Determinant: One choice will change everything

Chapter 1: Tris - Aftermath

Chapter 1: Tris – Aftermath

The shouts fill the room, making it impossible to understand a word as everyone demands answers at once. I had forgotten how many Candor were here, but now their loud voices are everywhere. Briefly, I remember Tobias' first words to Christina, complaining about Candor smart-mouths, and I think maybe he's right.

His hand grips mine tightly as he looks around the room, his eyes wide and alarmed. I'm too short to see consistently through the crowd, but I catch glimpses here and there as people move around, opening small pathways of visibility. Through one of those, I see Evelyn. She's still standing by Jeanine's body, and the fury on her face sends a shiver down my spine. In that instant, I'm certain that she already knew about this video and that she didn't want it shown.

Maybe that's why she was so insistent on destroying Erudite's information. But if so, she must not have shared that fact with her son, because his expression makes it clear he just saw this video for the first time. Something warm and sweet spreads through me at the realization. He didn't watch it first, before showing it to everyone. He must have trusted my judgment even after he felt I betrayed him....

For a second, that thought is enough to distract me from everything around us, but then the noise filters back in, and it occurs to me how much danger we're still in.

I pull on Tobias' hand to get his attention, and he leans close to hear me.

"We need to get out of here," I say.

"Yes, we do," he answers grimly, looking as concerned as I feel. His eyes roam the room one more time, evaluating our options, and then his face sets in a determined expression. Turning toward Christina and Cara, he says, "Come on."

Cara clambers to her feet immediately, and Christina struggles to join her, maneuvering her injured leg so she can stand. Tobias hesitates, watching her, before reaching down to pull her up and sliding an arm around her to support her weight. The sight sends an unexpected and totally irrational pang of jealousy through me. It's ridiculous, and for a moment I don't even know why I feel it, but then I figure it out. He almost never touches anyone else. He helped Will and Shauna when they were injured, and now he's helping Christina for the same reason, but other than that, he only touches me. How did I never notice that before?

But this isn't the time to think about it. I shake my head a little, clearing it, and force myself to focus as Tobias laces his free hand with mine and leads us toward the back of the room.

We don't get far before one of the factionless soldiers blocks our path, gun held out menacingly. Tobias gives her a cold look as he says, "They're here by mistake. They're not traitors." He gestures toward Christina with his chin and adds, "I'm taking her to get medical attention."

The soldier looks uncertain, her eyes moving between us as she clearly debates how to proceed. As a guess, she's trying to decide whether she's more likely to get in trouble for letting us go or for stopping Evelyn's son. Finally, she steps aside, letting us pass. I can't blame her. There's no way to consult anyone else in this chaos, and the name Tobias Eaton is powerful here.

We're halfway across the room when Uriah joins us. Lynn's blood still spots his shirt, and his eyes are bloodshot from crying, but he gives me a small smile and walks with us unquestioningly. Behind him, I see Tori watching us, her eyes narrowed. Her gaze rests on Tobias for a moment, and I see hatred in the set of her mouth. Of course she would feel that way. Evelyn betrayed Dauntless by announcing the end of the factions, and here Tobias is walking away freely. She must believe that Evelyn's son was in on the plot. I think she's probably right.

Tori's eyes meet mine, and for a second I'm sure that she's going to sound the alarm on us. After all, I just reinjured her leg to keep her from killing Jeanine. But instead Tori nods stiffly and turns away, and I understand why. There's an expression so old I don't even know where I learned it, but the look on Tori's face tells me it applies now. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. I acted against Evelyn by releasing that video, so Tori will let me walk out of here today.