“This cult, they’re real, sure. I saw them drag Jenica into the clearing by her hair, barefoot and wearing her freaking nightgown.” Ranger stiffens up at Jack’s words, and I realize with a start that it all makes sense. Jenica wrote that note to Lionel in her journal and tore the page out, like she was in a hurry, choosing to tear up her book instead of finding a separate piece of paper. And the way she cut off that last journal entry mid-sentence? She could’ve been writing in it when she heard or saw something, panicked, and then … she never even got the chance to get dressed before they got her. “They were wearing masks, but I recognized Rick’s voice. I mean, he was always yelling at her, pushing her, grabbing her by the neck.”

Mark and Selena stumble into the clearing behind us, making out and fumbling with each other’s clothes. I roll my eyes because, unfortunately, I’ve seen this particular routine before, and I wasn’t impressed. Mark’s dick is even smaller than Cody’s which, believe it or not, is smaller than any of the five boys in my … err, harem. Spencer, surprisingly, is the biggest.

Then again, I haven’t gotten much of a look at Church …

“What happened, Jack?” Spencer asks, softening his voice just enough that he’s being sympathetic, but not so much that Jack thinks this conversation is anywhere near over.

“They lit some candles, chanted some weird shit, and then they wrapped a rope around her neck and hung her from a tree.”

Our entire group goes silent, our collective breath held, as we think about that, about Jenica being dragged across the wet forest floor in her nightgown. My mind strays to that awful moment in the woods at the Twilight Slumber Camp. That could very well have been my last night on earth.

“And you just let them do it?” Ranger asks, his voice like a shard of ice, digging its way into my heart. If I were Jack, I’d run, and not from the cult, but from the little brother of the girl I failed to save.

“If they find out that I know, they’ll kill me,” Jack whispers as the twins stand with their backs to the rest of us, keeping careful watch over Selena and Mark. Based on her moans, however, I get the idea that she’s at least partway through faking an orgasm. “Besides, what was I supposed to do? Attack an entire group of psychos by myself? Call the police? They own the Nutmeg police. That, and the Fellowship has access to the whole campus, through the tunnels. They even have a church underneath the school. I’ve been all over that campus with a fine-toothed comb. Trust me, I know, I’ve seen some things I can never forget.”

“That’s some far-out shit, Jack,” Spencer says, but he doesn’t look entirely unconvinced.

“Half the school board and a good fourth of the staff is involved. Don’t believe me? Fine. But I fucking lived in that school. I know every inch of it. The families that are involved are powerful, and I wasn’t about to drag ours into that mess. Sorry, Ranger.” Jack looks over at Jenica’s brother with a small grimace and a flash of pain, and then quickly turns his attention to Church. “Maybe the Montagues have the resources to deal with this crap, but it wasn’t worth it to me. I’d just as soon stay out of their way, thanks.”

I scoot behind Spencer, so that I’m standing between him and Ranger, and then I take one of their hands in either of mine, joining them, and comforting them both in one fell swoop. It can’t be easy for Spencer to see his brother in this light, and I know it’s not easy for Ranger to hear any of this.

“Why lock me in the cabin then?” Spencer asks, and Jack gives him a look.

“You’re joking, right? They’re after your fucking girlfriend. Each initiate has to get blood on their hands, and it has to be the person the cult’s chosen. No exceptions. She’s dangerous man, stay away from her. They only locked you in there to get you out of the way, but don’t think they won’t kill you, too, if it suits them. Pretty sure the only person they’re scared to touch is that one.” Jack flicks his hand in Church’s direction and then shakes his head, tucking his hands in his pockets and pulling out a bag of pills. “Now take these and pretend we were meeting to talk shop—and don’t say I’ve never gone out on a limb for you.”

Spencer does as his brother’s asked, but his face is pale, his mouth tight. I can tell that he’s pissed. Hard to say what he’s most upset about; we’re sort of dealing with a lot here.

Jack gives his brother a hug, and then disappears into the woods like he was never there. Spencer looks down at the pills briefly, and then tucks them into his pocket.

“You guys are in danger because of me,” I say, thinking on Jack’s words for a moment. The boys might actually be better off if I left for good, huh?

“You’re worth it, Chuck-let,” Spencer says, looking up and meeting my eyes. He turns his attention to Ranger, and the two boys spend a long moment studying each other. “Jenica’s worth it.”

Ranger nods, and we head back toward the party, leaving a groaning Selena and Mark in the darkness behind us.

Archibald Carson’s been ignoring me, and I don’t like it.

I mean, most seventeen-almost-eighteen-year olds do want to be ignored by their parents, but not after being told that, yes, they’re pretty certain that someone’s out to kill them. Dad knows things; Mr. Murphy knows things; Mr. Dave knows things.

Nathan, the annoying and seemingly useless night watchmen, has been following me around quite a bit lately at my dad’s behest. That makes me wonder if he’s a tad less creepy and a bit more on our side, but since I can’t exactly go up to him and ask what he knows about a mysterious cult lurking in underground tunnels beneath the school, I’m resigned to his presence.

“We never get to talk anymore,” Monica says, lying back on her bed with her dark hair trimmed short, her makeup relaxed and casual. This is a big turnaround for her, considering that in the past, she’d rather stay at home and miss a weekend of partying than be seen with a bit of bloating from her period.

“Um, I begged you to talk to me when I first got here, and you and Cody blew me off like nothing,” I remind her, twirling a bit of blond hair around one of my fingers and realizing that I’ve already just slipped back into my Valley Girl accent.

Monica cringes, but I get no satisfaction out of her reaction. It’s not fair for me to say that I forgive her, and then continue holding the Cody thing over her head. And honestly? She did me a favor. I’d take any one of my new beaus over Cody any day, let alone five deliciously rich assholes.

Wait.

Deliciously rich asshole? That sounds gross as fuck, like … a butthole covered in chocolate sauce or something. Gag. Vom.

“You’re right,” she says, sighing and closing her eyes for a moment. I know that she’s over Cody, and she seems happy, but also, I’m pretty sure she liked him far more than I ever did. His betrayal hurts. “I have no right to complain, but I miss you. It was never the same after you left, like the magic went when you did.”

I snort, and she lifts a lovely microbladed eyebrow at me.

“Please. The only magic I bring with me is an innate talent for pissing people off, a habit of blurting inappropriate things, and an obsession with romance. I’ve fallen in love with every boy on the Student Council.” Speaking of … right after we get back from fall break, it’s go time. A week of debates followed by election day.