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“Hold on,” Tina says, pulling me from my thoughts. “You need a touch more blush.” She grabs her big brush and powders my cheeks. I smile as the brush tickles my face.

She looks at me, pursing her lips, still holding my chin. “There. All fixed.”

I dart my eyes back to the beaded mirror and pretend that the girl staring back in the mirror isn’t a stone-cold killer.

Tina stares at me and frowns as she moves to stand behind me in the mirror. Her hair is already curled in lush waves, flowing along her slender shoulders.

“You’re so pretty, Rose. What I wouldn’t give to have your eyes.”

I run my hands over my wig, adjusting it, my stomach knotting. “Thank you.” No amount of makeup or dark wigs can truly hide me. They will soon notice if they look close enough.

Tommy walked by me on campus a couple of times, but I kept my head down as I passed him, and he never noticed. That night didn’t change him. He’s the same track star, has the same friends, he still hums to himself, and still pouts whenever he doesn’t get his way.

It’s amazing how he can just move on, like I didn’t exist.

I slip into the clothes Tina laid out for me—a tight pair of bell-bottom jeans and a puffy blouse that shows my stomach. I twirl around to see it from all angles. I’m so in love with this outfit, I could scream. Mama would hate my makeup and these tight jeans if she saw me. But Mama’s not here anymore.

“Girl, you look hot in those jeans,” Tina says as she primps herself, putting on some lip gloss and fluffing her curls to the point they don’t even move because of how much hairspray she used. “You’re definitely going to catch the fellas’ attention.”

I pause and stare at her in the mirror.

Catch attention… Is that what I want? Am I ready?

“Do you think it’s safe to go out tonight?” I ask her. “With everything that happened yesterday?”

I was in Smith Hall. I lived through the same nightmare as everyone else in that burning room. Each of us clawing our way through the doorway, desperate to survive.

She sighs. “I don’t know, honestly. Have you heard the stories about them yet?”

The hairs on my neck stand on end, and my stomach burns as it does every time I think about them. The extent of the evil embedded in this town that happens right under their noses.

Their golden boys.

I shrug, pressing my lips tight. “No, not really.” Even though I’ve been listening carefully to any rumors about the Order. Everyone is constantly whispering about them. Ever since Talia came back, they haven’t been careful. It’s like they want to get caught.

She crosses her arms and pulls out a menthol cigarette, cupping her hands and lighting it. “They cause a lot of ruckus on campus. They crash parties wearing those creepy masks and leave symbols on the quad. Pathetic really.”

I blink at her a couple of times. “What’s the point of them? What are they trying to achieve by burning a building down?”

She fixes one of her fake silver eyelashes. “No one knows. But that’s not half of it. I heard they kill people. Like, sacrificial lamb type stuff.”

My eyes shoot up.

“Just rumors. No one’s died yet.”

Yeah, they have.

I remember the moment Mama passed into death and the faint sound of the wind blowing against the switch grass in the days that followed while I was alone in that house.

“Rose, are you okay? You look…paler than usual.” Tina eyes me curiously.

Taking a deep breath, I turn to face her. “I come from a religious town, Tina. I don’t like hearing about symbols of death.”

She runs her hands over my shoulders. A soft, gentle touch.

“Don’t worry about it. They are just some stupid frat. You should come check out a real frat party. The Sigmas are so nice—they love Jesus and do so much good for the community. You’ll fit right in.”

Spiders crawl through my stomach. “Yeah, maybe I will.”