Bully King - J.A. Huss Page 0,42

cupped hand. Like he’s a rock star playing a stadium and there are a hundred thousand people in the audience.

Sometimes I just can’t with that guy. But I enjoy him anyway. He stayed up all night to pull together the opening day challenge, it’s practically my job to be supportive.

He moves on to the rules.

It doesn’t matter how unprepared everyone is for this camp and their lack of appreciation for Ax’s theatrics will have no real bearing on the outcome. Because Fang and Feather Summer Rush is actually just a series of four challenges that last two weeks each.

They are not complicated tasks. They are really nothing but a way to figure out which of these kids can follow directions and which of them can’t. It’s that simple.

The ones who can will come out the other end with an invitation to the tomb. Then it’s just… well. More of the same, only then we’ll all be playing for real.

Fang and Feather isn’t looking for out-of-the-box thinkers. We’re not looking for people who want to change the world and we’re not impressed by progressive ideas.

We’re here to choose the next crop of minions and that’s it.

“Listen up, you little pissant rank-and-file commoners!” Ax is clearly enjoying his role as MC this morning, because he’s pacing back and forth across the room with a wild gleam in his eyes. “Your only purpose here is to prove your worth and you don’t fool me!” He extends his arm with one finger pointed at the girl on his far left. Her blue eyes go wide and her too-fair skin turns blotchy before my eyes. Sophie Bettington. She points to herself, and starts to squirm in her chair. But Ax’s finger moves to the right and points at all of them in turn. “I know you think you’re somebody! And you’re not! You. Are. Nobody!”

He’s screaming now.

Lars and I are standing behind the ten pledges on opposite sides of the great room and when I look over at him, he’s rolling his eyes at Ax’s theatrics. I shrug at him. Hell, if Ax wants to play the part of carnival barker this summer, I’m fine with it. Someone has to be the asshole. And this act kinda fits him.

“Well.” Ax lowers his voice. “Not all of you are nobodies. Six of you will get through. But only six.”

“What?” a girl in the middle exclaims. I recognize her from the folder my father gave me. Maddie Lancaster. “What do you mean? There’s a quota?” She looks around at her friends. “That’s not fair! My father told me—”

“Your father is a nobody just like you, Maddie.” Everyone turns in their chairs to look at me. “And if you don’t want to get thrown out on your ass before the first challenge even starts, you will shut your fucking mouth and do what you’re told.”

Ax laughs. It’s borderline maniacal and they all turn back around and start to get nervous. “You’ve all been lied to.” Ax continues with the laugh. “Whatever your parents told you about summer rush, none of it was true.”

“But don’t feel too bad about it,” Lars says. “In fact, you better get used to the lies. Because from this moment on, you’ll never know what’s true and what’s not.”

I cross my arms over my chest and nod my head at him. Because he’s right. This whole club we have here is all based on perception, and loyalty, and secrets, and lies.

But mostly, it’s about consequences.

That’s what we’re here to teach them this summer.

Consequences.

Valentina saunters up front and stands next to Ax. She’s wearing a costume, just like Ax. But her attire doesn’t have anything to do with anarchy and chaos.

She’s dressed like a slutty little princess.

A very rich, slutty little princess. Because she’s practically dripping with diamonds.

There are at least four carats hanging from her drop earrings. Another three on her wrist. The rings on her finger come in at a solid eight, at least. And who knows how much that choker of hers weighs.

She looks at each of the five Feather pledges—Mona Monroe, Maddie Lancaster, Natasha Waring, Sophie Bettington, and Elexa Simpson—and smiles at them. It’s an evil smile. “Look at me,” she coos. “Do you like?” She tilts her head. Angles her body to show off her bare shoulders. Bends one leg at the knee and puckers her lips. Her tank top is glittering with crystals, her silver skirt so short, I can practically see her white panties from here. And her