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I swingfrom the sudden motion, and the belt strikes Marcus’s shoulder He yells and lunges at ernails that look like claws Tobias pushes ry, not afraid
All the Marcuses vanish The lights co, narrow room with busted brick walls and a cement floor
"That’s it?" I say "Those were your worst fears? Why do you only have four…" My voice trails off Only four fears
"Oh" I look over my shoulder at him "That’s why they call you--"
The words leave me when I see his expression His eyes are wide and seehts His lips are parted If ere not here, I would describe the look as awe But I don’t understand why he would be looking at me in awe
He wraps his hand aroundto the soft skin above s s, like the belt was real, but it is as pale as the rest of hten around ainst my collarbone
I stand stiffly for a second and then loop ot through it"
He lifts his head and slips his fingers throughit behind ers move absently over a lock of my hair
"You got h it," he says finally
"Well" My throat is dry I try to ignore the nervous electricity that pulses through me every second he touches me "It’s easy to be brave when they’re not my fears"
I lethe doesn’t notice
If he does, he doesn’t say so He laces his fingers withelse to show you"
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
HAND IN HAND, alk toward the Pit I monitor the pressure ofhard enough, and the next, I’ too hard I never used to understand why people bothered to hold hands as they walked, but then he runs one of his fingertips down my palm, and I shiver and understand it coht I remember "Four fears"
"Four fears then; four fears now," he says, nodding "They haven’t changed, so I keep going in there, but…I still haven’t ress"
"You can’t be fearless, res About your life"
"I know"
We walk along the edge of the Pit on a narrow path that leads to the rocks at the bottom of the chasm I’ve never noticed it before--it blended in with the rock wall But Tobias seems to knoell
I don’t want to ruin the moment, but I have to know about his aptitude test I have to know if he’s Divergent
"You were going to tell me about your aptitude test results," I say
"Ah" He scratches the back of his neck with his free hand "Does ityou are" He smiles
We reach the end of the path and stand at the botto up at harsh angles froaps and over angular ridges My shoes cling to the rough rock The soles of my shoes mark each rock with a wet footprint
He finds a relatively flat rock near the side, where the current isn’t strong, and sits down, his feet dangling over the edge I sit beside him He seems comfortable here, inches above the hazardous water
He releases e of the rock
"These are things I don’t tell people, you know Not even ether and clench This is the perfect place for hient, if indeed that’s what he is The roar of the chasm ensures that on’t be overheard I don’t knohy the thought makes ation"
"Oh" So about hient, he ot an Abnegation result--according to the syste happen to hi me the truth?
"But you chose Dauntless anyway?" I say
"Out of necessity"
"Why did you have to leave?"
His eyes dart away fro the air for an answer He doesn’t need to give one I still feel the ghost of a stinging belt on et away from your dad," I say "Is that why you don’t want to be a Dauntless leader? Because if you were, you ain?"
He lifts a shoulder "That, and I’ve always felt that I don’t quite belong a the Dauntless Not the way they are now, anyway"
"But you’re…incredible," I say I pause and clear my throat "I mean, by Dauntless standards Four fears is unheard of How could you not belong here?"
He shrugs He doesn’t see the Dauntless, and that is what I would expect froation I am not sure what to make of that
He says, "I have a theory that selflessness and bravery aren’t all that different All your life you’ve been training to forget yourself, so when you’re in danger, it becoation just as easily"
Suddenly I feel heavy A lifetih for me My first instinct is still self-preservation
"Yeah, well," I say, "I left Abnegation because I wasn’t selfless enough, no matter how hard I tried to be"
"That’s not entirely true" He sirl who let someone throw knives at her to spare a friend, who hit irl, that’s not you?"
He’s figured out h it seeiven all that I’ close attention, haven’t you?"
"I like to observe people"
"Maybe you were cut out for Candor, Four, because you’re a terrible liar"