Venus Eaton is desperate to escape the abuse of her previous faction although she is unaware and unprepared of the ordeals of Dauntless initiation. She is a stranger to her own brother until he accuses her of murdering their mother, and finds out th...
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A YEAR LATER, UNKNOWN
(FOUR YEARS GONE)
"THERE IS no Divergent strong enough to complete the sim," Jeanine states, rage lingering in her voice. It has been two months since he had found the Box in the Venus's casket.
Eric hasn't been working as focused as he used to, since that dark-haired woman had ordered him to trash the casket. Did she know something? Did she believe Venus was alive, just as he had? In fact, Eric knows she's still alive. At least, he hoped.
"We both know that the new transfers are already showing signs of Divergence." Eric stated in a cold voice, watching the highly-regarded woman as she flicked through paperwork.
Since he had found the box, everything that had been kept underwater immediately surfaced. Max decided it had been too long since they had searched for Divergents, and that he hated not doing anything about it - he felt blind, knowing he was probably letting so many past him.
A few days into Stage Two, and Max ordered a group of Dauntless to take down a group of five transfers near the chasm, two in which he was sure were Divergent. That night resulted in the death of a Dauntless soldier and four transfers (the remaining survivor shortly committed suicide).
Tris and Four knew it wasn't long until they were taken to Erudite to be tested, so they fled to Amity. There wasn't much Eric could do, or wanted to do, to help them. If they died, they died. The Dauntless had valid access to visit any faction and search it, and if that was true, he was sure he'd find even the smallest trace of Venus somewhere.
Nothing much was working. They had the box, and they had already tested 100+ possible Divergents. They all died.
And that was when Eric pieced everything together.
Amity.
***
VENUS
NOTHING BUT silence fills the brightly lit room, I hear nothing but the clucking of birds in the distance.
The window lets in the yellow light, shining brightly down on my daughter's bed. She is sleeping, and she is beautiful. She is everything and more that I could have ever wanted.
Just over four years ago, I was hiding out in my brother's apartment in Dauntless. Just over four years ago, I was nearly taken away by Dauntless soldiers for an abortion. Just over four years ago, I escaped them and ran right into battle headfirst. Just four years ago, the man that I loved shot me.
And I survived it. We both did.
Suddenly, the door bursts open and Emily stumbles through. I furrow my brows at her accusingly at being so loud, letting out a sigh of relief when I look down at my daughter. She hadn't even stirred.
"What's wrong?" I say, and get to my feet, adjusting my short bright orange sundress. I've been forced to wear these stupid things since I arrived, and I don't look right in them. Emily, of course, looks perfect. She even owns these cute little daisy earrings. She got me a pair.
"I don't want to sound smug, but I told you so." She sighs. "The Dauntless. They're here."
My stomach drops, and the corners of my vision start to fade away.
"Venus?" Emily is softly supporting me. "Don't flop on me now! What are you gonna do?"
It had been something I knew was coming. Eric was smart. As a past Erudite, it would've added up eventually. An empty casket, Emily missing... Of course, they've ran off to her birth faction because it's the safest. Inevitable. The Dauntless were going to find me eventually, I just never thought that today would be the day.
"I don't want to run." I say, looking up at my best friend beneath my lashes. "I don't want to do that."
"Wasn't that the plan?" Emily shakes me gently. "Wasn't that the plan from the start?"
"Maybe that was the plan 19 year-old Venus had back then, Emily!" I snap. "But I'm 23 now, and there's no where to run. No where."
Emily knows she can't win against me, and I know that she knows it's true. We were young and stupid back then. I was a young mother, trying to make good decisions in a world that no where was good enough.
"He finds us if he finds us then, right?" Emily says. "We'll just have to stay put. Keep watching her, I'll look out for anymore Dauntless."
The wait began, enough to make my skin crawl. I sat over my daughter for what seemed like hours on end, but when I looked down at the alarm clock, it had only been minutes.
Then a heavy knock sounded, and I heard Emily scatter up the stairs in fright. "Oh, my God! He's here! He's here! What do we do?"
Her frantic face and wild eyes peered round the door, scaring me more than anything else. I swallow hard and press my finger to my lips, trying to shut Emily up, but it was too late.
My daughter stretches and wakes, and looks up at me with sleepy eyes.
"Good morning, honey." I say gently, and stroke her head. She yawns and nods. "Do you want to say good morning to Emily, while I make breakfast?"
Emily grins and comes into view, as I get up and creep away. Emily nods her head at me before sitting on the bed next to my daughter, laughing and helping to get her dressed.
I run down the stairs as quietly as I can, goose bumps tickling my entire body. I race to the door and pause before it, breathing soundlessly. Why do I want to open it so badly? Face him, who I haven't seen in so long.
For God's sake, the last time I saw him he was in a simulation, and I nearly died! What can I possibly say to start off conversation?!
And what are his intentions?
Take my daughter, our daughter, to Dauntless for her to grow up there? Tell her to choose Dauntless so she returns to us? Have to force her to fight just to stay above water? Risk her safety as other jealous initiates threaten to hurt her, just like what had happened to me?
