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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VENUS
THE WARNING from last night rests heavily upon my shoulders as I eat unbuttered toast, staring at the unused butter knife on the table. It is Edward's screams that haunt me, and the eerie feeling that he is dead. I haven't seen him around the compound, although I'm scared that when I do, the knife will still be misplaced, he'll still be screaming and his face will be red with blood.
If I had slept last night, I would've had nightmares.
"We should visit him," Emily says, staring up from the table. "Edward, I mean. To see how he's doing."
"He obviously won't be okay," Harmonie shrugs. "There's no point wasting our time."
"Oh, really?" Emily challenges, "I can't wait to say the same about you if you ever get hurt like that. I'm trying to be a good friend, a loyal initiate-"
"Oh, shut up." Harmonie grumbles. They scowl at each other before looking back down at the table again.
The atmosphere grates against me like sandpaper. It feels strange and empty, but not sad like when Rebecca died. It just seems still, and I can't be sad - I can't, because I barely knew Edward, only saw him in training and that was all.
"He didn't stab himself," Harmonie starts, "It was murder."
"You're all about murder, aren't you?" Emily snaps, rubbing her eyes. "You should become a crime investigator."
"A crime investigator?" Harmonie smirks. "Maybe you mean Dauntless leader."
"Leader?" Emily snorts. "You're far from it!"
I get up with a grunt and trudge off to training. Yes, we still have training today. It's the last day of the first week at Dauntless and I have already witnessed two casualties, kissed a Dauntless leader and stayed at his apartment. Tomorrow, Sunday, we have a day off. Three days of physical training resumes on Monday. Stage Two starts on Thursday, whatever Stage Two is.
When I open the training room door, Tris and Christina and Will are already inside. They speak quietly in a small group and look up when they see me. I smile at them, but it is a smile only Tris returns. She beckons me over, and Christina quickly looks down.
I shake my head. I need to think. I need to think about that note under my duvets, need to think about who wrote it. My thoughts are like clouds - too many of them, all moving too quickly.
It wouldn't be Tris or Christina or Will or Al. They are my friends. They wouldn't do something like that.
It wouldn't be Emily or Harmonie. Emily has always been my friend and my friendship with Harmonie is a promising one.
I can't get the thought of it being Rhett or Peter out of my head. Maybe not Rhett, as I stabbed him and that would've slowed him down.
My eyes widen and I have a sudden urge to visit the ranking board, just to see where Peter and Edward are ranked but I stop myself, knowing that the board isn't up yet.
