Leo's heart hammered against the floorboards. He peered through the crack, his eyes adjusted to the dim basement light. Sloane was leaning back against a beanbag chair, one leg crossed over the other, looking relaxed. Kaito, Jax, Hana, and Damon were scattered around her, drinking sodas and looking like a normal group of friends—except for the way they all watched the new guy, Marcus.
Marcus sat on the edge of a folding chair, looking like he was sitting on a bed of nails.
"Truth or Dare, Marcus?" Sloane asked. Her voice was light, almost conversational, the same voice she used when they were playing with the projector.
"Truth," Marcus croaked.
Sloane tilted her head, her eyes locking onto his. "Okay. Truth. Why did you push your friend off that cliff last summer and just... run away?"
The air in the basement seemed to vanish. Jax and Kaito exchanged a quick, knowing look. Marcus's face went from pale to a sickly gray. He looked at the floor, his hands trembling.
"He... he wasn't my friend," Marcus whispered, his voice cracking. "He was picking on me. Every day. It never stopped. I got frustrated, Sloane. I just... I couldn't take it anymore. I snapped."
Sloane didn't look shocked or angry. She actually nodded, a look of genuine understanding crossing her face.
"Frustration," she mused, tapping her chin. "It's a powerful thing. It makes people do things they never thought they were capable of. Right, guys?"
The others nodded solemnly. Sloane looked back at Marcus and gave him a small, chillingly sweet smile. "Well, at least you're honest. That's why you're here. We like people who know how to handle their 'frustrations'."
Leo felt a cold shiver run from his head to his toes. He thought about the "trick" Sloane had taught him about the bully.Leo watched, frozen, as the empty bottle spun on the basement floor. It slowed, rattling against the wood, until the neck pointed straight at Sloane."Dare," Sloane said, her voice sounding like velvet.
Hana smirked, her eyes glinting. "I dare you to kiss everyone in this room. Every. Single. One."
Sloane didn't hesitate. She slid toward Hana first. What started as a dare turned into something intense; they moved together for two long, suffocating minutes, a display of power and intimacy that made Leo's heart race for all the wrong reasons. When she pulled away, she moved down the line. She kissed Jax, then Kaito, then Damon—quick, dismissive kisses that lasted barely a minute.
"Hey! No fair!" Damon complained with a playful pout. "Hana got the premium package!"
Sloane just smiled at him—a sharp, hungry smile. "Save your breath, Damon."
Then, she turned to Marcus, the new guy. He was shaking, his face red with a mix of fear and excitement. Sloane leaned in, cupping his face with her hands. Marcus closed his eyes, leaning into her, finally feeling like he belonged. He started to relax, his shoulders dropping, a small smile forming on his lips as he enjoyed the moment.
In one fluid, blurred motion, Sloane's hands weren't cupping his face anymore. Two gleaming, razor-sharp knives appeared from the folds of her clothes as if by magic. THWIP.
She drove them both into the sides of Marcus's head at the exact same time.
Marcus didn't even have time to scream. A spray of deep crimson erupted, splashing directly across Jax's face and chest. The tall boy groaned, wiping a thick streak of blood from his eye.
"Aw, come on, Sloane!" Jax complained, looking down at his ruined shirt. "Why's it always gotta be me? This was a new t-shirt, man!"
Sloane didn't even look up as she held Marcus's sagging body steady. Her voice was flat, professional, and terrifyingly calm.
"Stop complaining, Jax," she snapped. "Grab the silver cup from the shelf. Position it under his throat. Don't let a single drop waste.