttered, scowling at him, and he grinned, cracking his knuckles.
“And you’re a bitch, but hey — I don’t throw it in your face.”
I rolled my eyes.
Typical.
“Eric —.”
“Eric! Camille!”
We both turn immediately at our names, and I frown as I see Max standing at the end of the hallway, his guards hovering behind him.
“Sir.” Eric straightens immediately. 
How the fuck did Max find us? 
“You two, come with me. We’ve business to attend too.”
Eric started moving before Max had even finished, eagerly walking towards him. I hesitated, wondering what kind of business he was meaning. After seeing Fours face and how he’d reacted when I told him everything, even he apparently knew a little more then I did about the Divergents. If he hadn’t gotten all pissy on me I probably could have asked him about them, what and who they were, why they were such a threat. 
They were just people.
And Jerome —.
“Camille. Are your injuries stopping you from work?” Maxs sharp voice cut through my thoughts, and I jerked, quickly shaking my head and obediently hurrying to his side.
Fucking fuck.
What the hell was I getting myself in too?
I grumbled mentally to myself as Eric and I followed behind him, his guards walking on our heels. He shouldn’t even need guards, he was in his own home, his own headquarters! He shouldn’t have to worry about protecting himself. Was he really that afraid of the Divergents?
Were they really so bad?
we entered the Pit, and I glanced down from the metal bridge we crossed, high above all the others. Everyone was the same, doing as they always did. I could see the Stiff down there, hanging out with the new recruits, heading for the tattoo parlor from the looks of it. 
It was like she could feel my gaze. Her head turned, eyes meeting mine despite the great distance between us. I paused at the railing, my hand closing around the warm steel. 
That little twat.
She held my gaze only for another second before disappearing into the parlor, that pretty long hair of hers trailing down her back like a mane.
Stupid initiates.
“Camille,” Erics hand suddenly closed around my wrist, squeezing just harsh enough to remind me where I was. My eyes went to his, almost startled. 
I really needed to stop getting lost in my thoughts.
He pulled on me, forcing me to catch up with him and the others, his hand never leaving my wrist.
Great, now he thought he had to lead me around like an invalid.
And I was still pissed at him!
He didn’t get off that easy! 
I jerked my hand out of his, sending him a glare out of the corner of my eye. 
I wasn’t going to get over this any time soon, not that Eric ever gave a fuck about anyone’s feelings but his own anyway. I didn’t expect an apology from him, that wasn’t his style — honestly I didn’t expect anything from him at all; Eric was pretty predictable, really.
An asshole.
And for him to ever be a good guy… Well, now that would be truly shocking.