Variant ▸ Divergent

CHAPTER SIXTEEN : SHARP EDGES

CHAPTER SIXTEEN :

SHARP EDGES — ERIC'S POV

--

You know the lies I tell

When you've gone through hell

And I say I can't stay

You know how hard it can be

To keep believing in me

When everything and everyone becomes my enemy

—Emilie Autumn, "Opheliac"

-- 

I winced when I placed the ice-bag against my blackened eye.

Damn, that Darcie packed a hard punch. I was stupid to ever underestimate her just because she was short. She was my toughest opponent yet.

A voice beside me snickered. "Let her beat you up, eh?"

I turned sharply in his direction. "And why the hell are you talking to me, Peter?" I spat his name out in disgust.

He managed to crack a smirk through his bruised lips. "Oh, come on, Kaldor. What are you so bent-up about?"

I snorted. "You and that scumbag Al were gonna rape those girls. Are you really dumb enough to ask me that?"

"We weren't actually going to do it," Peter said defensively.

"Whatever."

"Why do you care, anyways?"

I shot him a glare. "Um, because it was wrong."

He chuckled darkly. "Ooh, you like her."

I punched him directly in the face; his nose cracked in response.

"What was that —?"

"If you so much as look at her again, I'll break your fucking neck. Got it?"

Peter nodded hesitantly. "Got it."

I gave him a smug look before I took the bag of ice off my eye and left the infirmary.

~

I spent the rest of that day training until I basically passed out there. Unfortunately, before I could even black out, I was interrupted.

"What do you want, stiff?" I sneered.

He rolled his eyes in response. "Believe me, I'm not here to see you."

"Then what the hell do you want?" I repeated as I threw my eighteenth knife.

"Why do you always go for the throat?" He asked, gesturing to the human-shaped targets before me.

"Why do you care?"

"Eric, let go of your ego for a minute and answer the question," Tobias said blankly.

"What ego?"

"Well, now I understand why you left Erudite," he retorted.

I huffed. "Whatever. I like the throat. The heart's too expected and I'm pretty sure a head would be harder to hit. Can you leave me alone now?"

Tobias shook his head. "That's not the real reason. I'm guessing you go for the throat because it results in maximum blood spill."

I raised a single eyebrow. "And you think that's my motivator because...?"

Tobias shrugged. "Because you're a sick bastard."