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Christina is looking at Will, and he is looking back at her Neither of theht," Christina says distantly "Well, I’ll see you later, then"
Christina and Will walk toward the dor her in the ribs For a second, I watch the, but I’ht side of the Pit and start to climb I try to make my footsteps as quiet as possible Unlike Christina, I don’t find it difficult to lie I don’t intend to talk to Four--at least, not until I find out where he’s going, late at night, in the glass building above us
I run quietly, breathless when I reach the stairs, and stand at one end of the glass rooh the s I see the city lights, glowing now but petering out even as I look at theht
Across the room, Four stands at the door to the fear landscape He holds a black box in one hand and a syringe in the other
"Since you’re here," he says, without looking over his shoulder, "you o in with me"
I bite my lip "Into your fear landscape?"
"Yes"
As I walk toward him, I ask, "I can do that?"
"The seruraht now, it’s set to put us through mine"
"You would letin?" he asks quietly He doesn’t lift his eyes "There are soe, and I tilt my head to better expose oes in, but I am used to it now When he’s done, he offers e
"I’ve never done this before," I say as I take it out of the box I don’t want to hurt hi a spot on his neck with his fingernail I stand ona little He doesn’t even flinch
He keeps his eyes on es in the box and sets it by the door He knew that I would follow him up here Knew, or hoped Either way is fine with me
He offers ers are cold and brittle I feel like there is so I should say, but I am too stunned and can’t come up with any words He opens the door with his free hand, and I follow hi unknown places without hesitation I keep my breaths even and hold firure out why they callall the light with it The air is cold in the hallway; I feel each particle enter ainst his and my chin is near his shoulder
"What’s your real naure that out too"
The sier ht pours in fros and the arc of train tracks, and we are high above it I haven’t seen a blue sky in a long time, so when it spreads out above s and the effect is dizzying
Then the wind starts It blows so hard I have to lean against Four to stay on my feet He removes his hand from mine and wraps his arm around my shoulders instead At first I think it’s to protectand he needs h an open ht is beautiful to htht?" I shout over the wind
He nods
"On three, okay?"
Another nod
"One…two…three!" I pull him with me as I burst into a run After we take the first step, the rest is easy We both sprint off the edge of the building We fall like two stones, fast, the air pushing back at us, the ground growing beneath us Then the scene disappears, and I a I loved that rush the day I chose Dauntless, and I love it now
Next to et up and help hi solid hitshis collarbone Walls appear on ht The space is so narrow that Four has to pull his ar slams onto the walls around us with a crack, and Four hunches over, groaning The rooer
"Confineuttural noise I tilt h to look at him I can barely see his face, it’s so dark, and the air is close; we share breaths He grimaces like he’s in pain
"Hey," I say "It’s okay Here--"
I guide his arms around my body so he has more space He clutches at my back and puts his face next to mine, still hunched over His body is warm, but I feel only his bones and theyields beneath et hot Can he tell that I’m still built like a child?
"This is the first tih If I joke, maybe I can calm him down And distract myself
"Mmhmm," he says His voice sounds strained
"We can’t break out of here," I say "It’s easier to face the fear head on, right?" I don’t wait for a response "So what you need to do is ht?"
"Yes" It is a tight, tense little word
"Okay We’ll have to crouch, then Ready?"
I squeeze his waist to pull hiainst ainst another as the ceiling inches doith us I realize that on’t fit with all this space between us, so I turn and curl into a ball, ainst his chest One of his knees is bent next toon his ankle We are a juainst my ear
"Ah," he says, his voice raspy "This is worse This is definitely…"
"Shh," I say "Arms around me"
Obediently, he slips both ar this I am not, not even a little bit, no
"The simulationwhat he told us, but reht help him "So if you can calm your heartbeat down, it will et that we’re here"
"Yeah?" I feel his lips htrapped in close quarters with a girl" I roll my eyes
"Not claustrophobic people, Tris!" He sounds desperate now
"Okay, okay" I set ht over my heart "Feel my heartbeat Can you feel it?"