In
the time between getting into bed and actually falling asleep, I think.
Black
birds are tattooed on Tris’ neck, flying over her collarbone. I smile at them.
“Birds,” I say. “Are they crows? I keep forgetting to ask.”
She
smiles back a bit nervously. “Ravens. One for each member of my family. You
like them?”
I
hold her closer, and press my lips to each of those ravens in turn.
I
was given a handful of puzzle pieces, and given enough time, I was able to put
a bit of the puzzle together.
But
the Divergent are one of those pieces that one spends forever trying to figure
out where to place.
I
point at the cluster of buildings that glow in the surrounding darkness.
Erudite headquarters. “Apparently the city ordinances don’t mean anything to
them,” I tell her, “because their lights will be on all night.”
“No
one else has noticed?” she frowns.
“I’m
sure they have, but they haven’t done anything to stop it. It may be because
they don’t want to cause a problem over something so small.” It may be small,
but it’s part of something big. I shrug like it doesn’t matter to me, even
though it does. “But it made me wonder what the Erudite are doing that requires
night light.”
I
turn towards her and lean against the wall, creating a bubble that surrounds
us. “Two things you should know about me. The first is that I am deeply
suspicious of people in general,” I say. “It is my nature to expect the worst
of them. And the second is that I am unexpectedly good with computers.” Marcus
may have been the worst father to have ever walked the planet, but at least he
taught me something.
She
nods.
“A
few weeks ago, before training started, I was at work and I found a way into
Dauntless secure files. Apparently we are not as skilled as the Erudite are at
security,” I tell her, “and what I discovered was what looked like war plans.
Thinly veiled commands, supply lists, maps. Things like that. And those files
were sent by Erudite.”
“War?”
She doesn’t seem shocked. She’s been figuring it out, too. “War on Abnegation?”
She tenses up, worried.
I
take her hands in mine. “The faction that controls the government. Yes.”
She
bites her lip.
“All
those reports are supposed to stir up dissention against Abnegation,” I say,
looking at the glowing Erudite buildings. “Evidently the Erudite now want to
speed up the process. I have no idea what to do about it…or what could even be
done.” The Dauntless may know well who I am, but I am limited to the amount of
power I have.
“But,”
she asks, “why would Erudite team up with Dauntless?” It takes her seconds to
find the answer on her own. “They’re going to use us.”
“I
wonder,” I say, “how they plan to get us to fight.” We’re both Dauntless who
still have their hearts in Abnegation, we’re both Divergent. The Erudite aren’t
ones to leave things to chance, especially with how meticulous Jeanine has
been. She started small, but had big plans. Now those plans will go into
action. She will make sure she has no weaknesses.
The
wind blows, throwing Tris’ hair into her face.
“I
don’t know,” she says.
Then
I realize something.
The
Divergent are different from the rest. We can’t be controlled. At least, not by
simulations.
We
are her weakness.
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